Norway Sweden and Finland trip summer 2020

gipojoe

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7
Hello
I am just planning trip for next summer , my trip will originate from Amsterdam but up to Oslo i am ok ,then we begin the unknown Oslo to Bergen ,and then to Trondheim via the E39 road which takes in some small ferry trips , does any one have any experience of this road / ferries ? please advise
in addition from Trondheim I am planning of going into Sweden , to Sundsvall and then around the northern edge of Gulf of Bothnia sticking to the coastal road which follows the edge of sea ,eventually going south to Turku and Helsinki in Finland
any advice on what to do and what not to do on this route please ?
 
It is all pretty easy and really nice
Typical Ferry £10 to £20 as has been posted like buses.
E39 nis fine as are any "E roads" even the lower class roads are Ok with suitable care but there is little traffic
This was our trip in 2016
philip-clark.weebly.com

Norway

Introduction So we start on the "main course". Norway is said to be expensive and indeed fuel and food are inevitably more than elsewhere. but as "free camping" is widely available this "eases the...
philip-clark.weebly.com
philip-clark.weebly.com

Finland & Sweden & Home

Finland was very pleasant and pretty with forests and lakes in abundance. For us we did not find too much other interest (see some below). Camping was very good with many areas often with a fire-pit...
philip-clark.weebly.com
philip-clark.weebly.com

Overnights

The images below are arranged by "route". Link to map is https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TTOduwVso4yXyjmpk3DCn8StlBQ&usp=sharing For Sweden overnights look in the Swedish section.
philip-clark.weebly.com

Looking to repeat some time but in revers order and only going as far north as Narvik

MAKE sure you know your route in the TROMSO TUNNELS
 
@jagmanx your information is amazing and very detailed. Thank you for sharing your route and thoughts. I am hoping to go to those 3 countries next year and your detailed information will help me to plan a wonderful trip. (y)
 
@jagmanx , thanks for reply , currently in Holland at moment , but will have a good read when i get back and maybe fire a couple more questions over to u if thats ok
 
LPG is very hard to find in Finland. There IS one station that will refill you, it is used so little that the gas is unmetered! You haggle a price.
Sweden. CNG is NOT the same as LPG, you will not be able to connect to it anyway but may be confused by the signage.
Norway, no problems but often shut on Sundays and not self service.
Enjoy your trip.
I would advise you not to plan in detail, just an outline and allow months not weeks. I spent 6 months.
You might be able to travel from Immingham to Brevic in Norway on the DFDS ferry, I returned this way.
 
We’ve just got back from 3 months touring Norway including Lofoten Islands, North Cape, Finland and Sweden and our route was fairly similar to jagmanx. As already said the E39 through Norway is fine but they repair the winter damaged roads between June and September so we met some interesting detours which slowed progress a bit.
There are numerous ferries on the route but you don’t need to book so you just turn up and pay as you queue. Price depends on length but on average was about £25 for our 7.5m van. Again, these slow progress so don’t expect to get anywhere particularly quickly. We averaged 36mph over the Norwegian leg of the trip.
The scenery in Norway is fantastic so the trip is a real experience and I would recommend it to anyone. As Glass Man said, don’t plan in too much detail and allow plenty of time as you’ll come across places unexpectedly where you want to stop and take in the view and then perhaps then stay a day or two.
Campsites are plentiful and we didn’t book any in advance although most of the time we wild camped and never had any problems.
Enjoy your trip.
 
gipojoe said:
Hello
I am just planning trip for next summer , my trip will originate from Amsterdam but up to Oslo i am ok ,then we begin the unknown Oslo to Bergen ,and then to Trondheim via the E39 road which takes in some small ferry trips , does any one have any experience of this road / ferries ? please advise
in addition from Trondheim I am planning of going into Sweden , to Sundsvall and then around the northern edge of Gulf of Bothnia sticking to the coastal road which follows the edge of sea ,eventually going south to Turku and Helsinki in Finland
any advice on what to do and what not to do on this route please ?
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The Indie Projects on Youtube, are on their return leg, definitely worth watching.
 
Do NOT worry if campsites don't show a Motorhome symbol, you will still be welcome.
It just means that there are less than 12 dedicated Motorhome pitches.
As soon as you get into Sweden go to a tourist office and get a free map showing where you can empty your loo.
VERY few petrol stations on motorways in Sweden but well signed ones adjacent.
You MUST have a proper spare wheel a tube of goo is useless for a large hole and long distances. Garages can be more than 130km apart.
Do check your breakdown insurance as I've seen some that do NOT cover ISLANDS and FINLAND!
 
A few practical pointers about Sweden.

Even if there are motorhomers that dont drink alcohol - I've met both of them - its worth remembering that alcohol is expensive in Scandinavia. Its a good idea to stock up in Germany before entering. I would usually use one of the specialist shops, or at a push supermarkets. Remember that there is a deposit on bottles. This can be avoided by filling in an export declaration in some, not all shops.

Parking in Sweden. Its important to look on the signs on car parks. Sometimes the phrase "skylt erfodras" can be seen. That means you must have a sign in your windscreen that shows the time of arrival. No sign means an automatic fine, often around 800 SEK (roughly £80). At other times, under the "P" sign are two more signs. One shows a car, and the other the words "Klass 1" or "klass 2" Motorhomes are usually the second, but some are classed as lorries. If the sign is "klass 1" it is illegal to park a motorhome there. If the motorhome being used is classed as a lorry (hopefully what it is can be seen on the registration documents) it is illegal to park in both klass 1 and 2 areas.

