No more ferry from Newcastle to Kristiansand and Gøteborg.

[LivNorway]

I don't think you have noticed, so I just want to make sure you know.
Only ferry from GB to Norway now are DFDS from Newcastle to Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen.
And if I remember it correctly there is a ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark.

To ride from Esbjerg in Denmark to Norway is not a good idèa - it's boring.
Even if you are living in London or Cardiff I would sail Newcastle - Norway.
So if I was going over the pond to Norway (or the other direction!) I would sail Newcastle and one of those Norwegian options.

So;
if you plan to go to Norway next summer call DFDS now!
And tell me where&when you are going to be in the south part of Norway and I'll try to meet you for a

Liv.

 

[Timpo]

Finland Summer 2007

Oh!
I was toying with riding to Finland next Summer and this was one of my possible routes.
Are well......
Liv, I guess you could provide a list of sights to see on anyalternative route to SF.
My destination is Keski-Soumi so I do not have to enter at the South end of Finland.
I have 2 weeks set aside for the trip, hopefully returning through Estonia, Poland, Germany and Holand.
Timpo.

 

[LivNorway]

Hi Timpo!

Well, I don't know much about the roads in Finland, but I do know the ''fast'' road from south-east of Norway (Hamar, Lillehammer, Røros) through Sweden (Mora, Østersund, Storuman, Sorsele, Jokkmokk) and a small part of Finland (Karesuando) and to Kautokeino and Karasjok in Norway are BORING!
Really boring landscape and all you see are small threes and tiny lakes and a lot of bugs. And a boring road...
The only fun I have had in those roads in Sweden (I have been there many times by car) are when a kid had some fireworks - the stupid reindeers went OUT of the forest and out on the road!

If you pick the narrow roads from Stavanger/Bergen and up to Bodø or Narvik, pop out to Lofoten and then go east direction Sweden/Finland, then you can't ride boring roads in Norway!
But I'm afraid you regret leaving Norway after a day or two in Sweden...
If you get a good topographic map you'll see where to find mountains and where to find boring parts.
Scale 1:300 000 is OK, and that means you need 5 maps from Cappelen to cover Norway from south to north.
Cappelen and Statens Kartverk are the best maps for Norway.
(I have learned the best maps are made in the country you need a map of!)

Don't be afraid to ride narrow roads on a 1:300 000-map. If the road are not closed to the public then you can ride your GS! Some narrow roads are gravel, but almost all are tarmac. Some are steep and have some hairpins!

-What to see in Norway?
-Fun roads?
-Special nature?
-Old timber buildings?
Well, I don't know where to start, so you tell me what you want and what you do not want, and tell me if you want to go from Bergen to Narvik or what route you like, and then I can try to pick out something for you.
If you do not know much about what most tourists love here, then start to surf in my old thread called ''Norway Norway Norway'' in the travel section here at ukgser.

-Did this help you?
I hope so.
If I can give you one short advice at the end of this post:
Two weeks in Norway and one week in Finland&Sweden, or 10 days in Norway and cross the borders to Finland&Sweden just for the picture of your bike at the borders, and then return to Norway.
A topograpic map showing the landscape will make you think like I do.

Cheers!
Liv.

 

[Timpo]

Thanks Liv.

I'll buy some of those Topo map sheets and take a look.
I've got some reading to do on Norway, Norway, Norway thread.....It may take some time!
Regards.
Timpo.

 

[LivNorway]

If you want to save some time, just google Sognefjell, Aurland, Gudvangen, ride Turtagrø/Fortun - Lom, and pop up to Dalsnibba and down to Geiranger, and then you are riding in the most popular area!
I'll be in Flåm in July 2007; between Gudvangen and Aurland!

Liv.

 

[LivNorway]

Lærdalstunnelen; a loooooong hole!

Here's some facts:
http://home.no.net/lotsberg/data/norway/laerdal/tunnel.html
At the top of the tunnel you can still ride the old road, so look at the map and see it's not flat&boring!
Note the blue numbers on the drawing are meters, not feet.
And I'll be suprised if there is no snow close to the road in the summer; they call the road ''Sneveien/Snøveien'' - Sne/snø = snow, vei = road.
This road are closed in the winter, and so are the roead from Lom to Turtagrø - and many more of the fun roads!

The pic:
Riding from Aurland to Lærdal, looking down at Aurland.

Liv.

 

[Wicker]

What happened to Fjord Line ? Did they lose the contract or simply take a commercial decision that the route did not pay ?

I had thought DFDS were creating some competition by opening on the same route and that this may make getting to Norway a bit cheaper. A quick check of the DFDS web-site indicates that they are priced about the same as Fjord - a £300 crossing for a single cabin and bike in June.

