Countdown 2 - Begins. Scandinavia 2017

[WelshGas]

Well down to the last 4 weeks before Departure on the 10th May.

Ferry booked - Harwich to Hook of Holland overnight, and return on the 31st but a daytime crossing to avoid the traffic in U.K. As it arrives at 2000 hrs
Travel and Medical Insurance organised vis Red Pennant, Caravan & Motorhome Club.
Travel money ordered from John Lewis as I can pickup from local Waitrose.
Card registered with Bank. Passport and E111 card checked.
ACSI ID and Discount card and books and iPad app.
Campingaz 907 exchanged for a Full one.
3 MiFi checked out and the MotorHome WiFi system.
E travel bags packed.
Food. Well I'm on my own as SWMBO is going on a Painting Holiday, and I don't want to spend too much time shopping or cooking, so I've stocked up with BeWell Expedition Foods as used by many expeditions. So enough for 21 days, Main & Desert, Porridge Pots for breakfast and lots of Tea, Coffee, Cup a Soup and snacks. Will do some convenience shopping on the way.

Only booked 1 campsite, for the return, Camping Koningshof | Rijnsburg in Holland. 35 miles from Hook of Holland Ferry.

So. Plan, drive until 2pm - stop and then look for a convenient camp site on my way to Tromso, Norway.
Should be 1 camp in Denmark and 4/5 in Sweden on my way to Tromso. 1 in Denmark and the pre-booked camp in Holland.
Then 12/13 stops in Norway as I travel back down, but this time I'll pre-pick Campsites from coast/Island/inland as the mood and sightseeing takes me. Will be visiting the Arctic Centre on my way down and plan to be near Oslo on the 28th, Denmark 29th and then Holland.



Hope to post updates as I go, well when I pitch up for the night, wherever.

 

[Hotel California]

Looks great , but all on your own...take enough time to stop and rest , driving all on your own is diffrent than having someone next to you even if that person never takes over the steeringwheel . The fact you travel allone means you are on your own and no back-up.
Keep us posted.

 

[WelshGas]

Looks great , but all on your own...take enough time to stop and rest , driving all on your own is diffrent than having someone next to you even if that person never takes over the steeringwheel . The fact you travel allone means you are on your own and no back-up.
Keep us posted.

Thanks HC. Drove a lot further when I went to Nordkapp. I can play my own music as loud as I want without deferring to anyone. Got over 400 hrs ready. Have to stop every 2 hrs or so for Coffee and pastries. Driving is a lot more pleasant on the Continent than in the UK. Even got my Deer Whistles fitted for the Reindeer.

 

[T6 CFO]

Great trip and thanks for sharing all your planning which is very informative.
Someone on here suggested the M&S curry. Tried all three and they're excellent. Boil up a bit of rice, open tin, warm up open wine job done.

Have a great trip.

Mike

 

[DM]

Wow - very jealous. Definitely want to do all. So,liar scandanavian trip but I think that one'll have to wait until retirement.

Have a fantastic time.

 

[Skylark2.0]

Bon voyage!

 

[Sp0_0k]

A pretty fast pace for 21 days.
You've already been all over southern western part of Norway though, right? The one you are skipping.
We are going on 20th of April for 18 days but mostly Sweeden and up to Kristiansund to fish with friends.

 

[cpjb@btinternet.com]

Sounds like a great trip.

I can vouch for the M&S canned curries. No need to even boil up rice - just add pre-boiled rice you can get in a sealed pouch and add to the single pan and warm through with the curry. You could also stir in a tin of spinach and you've got saag chicken or whatever, in 5 minutes flat.

 

[briwy]

Looks good WG.
Hope you have as good a time and weather as we did last year.
Pork chops are cheap and excellent.

 

[WelshGas]

A pretty fast pace for 21 days.
You've already been all over southern western part of Norway though, right? The one you are skipping.
We are going on 20th of April for 18 days but mostly Sweeden and up to Kristiansund to fish with friends.

No, that's for next time. I like driving scenic routes, just because I can.
I'm working from North to South, excluding France and Germany as I've already spent a lot of time there and the Alps.
This trip is just for me. Family and trans continental trips later in the year.

 

[hejh2o]

I whish you a great tour and hope the weather is not too wintry - during easter en Denmark we had temperatures between 0 and 6° C + sleet and snow showers - this morning a very cold NE vind

You could consider to make a little detour and drive the altantic road (Atlanterhavsvegen) on the westcoast of Norway: http://www.theatlanticroad.com/ - this is high on my wishlist next time we go to Norway.
The Norwegians have meny beautiful tourist routes, check this out for inspiration: http://www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en

Best regards
Henrik/hejh2o

 

[kave]

Nice trip. Any special reason to travel that way between germany denmark and sweden?
We usuaylly do Rödby-Puttgarten and Helsingör-Helsingborg.
When in Copenhagen, make sure to take "Strandveien" if travelling day time, lots of beautiful houses.

If you don't have something special planned for south of norway, maybe travel through Sweden instead on the E45? No toll roads, less tourists, better and faster roads etc.

