Norway - Summer 2007

[Tully]

Hi,

I'm in the early stages of planning a trip up to the top of Norway over the summer. The idea is roughly to leave London toward the end of July and take my time exploring all the little nooks and crannies of the coastline gradually heading North. I intend to camp mostly and do the trip in quite a humble fashion. If there's anyone about who is planning a similar trip around the same time feel free to give me a yell (mcwhirtt@hotmail.com).

TM.

[engel]

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ndinavia-25317

[Bill Shockley]

If all goes well I might try to travel in Finland and Norway in the late summer. I would be coming from the Pacific thru Russia.
The thing is what are the costs like for a guy using USA dollars. The war in Iraq among other things is distroying our currency(along with Iraq).
When you say humble what is a daily budget?
How much is gas?
I can convert pounds.
Thanks,
bill.

[Caminando]

When I last visited Norway I found a fantastic country with fantastically high prices - you'll need to camp! Multiply all your current costs by 3 and that's about what you'll pay.

[AliBaba]

Yes Norway is expensive, but the best camping is for free:

[Tully]

Yeah, unfortunatelly Norway is pretty expensive generally. Oslo is one of the mose expensive cities in the world I hear. In the same league as London, NY and Tokyo! Furthermore, petrol is bloody expensive. I would have thought it would be cheap given Norway's biggest export is oil... There's a link to the current petrol prices accross Europe below. Currently the equivalent of €1.42/lt!!! Might be coasting in neutral with the engine off down hills...

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/eupetrolprices/

Bill,

By humble, I pretty much mean free camping, mostly cooking for oneself (local ingredients on course!) with the occassional splurge on a few s and a local meal. Up past the Artic Circle its going to be light most of the time, so I quite like the idea of being in the outdoors! Any idea when you're going to be heading down through Russia? If the timing and proximity works out it would be interesting to hear about your trek from the Pacific side.

Tully.

[AliBaba]

Originally Posted by Tully

Furthermore, petrol is bloody expensive. I would have thought it would be cheap given Norway's biggest export is oil... There's a link to the current petrol prices accross Europe below. Currently the equivalent of €1.42/lt!!! Might be coasting in neutral with the engine off down hills...

AA Roadwatch : European Petrol Prices

Tully.

Yes, petrol is expensive up here due to high taxes!

If we compare Norway and Germany and say that we want to drive 3000 km on a bike. That will be (approx) 180 liters of petrol (well on my bike it will be a lot more in high-speed Germany..)

Norway: 180*1,42=255,6 Euro
Germany 180*1,23= 221,4 Euro

The difference is 34,2 Euro!!! Is that a problem?

[kaflynny]

Hi Tully,

I'm just about to pull the trigger and book a week in early September. It'll be my second time there on the bike. I'm time and financially constrained so I'll be doing it on the cheap. It'll cost me half as much to get there in September as it will earlier in the summer.

I'm torn as to whether it's worth going that far north, just so I can say I was up at the arctic circle. Remember, it's a difficult country to make progress in. It being an unfeasably long country with all twisty turney roads. Certainly, much of the advice that I have read says it's not worth it when there is so much to do and see south of Trondhiem (sp). I can testify to that.

Expense wise, in my opinion, it's no different to Ireland. The main difference being that you get slightly better value for money in Norway. In Ireland you can pay through the nose and still get rubbish.

Anyway, if you think you might go later in the summer I'd definitely be interested in meeting up. I plan to a bit of easy off-road this time. I haven't researched it fully but I understand there are remote gravel roads a plenty.

Drop me a line at kaflynny at hotmail dot com

[Bill Shockley]

Hey Tully and everyone,
Very informative replies. I am meeting Ian, a New Zealander in Vlad on June 3, and we will head west. We plan to ride through Mongolia and into the Stans.
After that we will somehow get to Europe either thru Turkey, Eastren Europe or the Scandanavian countries.
Hard to make concrete plans on such a trip but Norway in August should be wonderful and the Arctic Circle would be a big draw.
Camping and cooking-no problem.
Bears in Norway?
I am used North America.
Bill

[gperkins]

After living in the UK for 5 and a bit years, 97 to 02 I didn't find Norway that more expensive than England. Yes you do wander why 4 litres of oil will set you back a kings ransom. So just plan ahead. Camp, it's free. Eat out of supermarkets and bakeries. Take a couple of bottles of wine with you. Don't plan on changing tyres or doing a major service on the bike there. DO go out onto the Lofiton Islands, they are briliant. Just go, you'll love it.
Cheers, Graeme.

[indu]

Originally Posted by Bill Shockley

Bears in Norway? I am used North America.
Bill

Nope, Norway is bear-free. You'll probably meet an elk or two, and sheep and reindeer in the roads further north, but no bears. You can sleep very safe in your tent even with your foodstuff inside.

[kaflynny]

Originally Posted by indu

Nope, Norway is bear-free. You'll probably meet an elk or two, and sheep and reindeer in the roads further north, but no bears. You can sleep very safe in your tent even with your foodstuff inside.

That's a relief. I really hate those bastards.

[engel]

if you hate them, lol, spend your time for a week in the eastern siberia and you will be friends

[kaflynny]

Watching them on telly is as close as I want to get.

[engel]

Guys, and let's go to Norway together. We can meet in Finland. I for example, have three weeks in the beginning of July.