We love the Norwegian silde (pickled herring in various sauces) as do our kids. Consequently the van was packed with jars of herring in mustard sauce, herring in tomato and herring in cream when we came home last week. Makes a change from the alcohol we normally come back with!
Bosch H7 Maxibox Halogen Bulb Set for Car Headlights and Lamps, 12 V - Socket Type PX26d - Spare Bulb Box Containing the Most Essential Bulbs and Fuses £10.58 
BITS4REASONS NEW MODEL MAYPOLE MP374B 200-250V 16A UK HOOK-UP LEAD 3 PIN/MAINS ADAPTOR CARAVAN MOTORHOME TRAILER CAMPING CAMPERVAN WITH EASY FUSE REPLACE PLUG £11.99 
Cadac Safari Chef 2 Pro QR BBQ - Black £139.95 
NOCO Boost X GBX45 1250A Jump Starter Power Pack - 6.5L Petrol, 4.0L Diesel | UltraSafe: Spark-Proof & Reverse Polarity Protection, 60W USB-C Power Bank, 12V Battery Booster for Cars, Motorcycles & More £117.58 Subscribers don't see these adverts
In search of the Vikings, Edvard Munch and the Midnight Sun.
- Thread starter Wanders from Glos
- Start date
Jane NotRog
LIFE MEMBER
I had a Dutch cycle trainer. She called those winds a “Dutch hill”
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
Yes we liked herring in mustard sauce too.
Black cod i think
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
Tonight is the last evening of this tour so we have moved closer to the Hook of Holland. We are staying on a lovely farm not far from Alphen aan den Rijn, south of Amsterdam. The extreme heat experienced in the UK has well and truly caught up with us today, when we arrived at just after 12.30 the temperature was 37º and it got hotter.
https://park4night.com/en/place/418335 is a lovely site and very much a working farm. It is not cheap (about €22.50 plus showers) but then you can catch a bus from here into Amsterdam. One thing we have noticed generally in the Netherlands is that most bus stops have substantial bike racking so people can cycle to the bus, and it is well used.
The farm has some nice cool areas where you can escape the heat or socialise, there is a lovely kitchen plus a great barn to relax in and even play darts.
But best of all there is a milkshake and a Mr Whippy ice cream machine where you can serve yourself for a small fee. The milk is taken straight from the farm which has a herd of jerseys and frisians. I am watching the wander by as I write this.
After lunch we decided to go for a bike ride to see if that would feel cooler. To leave the farm and get to a nearby lake you have to travel over an old bridge.
It was a beautiful ride if very hot.
Everyone else seemed to be jumping into the nearest water, no one was on the paths or streets.
After only 10 miles or so the heat was beginning to make us both feel a bit off so we headed back and consoled ourselves with an ice cream followed by cups of tea. Even in the hot weather nothing quenches the thirst or cools you down like a cup of tea. How British is that?
This evening's meal will be left overs, principally plaice with a side of streaky bacon. Current regulations mean you can't take meat or diary back into the UK (I know fish aren't dairy!) and anyway we have fridge issues.
Tomorrow the plan is to head to the nearby ParkRun for 9pm and then find coffee and cake. Our ferry is at 2:15pm. I'll probably write a summary of our thoughts on Norway during the crossing and post on our way home. Some friends did the journey a week or two ago and had horror stories about passport control in the UK. We are more concerned about it on the EU side, because the system broke when we were coming in and the passports weren't stamped, the customs officer just photographed them.
https://park4night.com/en/place/418335 is a lovely site and very much a working farm. It is not cheap (about €22.50 plus showers) but then you can catch a bus from here into Amsterdam. One thing we have noticed generally in the Netherlands is that most bus stops have substantial bike racking so people can cycle to the bus, and it is well used.
The farm has some nice cool areas where you can escape the heat or socialise, there is a lovely kitchen plus a great barn to relax in and even play darts.
But best of all there is a milkshake and a Mr Whippy ice cream machine where you can serve yourself for a small fee. The milk is taken straight from the farm which has a herd of jerseys and frisians. I am watching the wander by as I write this.
After lunch we decided to go for a bike ride to see if that would feel cooler. To leave the farm and get to a nearby lake you have to travel over an old bridge.
It was a beautiful ride if very hot.
Everyone else seemed to be jumping into the nearest water, no one was on the paths or streets.
After only 10 miles or so the heat was beginning to make us both feel a bit off so we headed back and consoled ourselves with an ice cream followed by cups of tea. Even in the hot weather nothing quenches the thirst or cools you down like a cup of tea. How British is that?