I sailed with Fjordline last June to Bergen and the boat was probably at half capacity. Whilst the crossing itself was fine and the cruise up the fjords from Stavanger to Bergen was lovely, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the overall experience:
Food & drink was expensive.
You had to vacate your cabin 2/3 hours before arrival in Newcastle so they could clean it, etc = hundreds of passengers with luggage milling around corridors for hours, and
There were poor tiedown arrangements for bikes. A few short bits of rope which, even when supplemented with my own ratchet tiedowns, ultimately proved insufficient as my bike ended the journey to Bergen on its side as there was nothing on substance to tie down too.

 

[Gav]

No more ferry from Newcastle to Gøteborg?
What's the best way for me to get to Sweden now if I'm riding to Stockholm?

 

[LivNorway]

Hi Gav!

DFDS:
Newcastle-Stavanger NO
or Harwich-Esbjerg DK

Liv.

 

[Gav]

Hi Liv
This sounds really sh*te if it's the case. I was toying with going to the Baltic states next year. The plan was to sale from Newcastle to Gøteborg (I've done the journey in the opposite direction before) and then ride to Sockholm and get a ferry across the Baltic. Newcastle-Stavanger and Harwich-Esbjerg are very roundabout ways of doing things. Will have to check this out. Are you sure, no ferries to Sweden?

 

[Gav]

It seems you're right, Liv. I can't find any details of sailings from the U.K. to Sweden. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Do you know what the reason is for doing away with this service?

By the way, some nice pics of Norway there. I was over last year and rode up to Nordkapp, coming back down through Finland & Sweden. I reckon Norway is possibly my favourite country that I have visited.

 

[LivNorway]

Hi Gav!
I'm sure there are many who are going to miss Newcastle-Kristiansand-Gøteborg.
I just can't understand why there are no ferry Newcastle-Oslo/Kristiansand/Moss/-area and Sweden!

Well, this is what I know:
DFDS:
Newcastle-Stavanger (and Haugesund & Bergen).
Harwich-Esbjerg.

But if you are in the south part of Norway there are options for this part of Europe, not for GB.
Stena Line:
Oslo-Fredrikshavn-Gøteborg-Kiel.
Grenå-Varberg.
Karlskrona-Gdynia.

Color Line:
Oslo-Fredrikshavn
Oslo-Kiel
Larvik-Hirtshals
Kristiansand-Hirtshals
Bergen/Stavanger-Hitshals
Sandefjord-Strømstad.

I guess it's going to be Newcastle-Stavanger, then?
I called DFDS about one week ago and they told me you better book now for the summer. You can cancell for free 5 weeks before your dates, if you like.
The cost are about the same as Newcastle-Kristiansand July 2006 (I did that trip).
The DFDS-system is special; the tickets are going to cost you more money in the spring - first tickets are the best, so book now!

-Perhaps there are an option with Smyril Line and the Orkney islands and then to Bergen?

Close the door, find a good chair, a cup of something nice, and read my thread at Travel called ''Norway Norway Norway'' - and forget about Sweden!

Liv.

 

[unhinged]

And I'll be suprised if there is no snow close to the road in the summer

Last July on the Snow Road

There was even a fellow skiing up there.

 

[talltony]

I used the Newcastle-Kristiansand route last June and had planned to next year as well,looks like it'll be Stavanger or Dover-Calais and ride all the way which is how I came back this year.
I booked through Ferrysavers in February but when I arrived at the ferry terminal in June DFDS had no record of my booking.After much ,err, discussion,they told me that Ferrysavers had cancelled the booking and had phoned me to let me know.I suggested that as I'd just ridden 350mls to get to the ferry,they probably hadn't spoken to me!
Anyway I had no choice but to re-book with DFDS.Needless to say this cost much more,and for a lesser cabin,than the original booking.
So, if you are thinking of using Ferrysavers be careful!
Tony

 

[unhinged]

So, if you are thinking of using Ferrysavers be careful!
Tony

No come back?

 

[talltony]

They refunded my card,other than that they couldn't care less
DFDS said it happens quite often,so be warned.
Tony

 

[Gav]

Liv,

Are you absolutely sure about this ferry not running any more? Could it be that they just haven't brought out next year's timetable yet as seems to be the case with some of the routes on the Baltic? Or am I going to have to face it that I'll have to take a different route? You can maybe tell that I'm slightly annoyed about this.

Gav

 

[LivNorway]

Liv,

Are you absolutely sure about this ferry not running any more? Could it be that they just haven't brought out next year's timetable yet as seems to be the case with some of the routes on the Baltic? Or am I going to have to face it that I'll have to take a different route? You can maybe tell that I'm slightly annoyed about this.

Gav

I'm 100% sure.
And I don't like either.
And I just can't understand why no ferry company sail from Oslo/Kristiansand-area to GB.
I'm sorry!

Liv.