Norway and finland thinking

[vzac]

Would like to know of your experience in these 2 countries. We are thinking of going mid June to mid August, is that a good time or bad time. Do we need to book sites in advance ( do they get full). Will hopefully be useing a variety of sleeping style stops with and without facilities, free and paid. Any places to avoid, how expensive are the ferries ( island hopping) and do you have to pre-book, is it one ferry company are there several business. Anyone parked up in Helsinki and gone to St Petersburg for a few days by ferry. (Or driven). What do I need to know. Thanks in advance.
Will be going via denmark, and returning via Latvia, Poland etc.

 

[Speve]

Have you done Sweden? It’s a great place to go we drove up the E45 such a scenic drive and not all trees as some will say you are also close to Norwegian border and Finland at the top we started in early May and came home in July the mosquitos were getting a bit of a pain by then
Enjoy your trip

 

[vzac]

Have you done Sweden? It’s a great place to go we drove up the E45 such a scenic drive and not all trees as some will say you are also close to Norwegian border and Finland at the top we started in early May and came home in July the mosquitos were getting a bit of a pain by then
Enjoy your trip

Thanks, am looking at dipping into Sweden as well.

 

[TinaLes]

Check out John & Mandy on You Tube, they have covered most things in terms of facilities for wilding & campsites, costs of fuel/food/eating out in each country. They started in the UK, went to Denmark, then Norway to Sweden, then ferry to Latvia, through to Slovakia, then onto Romania, and they are still heading south as we speak.
Take plenty of money with you.
Have a great trip.
Les
Here's a link to John & Mandy, there are loads of videos if you do a search from the start of their journey.

 

[Brains]

The local midges will really appreciate your visit at that time of year.

The good news is they only are awake when it's daylight.
The bad news is it doesn't get dark at that time of year !

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[vzac]

Check out John & Mandy on You Tube, they have covered most things in terms of facilities for wilding & campsites, costs of fuel/food/eating out in each country. They started in the UK, went to Denmark, then Norway to Sweden, then ferry to Latvia, through to Slovakia, then onto Romania, and they are still heading south as we speak.
Take plenty of money with you.
Have a great trip.
Les

Yeah been watching them, would like to know how busy it gets in June, July, August. John and mandy was/is interesting, and I like what they are doing.

 

[vzac]

The local midges will really appreciate your visit at that time of year.

The good news is they only are awake when it's daylight.
The bad news is it doesn't get dark at that time of year !

Guess they are same as Scottish midges, without fried Mars bars. Still it's only the females that bug us, so no difference just a difference species.

 

[jumartoo]

There are some previous threads on here on travelling in Scandinavia. Check them out.

Our Norwegian friends advised us to drive north through Sweden and then slowly south through Norway, so that's what we did.

 

[bladerunner]

I've been twice - one summer we had snow high up, another it was +34'c north of the arctic.
Beware the toll tunnels - one had roundabout in the middle and a wrong exit led to a high bridge and another roundabout. 5 minutes drive cost €120.
Take as much booze as you dare as v expensive and tricky to find.
Ferry top of Denmark was quick. Ferry Kiel to Oslo is huge (though ground staff are useless dudes) and fab restaurant stern. Big bridge to Sweden is v impressive.

My impression is it all depends on the weather as out of the cities there's not much to do if you are hunkering down. In clear weather it is spectacular.

South Sweden is relatively flat, so surprisingly few views - tree/rock/lake and repeat.

Love all three.

 

[bladerunner]

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[Southdowners]

We've been twice to Scandinavia. We spent most of the time in Norway - we loved it.

I'd suggest travelling north through Sweden and crossing into Norway to journey southwards. Sweden is far cheaper than Norway. Norwegians near the Swedish border travel into Sweden to buy groceries, alcohol, etc. The roads in Sweden are much faster and better to travel on. Norwegian roads are slow (speed limit strictly enforced) and can be difficult... in fact very difficult at times.

We found that the ferries in Norway are very quick and fairly reasonable. We used them most weeks as the roads just come to a stop and you need to get the ferry across the fjord to pick up the road again. You stay in your vehicle on the short crossings. It all becomes very easy once you've done it a couple of times. A person comes round with a ticket machine and you pay much like on an old-style bus in the UK. The tunnels are amazing and often many miles long. You enter some at a lower level and spiral up through the rock to a higher level - some have roundabouts. I think the longest is 15 miles. Again, you get used to them as they're a daily occurrence.

The only downside is that we found the food to be dreadful. Horrendously expensive and awful quality. Norwegians seem to live on hotdogs! On our first visit I thought that given their fishing industry that there would be fish of all kinds on offer... not so, as they export most of it. Also alcohol has to be purchased at a Vinmonopolet (a government run off-licence). When we were there we paid around £16 for a bottle of very basic wine. If you go online you'll be able to get an idea of the price.

We absolutely loved Norway and will go back. We travelled the length of it up to Nordcap and across to the Russian border. I don't think we'd be able to travel that far in future because of the 90 day rule. I can't tell you whether the months you propose are good or not as we travelled Sept-Dec but I do know that there are midges a-plenty!

 

[jumartoo]

We didn't see a midge or a mozzie on any of our travels in Norway, and only once in Sweden when we went walking in a forest on a damp, mizzly, day.

We were there in a summer heatwave though.

