Dropsafe

by Alec Muffett

Summer Motorbike Vacation – Draft v0.1

OK, I am planning on a biggish European tour next year, and want to make sure I see some nifty new sights, and also explore some places that are off-of the typical tourist routes.

In 2005, I want to go to North Cape, at/around midsummer.

Traditionally, my first step is to flesh-out an approximate route, then fit a timeline to it, then amend to fit time available; to take a first stab at this I am considering:

  1. Reading
  2. Newcastle,
  3. (Ferry to Norway) Stavanger
  4. Oslo
  5. Bergen
  6. Trondheim
  7. Bodø
  8. Narvik
  9. Honningsvåg
  10. Vardø
  11. (into Finland, towards) Oulu
  12. Tampere
  13. Helsinki
  14. Turku
  15. (ferry to Sweden) Stockholm
  16. Norköping
  17. Linköping
  18. Göteborg
  19. Helsingborg
  20. (into Denmark) København
  21. Odense
  22. (into Germany) Hamburg
  23. Hannover

…and then find my way home via some sensible route – Amsterdam/Ferry/Harwich, Bruxelles/Calais/…/Dover, whatever.

I don’t see this as being particularly problematic except for some sparsely-populated regions of (say) Finland, which I have been warned (Hi Tommi) are swampy and full of mosquitos and Army conscripts. I’d welcome any input or advice from people with local knowledge, or who have perhaps done something like this before?

⊞

Comments

8 responses to “Summer Motorbike Vacation – Draft v0.1”

  1. alecm
    Norway Advice

    ps: Hello All – I have e-mailed a number of people requesting comments and advice; I’d be obliged if (where convenient) it can be added here on the webpage?

    Thanks and big hugs!

    Reply
  2. alecm
    re: Summer Motorbike Vacation – Draft v0.1

    note to self: add Tromso/ and Hammerfest to the list, and research the system of ferries that go amongst the islands in that area.

    Reply
  3. alecm
    Vacation v2: Map of Planned Route

    After some scheduling fixes it looks like I may end-up running two bike vacations into one-another and take in a trip to the French Alps, to meet up with some other colleagues.

    The map now looks like this:

    http://www.crypticide.com/users/alecm/albums/dropdata/660h-vacation-v2.jpg

    …and is still being worked-upon.

    Reply
  4. alecm
    idea

    see whether:

    http://www.museumsnett.no/nasjonalgalleriet/munch/eng/index.html

    …has been unstolen by the time you’re in oslo.

    Reply
  5. martin
    re: Summer Motorbike Vacation – Draft v0.1

    Btw, feel free to take advantage of our guest room when you pass by Stockholm 🙂

    /Martin

    Reply
  6. Phil Carmody
    re: Summer Motorbike Vacation – Draft v0.1

    Your choice of Finnish destinations should keep you amused. Each of the destinations has different things going for it at different times of the year – such as beer festivals, herring festivals, and sundry other nonsenses (the tall ships stop in Turku and Helsinki, but I guess you can see them in any of a dozen places on your tour). I’d recommend, if you are spending a couple of days near Helsinki, that you also try a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia, too. It’s a town steeped in history, and has several medieval-themed festivals during the year.

    Phil (username pc at domain asdf.org)

    Reply
  7. Mikael
    re: Summer Motorbike Vacation – Draft v0.1

    Looks like you are going to spend a LOT of time on the bike, since I know you you will most likely enjoy it. Let me know when you are planning to be in Gothenburg, you are more than welcome to stay with us here.

    Reply
  8. Alex Bradley
    re: Summer Motorbike Vacation – Draft v0.1

    Hello Alex, Did Nordkapp this summer on my R1150RT, through Finland, bus to St Petersburg, Estonia to Poland and home. 6000 miles, 25 days, loved every minute. Website still being updated: http http://www.gsrtw.com/baltic Get in touch if you want more info.

    Reply

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