We are planning a trip to Sweden and Norway during the summer of 2010. I plan to drive from Calais through Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark and finally Sweden!
We have five weeks to complete our tour and we will be taking our border collie along as well.
We like using CL's in the UK, does anyone know of similar sites in Norway and Sweden and a website where you can view and book from?
Due to the distance from home we will only venture into the southern part of Norway, can anyone reccomend an area to stay. We like rural country locations with walking and cycling facilities.
Thanks
John
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We have only been to Norway and that was when the Ferry ran from Newcastle.
We went to Camping Flam which as the name suggests is at Flam, this maybe a bit too far north for you but it would be a good place to head for.
Bear in mind that there are different restrictions for pets in Norway, I'm not sure but I believe you have to visit the vet in Norway in the first 7 days that you are there.
I don't think they have CL type sites, but the cheaper sites will be quite basic anyway. Both tourist boards publish campsite listings, even listings in English if I remember correctly. I would not bother booking, only the "all singing and dancing sites" might be full.
You might like to consider driving to the north of Denmark and taking a ferry over to southern Norway. The area around Rjukan is nice, and a visit to Oslo is interesting. Coming back you could drive either over the bridge and back through Denmark, or continue south on the Danish islands and take a ferry to Germany (there are combined bridge/ferry tickets). Or you could drive to the southern tip of Sweden and take the ferry to Sassnitz in Germany.
If you do a search on here, you will find quite a few threads on Norway and Sweden, with good info.
If you have any specific questions come back and ask, my husband is Norwegian so we have been over there a few times.
The ferry from the north of Denmark looks interesting, and maybe an idea for one of the legs.
We will be starting from the midlands near Stoke on Trent but we have to consider the dog on some ferries, no overnight crossings etc.
I have looked at Stena Line form Harwich but the crossing time and travel from home is longer than going via euro tunnel even though it is 150 miles further!
Quickest way to Norway from Uttoxeter is from Hull (112 miles) to Stavanger or Kristiansand in Norway ....alternativly from Calais go to Puttgarden in Germany and take the ferry to Zeeland in Denmark and cross to Sweden via the new bridge at Copenhagen.....or the Ferry from Helsingor above Copenhagen to Helsingborg in Sweden. There is also the expensive DFDS ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark (Jutland) then across the bridges to Funen then Zeeland.
Scandinavian countries are expensive so have plenty with you (Danish Krone-Swedish Krone-Norwegian Krone and Euros for Belgium-Holland and Germany).
Download the free ACSI card software for a good selection of sites.
I don't know whether this link might help, its a blog of a trip to that area which might contain some useful info for you http://gandm.eu/Scandinavia.aspx
David
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Unfortunately, many of these ferries no longer operate, there are no direct ferries to Norway any more. And I would say that is is just as easy to go to Dover as to Harwich unless you stay in East Anglia. And the Norfolk Line ferry is very reasonably priced.
There are a few ACSI listed sites in Sweden that take the discount card, very few in Norway, a few more in Denmark. If you are going before mid June, or after late August, an ACSI card would be good, but not otherwise.
Sites in Norway and Sweden are around kr 150-350, but with the poor exchange rate right now it does work out expensive for Brits anywhere in Europe.
For Scandinavia you will need their Camping card, get it well before you go, you can order on-line.
Yes, we used to go from Hull to Gothenburg, it was a good ferry, and there was the one from Newcastle to Bergen, I think it stopped about 3 or 4 years back. And now the Newcastle/Esbjerg one is gone too.
A new one started from Scrabster to Bergen, but it didn't last long. Presumably not enough passengers.
It's a real pain for us as it means such a long drive to get from here to OH's family home which is well north, about 50 miles beyond the Arctic Circle in fact. There is a lot of Norway beyond that too, it's a very long country!
After your reccomendation of the ferry from Denmark, I am also looking at DFDS from Copenhagen, we are thinking of travelling further north into Norway. How far do you have to go to reach the first glaciers? Also you mention that your husband is from north of the artic circle, is it worth visiting this area for the distance you have to drive?
We may change our plans and just visit Norway this year, visit Sweden another year!
Regards
John
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
There are glaciers in the west of Norway, nearest is probably Hardangerjokelen which is at the top end of Hardangerfjorden, which is still a bit to drive from the far south.
From Copenhagen the ferry goes to Oslo, so that gets you a bit of the way up.
The most "touristy" part of Norway is the area west and north of Bergen, which includes Hardangerfjorden, that is probably where all the pictures you see of Norway are from. It is very nice, with plenty of breathtaking scenery. Certainly worth visiting.
The north is very much like the west coast of Scotland, but "bigger". Lofoten is a giant Skye. Beyond say Trondheim towns are few and far between, lots of remote unpopulated bits, steep mountains etc.
Whether it is worth visiting, considering how far it is to drive, is a personal decision. But if you just want to get a flavour of Norway, then I would say not. However, the "touristy bits" are just that, they give you the scenery, but do not really show you what living in Norway is really like.
We were last there (with caravan)in 2007, a 3 month trip to celebrate OH's retirement. We visited lots of relatives, so that took extra time. We spent 4 weeks travelling to his family home, taking the ferry Hull/Rotterdam, driving across Germany to Sassnitz, ferry to Trelleborg in Sweden.
Then we drove north up the Baltic coast,stopping a few times, into Finland and North to Neiden in Norway (huge midgies!). Visited Kirkenes and the Russian border at Grense Jakobselv where we saw Beluga whales. Then west and south along the coast to Nordkapp, Alta, Tromso, Lofoten and so to Bodo.
We stayed at his Mum's house for 4 weeks, then went south all down the coast,(lots of ferries) past Trondheim, Kristiansund, Aalesund, then inland a bit to visit Galdhopiggen and Flaam etc. From there, out to Bergen, stopping a week there, then to Stavanger and round the south coast to Kristiansand. Then we went north to the Rjukan area and on to Oslo, where we also stopped a week.
From there, south via Sweden, over to Denmark, south to Rodby, ferry to Puttgarten, and so across Germany back to Rotterdam. That was about 5 weeks. We were away almost exactly 3 months in all. 6350 miles towing the caravan, quite a bit more in total.
I have noticed a TEC 510 TDF for sale in my local paper. I've searched this site to find that you have one. Would you have either a contact email or phone number so I can ask you a few questions please. nelsonfamily at hotmail.com
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Norway and Sweden
