peterjl Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Hi everbody some years ago we drove up Sweden and back through Norway. Brilliant trip. 60 days in total without pushing it. currently we are on our way home ( in Brugge for dog vetting early tomorrow) from 4 weeks driving round souther Sweden. this has us thinking about driving round the Baltic. Proposed route would be through Germany. Poland and up through Baltic states to Tallin ( we have toured Poland before but the 3 Baltic states are the only European countries we haven’t visited with exception of Albania where insurance is an issue). Then up Finland round the top to Umea, a detour down the Wilderness Road, then home via Denmark etc. via Michelin has a trip of 4000 miles from/to calais so add 50% for detours that’s 6000 miles. my question is, who else on the forum have done this ( I recall someone doing this but my searching couldn’t find) and how long did it take plus of course any tips. Leaving early May I am reckoning on 50 days cos that’s 120 miles a day on average which feels doable given there will be some longer days and some rest days. Is that reasonable given the roads and conditions? I have budgeted 50 days cos that gives me a buffer of 10 days before home insurance becomes an issue. I know about Finnish dog regs re getting wormed 1-5 days prior to entry. The ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki is only 2 hours or so so dogs would be fine in the Moho. Does this sound doable or should I be less ambitious? peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 ...not via the Baltic States, but we have done the trip round the Gulf of Bothnia up via Finland and back via Sweden. Would love to do it again, and The Wilderness Road would be one of the targets. You may cull some info from my 2013 trip report: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtravel Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 I think you are too optimistic. It took us three weeks to visit the three Baltic republics well enough (entry and exit from the Kalvarija border between Poland and Lithuania). I say enough because we spent little time in the capitals, just one day in Vilnius (suffocating heat) and another in Riga (raining), two in Tallinn (then ferry to Helsinki). Ten days are needed just for worthy Southern Finland (Porvoo – Savonlinna – Kerimaki – Punkaharju – Joensuu – Jyväskylä – Tampere – Nantali – Turku Espoo – Helsinki). In Sweden unmissable the Isle of Öland (three days, access by bridge) and Gotland/Fårö are highly recommendable (at least four days including ferry forth and back). Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterjl Posted June 11, 2023 Author Share Posted June 11, 2023 Thankyou Robin and Max. Robin, so the 3000 miles and 25 days was Uk to Uk? If so it makes it feasible. Max, we have just completed 28 days in souther Sweden ( south of Mora) when we included Opland etc.some places we would return to, others not so much. Really loved Kosta and Glasrik. Visited twice, before and after Opland cos the photographic opportunities in the hot glass shops, where you are next to them pouring glass, is amazing. Really feel the heat. I decided they cannot have health and safety rules cos you just wonder up to the glass blowers. I am going to do more research. I do wonder when some of the roads open cos of snow. Last time in Norway, late May early June, some roads closed by weather. No trouble with biting insects this May June ( well a couple but no big deal) but I wonder if, on a longer trip the latter part of June could be a problem. lastly the Swedish school holidays, the huge campsites we sometimes used were effective empty but the school break up mid June I I beleive the sites go crazy so want to avoid that. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 8 minutes ago, peterjl said: Robin, so the 3000 miles and 25 days was Uk to Uk? If so it makes it feasible. Yes. Though we would have liked a little longer, that was all we could loosen up between family commitments. Some things to note, though: As the trip log highlights, it was a bit of a road trip, only do-able with good distances between stops. The driving doesn't faze me (and the roads were generally clear and easy) but it might others. It was also assisted by the Harwich-Esbjerg ferry, which no longer runs. All the arrival points on the Continent might now require several more days to get up to the same starting point. Our particular experience was helped by the rather good weather, and the extended light evenings of the chosen season, meaning we could get good exploring in after arriving at a site, even after a long drive. I'd do it again, but ideally with a few more days (especially given the ferry situation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtravel Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 On another trip we visited Sundborn (Carl Larsson house and garden), Östersund, Vilhelmina, Arvidsjaur, Jokkmokk and Gällivare (Swedish Lapland). These are the stages of our Swedish journey (we came from Denmark and left it for Germany). Already said, Gotland and Oland are beautiful, but the whole west coast is just as beautiful. Helsinborg (ferry from Helsingor-Denmark) Goteborg Marstrand Skärhamn Fiskebäckskil Lysekil Brastad Backa Smögen Fjällbacka Tanumshede Trollhättan Läckö Slott Vadstena Falun (copper mine) Nusnäs Mora Skokloster Sigtuna Strängnäs Gripsholms Slott Ösmo Nynäshamn (Ferry to Isle of Gotland) Visby Högklint Tofta Eskelhem Öja Burgsvik (Hoburgen Raukar) Ljugarn Bunge Fårö (Small Isle, ten minutes ferry) Lickershamn Källunge Endre Ekeby Barlingbo Visby (Ferry to continental Sweden) Oskarshamn Växjö (Glasrik) Kalmar (Bridge to Öland) Resmo Stora Alvaret Ottenby Eketors Borg Norra Udde Lottorp Sandvik Köpings Borgholm (Bridge backwards) Kalmar Älmhult (IKEA Museum) Lomma Lund Malmö Smygehamn Trelleborg (ferry to Germany) Max p.s. We had seen a glass factory, but for us Italians who have Murano it was not very special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecal Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 Hi I have to agree with "mtravel" You need more time for that distance of a road trip to enjoy and have less pressure on yourself. Also as "Robinhood" points out the Harwich-Esbjerg ferry, no longer runs But what a fabulous overall trip , do enjoy Excellent pointers from Robinhood and mtravel Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterjl Posted June 12, 2023 Author Share Posted June 12, 2023 Thank you everybody. we generally use train to Calais then drive cos it’s better for the dogs( 2 labradors). Similarly I prefer shorter ferries, less than say 6 hours, cos again labradors will just sleep on crossings of that nature. we have visited Sweden a couple of times, Finland in Winter, Poland: a 5 week tour round country including up near to Belorussian border, and Germany countless times, so I do not feel need to do lots of stops in most of those, rest rest days and easy drives. that leaves the Baltics and Finland in the spring as main objectives plus wilderness road which we have missed on other trips. thankyou for your thoughts. I am going to plot this out in detail and look at options to shorten plus push the trip to 60 days. I will let you know. Turning to the glass, below is a link to the first draft of a photographic panel. Only roughly processed but has promise. It was the closeness to the glass workers that I loved. https://www.behance.net/gallery/171429775/Glasriket all the best Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirou Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 Been up and down the baltic states a few times on way to Finland. Slept one night wherever it caught us and continued through to Poland/Finland. Not that much to see, but that's just me. I like anything but flat landscapes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtravel Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 19 hours ago, spirou said: Been up and down the baltic states a few times on way to Finland. Slept one night wherever it caught us and continued through to Poland/Finland. Not that much to see, but that's just me. I like anything but flat landscapes. Well, certainly the three countries are quite flat but they have very beautiful forests, lakes and parks. Everything is somehow comparable to the Finnish natural environment. They also have a history that should not be underestimated, including the Russian, German and more Russian dominations of the 20th century. It certainly wasn't our best trip ever but it still left us with great memories. Below our stops in the three countries. LITHUANIA: Kalvarija - Birstonas – Trakai -Vilnius – Ignalina – Moletai – Zalvariai – Rokiskis – Birzai – Salociai LATVIA: Pilsrundale – Bauska – Sigulda – Turaida - Cesis – Valmiera – Valka ESTONIA: Viljandi – Tartu – Kallaste (Lake Peipus) – Narva (Russian border) – Valaste – Ontika – Rakvere – Vosu (Lahemaa Park) – Tallin (Ferry to and from Finland) – Haapsalu – Virtsu (Ferry) – Kuressare (Isle of Saarema) – Saare – Kihelkonna – Kuressare – Kuivatsu (Ferry backwards) – ParnuOn our way back LATVIA: Ainazi – Riga – Jurmala – Kolka – Ventspil – Kuldiga – Liepaja LITHUANIA: Butinge – Palanga – Kretinga – Klaipeda (Ferry t oIsle of Neringa) – Nida – Juodkrante – Klaipeda (Ferry backwards) – Plungé – Rietavas – Tverai – Telsiai – Kryziu Kalnas – Siauliai – Grazina – Seduva – Tytuvenai – Siluva – Kaunas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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