SCANDINAVIA TOURING ROUTE

Don Madge –Sumer 2000

I finally got around to putting these notes together in June 2011 of our trip to Scandinavia and a side trip to Russia/Estonia in May/June 2000. Normally travel info gets out of date very quickly but not much has changed route-wise since we completed the trip 11 years ago. There are of course the new bridges across the Storebælt and the Oresund Bridge linking Denmark and Sweden.

I've included the Swedish/Norwegian ferry prices as a comparison with today's prices.

It might be of help to anybody thinking of a trip to the far north of Norway using route 17.

I've not included many places of interest, as people's interests vary considerably.

Ferry Hull – Rotterdam (England to Holland)  

Europort, Rotterdam to Hamburg, Germany. Autobahn A1, junc 29, Rastplatz. 403 miles.

Hamburg to Copenhagen, Denmark (via Ferry Puttgarden, Germany to Rodby, Denmark). Camping Absalom, Copenhagen. 194 miles.

Copenhagen to Vaxjo, Sweden (via Ferry Helsingor, Denmark to Helsingborg, Sweden). Camping Evedals, Vaxjo. 161 miles.

Vaxjo to Kalmarden, Sweden. Camping Kalmarden. 227 miles.

Kalmarden to Stockholm. Camping Bredang. 114 miles.

Ferry Stockholm – Helsinki (Sweden to Finland). Viking Line, SEK1,977 (2 berth outside cabin & 6 metre van.) Helsinki, Camping Rastila.

Side trips from Helsiniki - To St Petersburg (Russia) for 4 days by train. Day trip to Tallinn (Estonia). Both organised by the tourist office in Helsinki. Total cost £1,060.  We also had a day trip to Turku by train.

Helsinki to Lakeside picnic area on road 15, 25 miles south of Mikkeli. 125 miles.

Mikkeli area to Hyrynsalmi. Lakeside area free-camp. 278 miles.

Hyrynsalmi to Rovaniemi. Camping Ounaskoski. 241 miles.

Rovaniemi to Inari. (Crossed Arctic Circle at Rovaniemi.) Camping Lomakyla. 211 miles.

Inari, Finland to Nordkapp, Norway. Nordkapp tunnel toll, NKR 165 each way for 6 metre van. Camping Kirkeporten, Skarsvag.

Nordkapp (return through tunnel) to Nordmannset. Free-camp picnic area. 58 miles.

Nordmannset to Olderdalen. Free-camp Olderdalen harbour. 231 miles.

Olderdalen to Bardu. Polar zoo car park NKR 50. 158 miles
Via Ferry Olderdalen to Lyngseidet, NKR 112.
Ferry Svensby to Brievik, NKR 82.
Visited Tromso city and church.

Bardu to Strand, Vesteralen. Strand picnic area free-camp. 132 miles.
Visited Narvik war museum.

Strand to Gravdal (Lofoten Isles). Kuntz(?) picnic area free-camp.
Via Ferry Melbu to Fiskebol, NKR 96.

Toured Lofoten Isles (south) tunnel, toll NKR 130 return. We used the Kuntz(?) picnic area as an overnight base to tour the Lofoten Isles north & south.

Gravdal to Hamsund. RT 81. Hamsund picnic area. Free-camp.
Via Ferry Svolvaer to Skutvik, NKR 266.

Hamsund to Bodo. Camping Bodo.143 miles.
Via tunnel, toll NKR 55.
Visited air museum and Bodo church.

Route 17 starts in Bodo and we followed it south until it ends in Steinkjer.

Bodo to Kilboghamn. Free-camp at port. 129 miles.
Via Ferry Foroy to Agskaret, NKR 61.
Ferry Jektvik to Kilboghamn, NKR 148.

Kilboghamn to Horn. Horn port free-camp. 119 miles.
Via Ferry Nesna to Levang, NKR 86.
Toll Helgeland Bridge, NKR 78.
Ferry Tjotta to Forvik, NKR 128.
Ferry Anndalsvag to Horn, NKR 71.

Horn to Kjelbotn. Kjelbotn picnic area free-camp. 124 miles.
Via Ferry Vennesund to Holm, NKR 77.
Ferry Hofles to Lund, NKR 84.

Kjelbotn to Osen Bridge. Free-camp. 77 miles.
Via Route 715.
Visited Namsos.

Osen Bridge to Valsoyfjord. Picnic area free-camp. 175 miles.
Via Route 715 & E39.
Ferry Rovik to Flakk, NKR 86.

Valsoyfjord to Alesund. Bobil (motorhome) Park. 107 miles.
Via Ferry Halsa to Kanestraum, NKR 77.
Bridge toll, NKR 80.
Ferry Molde to Vestnes, NKR 107.

Alesund to Olden. Camping Gryta, Olden. 126 miles.
Via Ferry Solavagen to Festoya, NKR 71.
Ferry Volda to Folkstad, NKR 66.
Ferry Lote to Anda, NKR 61.

Olden to Vagamo. Vagamo picnic area. 122 miles.
Visited Lom stave church.

Vagamo to Hodalen, free-camp. 144 miles.

Hodalen (Norway) to Tjarnvallen (Sweden). Car park free-camp. 124 miles.

The weather had been very bad the last three days and the forecast was not looking good, so we decided to cut short the visit to southern Norway and go south via Sweden to Denmark.

Tjarnvallen to Falun. Picnic area free-camp. 181 miles.

Falun to Edsleskog. Picnic area free-camp. 211 miles.

Edsleskog to Gothenburg. Camping Askim Strand. 127 miles.
Boat trip around Gothenburg and city visit.

Gothenburg to Frederikshaven. Picnic area free-camp. 17 miles.
Via Ferry Gothenburg (Sweden) to Frederikshaven (Denmark). SKR 1,460. 2 berth outside cabin & 6 metre van.

We now started to follow the "Marguerite Route" south through Danish Jutland. Detailed map from tourist office.

Frederikshaven to Lien. Picnic area free-camp. 139 miles.

Lien to Fovsing. Picnic area free-camp. 144 miles.

Fovsing to Ribe. Town car park free-camp. 130 miles.

Ribe (Denmark) to Bremen (Germany). Free-camp A1 Bremen south. 229 miles.

Bremen to Europort, Rotterdam. Ferry to Hull at 1600 hrs. 259 miles.

We cut the trip short due to the atrocious weather over the last 10 days.

Conclusion

We did 5,530 miles in 60 days. Luckily we had toured the southern Norwegian fjords before so we did not miss too much there.

Can highly recommend the Lofoten Islands and the Norwegian Coastal Route 17; it is an experience using all the ferries. It's even better if you get some decent weather.

Can also highly recommend the "Marguerite Route" in Denmark but it could be tight in places for vans over 7 metres long.

We are loners, isolationists even, and we spent many nights by ourselves in lonely remote places. Not to everybody's liking.

Did not get many good pics as the weather was against us.