I had planned to do this trip this summer but that pesky work stuff got in the way so only managed Southern Europe. Anyway the general idea is to leave the UK and head for Nordkapp then drop down the far side of the Baltic through Estonia etc before heading back to the UK. The exact route isn't finalised and, if anyone is interested, could be varied to suit. Looks like around 5,400 miles so something like 5 weeks duration.

When planning these sort of trips I aim to ride 4 days then have a day off. I tend to travel at between 60 and 70 mph speed limits permitting and do around 200 miles/day to give time to have a look round places on route. Usually camp but sometimes have cheap(ish) hotel for days off. Again specifics will depend on when and where.

If anyone is interested for all or part then let me know. Currently planning to leave around 25th August 2012 returning around the end of September.

A couple of friends and I did a "Lap of the Baltic" in late June and most of July this year. Have a look here at our route and feel free to ask any questions you might have.
Rick

www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/rickmcd

This one could fit into my plan which looks like:

Up the Norwegian coastline (very scenic to Trondheim), then up to North Cape, then to Kirkenes and into Russia, then Murmansk - St. Petersburg and eventually flip over to Finland - Sweden - South Norway or the Baltic states and back via Germany.

I have yet to decide the exact time next year but I am very flexible and will undertake the tour, so it would be great to join.

Ridden lots of tours in demanding places both on and offroad, currently on a Tiger 800 XC and furthermore speak and comprehend all the Scandinavian languages, also manage enough Russian to survive on the road.

Cheers

I am interested in a "short" trip around the Baltic at the back end of August next year. Presently in Chile but heading North so keep me updated please. Ride safe.

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Mike
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Mike is riding the twisty road in the sky

RickMcD - Will take a look at your stuff - thanks.

Bard - sounds like we might have some travelling in common. I too want to go to the Trondheim area after seeing picks of the great island hoping roads. Like the idea of Murmansk and St Petersburg. Follow that with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland etc and that would make a great circuit. Hadn't originally planned on Russia to avoid having to sort visas but no real problem.

Dates wise I have 11th June through to the 21st July or as originally stated around the 29th of August to mid October.

Hitting North Cape in September could (most likely) include the surprise of ice on the road, as the median temperature in the area is +5,5 centigrades at that time and below +4 you get ice on tarmac, the temperatures is normally max +9 deg C min -2 deg C. You will also miss the midnight sun which ends the 29th July at North Cape, However it's also a pretty dry month in the area so I could join you then as well, no prob.

The ideal would be June - July dates as temperatures is higher and also the midnight sun is up, so there is a lot of wow factor included. My hope was to do the the tour then either end it with the 5-8th July HU meet in Derbyshire, or do the tour right after, but as I state I am 100% flexible.

So if you are keen on the scenic route I can join whichever of the two date ranges fits you. It will be an awesome tour

Russia is not a big problem for Visa, you don't need a Carnet and if your insurance company issue a green card it's fully valid there. So it's actually not very hard. Visa a travel company does for you, just bring that, the green card and an IDP and go, it also makes the trip far more exiting as some places you travel 50 years back in time, furthermore experience excellent Russian hospitality. So Russia will add a lot of flair of adventure you would otherwise miss.

When you hit the Polar Circle (66,6 Degrees North)and think wow almost there, the shortest distance to North Cape (71,2 degrees North) is 1173km or about 729 miles (almost same as a ride from Eastbourne England to Thurso Scotland), and the scenic route is estimated 1524km or about 947 miles... As the name implies North Cape is really far North, further North than most imagine. A rough estimate for a nice scenic tour would be Derbyshire - North Cape 3000 miles, then another 3500 miles back when riding Baltic states. So roughly between 6000 - 7000 mile journey. You can as many do, skip all the scenic routes and just go for North Cape through Sweden then back via Finland to Poland and autobahn back, but that is go to get there and back, and that's it really and then I won't go.

Read my blog about our 8 hour adventure at the Russian border. Since we were on rental bikes and the company had given us COPIES of the bike registrations, it was quite an adventure. BE SURE you have a VISA, GREEN CARD (specifically for your bike. We had "general" company green cards, another problem), and importantly, ORIGINALS of your title/registration. St Petersburg was wonderful, especially after our border adventure.

Sounds like June/July is the better plan.

Can't see the H-U meeting being possible.