 

[WelshGas]

I whish you a great tour and hope the weather is not too wintry - during easter en Denmark we had temperatures between 0 and 6° C + sleet and snow showers - this morning a very cold NE vind

You could consider to make a little detour and drive the altantic road (Atlanterhavsvegen) on the westcoast of Norway: http://www.theatlanticroad.com/ - this is high on my wishlist next time we go to Norway.
The Norwegians have meny beautiful tourist routes, check this out for inspiration: http://www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en

Best regards
Henrik/hejh2o

Nice trip. Any special reason to travel that way between germany denmark and sweden?
We usuaylly do Rödby-Puttgarten and Helsingör-Helsingborg.
When in Copenhagen, make sure to take "Strandveien" if travelling day time, lots of beautiful houses.

If you don't have something special planned for south of norway, maybe travel through Sweden instead on the E45? No toll roads, less tourists, better and faster roads etc.

Thanks for the comments. The map I posted, well the Norwegian half, is just from some mapping software I have. Where I go is up in the air. Will probably drive the Atlantic Road.
Drove to Nordkapp, at the same time of year, in 2015 but my route then was up the Swedish coast and back down the middle. So this time it's up through Sweden and down through Norway. The only fixed point is Copenhagen, for The Bridge to Sweden and the Hook of Holland for the Ferry to Harwich.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/countdown-begins.10091/

Trip to Nordkapp.

 

[Palm]

Why have you excluded Lofoten? From my point of view as a Swede it's a must see place on the way so to speek.

Drive carfully and you will have a wonderfull time. Take care.

/Christer

 

[WelshGas]

Why have you excluded Lofoten? From my point of view as a Swede it's a must see place on the way so to speek.

Drive carfully and you will have a wonderfull time. Take care.

/Christer

I haven't excluded Lofoten. I have no idea where I'm going in Norway. The map, apart from the section upto Tromso is just an example.
I'm starting at Tromso and passing Oslo. Visiting Oslo on a weekend break by air in the Autumn for some culture.
In between Tromso i have no idea where I'll end up. The E10 looks interesting as does the Atlantic Highway. I should be early enough in the season to miss the crowds. We'll see.

 

[Palm]

Ok! Here is some places and roads i can recomend in Norway.
- Fjällporten: Spectacular mountain view drivning east from Riksgränsen towards Abisko. I guess you drive E10 from Sweden to Norway stop at the parking place close to Björkliden and look east.
- Narvik: Is the shipping port for the steel mines in the Kirruna area. The camping site is a possible train spotting place.

- Lofoten: From the bridge (68.627299,16.591121) drive up to Andenes in the North down to Å in the south. It will be same road in different directions some time but its a new view and worth it. Aprox 500 km
There is ferrys from Lofoten to main land that shortens the return.

- The Atlantic Road, you have that

- Trollstigen: Spectacular road and view (62.458912,7.670983)

- Hardangervidda: Spectacular views and road (60.463649,7.815931)

- Bergen: Nice town (60.394798,5.325405)

Geo point from google maps

I can elaborate more later this week.

 

[Walrus]

I haven't excluded Lofoten. I have no idea where I'm going in Norway. The map, apart from the section upto Tromso is just an example.
I'm starting at Tromso and passing Oslo. Visiting Oslo on a weekend break by air in the Autumn for some culture.
In between Tromso i have no idea where I'll end up. The E10 looks interesting as does the Atlantic Highway. I should be early enough in the season to miss the crowds. We'll see.

If you are interested this link should take you to a write up of the trip I made to Nordkapp and back by motorbike a few years ago.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...g-the-itch-Nordkapp-2013?highlight=scratching

The trip back which includes the bit you are doing starts here. It skips the route up via Sweden and Finland

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...itch-Nordkapp-2013/page2?highlight=scratching

I could probably find my old gps routes if you have something that can use .gdb files. Some of the old roads I used to avoid long tunnels were well worth the detour. I'm not sure whether non members can read this forum let me know if there is a problem.

 

[WelshGas]

Ver

If you are interested this link should take you to a write up of the trip I made to Nordkapp and back by motorbike a few years ago.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...g-the-itch-Nordkapp-2013?highlight=scratching

The trip back which includes the bit you are doing starts here. It skips the route up via Sweden and Finland

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...itch-Nordkapp-2013/page2?highlight=scratching

I could probably find my old gps routes if you have something that can use .gdb files. Some of the old roads I used to avoid long tunnels were well worth the detour. I'm not sure whether non members can read this forum let me know if there is a problem.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Visited Nordkapp in 2015. Lots of history surrounding that area. Also visited the Rock Paintings Museum. I was the only visitor that day.

 

[WelshGas]

All stick and span. Loaded up ready for the off, tomorrow.

 

[larrylamb]

Have a great trip WG

 

[Palm]

Have a safe journey!

 

[T6 CFO]

Have a great trip

Mike


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Grey one]

All stick and span. Loaded up ready for the off, tomorrow.
View attachment 21433

Fantastic approach. Get out there and see what happens. Look forward to the de-brief.

 

[BerndRos]

Have a great trip, as I know you will.

I have arrived at the Aire at Le Boulou...French side of border with Spain. Yesterday morning was at Hockenheim. Whole distance covered with no toll payments. France non motorway system is wrecked, used to be a joy to drive, alas now to many vehicles, traffic lights, roundabouts & calming measures.

 

[Grey one]

Don't know what I've done for a " Disagree ".
Really can't see the point of it without an explanation.
View attachment 21443

Scrolling down the page looking at various comments and hit the menu of comnents in error!!!!!!!! Wrote post 23 after scrolling through and didn't notice Scrolling error. Post 23 was the correct post!