Touring the Baltic States.

[Druk]

Advice needed please. The idea is to escape the Olympics and all the BBC bull$h1t. So, it's ferry to Amsterdam then head east and north. One possibility is to head up into Denmark and cross into Sweden via the bridge then after a bit of touring there catch the ferry from Stockholm to Tallin and head south via Riga and Berlin. Or just to go via Berlin to Tallin etc then retrace. Max time away one month.

Any suggestions please?

(other than...don't come back. )



.

 

[Steve Holland]

If travelling through Sweden you need to see the West Coast North of Malmo As far and adjacent as Oslo (maybe dip your toes into Norway for a quick visit to see the Harbour and Viking Boat Museum) across to Karlstad and Lake Vanern for a Sunny Summers day Bar B Que at 2.30am in the morning ( Also nice sailing) and then Uppsala a wonderful Cathedral city and site of the Ancient Swedish Kings then onto Stockholm or prior to that Norrtalje where you could park the car and take the Ferry to the Aland Islands where you can have a fantastic smörgåsbord on board and knock off Finland as a visited for the day once in Stockholm you may like a visit to the Vasa Museum which is so much better and bigger than our own Mary Rose exhibit. Norkoping is a pretty nice place to stop off near to the south eastern route (it's known as Swedens Manchester) Gotland is another Island in the Baltic nearby which is worth visiting with a metal detector as more Viking Gold is buried there (and found) than anywhere else in the world.

The rest is upto you as that may take up about 12 days of your month? The Ferry will take you to Riga which is just a short hop away from Gotland.

 

[DITTRICH]

Scandinavia is expensive. The Baltic countries less so.
Stockholm is very nice to go to for around 4 days.
Personally, I would forego the ferry to the Baltics and head north to Trondheim in Norway for 2 days. Then pick out a route of ferries, mountains, glaciers and fjords.
Be sure to include the trollstigen road, the atlantic road and geiranger plus the ferry from geiranger to hellesylt and the "snow road" and the longest road tunnel.
There is much much more but I can guarantee that it will cost plenty and leave you with many happy memories. I flew my family into Stockholm from Moscow and I met them in the car after driving from London. That holiday cost me a huge amount of money but it was quite simply the best holiday any of us can remember.
The vasa in stockholm was spectacular and there is loads else to do.
The oresund bridge and the storebelt bridge are also very impressive.
If you are dead set on the Baltics, then I would suggest Tallin, Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw and Kracow. But you would need to be prepared for polish drivers on single carriageway roads. I go east via poland every year.
Les

 

[Druk]

^ Actually, Steve's post #2 has changed our mindset already. Thinking to leave Tallin and Riga etc for another time, maybe by aeroplane.

Change thread title to read...'Touring Norway and Sweden' :bannana:

Thanks.

 

[Steve Holland]

I think you would find Sweden and Norway would be a fantastic route although Norway is mighty expensive any time of the year now the really nice thing about both those countries is their willingness to express themselves in English so useful conversation is so easy.

I would also try and plan your visits in Stockholm or Oslo as if you are flexible with your time scales you could get a day (s) pass (a bit like the old bus rover) that will allow you entry into as many sightseeing venues you can fit in.
They are expensive but actually cheaper in the long run as Museums and Cultural areas aren't free like some in the UK and the initial hit would be softer on your wallet than just arriving.

You can purchase these via the tinternet prior to your departure.

The Trondheim area is amazing on the eyes.

 

[camerafodder]

Warm socks!

 

[MicB]

No advise from me other than to thoroughly enjoy what sounds to be an absolutely fantastic plan.

Mic

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Hi, MicB above says it all. Have a great time.

 

[trapperjohn]

As I'm sure you are aware the "Ole Falling Down Water" is a fearsome price over there. The odd bottle of Scotland's very finest stashed away may well come in handy for "swops" !!

 

[st4]

Derek,

This is something I have always wanted to do, but never have done so. Can't advise anything other than say enjoy....

 

[tacfoley]

...once in Stockholm you may like a visit to the Vasa Museum which is so much better and bigger than our own Mary Rose exhibit.

Could not agree more.

Y'see, the entire VASA is there with everything that was in it. Not a part section of about 1/25th of one side of a hull.

When we watched with bated breath as the 'Mary Rose' came to the surface just over thirty years ago I seriously wondered if I was seeing the same thing as the reporters were.

So they have recovered over ten thousand artifacts from the 'Mary Rose'?

Tens of millions of ££££ later I remain mostly unimpressed.

tac, old cynic.

 

[millo777]

I spent quite a bit of time in Scandy land between 2004 and 2007, but didn't drive around much so can't recommend any particular routes.

However, if you have a few days or even a week and you're feeling energetic, there is a company in Stockholm that will rent you kyaks, tents and all the camping gear you need and include a GPS with maps of the archipelago. You just go off at your own pace, and pitch tent on any island you happen to be passing at the time! awesome way to spend a week. Very cheap as well, I think it was around £100 for a week rental of the gear.

If the weather is nice, the whole of stockholm will be out on the water (they all have a boat of some description) at the weekend. But heading inland into the archipelago and it's lovely and peaceful.

You have to remember that Scandinavia essentially shuts down for 8 weeks in July and August, and most Swedes head off to their "Red Cabin" which are basically chalets on a lakeside in the country. They can also be rented pretty cheaply.

Don't exclude Finland either, it's actually a remarkably scenic country and the lapland area is really nice in the summer with unspoiled lakes and virtually no tourists. All the Fins head off to Riga where everything is half price or less, so you'd have the countryside to yourself!

 

[219]

Taking the caravan , Derek ?

 

[Druk]

Taking the caravan , Derek ?

After looking at hotel prices I'm starting to think we just might.

 

[DITTRICH]

Norway mountain roads and caravans do not go well together. Alot of continentals seem to have motorhomes which I assume are marginally more suitable. Even if you have to mortgage a few relatives or children it is still worth it. There are a number of hotel chains in scandinavia and you may get a better deal by sticking with one chain and book in advance. They all have loyalty programmes and the savings may be worth it if say 10+ nights are involved. Even if you take a tent it is still worth it. It was really funny that my wife (who loves cities) kept complaining why I booked them into some sh!tty little town in the middle of nowhere (geiranger). She was forced to eat her words when she went onto the room's balcony looking out over the fjord.

 

[DITTRICH]

Our route from memory in 2008 was...
Stockholm - 4 nights scandic sergel plaza
Trondheim - 1 nights scandic
Andalsnes - 1 night can't remember
Geiranger - 3 nights independent
Laerdal - 1 night independent
Oslo - 3 nights scandic
Somewhere in Denmark - 1 night
There were 4 people in the c230k saloon.
Costs were in the region of £4k+ including flights for 3 people.
Hotels in the fjords tend to be independent and there aren't too many chain hotels in that area with good coverage.
There is a mountain road above geiranger which rises to a lookout point at 1,600m. You can see right down to the fjord ONE MILE below (and our hotel!).

 

[DITTRICH]

The exchange rates are moving in your favour. DKK 9.08, SEK 10.80, NOK 9.20, EUR 1.22

 

[SilverSaloon]

take the van. Cant wait to get away in ours this year

 

[Druk]

I'm sorry Dittrich, cos despite all your help and enthusiasm we've now decided the thing will be just too expensive for the time we have away. We intend now to go to the Classic 3day meet at Silverstone on the 20th July and from there to the chunnel and head off into the blue yonder, probably south-east. Venice beckons.

 

[Druk]

take the van. Cant wait to get away in ours this year

We've got 10days in the Cotswolds and a week at Sandringham already booked for June. :bannana: