Vantage V12S and a trip to Norway.
Discussion
Now the Ireland trip is all but sorted a longer trip appeals.
Drove down to Switzerland (with a quick trip into Italy) in the Clio V6 but feeling a bit loathe to take the "normal' Euro trip i.e France, Germany, Austria et al so, how about something different? Norway!
Could either get the Hull/Rotterdam ferry (took that with work once but food and cabins are a bit grim) or just go on the tunnel and drive up from Calais, looking to end up somewhere around Bergen. Looked at a few possible routes and found some decent web sites but always best to ask if anyone has any personal experiences.
Planning on 10 nights away although that could stretch if needed. Will be looking at going around June-July time as will get the 'Midnight Sun' experience. Only me in the car so long daily drives not an issue. Not interested in visiting cities, museums or such things...just driving and admiring the scenery.
Over to you
Drove down to Switzerland (with a quick trip into Italy) in the Clio V6 but feeling a bit loathe to take the "normal' Euro trip i.e France, Germany, Austria et al so, how about something different? Norway!
Could either get the Hull/Rotterdam ferry (took that with work once but food and cabins are a bit grim) or just go on the tunnel and drive up from Calais, looking to end up somewhere around Bergen. Looked at a few possible routes and found some decent web sites but always best to ask if anyone has any personal experiences.
Planning on 10 nights away although that could stretch if needed. Will be looking at going around June-July time as will get the 'Midnight Sun' experience. Only me in the car so long daily drives not an issue. Not interested in visiting cities, museums or such things...just driving and admiring the scenery.
Over to you
You could do much worse than include this blog in your research:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Wafu7 said:
You could do much worse than include this blog in your research:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Brilliant, thank you for that.https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
This sounds like an awesome trip, and one I’d love to undertake. I’ve daydreamed a bit about taking mine as far Copenhagen, maybe then a loop up to Gothenburg. Getting above the arctic circle midsummer sounds like a plan and a half though. Good luck!
ETA in a previous car I did a bit beyond Rostock to London in a day.one the way out I left late in the day and overnighted in Brussels (s
thole).
I bought the business ticket for the train, which was well worth it because (a) zero need to queue, and (b) you can pick up a fair meal in the lounge/portacabin to eat in the tunnel. Belgium roads and drivers are poor in equal measure. Netherlands much better road surfaces and disciplined drivers. Germany gets emptier the further north you go, with some long straights to play “how fast will it go Mister?” if that’s your thing.
Take a bottle of oil just in case, and a foot pump. Coming off the autobahn into some cold wet weather all four TPMS sensors lit up. Only just under but not having change for the pumps at the petrol stations was a pain. You may only hit one toll in France but even so a Sanef tag is worth its weight in gold.
ETA in a previous car I did a bit beyond Rostock to London in a day.one the way out I left late in the day and overnighted in Brussels (s
thole). I bought the business ticket for the train, which was well worth it because (a) zero need to queue, and (b) you can pick up a fair meal in the lounge/portacabin to eat in the tunnel. Belgium roads and drivers are poor in equal measure. Netherlands much better road surfaces and disciplined drivers. Germany gets emptier the further north you go, with some long straights to play “how fast will it go Mister?” if that’s your thing.
Take a bottle of oil just in case, and a foot pump. Coming off the autobahn into some cold wet weather all four TPMS sensors lit up. Only just under but not having change for the pumps at the petrol stations was a pain. You may only hit one toll in France but even so a Sanef tag is worth its weight in gold.
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 24th December 18:16
Provisionally looking at getting to Oslo and from there head cross country to Bergen. From there take to Southern coastal route and then think about heading back home.
Someone elsewhere has suggested the Hull- Rotterdam ferry then the ferry from Kiel-Gothenburg but thinking the trip would be a driving trip so maybe just drive? Plenty of options currently and they're all in the air but in the New Year I'll knuckle down and do some serious planning.
