Hi all,

I have just bought a new bike and now planning my summer trip. I have bought a brand new BMW 1150 GSA Special Edition. It really is great and I've only put 70 miles on the clock since New Years day.

Me and my wife will be sailing from Newcastle to Kristiansand and then riding up to Northcape. I have read many stories of others doing the same trip. I know there are several different routes I can take but I am un-decided which to take yet. I will enjoy planning this but if you have a favourite then let me know.

I had originally planned to go mid July but my boss has told me that I cannot!! I am now looking at late June or August! We only have 2 weeks.

When will be the best time with regards to the weather?

Thanks all.

P.S. I'm going to get my bike dirty again tomorrow! Apparently, GS's are supposed to get dirty, although I was slightly nervous about it today.

I do remember that I loved the road number 17, especially all the ferries you have to take!! Norway is a beautiful country, and the road number 17 is one of the top 10 roads for me!

Can't give you any advice for your other questions, sorry :-) have a nice trip!

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Marco
http://www.schnueriger.net

If you have only two weeks then go North through Sweden, which should get you to the cape in two days. Then dawdle down the coast where possible. Avoid the E6 where poss. Don't miss Vesteralen and Lofoten Islands. There are whale and wildlife watching tours. Do a search on the Lofoten ferries, because the long one in the South will be often full in summer. Book ahead on the net.

Definitely go in June. This has already been discussed here. August is a bit late, although with the weather it's pot luck, as always.

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

Two weeks its possible from Kristiansand to nordkapp but you will never be out of the saddle and miss a lot of what Norway has to offer. The road up through Sweden is quick but tedious and to me will make the trip hellish for your passenger.If I was you get the Nordcapp bit out of your head and do it another time maybe - and go to Norway travel up the coast road to Lofoten and back. The route from Kristiansand is great to the north then maybe come back crossing east in the fjords towards Oslo and Telemark - I think this would be much more interesting than the haul upto the far north more so if you are travelling later in the year.Go to Nordkapp and Kirkness another time and make plenty time to do it - I learnt this the hard way and now go back to Norway each year and see the bits I missed in the years before.

[This message has been edited by adventure950 (edited 08 January 2006).]

[This message has been edited by adventure950 (edited 08 January 2006).]

Hi,
I rode up to the north cape two times with a bandit 1200.
I think the best period is end of june because of the long days.
The better road is The famous E 17 between Steinkjer and Bodo. There are I remember 7 ferries and you cross artic circle on the boat.
In the south of Normay you can ride from Kristiansand to Bergen and visit presteskolen and then from Bergen to Trondheim ridind along very beautiful fjords You have to visit Geranger fjord and then the road between Geiranger and ANdalsnes is wonderful.
Two weeks is a little bit short time trip but you will have very long days (midnight sun)and camping is really easy .
Scandinavia is really wonderful for biking travel because of calm and I visisted also sweden and finland.
Next summer we will visit finland and baltic countries and way back to France through Poland, Slovakia, Tchekia and Germany.
How is your new GS?
I am looking for the same bike but the normal model.
You can ask me others questions if you want.
Have a nice day.


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I'd like to ask anyone about the ferry from Newcastle, UK to Norway.

I read somewhere that the price is 500 pounds?

That sounds a bit steep.

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The motorcyclist encounters the road as the writer encounters the page.

£500 hundred pounds is a bit steep. You can travel from Newcastle to Kristiansand from around £350, which includes 2 people, a bike and cabin accomodation.

I forget the name of the ferry company but if you do a search on Google for 'ferries to Norway' you should find a listing for 'direct ferries.com'

Sailing to Bergan is more expensive though.

Christophe, my bike is ace! I had the normal 1150gs before the Adv model. The standard bike is better on the motorway with the extra long 6th gear. For everything else the Adv suits me perfect.

Cheers
Dean.

We went to Norway last summer in August and it was a bit too late. The camping is good value and so are the little huts you get in the campsites. Bergen is a nice finishing point and you can arrive and leave from different ports on the ferry.

Definately get a cabin on the ferry and book for dinner other wise you will miss ou.

