Driving to Kiruna Sweden Jan 3rd

[Rich Sims]

Hi All,

Asking all from Sweden and anyone who’s driven through Sweden.

A few of us are driving up through and around Sweden leaving on the 3rd Jan ona ferry from Harwich to Denmark for a couple of weeks and then roughly takingthe route below. I was just checking to make sure were not missing out on somebetter routes or scenery and whether anyone knows of some known tracks we candetour off onto to make the trip more fun and/or place we can visit.

We drove to Nordkapp a couple of years ago driving up the east coast of Swedenand then returning back down the west coast of Norway, last time we did amixture of camping and cabins but this year with the added 14 month old boywe'll be using cabins and hotels and not travelling so far have more time toplay and explore. We are heading to Kiruna as we found last time that this wasa good hub and source of activities and some fairly cheap accommodation.


So if anyone knows of anything we shouldn't miss please let me know.

 

[Ben]

Hi Rich,

Cant offer you any advice regarding Sweden, but have a good trip and looking forward to the pics.

 

[Graham]

Hi Rich,
When I lived in Oslo for a couple of years, I used to take the Sandefjord to Stromstad ferry.
It wasn't any thing special, just another ferry.
I think it was about 2 and half hour crossing.
The sea was iced over, it was cold, that's all I remember.
.

Here the ferry is arriving, already with the bow doors open.
.

Just like any other ferry I suppose.
.

Iced over sea.
.


Apart from that, to be honest, Sweden looked more boring than Norway, well it was winter.

Gra.

 

[uHu]

Were there supposed to be a map on your posting?
Anyhow, I see you have driven the costal highway up through Sweden - so a bit of warning: The inland highway going to the north of Sweden is veerrry boring. Hours and hours through thick forrests. Nothing to see. A few small towns with names like Dorothea and Wilhelmina. But good for getting there, and not to far to jump across the border to the neighbour to the west here and there

 

[Rich Sims]

here it is sorry

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?sadd...me&mrsp=10&sz=6&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9&t=m&z=4

 

[Rich Sims]

Hi Rich,

Cant offer you any advice regarding Sweden, but have a good trip and looking forward to the pics.

Your going on a better trip than me, wish I could have been there for you leaving bash(well part of my first landcruisers leaving bash as well)..lol

 

[SpinDrift]

Hi Rich

I cant help you with this trip I am afraid but I am planning to travel up the Norwegian coast to Nordkapp and then down through Finland into the Baltic states for the summer. Would you have a track of the route and maybe point out some of the highlights of your trip to Nordkapp?

thanks

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Hi Rich

Roger and I did a similar route back in 2007 and would agree with uHu that there is an awful lot of forestry to go through. Unlike Norway, there are no spectacular views to break up the journey.

We still managed to have a few adventures as apart from the main road, many of the other roads are just gravel. If (and it is a very big if) the un-numbered road from Funasdalen (on route 84) to Ljungdalen is open, it is worth the trip. It passes over the Flatruet Plateau. This is the highest road in Sweden and was covered in snow when we did it in June so maybe closed unfortunately. From Ljungdalen travel east to the 321 before picking up the main route 45 to continue north.

This will obviously need to be checked before you start (particularly with a young child). When we reached Ljungdalen the road (track) east was closed (big hole in it) and when I asked for directions, the locals just pointed to a stick with an orange top and sort of pointed to follow these canes for the detour. As I walked out of the shop they said (good luck!).

Anyway, wherever you go, enjoy your trip.

Viv and Roger
Merry Xmas

 

[Graham]

Lots, and lots of forest.

Miles upon miles.
It starts out quite interesting, but after a few hours, the monotony sets in.

Gra.

 

[Roger Fairclough]

As a point of interest, the opened up area that Graham is parked in is so that you stand a better chance of seeing the Elk that is trying to get to the other side of the road. To the Swedes, they are a pain in the butt. We drove for miles looking for one and when one did try and cross the road in front of the traffic in front of us, it caused chaos.

Roger

 

[uHu]

Yes, the elk is worth mentioning. It's lethal. The Scandinavian elk is as big as the american moose. It moves from place to place particularly at low-light conditions, at dawn and dusk, when it's not easy to spot but still enough light for it to see. So look out at those hours, and keep the speed down - under 70 km/h is normally safe for avoiding serious injury if the car is not too small/weak. Also, when the snow in the forrest is deep, all the deers use the road more.

Now, looking at your map, that part inland through the middle of Sweden is the most boring drive you can do. But if you love trees.....