One word of caution. Every year, there are reports of what (translated) the Swedes call "road pirates." So be careful parking in a lay-by or on some rest areas, especially the more remote ones. One other trick these road pirates do is stop their car on the exit of a motorway, and try to flag you down to a stop. If this happens, take the next exit if possible, but do not on any account stop! One more thing. In quite a few places online, there have been reports of people getting gassed in their motorhomes. Many consider this to be an internet myth. I do know for a fact though that the Swedish Police are currently investigating such a case that happened not too far away from my Dealer. The couple, from Denmark woke up to find they had been robbed, and even their dog did not awake.

I dont want to sound as if I am painting Sweden black, I'm not. Whatever you do, have a great time here!
 
gipojoe said:
Hello
I am just planning trip for next summer , my trip will originate from Amsterdam but up to Oslo i am ok ,then we begin the unknown Oslo to Bergen ,and then to Trondheim via the E39 road which takes in some small ferry trips , does any one have any experience of this road / ferries ? please advise
in addition from Trondheim I am planning of going into Sweden , to Sundsvall and then around the northern edge of Gulf of Bothnia sticking to the coastal road which follows the edge of sea ,eventually going south to Turku and Helsinki in Finland
any advice on what to do and what not to do on this route please ?
Click to expand...
Did the Norway coast road a few years back. Go for it...,the bridges are amazing as is the scenery. Ferries are efficient and on time and there’s no need for campsites until you need to do the washing!
We had the most fabulous 5 weeks in June and would do the whole thing again if we live long enough.
 
Hi, I recommend you register your MH with the appropriate organisations so you get cheaper bridge crossings, ferries , even car washes and some parking. Otherwise they will charge more ( as HGV). With the 'BroBizz' you still have to register for each country and each bridge. Its complicated but definitely look into it so you only get charged car tariffs for the tunnels also.
 
Agreed in regards to Brobizz, it really is worthwhile. One thing though. The only registration that is needed right now is if the Öresundsbro (the bridge between Denmark and Sweden). Thats only to allow the use of certain lanes. Otherwise, just put the gizmo in the windscreen, and things (should) go automatically on the connected services. Brobizz also gives a small discount on the Great Belt Bridge.

There is also one other advantage. Of late, the bridge between Denmark and Sweden has been closed on a number of occasions, usually high winds or accidents. An app is available to keep up to date with the current status, but, more importantly, when it happens, a detour can be made to use the Helsingborg - Helsingör ferry, which is also connected to Brobizz, thus saving time but adding mileage.

A small saving can be made on the ferry between Rödby and Puttgarden also.
 
Wavy Gravy said:
Agreed in regards to Brobizz, it really is worthwhile. One thing though. The only registration that is needed right now is if the Öresundsbro (the bridge between Denmark and Sweden). Thats only to allow the use of certain lanes. Otherwise, just put the gizmo in the windscreen, and things (should) go automatically on the connected services. Brobizz also gives a small discount on the Great Belt Bridge.

There is also one other advantage. Of late, the bridge between Denmark and Sweden has been closed on a number of occasions, usually high winds or accidents. An app is available to keep up to date with the current status, but, more importantly, when it happens, a detour can be made to use the Helsingborg - Helsingör ferry, which is also connected to Brobizz, thus saving time but adding mileage.

A small saving can be made on the ferry between Rödby and Puttgarden also.
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Yes agreed. I thought I did my homework but alas.... Not well enough. I drove through the automatic broBizz lanes for both bridges and unfortunately got billed for HGV ( £76 and £90) . when I complained once I had returned to UK they basically said my fault. I should have gone through the manual payb lane and shown my v5c !!!!! What's the point of preregistering lol ?????
 
Is your motorhome over 6 metres long or 3500kg? Under that weight/length they go as cars, over as HGV's. It is possible to get away with it though by showing your documents….:)
 
Wavy Gravy said:
Is your motorhome over 6 metres long or 3500kg? Under that weight/length they go as cars, over as HGV's. It is possible to get away with it though by showing your documents….:)
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Its 5tonne 6m but I was assured it would be classed as a car tariff as motorhomes of any size get this classification if you follow the correct channels, sadly i made the error. My costly mistake lol
 
It would because it should be classed as "under 6 metres."

In regards to Brobizz/Bropass prices for those interested. Todays price for a single trip over Öresundsbron is 545 SEK without a pass, and 235 SEK with one. I'm not sure of the current exchange rate or even the annual fee for the Brobizz.
 
davidhow said:
Yes agreed. I thought I did my homework but alas.... Not well enough. I drove through the automatic broBizz lanes for both bridges and unfortunately got billed for HGV ( £76 and £90) . when I complained once I had returned to UK they basically said my fault. I should have gone through the manual payb lane and shown my v5c !!!!! What's the point of preregistering lol ?????
Click to expand...
Ours is <3.5T, going we used manual lane and was told we could have used automatic BroBizz lane, we ended up being charged the discounted car rate for both bridges going and returning. Did you register also for Bropass with Oresund Bridge?
 
This is a trip we have considered and those we have spoken with rate it highly. What makes us think twice is the distance. For us we would hit Europe in Dunkirk from where it is 2,000 km to Trondheim, if you travel by the most direct route. Then another 2,000 to Kirkenes at the northern tip. Then at least the same distance back. Probably looking at 6,000 km following the coast and with detours.

In itself the distance is not a problem, some years back we visited Morocco via Spain and Portugal 5,400 km, 39 nights. On that trip the scenery, and the people, was ever changing. With Scandinavia while there is undoubtedly some amazing scenery I wonder how much variety there is with respect to people, culture, food, towns / villages.
 
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