Countdown 4 Begins. Scandinavia 2020

[pluc99]

Great trip, thanks for sharing! I'm impressed by how well the Crossclimate tyres perform, looking at the road conditions in your video. Have fun in Sweden, do keep us posted.

Those are the tires I mounted so I'm thrilled to have confirmed that they're performing well in those conditions.

 

[WelshGas]

Well on my way southwards, but via Finland and Sweden.
Left Alta, overcast and sleeting 0c crossed into Finland , blue sky, and now in Sweden with blue sky and 11c. What a difference.

Plotting my route yesterday on Google Maps and my SatNav, both agreed on the route, the milage of 296 miles and the time of 7 hrs 35 minutes.

However I did it in 5hrs 30 minutes.
I think both systems are using incorrect data for the speed limits because the estimates are normally very close to the actual time, not 2 hrs out. My average speed was about 53mph and over 90% of the roads had speed limits of 80 or 90kph in Norway and 80 or 100 kph in Finland and Sweden thats 50 to 63 mph

 

[WelshGas]

Amazon have got 24GB data sims for the Three Network on sale for £35 . They last for 2 yrs from 1st use. Very useful in a MiFi and have worked faultlessly so far on my trip. Just started a new one.

 

[WelshGas]

Saw a few of these in the High Country today.

 

[bvddobb]

You are probably too early for this, but you may want to check locally, since you pass by it, so to see. Too good to miss out, if you can drive it:

South Lapland

Området södra Lappland består av kommunerna i Vilhelmina, Dorotea, Åsele och Strömsund och är till ytan lika stort som Belgien men med endast 25 000 invånare. Här finns bland annat 10 000 sjöar och 150 bergstoppar över 1 000 m.ö.h.

wildernessroad.eu

Stekenjokk is wonderful!

 

[WelshGas]

You are probably too early for this, but you may want to check locally, since you pass by it, so to see. Too good to miss out, if you can drive it:

South Lapland

Området södra Lappland består av kommunerna i Vilhelmina, Dorotea, Åsele och Strömsund och är till ytan lika stort som Belgien men med endast 25 000 invånare. Här finns bland annat 10 000 sjöar och 150 bergstoppar över 1 000 m.ö.h.

wildernessroad.eu

Stekenjokk is wonderful!

Too late for me I'm afraid. I'll be in New York when that road opens, if it opens on time this year. They have had unprecedented amounts of snow this year

 

[WelshGas]

Well halfway down Sweden today. Roads are excellent and no tunnels , just long straights and gentle curves and no steep hills. A delight to drive.
My plan is to stop short of Oslo tomorrow and on Sunday short of Lysebotn and visit on Monday . Then back to Sweden to cross the Oresund Bridge on Thursday.

It pays to have cash on you sometimes. This campsite are in the process of changing from ADSL to Fibre for their Broadband but the company doing it have run into problems so at the moment they have no Internet,hence no card machine so they can only take cash. I think it’s always good to have some local currency for emergencies.

 

[WelshGas]

Paintwork is in pristine condition for a T5 (well any California!). What's your secret?

Not so pristine now.

 

[WelshGas]

We’ll just N of Oslo now.
Interesting day.
1. SatNav and Google both said 11.5 hrs for the route I took today.Turned out to be 8.25 hrs including a lunch break and numerous coffee stops plus one fill up with fuel.

2. A large bridge across a lake, on the E45, was closed for resurfac. There was a detour that rejoined the E45 further down, but what they didn’t say that 10 miles of the detour was on a gravel forestry road that was just wide enough for a Motorhome and car to pass.
I followed the signs turned onto this gravel track, no further signs no cars etc: I was getting worried that I was on a road to nowhere until I saw a car and HGV in the distance following me. Had to squeeze past a grader that was attempting to keep the gravel road free of potholes.
There we’re loads of gravelled lay-bys for breakdowns or passing and everyone had a graphic showing a Motorhome pulling in to let cars behind pass it.
The Motorhomes going the other way we’re going very slowly I must admit. The speed limit was 70kph and 60-65 was relatively comfortable in the California, and now stones being lifted by tyres. Mind you the gravel pieces were quit large rather than fine.

 

[westfalia]

Not so pristine now.
View attachment 93020

Errm...
You have Hotel above the California sign?
There once was an argument on here about who was the first Hotel California.
I think I won

 

[WelshGas]

I did ask “ Hotel California “ if I could use his Forum name, back in 2014 or early 2015. It’s been there ever since. The first in the U.K. I believe.

 

[WelshGas]

Stopped for the night just South of Lysebotn. Lovely little campsite, all to myself as it only opened today. View from the van.

 

[WelshGas]

Anyone thinking of visiting Norway, who is averse to paying Tolls, might as well forget it.
I think it would be very difficult plotting a route to anywhere avoiding Toll charges.
Basically every bridge, tunnel, major road upgrade or bypass is financed by a Toll which is in place until the Construction costs are paid off and then the Authorities take over and maintain the infrastructure. This way the users pay rather than the general public. Seems to work very well.
The tunnel to Nordkapp lost its toll 3 years early because of the increase in visitor numbers.
Only 1 tunnel has been built and completely financed by the Norwegian government, the 27km long Laerdal Tunnel. It doesn’t have a toll. The Government wanted it so there was all year access between Oslo and Bergen as before the road went over the mountains, the original road can still be driven, but it is closed for 6 months of the year because of snow and ice.
On todays trip the tolls varied from 5NOK to 44 NOK. £1 = 11.91. NOK.

