New Zealand to Helsinki; but how?

[SpeedySapper]

Kia Ora,

I’m heading back to UK from my adoptive country of NZ for a little tour around Europe. I’ll be spending a week or so in England to renew my driving licence, buy a bike, sort insurance, and get kitted up before heading off.
I want to visit friends in Helsinki, and then take in some beauty spots on my way south to Italy, where I’ll be joined by my wife.
There’s so much to plan, so I may keep asking questions, but I can’t find a ferry from UK to Scandinavia, so what’s the best way to get to Helsinki, which is where the journey will begin?

 

[Wapping]

There are no ferries from UK to Scandinavia, other than those carrying freight.

As to by road / ferry, two simple choices, based on a start from London, by way of example only:



Start a fresh thread for Helsinki to Italy and / or beyond.

 

[EVskiy]

Probably easiest way to reach Helsinki, would be to cross to Hook of Holland via ferry from Harwich or Hull, then ride up to Lübeck in northern Germany and take a 30 hour ferry to Helsinki.

 

[Wapping]

It would of course help if the OP gave us:

Where in the UK he plans to start from.

How long he has in mind to complete the journey, UK to Helsinki.

When this is planned on happening.

 

[SpeedySapper]

It would of course help if the OP gave us:

Where in the UK he plans to start from.

How long he has in mind to complete the journey, UK to Helsinki.

When this is planned on happening.

Very good points, and apologies for not setting that out.
My starting point will be Bedford, and I intend to travel from Helsinki to Rome area. All up, the trip will see me away from NZ for about 3 months or so.

 

[SpeedySapper]

T

There are no ferries from UK to Scandinavia, other than those carrying freight.

As to by road / ferry, two simple choices, based on a start from London, by way of example only:

View attachment 299976View attachment 299977

Start a fresh thread for Helsinki to Italy and / or beyond.

Thanks. Shame because it’s a long way from the Channel ports.

 

[EVskiy]

Very good points, and apologies for not setting that out.
My starting point will be Bedford, and I intend to travel from Helsinki to Rome area. All up, the trip will see me away from NZ for about 3 months or so.

Harwich 23:00 departure with StenaLine ferries then ideal for you.

Bedford --> Harwich route

Arrive 08:00 the following morning, you then can bash the miles out in one day to Reach Lubeck same day, or take a couple of leisurely days via back roads, with scenic locations.

Hook of Holland port --> (Lubeck) Travemunde Port Route

 

[Northern jock]

Is the bit from the UK to Helsinki part of your meandering or to be achieved as quickly as possible? If you have 3 months I assume you can take your time so saying it's a pity it's a long way from the channel ports should be, great, it's a long and varied way.

And when you start another thread about heading south, if you don't go via Russia you'll be on the ferry again. So I'd head up via Denmark and south from Finland.

Also, what time of year? Might be an idea to go to Denmark, Sweden, Norway then south to Helsinki.

And search on here for discussions about insuring a bike as a non resident and travel insurance for that long a trip.

 

[Wapping]

Very good points, and apologies for not setting that out.
My starting point will be Bedford, and I intend to travel from Helsinki to Rome area. All up, the trip will see me away from NZ for about 3 months or so.

Excellent, we are now starting to cook on gas.

Bedford to Harwich for the crossing to the Hook of Holland would make sense.

Now the two remaining questions:

1. How long have you in mind to complete the journey, Hook of Holland to Helsinki, as this might well dictate the route(s) bods might suggest.

2. Time of year? I am guessing spring / summer but experience of these pages shows that it might well be mid-winter.

 

[theoneandonly]

driving license renewal ? you sure ? a friend tried to renew his , he lives in Sydney , DVLA said NO....you are resident in Australia , so FRO.

i'd check.

 

[SpeedySapper]

driving license renewal ? you sure ? a friend tried to renew his , he lives in Sydney , DVLA said NO....you are resident in Australia , so FRO.

i'd check.

Hi, I checked the UK GOVT website and renewal can be done by post for overseas residents. In the UK a Post Office can renew licences if you have the reminder letter (I don’t), or on-line for UK residents. So now I think I’ll renew from NZ by post.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Harwich 23:00 departure with StenaLine ferries then ideal for you.

Bedford --> Harwich route

Arrive 08:00 the following morning, you then can bash the miles out in one day to Reach Lubeck same day, or take a couple of leisurely days via back roads, with scenic locations.

Hook of Holland port --> (Lubeck) Travemunde Port Route

I’ve ridden to Helsinki in under 3 days by catching the Harwich ferry to the Hoek, ride to Frederikshaven the next day, catch a ferry to Gothenburg the following morning, catch a ferry from north of Stockholm in the evening to Turku landing at about 7am then a couple of hours easy ride to Helsinki.

I’d been intending to go and do a lap of the old Imatra GP circuit but it started to piss it down with rain so I hopped on the afternoon ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn and was in an apartment by 5pm.

You might remember my having to purchase my driving licence back from bent cops in Latvia after the cheating bastards told me I was being banned for speeding

 

[Baked Bean]

Hi, I checked the UK GOVT website and renewal can be done by post for overseas residents. In the UK a Post Office can renew licences if you have the reminder letter (I don’t), or on-line for UK residents. So now I think I’ll renew from NZ by post.