This evening's meal will be left overs, principally plaice with a side of streaky bacon. Current regulations mean you can't take meat or diary back into the UK (I know fish aren't dairy!) and anyway we have fridge issues.
Tomorrow the plan is to head to the nearby ParkRun for 9pm and then find coffee and cake. Our ferry is at 2:15pm. I'll probably write a summary of our thoughts on Norway during the crossing and post on our way home. Some friends did the journey a week or two ago and had horror stories about passport control in the UK. We are more concerned about it on the EU side, because the system broke when we were coming in and the passports weren't stamped, the customs officer just photographed them.
We never had any delays or issues with passport control at either Ijmuiden or Newcastle both ways. Nobody had the EES system up and running so simply passing the passport through the window to be scanned, a cursory check in the van to ensure no stowaways and on our way.
Grianan
LIFE MEMBER
Thank you for a wonderful blog .... it has opened our eyes to spending more time in the Netherlands and visiting Denmark. I hope your journey back is straightforward and Claire copes with the heat for her ParkRun!
scousebird
LIFE MEMBER
Thanks for taking us with you. Have a good trip home.
Thank you very much for sharing and for taking the time. Next one, possibly Spain? Anyway, very interesting
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
We will have to see if we get all the repairs done by September but if we do I think our favourite Spain will be on the cards. We won’t book anything until the week before.Thank you very much for sharing and for taking the time. Next one, possibly Spain? Anyway, very interesting
Ice cream machine at a camper stop sounds like perfection, how much was it.?
Have a good journey home….
Have a good journey home….
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
The princely sum of £2.25 a cone. Almost the best I’ve ever had
Jane NotRog
LIFE MEMBER
Thanks for taking us with you on your interesting trip. I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on Norway. Safe travels home!
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
We are back home after a long but uneventful journey from Harwich. In true efficient Dutch style, are entry had been registered by the customs officer and we simply did the retina thing and through we went. In the UK, passport control took about half an hour so not the end of the world.
We really liked Denmark and the Netherlands, perhaps because the weather was better and will definitely return to them. The main purpose of this year’s trip was to get to Norway, in the end we spent over three weeks there. I said we would summarise our impressions so here goes.
In summary
We mostly drove although we did use buses too. The quality of the roads is very good. We didn’t see a pot hole in all our time there. The good standard of repair does mean there are a lot of roadworks. Often they seemed to be resurfacing a road that seemed to us to be in good condition. But beyond Oslo, there are no dual carriageways and the maximum speed limit is 50mph, often less. The speed limits change a lot and speed cameras seem strategically placed. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have picked up a couple of tickets, as there. Is no allowance for a mile or two over. If you average 40mph you are doing well, so the substantial distances between places means getting anywhere takes a lot of time, and driving can dominate the holiday. Plus as we learned when you have a problem you can be a very long way from getting things sorted out.
As an aside we noticed many stretches of road had been reduced to 70kph for no obvious reason. We asked a Norwegian about this and he explained research had shown that above 70kph people rarely survive hitting a moose because the animal’s long legs mean it goes through the windscreen and lands on occupants. At a slower speed it still goes through the windscreen, but doesn’t kill them. Hence the speed limit.
The ferries are part of the road system and often not even on the sign post. We caught quite a few and with the Autopass Ferje spent less than £50. In fact some were free. We thought the system was marvellous and very impressive. We had a Flyt toll tag and have had the invoice for roughly £95 for all road tolls.
The buses were equally efficient and they were cheap. They worked on a trust basis, you bought your ticket through an app, but we never got asked to prove we had one, which by the way sums Norway up. People are trusted and seem very honest. If you like to cycle most places had cycle paths, unless you were getting on to the back roads. Nice smooth roads also make for easy and safe riding.
We budgeted for an expensive trip by European standards, but have to say it was no where near as costly as we expected. It is perfectly possible to stay at marinas with all the facilities for under £20. Campsites and park ups in the cities for under £30. So cheaper than the UK. Much is made of the ability to wild camp and you see lots of pictures of people parked next to nature. There are lots of opportunities to wild camp, but we would have to say in many cases they didn’t suit us. They were either down tracks we didn’t fancy in our van, or more commonly set only slightly back from the road, so you could hear lorries thundering past.
Eating and drinking out is expensive. But we didn’t do it often, partly because restaurants often closed very early but also we didn’t see many offering restaurant standard food. Much of it was well cooked, but rather basic and hearty. I would say very similar to Germany. We prefer to eat out at places offering meals we wouldn’t cook at home. Instead there seemed to be a lack of variety. By the way, supermarkets were not as expensive as we expected, Waitrose prices at the most.