Someone elsewhere has suggested the Hull- Rotterdam ferry then the ferry from Kiel-Gothenburg but thinking the trip would be a driving trip so maybe just drive? Plenty of options currently and they're all in the air but in the New Year I'll knuckle down and do some serious planning.
Ken986 said:
I’m watching with interest . Taking the Newcastle- Amsterdam ferry in September but undecided yet whether to go Sweden / Norway or Holland/Germany .
After what seems countless hours on the internet it appears that the most dramatic scenery and driving routes are a fair bit North of Bergen.Looked at the ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand and then driving to Egersund on the SW corner. Planning on 4, maybe 5, nights in Norway so now thinking maybe better going from Hirtshals to Larvik then drive up to Lillehammer.
That'll leave me North of Bergen meaning I can then head NW toward Trollstiggen then work my way back South to Kristiansand for the ferry back to Denmark.
Issue is trying to fit too much in!
4 / 5 nights ain’t really enough if you’d like to explore.
Rotterdam to Hirtshals is a long drive. I did that a few years ago; arrived at Rotterdam from Harwich at around 4pm and then drove overnight, with an hour of rest somewhere in Denmark, arriving at Hirtshals around 6/7am for a morning ferry to Larvik.
I looked into driving to Nordkapp and realistically I would need three / three and a half weeks if I didn’t want to rush around and to have time to explore.
Other than that like you mentioned if you aim for Trollstigen that sounds about right.
Sorry if this isn’t helpful!
Heddal Stave church near Notodden
Rotterdam to Hirtshals is a long drive. I did that a few years ago; arrived at Rotterdam from Harwich at around 4pm and then drove overnight, with an hour of rest somewhere in Denmark, arriving at Hirtshals around 6/7am for a morning ferry to Larvik.
I looked into driving to Nordkapp and realistically I would need three / three and a half weeks if I didn’t want to rush around and to have time to explore.
Other than that like you mentioned if you aim for Trollstigen that sounds about right.
Sorry if this isn’t helpful!
Heddal Stave church near Notodden
Thank you for that, any advice is helpful
Appreciate 4 or 5 nights may not be enough however, that'll be all I have.
Have decided to use the the Eurotunnel and drive up to Arnhem, according to maps a total time of 9hrs which is all subjective to traffic. Will be leaving Derby at 0400 on a Sunday so should have no issues getting to Folkestone.
Following day drive up to Aalborg which is the just a short run up to Hirtshals for the ferry to Larvik.
Appreciate 4 or 5 nights may not be enough however, that'll be all I have.
Have decided to use the the Eurotunnel and drive up to Arnhem, according to maps a total time of 9hrs which is all subjective to traffic. Will be leaving Derby at 0400 on a Sunday so should have no issues getting to Folkestone.
Following day drive up to Aalborg which is the just a short run up to Hirtshals for the ferry to Larvik.
OUCH!
Just done a fairly basic costing on 5 nights in Norway, 3 nights on the way there and 3 nights on the way back. Norway hotels aren't actually that bad price wise, pretty much the same as the UK.
Trip would be just over 3,000 miles so taken fuel costs averaging 20 - 22mpg (6 ltr V12 for you :thumbsup
, ferries from Denmark to Norway a guesstimate daily amount for food, ferries within Norway, tolls, coffees (plenty). Eurotunnel costs plus any incidentals.
It totals almost £5,000!!
If that was broken down over 11 nights away it doesn't initially look too bad. Then again only 5 nights would be spent in Norway which is the whole point of the trip. The runs from home to Hirtshals (Denmark) and back home again aren't exactly going to be the most inspiring to put it nicely and seem to be a waste so, in effect my 5 nights in Norway average out at almost £1,000 per night. Ok I could fly there and back and hire a car but the aim is to take my car.
Now to me £5,000 can pay for some great UK trips or a couple of trips to Southern Europe so on that basis it's on with the thinking cap :think:
Anyhow, if it happens, the attached pic is of the basic route in Norway. Looked at doing the Trollstigen but having read a great deal on it there are a few things that put me off doing it, single width in places, passing places being full of cars parked up as drivers get out to take pics, a huge increase in recent years in touring buses and camper vans, buses struggling to get round the hairpins in one go, getting stuck behind one of said buses plus the fact it's now the most popular tourist road in Norway! Add that lot up and it doesn't bode well :blink:
Route....
