With ref to Norways fuel, a sat nav with up to date stations is a must, some of the pumps are tucked away, many of which are unmanned but close enough together to enjoy the ride even on a 990KTM.
I was on my Varadero and getting 400km before hitting reserve

Sounds a great trip - definitely do it on your motorbike.

I used this route, back in 1999
Ferry to Bergen (from Newcastle I think)
Up the west coast through the fjiords, including Sognefjord as recommended by ohlala - stunning.

North Cape, then into Finnish Lapland, going south taking in the Finnish Lakes, to Helsinki.

Go to the Valamo Monastery, Russian Orthodox, guest rooms, (cheap single rooms with wonderful views) ,eat with the Russian chef and monks in the dining room, and all pretty cheap. It's on a very scenic route close to the Russian border. There you'll see how wedded to the Finnish are. In the guest quarters, climbing the stairs, there's a bottle opener hanging on a string on every landing and half-landing, and a couple in your room!

Estonia, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Austria, Germany, ........ Calais.
On the ferry to Estonia you'll also see how serious the Finnish are about their dancing tradition!
And they're serious about saunas too of course, try out the wood-burning ones in Lapland. It's where everyone meets up. (And all speak English if necessary, but they are also very defensive, and serious, about their own language).

All on a Yamaha XT225 Serow. (I even got a parking ticket on it somewhere in the Finnish Lakes, good souvenir).

It's all you need. But I had plenty of time, 3 months for that.

I didn't take a tent and was a bit worried about the prices of rooms in Scandinavia. But I found Youth Hostels everywhere.

I left UK beginning of June to reach North Cape by the 20th, for the solstice. That's out of season and almost every hostel I stopped at was empty. Certainly, all the dorms I used were empty. And the out-of-season prices were pretty good. Most hostels are attached to large hotels and you can use all their facilities, mainly restaurants which didn't seem expensive. I remember finding the largest and certainly cheapest salmon filets I've ever encountered.

If you're going south from North Cape through Lapland in late June, that's the height of the mosquito season and you need precautions. Most people wear head-nets out-of-doors, I wished I had one, it's a good idea, you feel conspicuous without one. Lots of spray repellant needed.

The highlight for me, I'd recommend it highly, is definitely Knivskjelodden, as shown on indu's website here: Budget travel in Norway - Minutes of a Motorcycle Addict

It's slightly further north than North Cape, so really, you've got to do it.
Start from the car park by the road to North Cape. Read the precautions (clothing, unpredictable and variable weather, detailed map, water, etc etc)
When I arrived at the North Cape gates the weather was brilliant and settled, so I decided to do this walk straightaway. Best decision of the whole trip.
I started about 9pm from the car park, arrived at the headland around midnight(!!). Most wonderful hanging sun due north over the Arctic Ocean, with just enough cloud to make massive fiery furnaces across the sky. I decided then and there, whoever wrote in the Bible about chariots going up to heaven in fireballs must definitely have been here! A big bonus was I was absolutely the only person there.
So I stayed about 3 hours, didn't really want to leave. Amazing marine bird life as well, masses of it. And they let you know, in no uncertain terms, if you scrabble too close to their nests on the rocky headland.

By the time I left it was about 3 am on the 21st, so I saw it on the solstice.
I stayed at the hostel just before you reach the gates of North Cape. That was the only time on the trip I shared a room.
Then went into the cape for the evening of the 21st. You need a big checkbook for the entry fee, and on this day it was heaving with coaches outside and tourists inside.

But the sun had gone, cloud everywhere, so absolutely no chance of seeing the midnight sun. Was I glad I took the walk the evening before!
Inside I saw an interesting aspect of human nature. I stopped for tea and chatted to the waitress.

The place was full of visitors, and there was quite a sense of displeasure, irritation and even anger everywhere.
The waitress seemed to be happy to dally a bit serving my tea.
"It's the same every year," she said (in good English). "It's all cloud everywhere, not a hope of seeing the sun, and they all take it out on us staff. They blame us for the weather! Ask us why they can't see the sun! They insist they are only here this one evening, so we should do something about it!"

I've read a few reports (including on the HUBB) where visitors have said they were dissappointed about the commercialisation of North Cape, so prepare to be dissappointed, but it's what you make of it. Knivskjelodden is the key - but you definitely need the luck of good weather!

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TTR250 - London to Cape Town

Anybody know what sort of temperatures I can expect in Arctic circle in June and July am and pm. I am camping all the way because of tight budget. My trip is on Solo Bike Tour for Cancer with Julians Restaurant, Hoylake . Getting some practice in at the mo in N Wales , the odd night under canvas. Last week -4 c uncomfortable. Thermarest mat not very good.

