Grim up North?

Long enough to mullah the tyres by the sounds of things!

My flight of fancy jaunt next summer to southern Italy is likely to be a minimum of 4,000 miles, if one includes a few off the beaten track visits on top of the Manchester - Puglia. Think flying and renting looks more appetising.

There was a 'Grand Designs' programme about ten years ago in which a couple of artists created a little complex in Puglia and they have a couple of self-catering cottages in the grounds.  The location looks idyllic, its still going and I want to stay there and switch off for a few days.  Its a long way, but hopefully worth it.

Given these are forged wheels 35€ may be optimistic but I get the point, OEMs don't pay megabucks for wheels.


I've had the car 3 months and 5 days.


The car has just clocked up 4800kms, not quite ready for fresh rubber just yet I thought I'd check how much before any open wallet surgery was required. It may be I plan replacement to coincide with a trip to the UK.

I've had a look at the mileages for my planned jaunt. Google maps reckons 36 hours driving one way. I need to have a think about the bike and tyre selection.
I usually gets about 3000 miles from the rear tyre. Again, that's a sports tyre which would be wasted for hours of cruising and squared off in no time.

Sounds like 2 weeks might be pushing it if I want to see anything of the place.

There's a post ship goes up the Atlantic coast of Norway I'll have a dig around see if that could be used to get up there then zig zag my way back.

Plenty of research and planning to do.

I know how quickly the time can go from our Chicago to Boston drive this summer and the planning that went into that.

We took 28 days (and yes, the motorhome motorcaravan campervan is slower, but not necessarily that much slower when you take into account the nature of the roads, and the desire to see something on one's travels.

The Hurtigrute (boat) is one way to see the country, but it certainly isn't cheap, and there's an awful lot of stopping off on the way.

You could certainly blast up through Sweden and come back slower through Norway, but it might be a bit of a pity - there's always something around the next corner...



Don't let me put you off.....just make sure you do proper preparation.

I wouldn't overplay it. It is remote, and it is a long way, but both Sweden and Norway (even the far North) are "civilised". There's an awful lot of "nowt" (part of the attraction), but the required support is generally available, if you are properly prepared.

It can be pretty wild 'off-piste', however, and conditions can be unpredictable.

Last year, we travelled up the E Coast of Sweden (OK, but less impressive than the Central route) with temperatures in May in the upper 20's. Crossing the top into Norway, now June, the temperature dropped below freezing, and didn't get much above 5 degrees at sea-level for all our time in the country!

The roads are generally very good, but we hit one section of one of the main "E" routes that was being totally reconstructed. 20 or so miles of unrolled large (2") hard-core across the whole surface, with no chance of avoidance or diversion. Given all the construction and commercial traffic was using it at un-reduced speed, we weren't only worried about the windscreen, the bodywork was at significant risk as well! (Wouldn't be good for your tyres!).

Do give it a try though. There's a high probability that, if you do, and haven't overstretched yourself, you'll return in pretty short order. Northern Scandinavia really is quite special.

As an aside on your comments, I once tried to turn back two Dutch lads who were climbing Ben Nevis in February equipped with (only) trainers and an umbrella. They ignored us and disappeared into the mist in front of us (as we were fully-equipped with heavy full-winter gear). Never saw them again, though we gained the summit in a complete white-out (and roped). The mountain rescue found them late that night somewhere under the North Face, luckily still alive, but very hypothermic!