The Norwegian people are lovely. Everyone speaks very good English and they are always willing to help. They readily use technology, for example full 5G was available absolutely everywhere. They always had time for you. In fact we found and others have said the same, it could become frustrating when you need something resolved, such as a vehicle repair. They just cannot be rushed. We met another couple much later who had also broken down in Norway and they spent six nights on a garage forecourt largely because of the lack of urgency getting parts. In the end they hired a car and did a 16 hour round trip to pick up the parts from Oslo.
So what did we think? Obviously this is just our opinion, others will feel differently.
Norway is beautiful, constantly. Nearly every bend brings a new and dramatic vista especially in the fjords. But then so is much of Scotland. To our surprise, we found after a week or two we had become inured to the grand scenery and we realised we were looking for more. There is not the variability of Spain, France or Italy. The towns are similar, and largely quiet, without the buzz we like. There were exceptions, notably Trondheim and Fredrikstad. Everything seems to close early and you cannot expect to be able to pop out for a good quality menu du jour or del dia. Even getting a good coffee was not always possible, often coming from a machine, sometimes which you had to operate yourself. Yet by our standards it was expensive. Bread was rarely of the quality we are used to on our travels, but the pastries were very good.
The weather was mixed. It didn’t rain that often, but it was often no warmer than mid teens. No surprise given how far north it is, but we like to sit out in the evening and it was often not realistic.
To live in Norway must on the one hand be quite hard in the winter and with the lack of cultural diversion. On the other, I think it might be the most impressive country we have ever been to. If the Norwegians do something the do it properly meaning everything works well and with no fuss. They have embraced technology in a way that makes people’s lives easier. People seem to be very comfortable, happy and honest. In all our time there we never saw a piece of rubbish, literally none.
One example sums the Norwegians up for us. In one town we stayed at the children of all ages had to catch a bus to school in a neighbouring larger town. All children of whatever age made their own way to the bus stops. There was no school run. Those that lived a little way off either cycled or some of the older ones used electric scooters. At the bus stop they simply dumped their bikes and scooters. None were locked despite being valuable. They caught the bus and then at the end of the day picked them up again when they got off the bus. It clearly didn’t occur to anyone they might be stolen. Imagine living in a country like that.
So we are glad we went to Norway, but will we return? Possibly to visit the Lofoten Islands or Senja, but not in a motorhome. It just didn’t tick all the motorhoming boxes for us. Others might disagree but it lacked the variety and interest for us beyond the natural wonders. Despite being probably the most beautiful country we have been to, probably more than Canada or New Zealand, or indeed the Highlands. Yet it lacked anything much beyond that.
You learn on a trip like this what you are looking for in a tour. I would urge you to see for yourself, but for us it will be back to the older, warmer and more foodie countries even though they are less efficient or magnificent. Shorter drives too.
We really liked Denmark and the Netherlands, perhaps because the weather was better and will definitely return to them. The main purpose of this year’s trip was to get to Norway, in the end we spent over three weeks there. I said we would summarise our impressions so here goes.
In summary
We mostly drove although we did use buses too. The quality of the roads is very good. We didn’t see a pot hole in all our time there. The good standard of repair does mean there are a lot of roadworks. Often they seemed to be resurfacing a road that seemed to us to be in good condition. But beyond Oslo, there are no dual carriageways and the maximum speed limit is 50mph, often less. The speed limits change a lot and speed cameras seem strategically placed. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have picked up a couple of tickets, as there. Is no allowance for a mile or two over. If you average 40mph you are doing well, so the substantial distances between places means getting anywhere takes a lot of time, and driving can dominate the holiday. Plus as we learned when you have a problem you can be a very long way from getting things sorted out.
As an aside we noticed many stretches of road had been reduced to 70kph for no obvious reason. We asked a Norwegian about this and he explained research had shown that above 70kph people rarely survive hitting a moose because the animal’s long legs mean it goes through the windscreen and lands on occupants. At a slower speed it still goes through the windscreen, but doesn’t kill them. Hence the speed limit.
The ferries are part of the road system and often not even on the sign post. We caught quite a few and with the Autopass Ferje spent less than £50. In fact some were free. We thought the system was marvellous and very impressive. We had a Flyt toll tag and have had the invoice for roughly £95 for all road tolls.
The buses were equally efficient and they were cheap. They worked on a trust basis, you bought your ticket through an app, but we never got asked to prove we had one, which by the way sums Norway up. People are trusted and seem very honest. If you like to cycle most places had cycle paths, unless you were getting on to the back roads. Nice smooth roads also make for easy and safe riding.
