Arctic Norway/Russian Border/Murmansk!!

[Farmer Palmer]

Off to Finnmark again but this time in the comfort and warmth of a LR Defender!!(Early June)

Anyone been over to Kirkenes and down the Russian border or into Russia to Murmansk or Nickel on one of the 'organised trips' from Kirkenes?

Last time(2003) I didn't have enough tyre rubber to make it over from the Nordkapp to Kirkenes and back 'down' to southern Norway so had to cut it short(TKC80s not really needed as the roads were better than here!)

I've seen a couple of videos on Youtube by a guy on a bike last year and he got into a wee bit of bother near Murmansk.......! So decided to visit the border or go on an organied trip if thats possible!

Any info or advice greatly appreciated

Chris.

 

[LivNorway]

Hi!

I have been to Kirkenes but not Russia.
I have friends who has been to Murmansk by car and there was no problem!
But I guess it's not as safe as most countries in Europe....
Make sure you have all the papers they are asking for (I don't know the list) and don't get robbed or sick, then I guess you'll going to be OK.

(I have a friend in Lithuania a Norwegian guy; some in this forum met him on the Baltic Tour in 2005. Let me know if you need his mail adress or something.)
Liv.

 

[Dickieboy]

I've been to Kirkenes 4 times and Murmansk twice, unfortunately not by by bike, all six trips on the MV Clarkavon, an Iron Ore carrier in the early seventies sorry I couldn't be of more help

 

[SIM]

Hi Chris

Not Iceland this time!! and thanks for your offer.

I went to the Horizons mini meet a couple of weeks ago and got talking to a chap called Jake (adventure950) on the horizons unlimited website. He has been a couple of times on his bike and is hoping to go again this year/next.

It may be worth sending him a private message on the HUBB, he seemed a really helpful and informative chap. He did say that you needed a letter of invitation and actually named a company who provides you with this, but the name forgets me now.

Simon

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

I've been to Kirkenes 4 times and Murmansk twice, unfortunately not by by bike, all six trips on the MV Clarkavon, an Iron Ore carrier in the early seventies sorry I couldn't be of more help

Snap, once in oil tanker Shell Aulica in Oct '73, kinda bleak.

 

[Dickieboy]

Snap, once in oil tanker Shell Aulica in Oct '73, kinda bleak.

Bin' a very strong possibility that we passed like ships in the night, I'll dig out my 'Seamans Discharge' book (yes folks they used to be called that really) later and check some dates.

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

Dickieboy,
I wuz a Shell Engineer Gadget '71-'75, studied in Glasgow...
??
Bin

 

[Treedoc]

Hi Travelled up through norway in 2005 june /july nordcap/kirkenes over the boarder into russia You can get a letter of invitation from the tourist information centre in kirkenes but i would suggest you get the visa in uk at russian embassey takes about three wks i traveled down through nikel is a minning town and is a culture shock looks a bit like a war zone an enviromental mess you will travel through two check points along the road to murmansk so keep your papers handy murmansk is no problem as long as you are street wise as with any major city i rode on my own and stayed in murmansk for two dys then back down through coala to the boarder of fin at Raja Jooseppi then to kiruna in sweden to the largest iron mine in the world then down route 45 into norway across from lillehamer out at stavanger. when in norway bellow kirkenes if time go down into the Pasvik region where the three countries meet theirs a monument to this about a 4K walk worth the hike when in worway ride the trolstein and the serpentine worth the ride

Best regards mick D

 

[Dickieboy]

Dickieboy,
I wuz a Shell Engineer Gadget '71-'75, studied in Glasgow...
??
Bin

Bin

Started as a galley boy (one level below ships cat) finished as Assistant cook, 71-73. Threw it all away to get marriedto No.1 but at least I'm still alive I think I would have ended up dead if I'd stayed in.