Heading to the arctic circle

Haggler

Haggler

Registered user
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
148
Reaction score
0
Location
Northampton
High just got underway planning journey to Norcap . Leaving blighty at the end of July we intend to ride up through sweden touch into finland at tornio, then head north before riding back down the west coast of Norway. My question is do most camp sites have huts available normally or is it advisable to pre book. Also on the return leg it looks like our route takes in many ferries. Are they turn up and pay or do you need to make advance arrangements. At the moment it looks like the better half is flying back from Oslo as she can't get more than 3 weeks off at once but I intend to return through Denmark, Germany and France as can take up to 5 weeks if needed (I love my job :thumby:)

Any advice would be very much appreciated
 
Can't speak of Sweden but no need to book huts in Norway if outside their school hols.
Even if full, it just means you might have to press on another 20 miles to the next campsite.
All towns and many villages have campsites and thy all seem to have huts.

Can't remember where but there's a website showing all their campsites. You can buy membership which gives you a map and good discounts.
Drop a pm to Liv of this here parish. She's Norwegian and very helpful.

Main advice for Norway is to take plenty of money and DO NOT get caught speeding - major fines.
Best area was the Fjords around Bergen.
 
I am heading north through Norway in late June/July hugging the west coast before swinging north east towards Tornio around the top of the Baltic before heading south hugging the Finnish coast toward Helsinki, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland then back home. No camping for me. Years of sleepless nights under camping and I've had enough of it. I've joined the YHA which has a link with Camping International, and there are hundreds of hostels en route with rooms for a sensible price. Enjoy your trip.
 
Haggler said:
it looks like our route takes in many ferries. Are they turn up and pay or do you need to make advance arrangements.
Click to expand...

Ferries are no problem on a motorbike - ride up in front of the cars so You are visible for the crew. When they can decide where You fit in on deck. Usually up front left or right where no car can fit in.

But remember, the crew are a special breed! They are RIGHT, always! Dont argu with them!

AberdeenAngus advice You to not get caught speeding, I agree! Wery bad idea!
Fines start at 60 up to GBP 800,-
 
Thanks for your advice guys it is really appreciated, On the ferries at the smaller crossings are the terminals always manned ?
 
My only experience with the Norway ferries was like written above. There was no ticket office just pay the guy walking around with the ticket machine.

Roads in Sweden generally faster than Norway and no problems with the police, and only forward facing speed cameras :thumb2

Weather south of the Arctic circle is generally the same as it is in Blighty but a few degrees colder. Further north it rained a lot! Camp sites hotels and petrol stations easy to find when you have a modern satnav
 
Haggler said:
Thanks for your advice guys it is really appreciated, On the ferries at the smaller crossings are the terminals always manned ?
Click to expand...

In the summer they are usually "manned" aka "kids with summer job" - those dont know shi** - its the real working ones ON the ferry You have to look / listen at, THEY decide what to do...
 
Grizzly GS said:
Roads in Sweden generally faster than Norway and no problems with the police, and only forward facing speed cameras :thumb2
Click to expand...

Agree about Sweden, but BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING!

No rear cameras in Norway - in fact the driver must be identifiable - othetwise no fine possible. Owner of car must inform about who had access to the car.
 
Is there a decent biker friendly road book covering this area, I will have my sat nav but like to take a map as well but the michelin ones I have are a bit un wieldly

Thanks again for all of your input :beerjug:
 
Road book for motorbikes, Norway:
I have only seen one firm who made a collection of maps for tourists on 2 wheels, and that was some years ago, and only in paper.
None of my friends, who have been riding a lot in Norway, liked it. We agree it is better to look at a good map, and pick a route.
If you pick a narrow road, not the main road, you'll find a fun road for motorbikes, if there are a road like that in the area.

Use Google maps, and look at the topographic, then you understand why there is not easy to pick just one fun road in some areas.

This site http://www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en try to help tourists to find special routes. And this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Tourist_Routes_in_Norway

Every time I try to make one good route for someone I end up with way to many narrow roads, too many places. There are just so much to see!

Perhaps the best thing to do is to NOT make a route at home, but ask what locals you meet tell you to do? That is how I ended up at a field close to Urnes Stavkirke one night, because I missed that last ferry that day. Not a good thing if it rains, and you do not have a sleepingbag. But I had, and there was as dry as in Sahara.

:) Liv.
 
Hey Liv, Tronde is tempting me with a 4 day x 2 tough gravel road trip to the North Cape and back it's hard to resist:blast
 
Ferries in Norway:
As far as I know there are only one I have prebooked, and that is from Stavanger to Lysebotn.
If you want to go there (Lysebotn ferry) in summer, and bring a motorbike or car, you better prebook.
If it is a rainy day perhaps you are lucky and there is room for some motorbikes.
The rest is just show up and wait for the ferry.

This is typical ferry terminal: https://maps.google.no/maps?saddr=B...oid=vxgt4vuJYX7unTyZcCfcTg&cbp=12,271.18,,0,0
This is Brimnes - Bruravik.
But now they have a new bridge! Se picture and video: http://www.bt.no/jobb/Brua-tok-50-arbeidsplassar-2951213.html#.Uv9pd_vhUqw

:) Liv.
 
Liv said:
Road book for motorbikes, Norway:
I have only seen one firm who made a collection of maps for tourists on 2 wheels, and that was some years ago, and only in paper.
None of my friends, who have been riding a lot in Norway, liked it. We agree it is better to look at a good map, and pick a route.
Click to expand...
I have the MC-Kart Norge map book with laminated maps
The quality is reasonably good, ISBN: 9788202297428 as recommended by wapping
price kr 199,00 + shipping = kr 239,00 (£23.50) delivered

just wet the appetite, a video from the Patras/Greece GS`ers trip to Nordkapp

 
Many thanks for the input so far. We have navigated a route up through Sweden that hopefully means we can get from gothenberg to Alta in about 6 days, leaving 2 weeks before I need to get my wife back to Oslo airport so hopefully we can tour gently down the western coast taking in the scenery and beautiful roads. Will post up proposed route south later to guage whether it is good or not :beerjug:
 
:thumby::thumby:
Peirre O`Bollox said:
I have the MC-Kart Norge map book with laminated maps
The quality is reasonably good, ISBN: 9788202297428 as recommended by wapping
price kr 199,00 + shipping = kr 239,00 (£23.50) delivered

just wet the appetite, a video from the Patras/Greece GS`ers trip to Nordkapp

Click to expand...



Fabulous video than you for posting it, watched it all the way as we are going UK to the Arctic Circle this summer. Brilliant.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Tours to Arctic circle (Norway)
Replies
18
Views
5,422
Chewie2112
Garmin 550 goes dark just south of Arctic Circle.
Replies
9
Views
2,424
Renatus
Dellis
The North Cape - An itch that's been scratched...
2
Replies
37
Views
10,454
genon
genon
Arctic Circle
2
Replies
21
Views
5,963
demosuzki
Arctic Circle
Replies
4
Views
1,566
Steveremf


Back
Top Bottom