Norway, Sweden & Finland

[monty97]

Hi there,

I'm considering touring these countries for about 6 weeks this summer. Was wondering about the best route to avoid head winds. Also is Finland worth making the effort for - are there things there that I won't see in Norway/Sweden (and don't say Finns!).

All comments appreciated.

[JC4LAB]

Some cycling Holiday companys do guided cycle island hopping rides of Finland as it has 20000 islands..Maybe down load their interneries for some ideas..Exodus, Sherpa etc.Maybe CTC have one?Best DIY if you are on a budget..
http://www.sherpa-walking-holidays.co.u ... cfidos.htm

[pal]

I had a very pleasant ride a few years ago around the archipelago off the Finnish coast by Turku/Abo, and then along the south coast to Helsinki (the 'King's Road' route). Nothing spectacular in terms of scenery (esp. in comparison with Norway), but extremely calm and soothing, and lots of fun with the (free for cyclists..) ferries. If you were coming from (or heading to) Stockholm then you'd be able to island-hop over by way of the Aland islands. The Finnish tourist board have some fairly detailed route suggestions; there was an article about touring in the archipelago in *Cycle* mag a few years back too.

Prevailing winds are mostly south-westerly in the summer in southern Sweden/Finland. (I'm a fan of the Windfinder website for researching these important things -- it's aimed at sailors not cyclists, but very useful nonetheless).

[iviehoff]

The prevaling wind is broadly SW everywhere in the region, but I think on the whole it will be strongest in Norway as it is most exposed to the Atlantic. So it makes sense to go north in Norway. Though of course the wind can come from other directions too some days.

[Helen]

In the past few Junes I've cycled in Finland, Aland Islands, a bit of Sweden and lots of southern Norway (but not down the western Norwegian coast). No noticeable winds anywhere.

On a tight budget, the legality of wild camping is a major attraction. I went to Finland because it seemed the easiest way to get to the Arctic Circle (by train). Roads could be flat and boring at times. We followed the Great Lakes route in the east (undulating). NB cycle helmets are supposedly compulsory in Finland, but there are many cylists and cycle tracks and it's a safe place to ride. I found Norway much hillier and more spectacular. I wouldn't recommend Finland as your one and only holiday of the year - it's just pleasant and relaxing.

The Aland islands (Swedish-speaking, but belonging to Finland, so using the euro), were popular with cyclists and I did enjoy the ferries. The only one I had to pay on was between Stockholm and Mariehamn (capital of Aland) - about £12 I think. Fave campsite was a cheap one at Bomarsund (I wanted the kitchen and TV to watch the World Cup!)

I should be in Denmark and southern Sweden this June, so will report back...

Travelling round France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Slovenia between May - September in recent years, I don't recall ever encountering tiresome, gusty winds like we have in the British Isles. I do remember a prevailing westerly in western Brittany one September that put us off heading for the "Land's End" bit.

[monty97]

Thanks a lot for all the helpful advice.

[cycletourer]

Undoubtedly Finland doesn't have the scenery that Norway has and the roads are long and straight and you have got to like lakes and trees. However there are some nice areas worth exploring;

Finish lappland around Lake Inari above the arctic circle, beautiful scenery and the Sami are lovely welcoming people.
The Finnish lake district in the east of the country around Lieska, Joensuu and Savonlinna where there is a beautiful medieval castle.
As mentioned earlier the Aaland islands
Helsinki itself, perhaps one of the nicest and most pleasant capital cities we have been to!

They have a great network of well marked long distance cycle routes, the kings road being one of many.

To tour long distance between these places could be a little tedious as like Helen says the roads are long and the scenery doesn't change that much at times. A useful ticket if you wish to travel around to different parts of Finland is the 'Finnrailpass' which gives you unlimited travel for 3,5, or 10 days on the Finnish train network within one month. A 3 day pass is currently €131 which is great value considering the distances you can travel.

There is some more information on Finland, Sweden and Norway on our website which might be of further use to you.

[syklist]

Hi there,

I'm considering touring these countries for about 6 weeks this summer. Was wondering about the best route to avoid head winds. Also is Finland worth making the effort for - are there things there that I won't see in Norway/Sweden (and don't say Finns!).

All comments appreciated.

I guess the best way to avoid headwinds is to change your direction each day to ensure a tailwind......However whilst planning our first trip to Norway in 2005 we chose to do the NSCR from Bergen to Svinesund. After booking the flights (out to Bergen back via Oslo) I discovered on the internet (much to my dismay) that the prevailing winds were more favourable going the other way. We must have got lucky that year as in the end we had a tailwind most of the time. However it can get very very hot in Norway in summer and a headwind is sometimes welcome especially during a big climb. Our worst experience was last summer when we travelled from Voss to Vik over the 13. On the steepest part of the climb we had a tailwind that was moving as fast as we were. The effect was like cycling in a sauna.

If you are interested we've got a few more travelogues on our website from Norway and Sweden, including a work in progress of last year's 2500km epic tour round Southern Norway. We''ve not been to Finland (yet) so I can't comment on what you may or may not be missing.
HTH
Stan

[JC4LAB]

Fancy the Finnish Islands myself now and am looking at a trip but I want to visit Stockholm and Gotland as well.Ive read so many good reports about Gotland for cycling...Good luck on your trip..