We budgeted for an expensive trip by European standards, but have to say it was no where near as costly as we expected. It is perfectly possible to stay at marinas with all the facilities for under £20. Campsites and park ups in the cities for under £30. So cheaper than the UK. Much is made of the ability to wild camp and you see lots of pictures of people parked next to nature. There are lots of opportunities to wild camp, but we would have to say in many cases they didn’t suit us. They were either down tracks we didn’t fancy in our van, or more commonly set only slightly back from the road, so you could hear lorries thundering past.
Eating and drinking out is expensive. But we didn’t do it often, partly because restaurants often closed very early but also we didn’t see many offering restaurant standard food. Much of it was well cooked, but rather basic and hearty. I would say very similar to Germany. We prefer to eat out at places offering meals we wouldn’t cook at home. Instead there seemed to be a lack of variety. By the way, supermarkets were not as expensive as we expected, Waitrose prices at the most.
The Norwegian people are lovely. Everyone speaks very good English and they are always willing to help. They readily use technology, for example full 5G was available absolutely everywhere. They always had time for you. In fact we found and others have said the same, it could become frustrating when you need something resolved, such as a vehicle repair. They just cannot be rushed. We met another couple much later who had also broken down in Norway and they spent six nights on a garage forecourt largely because of the lack of urgency getting parts. In the end they hired a car and did a 16 hour round trip to pick up the parts from Oslo.
So what did we think? Obviously this is just our opinion, others will feel differently.
Norway is beautiful, constantly. Nearly every bend brings a new and dramatic vista especially in the fjords. But then so is much of Scotland. To our surprise, we found after a week or two we had become inured to the grand scenery and we realised we were looking for more. There is not the variability of Spain, France or Italy. The towns are similar, and largely quiet, without the buzz we like. There were exceptions, notably Trondheim and Fredrikstad. Everything seems to close early and you cannot expect to be able to pop out for a good quality menu du jour or del dia. Even getting a good coffee was not always possible, often coming from a machine, sometimes which you had to operate yourself. Yet by our standards it was expensive. Bread was rarely of the quality we are used to on our travels, but the pastries were very good.
The weather was mixed. It didn’t rain that often, but it was often no warmer than mid teens. No surprise given how far north it is, but we like to sit out in the evening and it was often not realistic.
To live in Norway must on the one hand be quite hard in the winter and with the lack of cultural diversion. On the other, I think it might be the most impressive country we have ever been to. If the Norwegians do something the do it properly meaning everything works well and with no fuss. They have embraced technology in a way that makes people’s lives easier. People seem to be very comfortable, happy and honest. In all our time there we never saw a piece of rubbish, literally none.
One example sums the Norwegians up for us. In one town we stayed at the children of all ages had to catch a bus to school in a neighbouring larger town. All children of whatever age made their own way to the bus stops. There was no school run. Those that lived a little way off either cycled or some of the older ones used electric scooters. At the bus stop they simply dumped their bikes and scooters. None were locked despite being valuable. They caught the bus and then at the end of the day picked them up again when they got off the bus. It clearly didn’t occur to anyone they might be stolen. Imagine living in a country like that.
So we are glad we went to Norway, but will we return? Possibly to visit the Lofoten Islands or Senja, but not in a motorhome. It just didn’t tick all the motorhoming boxes for us. Others might disagree but it lacked the variety and interest for us beyond the natural wonders. Despite being probably the most beautiful country we have been to, probably more than Canada or New Zealand, or indeed the Highlands. Yet it lacked anything much beyond that.
You learn on a trip like this what you are looking for in a tour. I would urge you to see for yourself, but for us it will be back to the older, warmer and more foodie countries even though they are less efficient or magnificent. Shorter drives too.
Having just come back a week or so ahead of you and after the best part of 6 weeks in Norway I fully agree with everything you say. We lived there for 5 years many many years back and life was great for us BUT we were younger and fitter, we had 3 young children (our daughter was born in Bergen) who took a lot of our time, we had a boat and we had a hyttte i.e we lived just like Norwegians so didn’t miss the dining out, coffees etc.
This time round, like you, we missed the ease of just stopping for a coffee or a beer or going out for a very decent not expensive dinner. We have already decided it’s back to France next trip!
Norway is truly beautiful and impressive but it’s a long drive to get there and we felt pressured to drive quite long days in Norway just to get somewhere. We couldn’t seem to really slow down until we got back to Denmark. If there was a more direct ferry - when we lived there the Newcastle - Stavanger/Bergen ferry ran - we would certainly go back again but until such time I reckon the Hurtigruten is the way to go.