I just told my wife (from Highgate, London) and she exclaimed: "Why would anyone want to do that???!!! KIRUNA? Remember how it was??". But, she's not much into nordic/arctic adventures and activities, so don't bring her along. There's a lot of fun in the north in the winter. Also in Finland btw.

 

[Graham]

Don't forget the worst places that the Elk will hide in the winter is the first and the last 10 meters into adn out of tunnels.

Just as your eyes are accustoming to the darkness, they are particularly difficult to spot.

Gra.

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Don't forget the worst places that the Elk will hide in the winter is the first and the last 10 meters into adn out of tunnels.

Just as your eyes are accustoming to the darkness, they are particularly difficult to spot.

Gra.

A trick a local told me about tunnels in Norway was to close one eye just before you reach the entrance. The iris closes down so that when you enter the tunnel you open the eye and you can see.

Only one eye though.

Roger

 

[OG.]

Thats a military trick to deal with oncoming bright lights too.

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Hi Rich

I cant help you with this trip I am afraid but I am planning to travel up the Norwegian coast to Nordkapp and then down through Finland into the Baltic states for the summer. Would you have a track of the route and maybe point out some of the highlights of your trip to Nordkapp?

thanks

Hi, sorry, only just noticed this. I don't have a track of our route but here are a couple of places we enjoyed.

Whichever way you drive up through Norway is spectacular. The E6 is obviously the easiest route with fantastic scenery all the way. If travelling up the coast allow plenty of time for the numerous ferries you will need to catch, but in our experience the ferry services are excellent.

If travelling up the E6, Just before you reach Dombas –there is a toll road runs 50 km from Dovre to Holen through the Grimsdal valley. It is classed as an old ‘Royal Road’ , goes through remote, desolate and beautiful scenery, and was gravel track back in 2007. Then turn north (route 27 and west (route 29) to rejoin the E6.

Trondheim is well worth the visit with both new and old buildings, spectacular cathedral etc. Watch the toll booths as you enter and exit Trondheim. We saw someone drive through so just followed them. 3 months after the holiday we had the bill, plus fine, plus interest and photos that proved it was us!

Arctic Circle Centre – Bit of a tourist trap obviously, but worth a picture or two.

Narvik – Excellent military museum

Alta – Rock carving fields at Hjemmeluft – considered largest in Northern Europe. The un-surfaced roads south of Alta towards the Alta canyon are well worth exploring.

North Cape – Interesting but expensive tunnel and entrance fees.

Karasjok - Sami Parliament and library. Interesting building. We just walked in and they offered to show us around.

Then into Finland ....

Inari – Siida Sami museum - well worth visit if interested in the Sami

Tankavaara – Gold prospecting museum – still hold the world championship gold panning competitions here. Great for kids of all ages!

Rovaniemi - Santa Claus Village – visit the man himself even in the summer

I could go on.......Norway is my favourite country with Finland second.

Now....I really want to plan another trip....................

Viv

 

[SpinDrift]

Hi, sorry, only just noticed this. I don't have a track of our route but here are a couple of places we enjoyed.

Thats great - thanks. It will help my planning.

 

[Rich Sims]

Not long now.

 

[grantw]

I just saw this too ... not sure if it's well known or not but the speeds on the norwegian roads are much slower than you expect they also have harder to spot speed cameras everywhere. The max speed I saw on the roads around southern norway (around Kristiansand) was around 80km/h with traffic flow quite often going slower. Just thought I should point this out if you have your hotels booked along the route and thought that it would be easy to make point a to b distance wise. E.g Kristiansand to Bergen with a distance of just under 500km will take around 8 hours if everything is going well.

Something that did surprise me though is the speed at which some drive their 4wds through the back road twisties, I was in an RX-8 driving as fast as SWMBO would allow (which is a reasonable speed) and I would quite often have them behind me tailgating!

Good luck with the trip!

 

[Roger Fairclough]

From experience, Norwegian drivers are relatively safe. They stick to the speed limits and obey the rules. Police cars are few but then so is the traffic. When a road goes round a headland alongside a fiord, the road usually narrows. If you fill up with green diesel at 2/3rds normal price---they call it farmers diesel---you will get away with it; probably.

They try hard to keep the E6 open, as it is the Norwegian spine road North and South.

Have fun

Roger

 

[uHu]

FYI: The OP, Rich, is talking about a drive through Sweden, not Norway. His map confirms Sweden only, except for starting off in Denmark.

Have a nice travel, and pleasant adventures.