Just done a fairly basic costing on 5 nights in Norway, 3 nights on the way there and 3 nights on the way back. Norway hotels aren't actually that bad price wise, pretty much the same as the UK.
Trip would be just over 3,000 miles so taken fuel costs averaging 20 - 22mpg (6 ltr V12 for you :thumbsup
, ferries from Denmark to Norway a guesstimate daily amount for food, ferries within Norway, tolls, coffees (plenty). Eurotunnel costs plus any incidentals.It totals almost £5,000!!
If that was broken down over 11 nights away it doesn't initially look too bad. Then again only 5 nights would be spent in Norway which is the whole point of the trip. The runs from home to Hirtshals (Denmark) and back home again aren't exactly going to be the most inspiring to put it nicely and seem to be a waste so, in effect my 5 nights in Norway average out at almost £1,000 per night. Ok I could fly there and back and hire a car but the aim is to take my car.
Now to me £5,000 can pay for some great UK trips or a couple of trips to Southern Europe so on that basis it's on with the thinking cap :think:
Anyhow, if it happens, the attached pic is of the basic route in Norway. Looked at doing the Trollstigen but having read a great deal on it there are a few things that put me off doing it, single width in places, passing places being full of cars parked up as drivers get out to take pics, a huge increase in recent years in touring buses and camper vans, buses struggling to get round the hairpins in one go, getting stuck behind one of said buses plus the fact it's now the most popular tourist road in Norway! Add that lot up and it doesn't bode well :blink:
Route....
Had a recommendation from a member of another forum I'm on advising to use another ferry that I didn't know about to get to Kristiansand.
First ferry overnight Hull to Rotterdam then a 3hr or so drive up to Eemshaven for an overnight sailing to Kristiansand.
Saves driving the 2000 miles from home to Hirtshals and back which sounds good to me. It works out to be a fair bit more cost effective.
First ferry overnight Hull to Rotterdam then a 3hr or so drive up to Eemshaven for an overnight sailing to Kristiansand.
Saves driving the 2000 miles from home to Hirtshals and back which sounds good to me. It works out to be a fair bit more cost effective.
Eemshaven ferry is very good and much better than the Rotterdam one, we did it last year. Your route above would be good but do not underestimate how much time it takes to drive the west coast. Its slow going because of the topography which is then interspersed with ferrys over the fjords. I was in my van so had no worries there but by all accounts the speeding fines in Norway are rather steep so worth bearing that in mind. We had two weeks and could have done much longer just in the southern part. We couldn't do trollstigen either as it was shut due to damage from an avalanche so worth checking before you take a route just to do that. I'm sure it would have been a different trip if I'd have done it in something fun but if you don't stop and get out to appreciate the scenery every now and again it would be a bit of a waste.
I've had similar thoughts that I feel as though I've 'done' the usual France / Italy / Germany / Switzerland driving trips, as beautiful as the roads are, and also want to do a Norway route next. Basically up through Norway, across into Sweden as north as I dare, then south back down to Copenhagen.
It needs a lot of planning and research.
It needs a lot of planning and research.
I drove to Bergen once and went and saw the incredible tunnels a couple of hours away:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lærdal_Tunnel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lærdal_Tunnel
We did a norway road trip last September and absolutely loved it. The roads and scenery were outstanding and also very quiet. The speed limits are quite low and strictly enforced on the busy routes and near cities, on quieter roads there was little enforcement.
Did the Hook of Holland ferry.
Approximate route:
https://goo.gl/maps/NQXhab6ibht5rnnWA
We took 2.5 weeks.
Did the Hook of Holland ferry.
Approximate route:
https://goo.gl/maps/NQXhab6ibht5rnnWA
We took 2.5 weeks.
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