This time round, like you, we missed the ease of just stopping for a coffee or a beer or going out for a very decent not expensive dinner. We have already decided it’s back to France next trip!
Norway is truly beautiful and impressive but it’s a long drive to get there and we felt pressured to drive quite long days in Norway just to get somewhere. We couldn’t seem to really slow down until we got back to Denmark. If there was a more direct ferry - when we lived there the Newcastle - Stavanger/Bergen ferry ran - we would certainly go back again but until such time I reckon the Hurtigruten is the way to go.
Norway seems to be the country all motorhomers should visit and yours is a very interesting recap and opinion.
I sometimes feel I don't like the "usual" people do like, so, it's great to read an honest review, a bit in a different direction.
By the way, I'm glad your fuel pipe lasted so many km after the repair
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
I agree a more direct ferry would make a substantial difference.
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
Thanks. The fuel pipe was a relief.it is booked in to either be replaced or ticked off as okay. I think probably replaced through.Norway seems to be the country all motorhomers should visit and yours is a very interesting recap and opinion.
I sometimes feel I don't like the "usual" people do like, so, it's great to read an honest review, a bit in a different direction.
By the way, I'm glad your fuel pipe lasted so many km after the repair
Lenny HB
LIFE MEMBER
- Oct 18, 2007
- 71,201
- 264,346
- Funster No
- 658
- MH
- Carthago Compactline
- Exp
- Since 2008 & many years tugging
Enjoyed your trip thank you for sharing Andrew and Clair it was very interesting, opened my eyes to Denmark.
Have thought about going a few times over the last few years but I don't really fancy the cold and the high mileage that is needed doing 3500 miles to Spain & Portugal is enough. Also if we went we would probably have to go via Linkoping in Sweden to visit some old friends on the way.
When I used to go to Sweden if was on the ferry from Felixstow or Harwich to Gothenburg, if that was still running that would knock 1500 miles off a return trip, or the one to Bergen about 2500 miles off.
Have thought about going a few times over the last few years but I don't really fancy the cold and the high mileage that is needed doing 3500 miles to Spain & Portugal is enough. Also if we went we would probably have to go via Linkoping in Sweden to visit some old friends on the way.
When I used to go to Sweden if was on the ferry from Felixstow or Harwich to Gothenburg, if that was still running that would knock 1500 miles off a return trip, or the one to Bergen about 2500 miles off.
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
Thanks Lenny. Yes a ferry to Gothenburg or Bergen would make an enormous difference. Stool doesn’t overcome the weather and the other issues though.
Jane NotRog
LIFE MEMBER
Thanks for an interesting summary. I do hope we can visit Norway one day and see it for ourselves. If it wasn’t for Schengen and the B word, I don’t think there would be the same pressure on every long trip to deliver everything. But, like you, we felt we needed a summer this year, and with our longish Italy trip, we now need to wait - any adventures this summer will have to be in the UK.
Thanks for the write up, it’s made me review my future plans…..
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
Don’t get me started on the B word!
Assuming we get all our repairs done in time it will be a September pootle in France or Spain for us. Taking things a bit slower.
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
have a great time. You may love it there, after all we are glad we went. You may also have better weather.
Grianan
LIFE MEMBER
Thanks for the write up … it’s a really interesting perspective.
Our next trip may be delayed … I’m currently putting together a monster project plan of what we need to do to put our house on the market and it’s terrifying!
Our next trip may be delayed … I’m currently putting together a monster project plan of what we need to do to put our house on the market and it’s terrifying!
Jane NotRog
LIFE MEMBER
Oh no! No time to enjoy the new van?
OP
OP
- Sep 7, 2017
- 3,197
- 15,392
- Funster No
- 50,394
Oh my, are you moving house? Or just selling up?
We did the latter at the end if the first lock down. We were made an offer we couldn’t refuse and ended up living in the van through the second lockdown.
Grianan
LIFE MEMBER
I don’t know… but I REALLY want to get this house on the market by end May ‘27 … we’re struggling keeping 2 houses and 25+ acres under control and touring so something has to give … I’m sure we’ll manage some time away!
Just selling. We’ll move to our house in the highlands … we bought it 2014 with the view to it being our retirement house …
Last edited:
Join us or log in to post a reply.
To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun
Join MotorhomeFun
Join us, it quick and easy!
Log in
Already a member? Log in here.
Forum posts reflect the views of individual users and not MotorhomeFun.
MotorhomeFun does not endorse or verify user-generated content.