Yes this is what my son does from Aus.

 

[Davey B]

Hi, I checked the UK GOVT website and renewal can be done by post for overseas residents. In the UK a Post Office can renew licences if you have the reminder letter (I don’t), or on-line for UK residents. So now I think I’ll renew from NZ by post.

Best of luck. From the information I gathered, my move to France 18 mths ago meant I had to renew my UK licence with a swap for a French one. (not a big issue apart from French bureacracy)
Specifically this...from Gov website

Renew your driving licence

Apply online to renew your 10-year driving licence, full or provisional - cost, payment methods, documents and information you need

www.gov.uk

Before you start​

To renew your licence you must:

• be a resident of Great Britain (there’s a different service in Northern Ireland)
• not be disqualified from driving

You’ll need:

• your UK passport (either current or expired within the past 12 months) or the document you used to set up your online immigration status
• your current driving licence (if you have it)
• your National Insurance number (if you know it)
• addresses of where you’ve lived over the last 3 years

I wondered if you were following this...also on the UK Gov website, which I suspect isn't meant for those who actually reside abroad rather than are say 'travelling' ? Anyway, best of luck. Is the bike trip still on ?

I am currently outside of the UK and need to renew my licence with a new photograph​

 

[SpeedySapper]

Best of luck. From the information I gathered, my move to France 18 mths ago meant I had to renew my UK licence with a swap for a French one. (not a big issue apart from French bureacracy)
Specifically this...from Gov website

Renew your driving licence

Apply online to renew your 10-year driving licence, full or provisional - cost, payment methods, documents and information you need

www.gov.uk

I wondered if you were following this...also on the UK Gov website, which I suspect isn't meant for those who actually reside abroad rather than are say 'travelling' ? Anyway, best of luck. Is the bike trip still on ?

I’ll look into that thanks. Still planning but expect to leave NZ in mid May. I was looking at the range of used GSs in dealers close to my UK base earlier today. I want the full aluminium panniers rather than vario; I prefer the way you can “man pack” with them by lifting the lid and stuffing things in!

 

[SpeedySapper]

driving license renewal ? you sure ? a friend tried to renew his , he lives in Sydney , DVLA said NO....you are resident in Australia , so FRO.

i'd check.

I’ll look into that. If not, I guess I’ll travel on my NZ licence.

 

[Davey B]

I’ll look into that thanks. Still planning but expect to leave NZ in mid May. I was looking at the range of used GSs in dealers close to my UK base earlier today. I want the full aluminium panniers rather than vario; I prefer the way you can “man pack” with them by lifting the lid and stuffing things in!

I suspect that the difference is between 'resident' and 'traveller'. A world traveller will still be a UK resident and will no doubt use dads/kids address....someone who has moved and settled will obviously no longer be a UK resident.

Horses for courses with panniers...some swear by the varios but I'm like like you...I like the top lid and stuff it in way of packing. Happy hunting...there'll be loads of choice of low miler 1200 and 1250s

 

[Wapping]

Excellent, we are now starting to cook on gas.

Bedford to Harwich for the crossing to the Hook of Holland would make sense.

Now the two remaining questions:

1. How long have you in mind to complete the journey, Hook of Holland to Helsinki, as this might well dictate the route(s) bods might suggest.

2. Time of year? I am guessing spring / summer but experience of these pages shows that it might well be mid-winter.

Back on the theme of your opening post’s question.

…. what’s the best way to get (from Bedford) to Helsinki, which is where the journey will begin?

Any news on point 1?

I ask only in as much, as you could (as suggested) take the ferry from north Germany / Denmark / Sweden or meander along the north German coast, into Poland, then up into the Baltic States….. but not if you have set aside two or three days from Bedford.

We can assume late spring / summer for point 2.

 

[Northern jock]

I suspect that the difference is between 'resident' and 'traveller'. A world traveller will still be a UK resident and will no doubt use dads/kids address....someone who has moved and settled will obviously no longer be a UK resident.

Horses for courses with panniers...some swear by the varios but I'm like like you...I like the top lid and stuff it in way of packing. Happy hunting...there'll be loads of choice of low miler 1200 and 1250s

As far as I know you'll need a residential address to get insurance. A few folk have stumbled there but there are threads about it in the Insurance section. Worth making sure you can solve that one before buying the bike

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

I know that if I wanted a nicer ride I’d take 5 or 6 days to go via Germany then into Poland and head north through the Baltic States making the last leg into Helsinki a ferry from Tallinn but if you want to do it quickly then leaving Bedford after tea you can be in Helsinki by midday on the third day though it’s a slog up to Frederikshavn.

The ferries are actually pretty cheap between Frederikshavn and Gothenburg and I used the ferry from Kapellskar to Turku because it leaves a bit later than the one from Stockholm and you avoid the city. It’s not far north of Stockholm and when I went it was significantly cheaper than the Stockholm one because it’s aimed at freight transport and you get the added bonus of a free buffet dinner and breakfast.

One downside was that on the route between Gothenburg and Stockholm I saw quite a few things I’d like to have explored a bit but aiming for the ferry that day meant I had to crack on.