Another point of interest. Everywhere I’ve been on this trip Regular Diesel has always been more expensive than Regular Petrol. Not in this part of Norway. It’s the reverse.

 

[WelshGas]

Well, didn’t get to drive the switch back road down to Lysebotn. The road was closed due to snow and an avalanche that had diverted a waterfall onto the road. It might open in a weeks time. Too late for me so something for next time.
Leisurely trip back across southern Norway and the ferry tomorrow to Sweden.
The campsite I was planning on staying in was jam packed with big whites. There was room and you had to find your own pitch and pay in the morning , after 10am. Reception only open 10-1pm. No good for me. So using Archies found another campsite, run by a jovial retired farmer. Only about 20 pitches, half full. The Service huts are state of the art inside. Everything is here. Very happy.

I’ll be taking the Horten to Moss ferry tomorrow to avoid Oslo.

 

[westfalia]

Well, didn’t get to drive the switch back road down to Lysebotn. The road was closed due to snow and an avalanche that had diverted a waterfall onto the road. It might open in a weeks time. Too late for me so something for next time.
Leisurely trip back across southern Norway and the ferry tomorrow to Sweden.
The campsite I was planning on staying in was jam packed with big whites. There was room and you had to find your own pitch and pay in the morning , after 10am. Reception only open 10-1pm. No good for me. So using Archies found another campsite, run by a jovial retired farmer. Only about 20 pitches, half full. The Service huts are state of the art inside. Everything is here. Very happy.View attachment 93145View attachment 93146

I’ll be taking the Horten to Moss ferry tomorrow to avoid Oslo.View attachment 93147

Cool
Blue skies at last.

 

[bvddobb]

You’re not watching or taking part in the 17 May festivities in Oslo? Supposed to be quite a party!

 

[WelshGas]

You’re not watching or taking part in the 17 May festivities in Oslo? Supposed to be quite a party!

No, skipped Oslo, now in Sweden.
Yes, Norway’s National Day. Everyone dressed up, children off school. Lots of processions in the towns and villages I passed. Most buildings were flying the flag as were the cars and lots of vintage automobiles driving around, especially old American gas guzzlers. Even a parade of old tractors decked with flags and flowers.

 

[WelshGas]

Now in Sweden on my way home . Bypassed Oslo by taking the ferry to Moss.
As I said above, Norwegian National Day, lots of processions, all very colourful and perfect weather.

This campsite even has real flowers in the Mens Service Building.

 

[westfalia]

This campsite even has real flowers in the Mens Service Building.

Shows the attention to detail.
Some flowers are really amazing when you take the time to think.

Great pics.

 

[WelshGas]

Now pitched up next to the Oresund Bridge. Denmark tomorrow. Relaxing day with hourly coffee stops and lunch. Malmo has lots of cars, traffic lights and pedestrians/cyclists.
I’m not used to all this civilisation.

I’m not sure what this structure is supposed to represent. There was no plate or label just this.

 

[WelshGas]

My sons comment to the above monument/structure was - Don’t worry Dad it’s “ armless “.

 

[WelshGas]

Well, just boiling the kettle for a cup of coffee and the gas went out. I’ve been running on my spare 904 cylinder for the past 12 days waiting for it to run out. All sorted with the 907 back in place.

 

[WelshGas]

Drove back across the Oresund Bridge into Denmark and now pitched up close to the Danish German border.
I also crossed the 2nd major Toll bridge in Denmark that connects the East and West, the Storebaelt Bridge . Equally as impressive as the Oresund Bridge it is composed of a suspension bridge onto an artificial island onto a 2 nd bridge that also includes twin railway tracks. They go into a tunnel on the island and under the suspension bridge element. The toll is 250 DK.

One Thursday morning The Storebaelt Bridge

Shared using GoPro

gopro.com

This where I am now.


This campsite seems to have a problem it is trying to address judging by this notice in the Mens Toilet block.

 

[BrugseB]

Drove back across the Oresund Bridge into Denmark and now pitched up close to the Danish German border.
I also crossed the 2nd major Toll bridge in Denmark that connects the East and West, the Storebaelt Bridge . Equally as impressive as the Oresund Bridge it is composed of a suspension bridge onto an artificial island onto a 2 nd bridge that also includes twin railway tracks. They go into a tunnel on the island and under the suspension bridge element. The toll is 250 DK.

One Thursday morning The Storebaelt Bridge

Shared using GoPro

gopro.com

This where I am now.

Oops, you got the wrong music!
Should be

We put the volume at 10, two kids shouting along loud

 

[chockswahay]

Oops, you got the wrong music!
Should be

We put the volume at 10, two kids shouting along loud

Haha, when we crossed the bridge in 2014 we had that playing on the stereo……..the two kidz sat in the front were singing along too …….. (that’s me and my missus!)