Countdown 3 - Begins. Scandinavia 2019

[WelshGas]

Well it’s pouring down here and miserable, so a good time to get a few things sorted out.

Ferry booked Return trip Harwich to Hook of Holland mid May and return 21 days later. Nightime crossing + cabin on the way over and Daytime coming back.

Red Pennant Travel Insurance

Green Card - phoned but have to wait until 4 weeks before departure.

Currency - will be using card for most transactions but will take some Euros, Danish Kronor as well as Swedish and Norwegian currency. Have to count up what I have left from my last trip.

Food - Got my buying list sorted. I’m lazy, I’ll buy fresh as I go along but have a stock of BeWell MRE meal packs for at least 1 Meal a day + Desert. So won’t starve.

16 x 24 hrs of my favourite music, and no one to tell me to turn it down. SWMBO is doing an Ancient History Course at Cardiff University while I’m away, but she’s got Max the Cat for company.

Route and Campsites. Absolutely No Idea except I will be using The Bridge to cross to Sweden and visiting the Trollstigen Mountain Road at the end of May, if it is open. Sally SatNav will guide me and I’ll use the ASCI and Archie’s iPad apps to find a campsite, or not, when I stop for lunch.

 

[Hotel California]

Great times ahead Paul , do look out with keeping cash afther a trip as i wanted to trade in some Norwegian paper money last year and got to hear that it they where old billets and needed to be send to the central bank to exchange with coast me some extra charge...
Be sure to keep us updated allong the way and make us jealous with stunning pics!

 

[WelshGas]

Great times ahead Paul , do look out with keeping cash afther a trip as i wanted to trade in some Norwegian paper money last year and got to hear that it they where old billets and needed to be send to the central bank to exchange with coast me some extra charge...
Be sure to keep us updated allong the way and make us jealous with stunning pics!

Just checked and I don’t have any Norwegian or Swedish notes left, only coins.

 

[briwy]

Don't forget it's illegal to import potatoes into Norway..

 

[Big Ted]

We made a school boy error on our Scandinavian trip.
Filled up with booze, wine and spirits in France and caught ferry a few days later from Denmark to Oslo.

We were met by custom’s who asked how many litres of alcohol we had on board.
Mrs Bigted said ‘oh about 6 bottles of spirits’ before realising. Luckily I managed to jump in to the conversation and claim they were all miniatures and my wife then worked out the issue and played along.

We disposed of all the evidence over the next few days with friends!!

 

[BayCatOne]

Just a little tip. Sweden is basically cash-free so if you don't have very expensive fees if paying by card I would suggest not getting any Swedish extra money than what you might have at hand. If you go to very remote areas like mountain huts or whatever then that's only (maybe not even then) you might need cash.

Have fun!

 

[MarkVw2017]

Sounds absolutely amazing @WelshGas Thats the exact reason i bought my Cali, to be able to try and do things like that with my kids. Sounds just amazing. One of my dreams destinations Norway, where my grandad was from, think i even have loads of family there. Hope you post lots of photos on here when you go!! Would love to see them!!

 

[WelshGas]

Sounds absolutely amazing @WelshGas Thats the exact reason i bought my Cali, to be able to try and do things like that with my kids. Sounds just amazing. One of my dreams destinations Norway, where my grandad was from, think i even have loads of family there. Hope you post lots of photos on here when you go!! Would love to see them!!

See here.

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

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/countdown-2-begins-scandinavia-2017.18071/

 

[WelshGas]

Just a little tip. Sweden is basically cash-free so if you don't have very expensive fees if paying by card I would suggest not getting any Swedish extra money than what you might have at hand. If you go to very remote areas like mountain huts or whatever then that's only (maybe not even then) you might need cash.

Have fun!

Agree. This time I’m just going to be passing through on my way up the Norwegian Coast. Travelled up and down Sweden on my last two trips North.

 

[WelshGas]

We made a school boy error on our Scandinavian trip.
Filled up with booze, wine and spirits in France and caught ferry a few days later from Denmark to Oslo.

We were met by custom’s who asked how many litres of alcohol we had on board.
Mrs Bigted said ‘oh about 6 bottles of spirits’ before realising. Luckily I managed to jump in to the conversation and claim they were all miniatures and my wife then worked out the issue and played along.

We disposed of all the evidence over the next few days with friends!!

I’ll bear that in mind but never saw a Customs Official on my last 2 trips.

 

[WelshGas]

Don't forget it's illegal to import potatoes into Norway..

I won’t be cooking potatoes, I can assure you, so I definitely won’t be importing them.

 

[Ting Tong]

You may need to go to Llantwit to get a 1968 international Driving Permit which covers NL DE DK SE NO and FI. We got our 1926 and 1968 IDPs yesterday for our post factory tour trip in 3 weeks. We also got a 1949 IDP for our SW France trip in late May as we go . It took the poor woman at the post office over 40 mins to write them all out.

 

[WelshGas]

You may need to go to Llantwit to get a 1968 international Driving Permit which covers NL DE DK SE NO and FI. We got our 1926 and 1968 IDPs yesterday for our post factory tour trip in 3 weeks. We also got a 1949 IDP for our SW France trip in late May as we go . It took the poor woman at the post office over 40 mins to write them all out.

Will be, if the new Cowbridge Post Office doesn't start doing them. The staff have ben trained.

 

[WelshGas]

Collected my IDP 1968 for my upcoming trip.

Registered, it’s free, for the Brussels and Antwerp Low Emissions Zone. All foreign registered vehicles have to register either via their websites or at specified places or they will incur a fine. From what I can gather Euro 5/6 are OK until at least 2024, and have to purchase passes thereafter.
I don’t intend to visit either city on this trip but you never know. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[WelshGas]

Researching 2 places I intend to visit.

Lærdalstunnelen, E16 5, 5745 Aurland, Norway

Trollstigen, 6300 Åndalsnes, Norway

 

[Walrus]

The old road that the Laerdal tunnel replaced is a wonderful scenic drive. Personally, I would choose it in preference to a long boring tunnel.

 

[WelshGas]

The old road that the Laerdal tunnel replaced is a wonderful scenic drive. Personally, I would choose it in preference to a long boring tunnel.

Personal choice and last time I was in the area it was still closed and didn't open until early June.

Unfortunately I'm afraid, what you find boring I find extremely interesting such as the spiral tunnels and I've heard talk of a 1 lane tunnel with passing places.

Remember, I'm British, well Welsh actually, and we do Weird. We can't all be the same because that would be boring.

 

[Hotel California]

Researching 2 places I intend to visit.

Lærdalstunnelen, E16 5, 5745 Aurland, Norway

Trollstigen, 6300 Åndalsnes, Norway

We done both of those 4y ago ...you will enjoy it ! The tunnels are loong...with blue lightning .
Was just yesterday looking at pics and film we shot during our trip , great memories.

 

[Walrus]

Personal choice ... Remember, I'm British, well Welsh actually, and we do Weird. We can't all be the same because that would be boring.

I'm all for personal choice. Whatever floats your coracle.

 

[WelshGas]

I se the latest ASCI App updates now includes Motorhome Overnight sites. Some free, some charge and some have Facilities and some not but most seem to be close to/in Towns or villages, especially those with facilities.
Most seem to have a Water point and Waste Disposal point as a minimum. Extra charge in the App for this data.

 

[California4x4]

Agree. This time I’m just going to be passing through on my way up the Norwegian Coast. Travelled up and down Sweden on my last two trips North.

I’m there right now!

 

[California4x4]

Researching 2 places I intend to visit.

Lærdalstunnelen, E16 5, 5745 Aurland, Norway

Trollstigen, 6300 Åndalsnes, Norway

If you’re into that sort of thing, you will love almost every minute of the driving along the Norwegian coastlines. The road infrastructure is extraordinary. Here driving through a tunnel onto a monumental bridge to cross a Fjord and disappearing back into a tunnel in the Fjord wall at the other side...

 

[California4x4]

Personal choice and last time I was in the area it was still closed and didn't open until early June.

Unfortunately I'm afraid, what you find boring I find extremely interesting such as the spiral tunnels and I've heard talk of a 1 lane tunnel with passing places.

Remember, I'm British, well Welsh actually, and we do Weird. We can't all be the same because that would be boring.

Check out the Atlantic Highway too.

 

[WelshGas]

Check out the Atlantic Highway too. View attachment 43152

This will be my 3rd trip. Visited Knordkapp in 2015 travelling via Sweden. Tromso and the Lofoten Islands + The Atlantic Highway in 2017 and driving down through Norway. This year concentrating on the Southern half.

 

[California4x4]

This will be my 3rd trip. Visited Knordkapp in 2015 travelling via Sweden. Tromso and the Lofoten Islands + The Atlantic Highway in 2017 and driving down through Norway. This year concentrating on the Southern half.

Excellent. I’m heading from Trondheim to Lofoten Islands now. Any suggestions?