Return from the Arctic

[Tangled Metal]

Not sure of your route but I really liked Gothenburg the few times I've been there. Know nothing much about the rest of Sweden except I liked what I saw.

[Vorpal]

Gothenburg is a nice place I quite like it there.

The fastest route is probably to ride through the 'corner' of Finland, then down the Swedish coast, between Stockholm & Gothenburg.

Another alternative is to ride down the Norwegian side of the Oslo fjord, and take the fast ferry (4 hours) from Larvik to Hirtshals. That will miss out Malmo and Copenhagen, though. That route is ~200 km longer, but is likely the second fastest route, due to the fast ferry.

There are also ferries from Oslo and Gothenburg to Kiel, Oslo to Fredrikshavn, etc.

So, I guess the OP needs to weigh the places to visit against speed, rest, etc.

[randonneur]

I have cycled a couple of times between Norway, Sweden and Finland to UK, usually June time, although was in Finland early July on one occassion, overall had few bad experiences with mossies, and no way is it as bad as Alaska.
As for crossing to Denmark, Oresund is closed for cycling but bikes are taken by train between Malmo and Copenhagen, but a better route if wishing to visit Copenhagen is the very frequent ferry between Helsingborg and Helsingfor some 30 miles North. You will still get to experience some long bridges heading South towards Rodby for the ferry to Germany.
I dont think the option for a ferry from Ostend is available nowadays, its Calais or Dunkirque, for Kent or Hook of Holland for Essex if you are desperate to get back to UK

[Wag67]

I must say I’m not desperate to get back to the UK but needs must. Looks like an interesting route from the Hook of Holland following the bridges and i think a ferry through the coastal islands of Holland. It isn’t far then to Dunkirk. I’m thinking at the Gulf of Bothnia that I’ll take the Finnish side then take a ferry at Vaasa to Umea. I’ll then carry on to Stockholm, unless the Swedish side, Lulea to Skelleftea is much nicer/easier/more interesting. I wasn’t going to but Gothenburg sounds like a good call.

[ChrisF]

I've been wondering about a trip in this area, probably June 2019 or 2020. How are you planning to get to the North of Norway - trains or plane(s)? Must be quite a trek whichever way, especially with camping gear.

[Wag67]

Plane(s). I’ve done it before in simpler times, 1999. Just took the front wheel off the bike, taped it to the frame, wrapped it all together in two bin bags and flew to Lisbon. All for no extra cost! Things ain’t what they used be. I will tape all my luggage together and put my bike in a cardboard box, kindly supplied by my local bike shop and just pay what’s necessary. Go North young man

[Vorpal]

I've been wondering about a trip in this area, probably June 2019 or 2020. How are you planning to get to the North of Norway - trains or plane(s)? Must be quite a trek whichever way, especially with camping gear.

If you have the time, an alternative to trains or planes is Hurtigruten, a ferry/cruise that goes up and down the Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. It's possible to take it the entire way, both ways, or some portion of the voyage. You can't take a bike with, but they do bike transfers between some ports.

Also, the weather is good along the coast in June, but if you plan on going through any mountainous areas, some passes are likely to still be closed. On a year where there is lots of snow, or a late spring, high passes will be closed until the middle of July. Rallervegen (a former navvy road turned bike/trekking path) between Oslo and Bergen, for example didn't open until late July a few years ago, and there were some sections with snow on all summer.

[Wag67]

I've been wondering about a trip in this area, probably June 2019 or 2020. How are you planning to get to the North of Norway - trains or plane(s)? Must be quite a trek whichever way, especially with camping gear.

If you have the time, an alternative to trains or planes is Hurtigruten, a ferry/cruise that goes up and down the Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. It's possible to take it the entire way, both ways, or some portion of the voyage. You can't take a bike with, but they do bike transfers between some ports.

Also, the weather is good along the coast in June, but if you plan on going through any mountainous areas, some passes are likely to still be closed. On a year where there is lots of snow, or a late spring, high passes will be closed until the middle of July. Rallervegen (a former navvy road turned bike/trekking path) between Oslo and Bergen, for example didn't open until late July a few years ago, and there were some sections with snow on all summer.

I’ve found a flight from Heathrow to Kirkenes for £146 minus hold baggage ( I will be battered with the bike, but that’s life). On another note I’ve got an old set of Tatonka panniers that are still in good nick but the inner-some kind of rubberised-waterproofing has perished. Anyone out there with experience on reproofing rucksack type material, and what product? As ever good advice is much appreciated

[Vorpal]

I’ve found a flight from Heathrow to Kirkenes for £146 minus hold baggage ( I will be battered with the bike, but that’s life). On another note I’ve got an old set of Tatonka panniers that are still in good nick but the inner-some kind of rubberised-waterproofing has perished. Anyone out there with experience on reproofing rucksack type material, and what product? As ever good advice is much appreciated

You could try dilute PVA glue, or a spray on rubber, like rubbercomp. If you post this as a separate topic on 'Does anyone know... ?', you'd likely get more suggestions.

[Wag67]

I’ve found a flight from Heathrow to Kirkenes for £146 minus hold baggage ( I will be battered with the bike, but that’s life). On another note I’ve got an old set of Tatonka panniers that are still in good nick but the inner-some kind of rubberised-waterproofing has perished. Anyone out there with experience on reproofing rucksack type material, and what product? As ever good advice is much appreciated

You could try dilute PVA glue, or a spray on rubber, like rubbercomp. If you post this as a separate topic on 'Does anyone know... ?', you'd likely get more suggestions.

Good idea, I’ll give it a go tomorrow

[Warin61]

I’ve found a flight from Heathrow to Kirkenes for £146 minus hold baggage ( I will be battered with the bike, but that’s life). On another note I’ve got an old set of Tatonka panniers that are still in good nick but the inner-some kind of rubberised-waterproofing has perished. Anyone out there with experience on reproofing rucksack type material, and what product? As ever good advice is much appreciated

You could try dilute PVA glue, or a spray on rubber, like rubbercomp. If you post this as a separate topic on 'Does anyone know... ?', you'd likely get more suggestions.

Good idea, I’ll give it a go tomorrow

My experience with PVA glue is that over the long term is it water soluble.

What you want to look for is reproofing tents/flys. And most people use silicon diluted in some solvent and applied with a disposable brush.
See https://bushcraftuk.com/community/index ... ho.143723/

[Wag67]

Well I thought that I would buy my ticket in good time to save a couple of Bob. The bike and me are booked on a flight on the fourth of June and I will be at the mercy of the Arctic weather at 18.30 local time. Got the ticket and baggage for £220, which I think is a bargain, so the scene is set all I need is some really bad British weather to toughen my self up with. It probably won’t let me down. Anybody out there with ant knowledge on Russian visas? Kirkenes is only a couple of Kilometres away and I’ve never been. How much are they and is it a lot of red tape fad? As always good advice is appreciated. Will be trying to raise a bit of money for a couple of cancer charities, one local and also for the Macmillan Nurses. Will be trying a Facebook page for the first time so if anybody bumps into it and you can spare ten Bob, will be appreciated also

[Vorpal]

Anybody out there with ant knowledge on Russian visas? Kirkenes is only a couple of Kilometres away and I’ve never been. How much are they and is it a lot of red tape fad?

I would call the Russian consulate in Kirkenes. It can't be too difficult because there is lots of cross-border traffic there. There is some sort of special arrangement that people who live close to the border (within 50 km?), can go within the same distance on the other side without a visa, but lots of Norwegians who live further away get visas to cross the border there.

[Cyril Haearn]

East and west quietly co-operating across the border, Plus One!

[Wag67]

It sounds like have been there before