Check out (for example) BBC´s weather averages... for Inari, which is way up north in Finland, it says June is normally between +6 and +14 Celsius, July between +9 and +17. And record lows are -2 for June +2 for July.

There are great variations every year, though, so it is more or less impossible to predict, what the exact weather will be next summer. The last one broke our all-time heat records, and now winter seems to be a severe one, both indicate a ´continental´ effect on our weather, with winds coming from the east. That usually means cold winters and hot summers, but there´s no guarantee it won´t turn around within the next 6 months.

edit. If I had to guess, when will be the warmest period in the Arctic summer, I´d probably put it somewhere around the latter part of July, or early August. It often seems to be quite cold up there all the way until around mid-June, or even the end of June. But like I said, it varies almost every year.

Hi McCrankpin,

I don't suppose you'd fancy repeating your Serow tale over on XT225/250 Rider's Group, as I'm sure many of our clan would relish reading such a report and if there's any photo's then even better?


And by the way, I've loved my trips around Norway, wonderful people, superb vista's, great snacks at the fuel stations and a stunning receptionist at a Whale watching place on the Lofoten Islands!

Regards

Reggie

Hi Reggie,

Yes I'd like to do that sometime, I have quite a few photos but they're on paper so need digitizing first.
I also already have an account of that trip on this computer somewhere, but it doesn't mention biking very much, mainly the midnight sun in Norway and Finland and the solar eclipse a couple of months later in Hungary. I wrote it for an astronomy magazine. Maybe I'll add some bike photos to it and post it on the Serow site. I think I have a log-on there.
It'll take me a little while though.

Someone here asked about temperatures in June/July.
Well, I wasn't camping, but be prepared for the long road tunnel that joins the mainland to the island where North Cape is situated.
On my trip the weather was sunny and warm, so I wasn't wearing much when I entered that tunnel. Big mistake!
Don't remember how long it is, but after riding into it for 2 or 3 miles or more, it was seriously cold and I was chilled to the bone. It's narrow and dark and hardly lit, so it didn't feel safe to stop to put on more clothes. I was colder in that tunnel than I'd been in a long while. Put on your winter woolies before riding into it!

Happy New Year.

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TTR250 - London to Cape Town

Hi McCrankpin,

I like the idea of combining the Astronomy write up with a bike tour but can't quite picture Patrick Moore on a ride out with Austin Vince. Would make for an entertaining evening though!

As for temps, well I've been up to Nord Capp in May and your needed your thermals then, that's for sure! In fact we free camped on the very first night at Lillehammer and when we awoke in the morning even my sheepskin seat cover was frozen solid!

And talking of tunnels, please ensure you have a quick way of raising sun glasses etc, as it changes into total darkness in some of them and many have sharpish turns as well.

Happy New Year to all

Regards

Reggie

And Guess which fool took summer gloves and a summer sleeping Bag

I don't think I have ever been so cold.

That was a cracking trip Reggie. I will have to return with Leigh to show her just how Beautiful and remote Norway is.

Next time I will have the correct sleeping bag and gloves with me...

Happy New Year.

Dazzer

Greetings Dazzer,

'twas a fabulous trip and left a mark, that's for sure!

I remember my sleeping bag to be perfect!

I'm sure you said you'd stuffed your sleeping bag into your ears, to try and protect you from the loud snoring. I never heard it as I was sound asleep!!!!!!

Regards

Reggie

Heading up through Norway to Iceland on our trip in June. What a useful site!!

Thanks!!!

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Adventure is worthwhile in itself.....
Riding a Russian sidecar to the Arctic Circle www.3wheelsnorth.com

I agree! I'm doing a trip from Tallinn to St. Petersburg to Nordkapp and south through Norway, setting off in a couple of weeks.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rth-cape-58379


cheers
Chris

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Brighty's website: TheBrightStuffDotCom

CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective

Hello


What's Norway like in October?

I have to take a bike from London to Tallinn in October and thought about Norway-Sweden-Finland, but it might be too cold?

D

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Seriously, a nutless monkey can do your job.

I'd advice against riding in Norway in October. Not necessarily because it's too cold, but it might be ice on the roads in the early mornings and evenings. Which indicates that it's too cold, I guess... ;-)

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HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

I notice Snaphappy mentioned the 'Right to roam & camp' in Norway but what about Finland and the Baltic States? The idea of spending 16 quid on a campsite makes what hair I've got stand on end!

Is there much in the way of off-road routes?

I'm on the road in South America at the moment so don't have access to maps, hence the 'dumb' question...sorry. Just thinking ahead!

Cheers

Adam

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ShortWayRound - OTR RTW since 2006

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