Assume you would be starting from Stavanger so we would meet up at either Leira or Lillehammer depending on route to Trondheim. I can get a ferry to Esbjerg on the 10th or the 12th of June then 2 days from there.

Equally assume we would split in Germany for you to head home.

Sounds like a plan with June and July, and HU is off this year as nothing beats a good ride. If you like I can setup a far more scenic route up Norway following more suited to motorcycle roads including trollstigen. Cheapest transport from Denmark to Norway is Hirtsals to Kristiansand with ferry. I can easily ride down to Kristiansand and meet you there. Honestly the inland route is not very nice in Norway. Following E6 is quite boring on a bike.
We would split in Germany as you suggest.

This is just a suggestion; if we ride Kristiansand, via Røldal, Trollstigen, Trondheim and up you will have a ride you never forget and total from start to North Cape is 2723 kilometers, a bit longer than straight up but far more rewarding. Here is a link to the ride one could make it even more interesting, but then it would dig into the time bank. It is a very good ride and away from the mainstream. Please see below what you hit and see on this route instead of E6 highway from South of Norway inland to Trondheim.

Cheers Bard

Idea of Røldal


Idea of Geiranger fjord


Idea of Trollstigen

I could make the June/July start if it is for the scenic route and St Petersburgh and the Winter Palace on the way back. Have to get a trailer for the on the way up tho'. Ride safe.

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Mike
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Mike is riding the twisty road in the sky

Would much prefer a more scenic route myself. As long as we can incorporate the Atlantic Highway (Atlanterhavsveien) then happy to leave the route through Norway to someone who knows.

Will take a look at the the ferry to Kristiansand.

Anywhere specific on rest of route. Round Murmansk will be interesting, St Petersburg is somewhere I have wanted to go for years. Heard good things about Helsinki (although expensive), Tallin and Riga. A few places I would like to go in Poland but maybe best to see how the time is going before deciding. I will do a rough plan for people to look at and change.

Maja - personally don't drink very much myself so I won't need a trailer. Hope proposed dates and routes are of interest lets see how this plan evolves.

Cool I can help setting up the route, Atlanterhavsveien is very close to trollstigen so that is no problem. Here is a helpful link of famous roads in Norway Atlanterhavsvegen - www.nasjonaleturistveger.no

What we would hit is (from that site)

1.Ryfylke (Røldal)
2. Aurlandsfjellet
3. Sognefjellet
4. Gamle Strynefjellsvegen
5. Geiranger - Trollstigen
6. Atlanterhavsvegen
7. Helgelandskysten Sør
8. Helgelandskysten Nord
9. Senja
10. Havøysund

Time permitting we could do Varanger and perhaps more on the way up (but that would be more time consuming), but the above list is a fully realistic and a very scenic ride to North Cape. You could call it the Scenic way North if you like...

Hi both,

Any thoughts - some places (*) are just because they are on route?

Tuesday 12/06 - Ferry to Esbjerg arrive 13/06
Wednesday 13/06 - Late ferry to Kristiansand arrive 14/06 - meet bard
Trondheim by Sunday - day off Monday (18/06)
Nordkapp by Saturday - day off Sunday (24/06)
Murmansk by Tuesday - day off Wednesday (27/06)
St Petersburg by Sunday - day off Monday (02/07)
Tallin 03/07
Riga 04/07
Kalvarija (Latvia) (*) 05/07
Walsaw 06/07 - day off Saturday (07/07)
Auschwitz 08/07
Olomouc (Czech Rep) 09/07
Prague 10/07 - day off Wednesday (11/07)
Halle (Germany) 12/07 (*) - bard splits for home
Soest (Germany) 13/07 (*)
Ghent (Belgium) 14/07 (*)
Calais (France) 15/07 and then on to home

By this rough schedule I would still have 6 days available as I need to arrive back no later than Saturday the 21/07. So obviously we can add extra days into the above as required. No point in getting back early!

Give me a wave if you pass me on the road, I'll probably be on an Enfield! I am considering this trip after the IOM TT so that will be mid June, and if time/miles on the road are not against me I will try to be in Northern Italy for the Stella Alpina rally.
Stella Alpina Motociclistica Internazionale

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'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.

That looks like a good schedule, should be no problem to do this at all.

I assume camping in Norway on the way up to not break the bank?

Right now I am working offshore but will be home next week, then I will go through some maps and suggest a route up.

As soon as I hit land I will send PM to both of you to work out a more detailed route/plans.