vwbus.no

The invasion has started and Syncropaddy Junior should be in Malmo on Tuesday where he will buy his winter tyres. He has decided to go the the Northern most point, Southern most point and Western most point of mainland Europe on the trip. He left home today and headed to Cherbourg with Irish Ferries and should cover about 13000 Kms.

He wants to know what is the Pub culture like in Scandinavia as we believe its much different to ours

His route is as follows

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 013672&z=4

Thats quite an impressive trip... And to make it slightly longer, may I recommend Vardø in northern Norway, the easternmost town i western Europe...

We looked at the Eastern most point in Europe but its not where you think !!!!

Its here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_points_of_Europe

Europe is very big these days!

I think he will stay in Bodo for one night. It depends on his progress

Regarding the Pub culture, Im sorry to say that my experience is that many Norwegians is mainly using the pub in the weekends. We tend to be sitting at home drinking ourselves silly before we visit the pub arround 2300 to drink some more and then go home and pass out. I have a "theory" that this phenomen exists stronger in smaller communities and that you may find a pub culture closer to what you have in your country in a major city (Tromsø, Trondheim, Bodø, Oslo, Bergen...)
Also at small villages etc the local pub tends to only be open at friday and saturday afternoons...
A sosial pint at the pub on a thuesday is not typical for the norwegian pub culture...

Some places people take a pint Wednesdays/Thursdays too. "Lille Lørdag", which may translate to Small-/Little-Saturday...if you get my drift.

In the weekends, people may visit the regular pubs as early as 0800pm-0900pm.....but mostly we get off our behinds when it's about 1100pm...

It is also wise to leave the car alone about 12 hours after the last drink. Not only because of the alcohol, but also dehydration is to be considered...(It is somewhat commonplace to do so in Norway...wait that long I mean.)

But of course it is a matter of how many beers and such you'll drink. Drinks. etc.
If you're drinking sufficent amounts of water, when you feel fine, one should be good to go.

(People may see the guy they saw having a pint or two at the pub, entering his car..the next day.
And if they think such and such, they may call the Police. It is a problem each and every year before Christmas, that people "drink and drive". And that people call the Police.)

BUT I'm sure your son is a nice bloke, who considers these aspects.

I mention this for a reason. From mid November until a week before Christmas, we have a season called "Julebord"-season, in which workbuddies and their supperiors have a "Christmas celebrating" party, good food, beer, wine and Aquavit. And afterwords Cognac/Whisky/Vodka...Coffee.

So the Police is on the outlook for people that may be...not exactly sober enaugh to be driving a car..
So the intensify their control-activity, during these weeks.

And they are suspicious of everybody. So they stop a lot of cars, checking whether the driver looks, or smells "funny".
Mints, bad breath etc. may lead them to think, that..Breath-alyzers and such..

A hazzle, you may call it!

The word is 'hassle'

Andrew wrote:The word is 'hassle'

I know, Andrew!!

And the WORD is Kustom!

More flare/flash/cool..etc.

Seriously, I agree! One shouldn't use inaccurate spelling.

But then again....I'm not from Barcelona..I'm from the far North!

Bugman wrote:
A hazzle, you may call it!

Spelling?? Depends on how much drink you have had ........

I'm quite sure that he'll have a nice time visiting both Sweden and Norway!

I hope for terrific weather during his visit in Norway! And at the moment it isn't bad at all!
(At least near Harstad and Narvik, where I live..)

But soon...the sun will tip under the horizon, and he'll experience the unique daylight we have here, north of the Arctic Circle...
(Which he'll pass again just south of Bodø, on the "Saltfjellet"-stretch..)

Enjoy!!

Arrived in Malmo tonight. Will be getting his tyres in the morning.....

Any ideas of which tyre supply company he should use?

You have 4 companies at this link

http://hitta.se/SearchMixed.aspx?vad=bi ... ar=malm%f6

www.bilodack.se

Thanks

Got sorted with tyres in Malmo and is now in a Hostel in Stockholm

I've a wee bit of travel envy. Should be a great drive

Just arrived in Sundsvall and heading to Lulea in the morning. Saturday will be the big drive up to Hammerfest/Nordkapp with -7 degrees and heavy snow forecast !!

So he is taking the E4 in Sweden? The most boring road in Europe....

Why is it boring? He cant see a whole lot as it gets dark quickly! As long as its safe!

A good page with maps of Sweden

http://hitta.se/LargeMap.aspx?ShowSatel ... archType=4

Under "Flera kartfunktioner" will you find SOS with koordinates, weather väder, and road instructions vägbeskrivning.

Under Mer you will find traficinformation

You can download POI Interessepunkter to your GPS

Best reg
Paul

Thanks for that, its great. Is there one for Norway as well?

I think he got ripped off in Malmo when he was getting his winter tyres. Im not sure of the details yet.

Which tyres did he decide upon, then?

Alvén & Ingvarson AB, a Swedish wholesaler/Tyre-company:

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4, 205/55TR-16 is SEK 1075.- a piece.

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5 , same dimension, is SEK 1445,- a piece.

Both Studded Tyres.
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R , same... is SEK 1626,- a piece.

Studless tire

Gislaved...has got nearly the same prices.
Michelin X-Ice, SEK 1345,- (studless)
Michelin X.Ice North, SEK 1325,- (Stud)

So if he did pay around these /figures/prices, well this is pretty average, I think..

syncropaddy wrote:Thanks for that, its great. Is there one for Norway as well?

Try http://www.atlas.no not as much info but a good map site and tripplanning, and highsolutions real picture.

He got ContiWinterContac TS 830 P and was charged 6000sek. He says they are amazing when things get cold and snowey.

Thanks for the Norway map ducce999s

U r welcome

6k SEK is about 1300NOK/tired its sounds like an OK price for meg

ducce999s wrote:U r welcome

6k SEK is about 1300NOK/tired its sounds like an OK price for meg

Thats €150 each! I find that quite expensive but it is Sweden! I hope he can sell them when he leaves Malmo and heads down to Spain

The Arctic Circle has been crossed. He drove to Rovaniemi in Finland and promptly got pulled by the Finnish police and customs. They had never seen an Irish car cross at the border crossing before and wanted to know what he was doing? He told them he was out for a drive!!

He has a section on Facebook called Blayne's epic Arctic Circle roadtrip where he is posting pics and a sort of a diary

Crossing into Norway and will be in Nordkapp tomorrow evening. Loving every minute of the trip