penny56 Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 The husband, 2 terriers & I are planning a 4 week trip to Norway next June. We thought we'd take the ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland because it is a more reasonable ferry crossing for the dogs (8 hours overnight). Can anyone give us any tips/advice/information about any aspects of the trip. Your help would be very welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Have a look at this. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=15499&posts=13 and this http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=13588&posts=28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 That is near enough a 1000 mile drive just to get to Oslo....... I have done this route going to Swedish Lapland and its OK if you have the time. Up to Hamburg, then across to Denmark on puttgarden ferry then either the bridge or a ferry from Fredrikshaven. We have also gone via DHFS harwich - esbjerg and prefer this route. they have pretty reliable but short summers up this way......... you can still come across snow in July/august we did on the wilderness way. but would love to go back :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Hi Penny That would be quite a long trip to do in four weeks so I suggest that you restrict the area of Norway that you plan to visit, to the fjord area to the south west of Trondheim. i.e. Roughly within the Trondheim / Oslo / Bergen triangle. Any trip further north than that would meaning a lot of travelling per day and you would not be able to fully appreciate the scenery. The links that Tracker has given you will give you a few useful tips. The thing to check on in the fjord district when you get there is that all the 'best' routes are open ( free of snow) before you go across country. Some of the routes are not clear until mid June. If you have questions about any specific part of Norway just ask, as there is usually someone on here who has been there. ( Norway is a very good choice anyway !) ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Distance is relative! For some the journey is the holiday and 8000 miles in 5 weeks is not excessive! For some 800 miles in as many weeks is excessive! If you enjoy it, like most things in life, too much is never enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Tracker - 2009-08-15 2:47 PM Distance is relative! For some the journey is the holiday and 8000 miles in 5 weeks is not excessive! For some 800 miles in as many weeks is excessive! If you enjoy it, like most things in life, too much is never enough! In Norway every journey took us a lot longer than usual because we stopped every mile or so to take photos ! :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALAN G Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Norway is a great country to visit. We've been there twice and will probably go again. However four weeks wouldn't be long enough for me as there is so much to see and the view changes by the minute. You should be all right for weather in June as Winter starts the last week of August. Dogs appear to be unwelcome. On several campsites we saw notices stating that as the country was free of a certain parasite carried by dogs visitors should leave their animals at home. We don't have a dog and I can't recall the name of the parasite but it would be worth checking out. Certainly, there were few, if any, dogs on the sites we stayed on. Border controls appear non existent even when alighting from International ferries. The Norwegian ffiord ferry system is magic and is just part of the road system. Norway tourist will give you a guide book with yellow pages at the back which lists the ferries that go from one unpronounceable place to another unpronounceable place. The places themselves are tiny dots on the map and are usually no more than a concrete area alongside the main road. The yellow pages give the times that the ferries are open and the number of sailings a day. The ferry sizes vary according to the amount of traffic and usually you have to wait no more than 15 minutes. Prices seem reasonable and there is a sometimes a discount for pensioners. Tunnels are a different matter. They vary from the Flam tunnel, which is very long and well lit with "laybys" part way to small, dark and designed to take the top right hand corner off your van. The Scandinavians use English as a common language. and most of them speak it as I was taught 60 years ago. This means that information boards in museums and other places of interest are easily readable by us. Alcohol is prohibitably expensive. A litre of Whisky in Norway is around £40. It's cheaper in Sweden at £30. Denmark is cheaper...but not as good as Sainsbury's. Beer is better priced, but remember there is a deposit on the can which you can return to a machine (no English instructions) at the next supermarket, to get your deposit back. We haven't been in June but campsites can be surprisingly busy at times and for no apparent reason. Then fairly empty a few days later. Most receptions stay open late. 9pm is common. We have even seen offices open at 11. This means that as the locals are used to arriving late you can get the best selection of pitches (usually unmarked) by arriving at 4pm. Electricity supply is quite often without an earth. Our Danish inlaws say that this is Ok as each system has an RCD. When I have queried this on sites I find that this is one set of English phrases that hasn't been taught in Norwegian schools. So far we haven't come to any harm. (but this applies in Spain and Portugal as well) Enjoy your trip, I think you'll find it exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 malc d - 2009-08-15 3:41 PM Tracker - 2009-08-15 2:47 PM Distance is relative! For some the journey is the holiday and 8000 miles in 5 weeks is not excessive! For some 800 miles in as many weeks is excessive! If you enjoy it, like most things in life, too much is never enough! In Norway every journey took us a lot longer than usual because we stopped every mile or so to take photos ! :-| Yes Malc - us too - over 800 photos in all - fabulous country - must go back - maybe 2010! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny56 Posted August 15, 2009 Author Share Posted August 15, 2009 Wow - thanks everyone. Had a look at the other threads too, there is so much info on here. It sounds amazing -a huge thank you to you all :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naittaw Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Hi Penny, Your post was very timely from our point of view - me,wife and mongrel terrier. Younger members of the family are hooked on the North Sea Cycle Route and having completed the UK section are planning to tackle part of the Norway section next June, flying out with bikes. We have been invited to do escort duty but are a bit daunted by the journey. We're familiar and comfortable with France/Spain but Norway, and advance planning for it, seem a bit different. It's a pity the Newcastle/Bergen ferry is off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertieburstner Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I went to Norway once on a motorbike and agree it was fantastic, the scenery really takes your breath away. We asked a local one day how far it was to Bergen, he said "10 miles". When we got to Bergen eventually we were cussing this local until it was pointed out to us by another norwegian that he meant 10 Norwegian miles, and a norwegian mile is 10 kilometres! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Having travelled about 1000 miles from Calais to Oslo you find that Bergen is 'just' another 400 miles - and then Trondheim is 'just' another 400 miles! And just when you think you've cracked it as you leave Trondheim the signpost proclaims that Tromso is a mere 1138 kms (710 miles or so!)! And then when you get to Tromso you really think the Nordkapp is getting closer - well it is and it isn't - as it is a mere 330 miles or so! And then you have to get all the way back again! Distances are great, scenery is great, people are friendly - hope you enjoy driving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny56 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 It's true what 'naittaw' says about the Newcastle ferry, it would have been ideal for us. We spent ages looking on the internet for it and then discovered that it had been withdrawn. We are now thinking we might have to get dog-sitter friends to stay while we're away because it would be a lot easier to travel without the dogs and I don't want to take them if they are unwelcome. Also I read on one of the other threads that 'terry1956' had to worm his dogs every 10 days, making them very sick. I don't want to subject them to that :-( If we go without the dogs we will sail from Harwich to Esbjerg. This has been so helpful, giving us lots of information and lots of encouragement. Hubby & I are now really keen to see Norway and both being keen photographers it looks like we'll have plenty of pics to bring home. It's just a shame Hubby has to come back to work ... it sounds like a month isn't long enough!!!! Thanks Everyone xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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