We are planning a 6 week trip up and down through Scandinavia from mid-January to the end of Feb next year. Our aim is to get to Tromso for the northern lights and bucket-list tick.
I'm thinking of a clockwise route via Denmark and Sweden to Tromso, and then return via Finland, Helsinki, (?St Petersburg?), the baltics, Poland, etc. Sticking to main roads in the colder parts.
If I could ask a few questions (and I'm reading ceejayt 's epic thread just now on a similar trip/route):
* Is this a feasible route/distance in 6 weeks, and at that time of year? We could be a little flexible on coming back a little bit later.
* It's going to be cold. In terms of van prep - is there anything special to do?
* Anyone any advice on winter tyres? We have a 7.4m Ducato-based van uprated to 3850kg. Will be just two of us, so spare payload. Is it worth taking the non-winter tyres/hubs too for the warmer parts of the journey or just take winter tyres all the way?
* Any other advice?
We'll take snowchains (presumably, just in case?) and a spare wheel and solar with tilt for what little low sun we can catch. We'll have 2 refillable lpg cylinders and should be ok in Sweden and Norway, but will need to be careful across LPG-free Finland.
Thanks as ever for helpful advice.
Robin
I'm thinking of a clockwise route via Denmark and Sweden to Tromso, and then return via Finland, Helsinki, (?St Petersburg?), the baltics, Poland, etc. Sticking to main roads in the colder parts.
If I could ask a few questions (and I'm reading ceejayt 's epic thread just now on a similar trip/route):
* Is this a feasible route/distance in 6 weeks, and at that time of year? We could be a little flexible on coming back a little bit later.
* It's going to be cold. In terms of van prep - is there anything special to do?
* Anyone any advice on winter tyres? We have a 7.4m Ducato-based van uprated to 3850kg. Will be just two of us, so spare payload. Is it worth taking the non-winter tyres/hubs too for the warmer parts of the journey or just take winter tyres all the way?
* Any other advice?
We'll take snowchains (presumably, just in case?) and a spare wheel and solar with tilt for what little low sun we can catch. We'll have 2 refillable lpg cylinders and should be ok in Sweden and Norway, but will need to be careful across LPG-free Finland.
Thanks as ever for helpful advice.
Robin