Opinions on trip please? (1 Viewer)

[Taff015]

Hi all, I usually post rubbish on the N&B sub forum and this is my first on this one!!!

I'm planning a trip next summer and I can max take 3 weeks to do it (kids and work!!). I can either do:

1. A short trip (3800 mils ish) up through Denmark, ferry to Oslo - Bergen - Trondheim - Sundsvall - Stockholm - Gothenburg - Copenhagen - Hamburg (via puttgarden ferry) - home

2. A much longer trip (5736 mils ish) same as 1 but from Trondheim fire up the coast to Hammerfest then down through Finland to Turku and across to Stockholm etc.

Are either of them feasible? Or should I shut up and go back to the planning table?

If anyone has done a similar route or routes in that sort of timeframe, I would love your advice on any camp sites or places to definitely visit. If these options are pie in the sky I can amend as required. The only must is Stockholm as my wife is a massive ABBA fan and I wont stay married unless we see the museum and spend at least 2 days in Stockholm!!

Ill be taking my Flair 8000i (8.5m long) if that makes a difference? I would love to go in either spring or autumn but I don't think I have the right tyres for Norway/Sweden in colder weather (they are all season tyres have the 3 pictures on them. not specific winter snow tyres)

Any advice, as always will be gratefully received

Paul

 

[Phill D]

3 weeks for any of those trips is not long. With the roads in Norway particularly it is very slow driving and takes 3 times the travel time for a similar distance in the UK.
You would spend all of your time driving.

Although Norway has some absolutely teriffic scenery.
Very expensive though.

 

[Taff015]

3 weeks for any of those trips is not long. With the roads in Norway particularly it is very slow driving and takes 3 times the travel time for a similar distance in the UK.
You would spend all of your time driving.

Although Norway has some absolutely teriffic scenery.
Very expensive though.

Hi Phill, thanks for that. I've only been to Norway twice and both times were work related so I was in a car around Oslo Airport...... I had not considered how slow driving was.

Maybe I should cut the faff and just do Sweden for this 3 weeks and then do a Norway trip the year after? I was just hoping to do it all in one go!!

 

[Phill D]

The west coat area around the fjiords is teriffic, stunning and slow.

 

[Richard n Ann]

The only must is Stockholm as my wife is a massive ABBA fan and I wont stay married unless we see the museum and spend at least 2 days in Stockholm!!

Can you not just get her a plane ticket?
Sounds like a cold cold holiday

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[Phill D]

All my time was spent between, bergen, trondhiem, narvik, bardufoss and Tromso.
The roads between bergen and trondhiem is particularly, wiggly

 

[Taff015]

Hi Phill, thanks for that. I've only been to Norway twice and both times were work related so I was in a car around Oslo Airport...... I had not considered how slow driving was.

Maybe I should cut the faff and just do Sweden for this 3 weeks and then do a Norway trip the year after? I was just hoping to do it all in one go!!

Quoting my own post!! How vain!!!

Actually I am a liar... I have been 3 times. First time was on Exercise with the Army in 1997. Which is why I obviously chose Bergen and Trondheim!! All I can remember is offloading a train in -35 and wishing I was in Brunei (where I had been 4 days earlier!!) I don't actually remember much else about it. I went on a train overnight from Bergen north and got really drunk so any sightseeing was curtailed by my inability to see straight!!

 

[Phill D]

I was there in 1981, 82, 83, 84, 86, 87 88. Missed 85 was in Scotland
Between early January and April each time.
Similar occupation

 

[paddymcc]

Even the first option is quite a lot to fit in. One of the joys of Norway is that so much of it is stunning and just sitting in the van is a bit of a waste in my opinion. Having said that driving is very relaxed as speed limits are mostly 50mph. I think the first time we went in about 2002 we got as far north as Alesund but we missed so much out we have been back 3 times since and still not got further north than Trondheim. We've yet to get to Sweden in the motorhome but will eventually, I hope, with the canoe.

 

[Southdowners]

I think 3 weeks is far too short to 'fire up the coast' sadly - to cover that sort of mileage you'd be driving non-stop. Norway's speed limits are very slow and the roads just aren't made for speed anyway. Most days you go through miles of tunnels and have to take short ferry trips. On a motorbike or car the roads would be amazing... in a larger vehicle they can be somewhat challenging.

We drove from the UK up to Nordcap across to the Russian border then down through Finland and Sweden but we took 4 months on trip one and the following year nearly 5 months, only stopping for one night most of the time. We had all seasons tyres and they were brilliant in very cold temperatures, snow and ice - we didn't have to use snow chains once despite being above the arctic circle in October and November.

We loved Norway and hope to go again soon... I hope you get to see at least some of it!

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[Robert Clark]

You might find this thread useful
We did the shorter trip that you are considering

 

[The general]

I was there in 1981, 82, 83, 84, 86, 87 88. Missed 85 was in Scotland
Between early January and April each time.
Similar occupation

Winter warfare training ?

 

[hja]

A few years ago went to Sweden via Puttgaten ferry and Oresund (wrong spelling) bridge to Malmo. Return was via bridge, can’t remember rest of journey. We would almost certainly have got ferry from Hull. Total trip 3 weeks. School summer holidays. Just managed bottom third of Sweden. Distances are large, attractions far apart. It was great, but less is more!

 

[lorger]

We dipped our toes into Scandinavia a few years ago and loved it, we did 4 weeks on the following route.
Newcastle to Amsterdam the drove to Travemunde, we then got ferry to Sweden just south of Malmö. We spent a couple of nights here and caught the train to Copenhagen, we then drove up the west coast of Sweden before entering Norway. Once in Norway we drove to Flam for a few days before heading back to Oslo, after that we caught the ferry to northern Denmark and ferry from Denmark to Harwich.
We spent 4 weeks on this trip which was probably just about right for that trip, it’s a lovely place so I wouldn’t rush and try to enjoy the trip.

 

[Stealaway]

Are you taking any kid's? Will they enjoy a three week drive?

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[Taff015]

I was there in 1981, 82, 83, 84, 86, 87 88. Missed 85 was in Scotland
Between early January and April each time.
Similar occupation

Condor?

 

[Taff015]

You might find this thread useful
We did the shorter trip that you are considering

Bonus, thanks I will have a read

 

[Taff015]

Are you taking any kid's? Will they enjoy a three week drive?

Eldest will be 17 so he will be fine. Youngest is disabled so will be punted off to our carer/hospice as he is a pain in the a**!!!