Norway or Sweeden

[grez]

I need the help of all you good folks who are experienced travellers. I am hoping to take the bike abroad for the first time and go to either Norway or Sweeden. Is there any advice and tips you could tell me about the best way to go about it and good places to visit. I intend to go in September and will be travelling alone. I can also get lost crossing the front room to turn the telly on so as you can tell I need all the help I can get especially as I have never ridden in Europe before.

Many thanks in advance, I will post pics when (if?) I make it back

 

[Taff]

Good starting point for you HERE

Do a search on "Liv,Norway" she's the Norwegian rep (probably on commission from the Norwegian Tourist Board) and you'll find loads of info. She must be busy - I'm surprised she hasn't replied already.

 

[boxer]

Norway without a doubt.

Do a search in the travel section and you'll find all the info you need - and more.

Loen is a good base for 3 or 4 nights and leaves you within easy striking distance of 3 or 4 glaciers. Also, Dalsnibba, Geiranger and Trollstigen are doable in one day from Leon.

Stay near Stavanger and take the ferry up Lysefjord to Lysebotn and ride back.


B+B
Loen

 

[dazzer]

Hi Grez
We have done a few trip's to Norway and Sweeden.
I think Norway is the better place to visit.We stayed in the cabin's which cost us about £10 a night.They are better than camping,but that said we did camp a number of times in the wild ,which was excellent.
There is so many places to see and so many great roads that you cant go wrong,and don't worry about getting lost, you can be lost for your entire trip as long as you get back to the ferry in time on the day you leave Have a great trip Dazzer


There should be a link on here www.bmwgs.co.uk look for a link from Sid ,he has loads of Photo's of the trip's we did through Norway,Sweedan and Finland

 

[LivNorway]

..''probably on commission from the Norwegian Tourist Board'' If so my fee must be gone in the mail - every time!

Grez:
If you get lost easily then do as I tell you and bring a tent, sleepingbag and a cable for charging your mobile on your bike.
OK.
Ask an adult to help you to Newcastle and bring you AND the bike onboard.
Leave the ferry somewhere in Norway (the options are Bergen, Haugesund and Stavanger) (don't forget the bike and your bags!), ask someone for direction east or Sognefjellet/Turtagrø/Fortun/Lom, and ride&camp in that area until you are out of money.
Then ask for help to get to the ferry back home.

Honest, this is the perfect way of doing this if you are alone and bring a tent - and it's the cheapest way too!
No matter what road you pick in the area south part of Norway, and west of the tallest mountains (or cross the mountains if the weather are dryer in the east) you'll find fun roads and great nature!

''Norway in a nutshell'' is a trip for the suitcase-tourists, but note the places and names, and ride in that area!

If this is too hard and scary then try to find Flåm Thuesday 24th July, and meet me there! No matter what size there are on you wallet there is a way to spend the night in Flåm; campsite & hotels!

Map:
The best maps are the maps made in the contries they are showing, so Cappelen and Statens Kartverk are the best for you this summer.
If you ride from Bergen to Dalsnibba/Sognefjell and the most popular areas close to Sognefjorden you'll need one or two maps scale 1:300 000.
http://senorge.no/startpage.aspx = good! Klick at maps and choose basic, contours and topography, go close in the area Sognefjell and Hurrungane (white area) and find out why Norway are not simular to Sweden! We have mountains! Many of them are more then 2000 metres, so Snowdon are not big compare to Glittertind and Galdhøpiggen. (Sorry Cymru people, but that is how it is...)
Sweden have Volvo and SAAB, we have the nature!

Weather:
Statistic show it is wet in the west, in the fun area, but often the weather are dry in the east when it's poring down in the west, so just pop over the mountain and go back when it dries up!
In September I guess it's not a problem getting a room somewhere when you pop in, ut in July it might be full in popular areas.

Surf my thread called Norway Norway Norway, or google for ''sognefjorden'' ''sneveien'' ''fjords norway'' and simular.

Do NOT this:
Follow the main roads if there are a narrow road in the same direction!
Spend many days in the south east of Norway and pop over to Sweden - all you'll find in that are (compare to the west) are Christmas trees!
Ride from Bergen to Nordkapp and back in 5 days - too long, you miss all the fun parts that way.

If I showed you a modell of Scandinavia, showing mountains and fjords, then you would easily find out where you want to go yourselfes!

Many of us natives are using plastic money, like VISA, but NOK are OK too. Euro are not a good idèa here.
You can get money when you are filling up your bike with petrol; just pay with the card and; TA-DAAA! -you get Norwegian Kroner in your hand if you ask for it! Call your bank and ask if your card are ready for it, or if it needs adjusting.

Ill be at Gautefall Hotell in September - a lot of motorcyclists meet there once a year; Senior MC = the club.

Have fun!
Liv.