 

[nicholsong]

Would like to know of your experience in these 2 countries. We are thinking of going mid June to mid August, is that a good time or bad time. Do we need to book sites in advance ( do they get full). Will hopefully be useing a variety of sleeping style stops with and without facilities, free and paid. Any places to avoid, how expensive are the ferries ( island hopping) and do you have to pre-book, is it one ferry company are there several business. Anyone parked up in Helsinki and gone to St Petersburg for a few days by ferry. (Or driven). What do I need to know. Thanks in advance.
Will be going via denmark, and returning via Latvia, Poland etc.

Because someone had posted information that Hurtigrutingen, who run the coastal ferries north from Bergen, will not take MHs. I just rang them and they confirmed that they will not accept gas tanks, even if turned off or even empty. Even without a tank they will not accept vehicle more than 2m high(a bit more on some ships)

That has screwed up the first part of our 'bucket list' major round Europe trip.

I am now going to research the ferries that go across the fjord mouths, but I am sure many motorhomes have travelled on those.

Geoff

 

[Speve]

Because someone had posted information that Hurtigrutingen, who run the coastal ferries north from Bergen, will not take MHs. I just rang them and they confirmed that they will not accept gas tanks, even if turned off or even empty. Even without a tank they will not accept vehicle more than 2m high(a bit more on some ships)

That has screwed up the first part of our 'bucket list' major round Europe trip.

I am now going to research the ferries that go across the fjord mouths, but I am sure many motorhomes have travelled on those.

Geoff

Is that bulk underslung tanks or refillable cylinders as well?

 

[bladerunner]

. Norwegian roads are slow (speed limit strictly enforced) and can be difficult... in fact very difficult at times.

Not my experience

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[nicholsong]

Is that bulk underslung tanks or refillable cylinders as well?

From what I understood it is any gas tanks.

 

[vzac]

We have gas tanks, and over 2 metres high. Stuffed for that bit then.

 

[L' Hobo]

The local midges will really appreciate your visit at that time of year.

The good news is they only are awake when it's daylight.
The bad news is it doesn't get dark at that time of year !

Stange, I went to Sweden again in June 2015? and never saw a one.
Ive been about a few times now and only had problems in central Sweden. July is when most of Sweden have their holidays so....?

 

[nicholsong]

We have gas tanks, and over 2 metres high. Stuffed for that bit then.

It is strange because I have taken ferries across the Channel, to Spai, and this year 4 ferries to/from Greek islands with no problem - not even asked if gas was off - which it always was.

I am going to contact the Norwegian Tourist office for their opinion, when I have time.

Geoff

 

[vzac]

It is strange because I have taken ferries across the Channel, to Spai, and this year 4 ferries to/from Greek islands with no problem - not even asked if gas was off - which it always was.

I am going to contact the Norwegian Tourist office for their opinion, when I have time.

Geoff

I know we were on 11 ferries on the orkneys and shetlands, this summer not even asked to turn gas of except on lerwick to aberdeen. Gas was off on all of them.

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[paddymcc]

The Hurtigruten is very different to the ferries across the fjords which are generally 10 mins to 45mins long. I very much doubt if gas tanks are not allowed on those. You can get a Norwegian Autopass which gives good discounts on ferries I believe. Ferries are more if you are over 6m but the ferry crew don't always include the bike rack or even measure precisely. I suspect however with the Autopass ( which came in since we were last there) you have to declare weight and length in advance.
We went in July August and it wasn't busy and I suspect it never is except at Grainger fjord when a 10000 passenger cruise ship arrives. The school's go back earlier as in Scotland. We didn't book anywhere in advance. Sometimes had to wait a while for a ferry.

 

[Riverbankannie]

We have gas tanks, and over 2 metres high. Stuffed for that bit then.

Hurtigruten not a vehicle ferry as such, so not the same as rollon , roll off ferries. As post above the ferries that you can buy a pass for are ok for motorhomes with gas tanks.

 

[vzac]

Hurtigruten not a vehicle ferry as such, so not the same as rollon , roll off ferries. As post above the ferries that you can buy a pass for are ok for motorhomes with gas tanks.

If its not a ferry, what is it ? A canoe. I will have to have a look at what it is.

 

[Riverbankannie]

When we went to Norway, twice now, we made the decision that we would be teetotal and just not expect to have wine or beer etc. it is possible!
When in Stockholm visiting sister, we but from the government shop, systembolaget, and it is more reasonable but you need to show passport.

 

[Riverbankannie]

If its not a ferry, what is it ? A canoe. I will have to have a look at what it is.

It transports goods and people between coastal ports - started as a postal service. It is side loading mostly by fork lift trucks and berths side on to docks.
This was the largest ship in the fleet at the time

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[vzac]

When we went to Norway, twice now, we made the decision that we would be teetotal and just not expect to have wine or beer etc. it is possible!
When in Stockholm visiting sister, we but from the government shop, systembolaget, and it is more reasonable but you need to show passport.

Am alergic to alcohol so that's not a problem for me fortunately or unfortunately depending how you look at it.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Fascinating, awesome, stunning natural , Beauty.

We have only ever been in winter. 1st time in our VW T5 Shuttle, staying in a lake house facing

Utøya Island

Then in our motorhome but staying in a brand new huge log cabin in Øvre Ramse. The house owners family had lived there from the year 600 and carried the name Ramse.

All the other trips were by motorhome.

Always in winter, always by ferry from Newcastle. Managed to get below -27c