Lovely place nice people and lots of bendy roads and expensive fuel.

Enjoy

Charles

the ferries to norway are DFDS (kristiansand) and fjordline go to Bergen, stopping off twice further south before reaching bergen both sail from Newcastle (north shields) and prices are usually cheaper with DFDS both take about 24 hrs and costs range between £180 and £350ish you can normally get a decent deal by being flexible on sail dates etc.

I haven't checked, but I think you can get cheaper fares still by hopping off Fjordline in Stavanger in stead of Bergen. Besides, Stavanger is as good a starting place as any. Hey - Adventure950 - maybe I'll see you around! Look for a black 990!

Welcome to Norway. Stay in the right lane...

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HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

Indu, your are right its cheaper to jump ship before bergen, this year I am getting off at Haugesund and travelling up sorfjord and staying around Eidfjord for a few days then moving North towards Balestrand/skei for a few more days take some time around the Fjord areas instead of rushing around to far I will be there from the end of june for about 8 days so if your about in the area keep your eyes peeled I ride an 2003 950 its silver/orange Rallye raid colours. If I see you about we can stop for a coffee and chat.

Adventure950: I'll be back from Sicily around mid June. I've promised to take my wife on an excursion in and out the Fjords of the West as a "thank you honey for letting me go to Sicily all by myself on my brand new 990"-tour so she can try out her new, old R80GS. If we run into each other: Coffee and chat indeed! Let me know if I can help you in any way before or when you have arrived - even though I understand you're quite familiar with our slice of land up here.

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HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

Don't miss Geirange fiord, Trollstigveien, Lofoten Islands and maybe the world's longes tunel the Laerdales Tunnel (24,5 km)!
The entrance fee for Nordcape for 1 bike and 2 pass. is about 50 euro!

If you know German here: http://mitglied.lycos.de/kruemel13/ you can find a lot of informations and costs from Skandi (the page is my German friend's page who we met on Finland and travelled together at september 2005)

Szabi

[This message has been edited by santhasz (edited 02 February 2006).]

You ought to purchase the following book, it has all the info you will ever need:

NORWAY'S ARCTIC HIGHWAY
Mo i Rana to Kirkenes
(The road to the top of Europe)

Author: John Douglas
Publisher: Trailblazer
ISBN: 1-873756-73-9

A word of thought:
Norway doesn't look that big, but even though for instance USA is 27 times larger, and also has coast o thress sides of the country, Norway still has a longer coast line, and that even though it only has a coast running up one side of the country! So where am I going with this? Well, all the steep mountains and long fjords makes for long and bendy roads. In adition to make roads longer, driving speeds also become much slower. There are virtually no large highways in this country!

As for the route, I find that there is only a point travelling to Norkapp if you go through Norway. The reason is that even though Sweden and Norway is in the same vicinity, the Norwegian topography is vastly different. While Sweden will bore you to death, Norway will offer some of the most spectacular scenery you will ever see!

Sweeden is only used as a transport route, to get fast from A to B. It is useful to go one of the ways.

There is another option, but an expensive one. To travel by Hurtigruten, a coastal "Express" cruise liner that will allow you to bring your vehicle. The cruise was rated by Lonely Planet as the best boat voyage in the world! You can find out more here: http://www.hurtigruten.no/index.asp

As for the direction to travel, I don't think it really matters. As for the time, late June or early August (summer is really short around here), but preferably early June... and remember to purchase some mosquito repellant. They have som really good stuff here called Jakko Myggmelk. It can be found in all drug stores and many sporting stores and is applied with a roll on deodorant (in thin strips evenly spaced out, i.e. two or thre strips up the arms and legs, a strip around ankles, wrists and neck, and your forehead and temples, and the mosquitos up north will not bother you).

Oh yeah, those night shades they give you on the airplane, bring them!

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Blog: www.bamakobyvespa.no
My Youtube Channel

Thanks all.

Good tips there Wheelie.

We are definately going towards the end of June. There is a ferry on the 24th, which i'm tempted for.

Keep the tips coming and I will be sure to give an update after the trip.

Thanks.