Murmansk/ Northern Norway
 

Hello all
I'm in Murmansk for a couple of days, then moving around the coast.. Kirkenes next stop.

Is there anyone out (t)here?

--Mike
www.BesideTheSeaside.eu

Mike:

I'm considering a 4 week road-trip/climbing-trip next year: up the coast of Norway, then round to Murmansk. I'd be interested in any advice on what bureacratic hoops you need to jump through to get from Norway to Russia (and back again!).

~

I don't know if you've finalised your itinerary to get back south, but the following are tip-top recommendations:

1. Take the road from Narvik out the Lofoten Island chain to A in Moskenesoya. Reine is one of the most spectacular places I've ever been. As a diversion, it's well worth taking the (foot) passenger ferry up the Kjerkfjord that goes into the middle of the island.
2. From Trondheim, go along the coast to Andalsnes, then take the Troll Road to Geiranger.
3. Take the private toll road from Turtagro south to Ovre Ardal. It goes over the top past the Hurrungane mountains.
4. Watch out for Trolls!

Hello Braeriach

Thanks for tips... I've hugging the coast as much as possible so not many mountains for me but I'll certainly look out for the other tips. Especially the last one!

Re: Russia. I got my single-entry visa in advance via a visa agency... this saved queuing endlessly at the Embassy in london and having to understand all the required forms for bringing the bike in and out. (ie it was worth the extra cost... 75pounds all in)

So, by the time I arrived at the border at Skogstad, near Kirkenes, I had a visa for me and an entry voucher for the bike. 90 minutes to cross the border, including getting everything stamped in triplicate and emerging with compulsory (and allegedly worthgless) third-party insurance from the bank in the border post.

It took half-an-hour on the way back, most of which was spent waiting for an electricity failure to be repaired. (Get used to waiting when you're in Russia...)

My visa specified Murmansk as destination. Which didn't really help when I was detained for four hours at a checkpoint near Schnazznagorsk (?) on the west bank of the Kolsk'iy river about 30km north of Murmansk. A loooooong story (and yes it's on me website!) but probably par for the course. The militia were generally very friendly.

Murmansk is interesting to see.. rather than interesting of itself.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info on Murmansk. Time for me to get the maps and the ferry timetable out and start planning....

In Norway, I would definitely recommend you take a 10 mile (or so) detour from the coast south of Andalsnes to the Troll Road though: see
http://www.trollstigen.com/grafikk/bilder/trollstigen.jpg
It's unforgettable.

Say if and when you arrive in the Oslo area. Maybe we could have a beer or something while ranting over the speed limits and glorify the scenery in Norway?

Indu

I'll certainly do that. At 80kmph all the way south, it might be Christmas before I get there! (Now in Tromsø - my first rainy day of the trip...)

--Mike

If you read this while in Tromsø: Check out "Skarven" and "Jernbanestasjonen". Two great places for beer and conversations, I'd say.