 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
First post so please forgive if this is the wrong place or has been asked before.
I was just wondering it anyone has tried driving to ski resorts in Norway e.g. Voss? Perhaps using the ferry from Newcastle. It's just thought since it would allow a lot more options when not skiing and save the drive down to London for an (usually) early flight.
Many thanks
PK
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not done one from Newcastle to Norway ferry yet as it is something like 26 hours on the boat!
Got a brother working in Trodheim so I flew and drove a few times down with his family to the south like Geilo, Hemsedal and Oppdah. Also did a couple of time going from Trodheim to Swedish Are.
It is a colder but not necessary more snow mind you. However when it snowing the scenery is truly stunning. Just remember the Norwegians drive slowly so take your time. Their trunk roads are restricted 10 to 15 mph less than UK.
Yes things can be expensive too but the skiing resorts are very high standard and definitely worth to try.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks, I've been to a couple of those resorts and had a good time. I know Norway is not for everyone but for beginners who just enjoy the snow it seems ideal in terms of lack of crowds.
I guess the speeds limits might seem slow in the summer but I noted everyone still seems to drive at the speed limit over the snow/ice covered road. Which might be faster than those not used to it might like.
Why the ferry? Well it would make a change from having to travel down to London the day before, staying in some grotty airport hotel and getting a 7am flight. A "moving hotel" seemed a good idea  .
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Whats the drive time to Hemsedal from Trondheim.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I think it was a good part of the day from Trodheim to Hemsedal. Actually in that trip we flew to Oslo and my brother met me up there. Christmas time too so the day was shorter.
I think many skiing resorts in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and some parts in Italy are not that crowdy. Norway and Sweden are obviously very enjoyable if you hardy have to queue. France is not bad if you can avoid the mid term breaks which can be really hellish on the way in, on the resort and on the way out.
I think if snowheads can get to Newcastle Amsterdam ferry then it is not a bad deal. The ferry sets off at about 6pm and dock the other side at about 9 to 10 am (depending on season). In about one hour one would be unleashed into the German autobahn all the way to Basel or Munich. The first day can cover a good portion of France, switzerland and Austria. We normally take two days to drive back and go for a two weeks trip. That allows us to strike deep into Italy by changing camp after the first week. We managed to have a fairly relaxing return trip by selecting a different German city to stay overnight. We rarely met traffic jams but the section between Insbruck and Munich is probably the only one need planning ahead.
We also discovered that one can select an closer resort from Amsterdam to spend the first couple of days, say in Chamonix, Porte du Soleil or Junfrau region and then move further into France, Switzerland or Austria. After the last day skiing finishes at the first resort say at 5pm and then driving another 3 to 4 hours one can have a very wide range of the second resorts to choose from.
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Thanks saikee,
Perhaps I'm just too influenced by those (more experienced) skiers/boarders we meet whilst over there who thought it was wonderful not to have to queue.
Interesting ideas about the ferries to Holland. Most of what I read is about going through France but when it would take a good part of one day to get to the SE coast it doesn't seem so attractive. How long does it take then to get to say Basel or Munich after leaving the ferry? Though I guess the answer is how fast do you want to drive on the autobahn  .
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Well I often go during Christmas time and I would do about two hours after it is completely dark. By such time I would be in Zell am See, Interlaken, Martingny (for Verbier or Swiss side Porte du Soleil) or Garmisch Partenkirchen. Normally it is about 10-11 hours drive with two leisurely stops. Wife doesn't drive in the continent so I sometime take a nap of half an hour in a stop. As we start fresh in morning, after a good night sleep on the ferry, the journey has been surprisingly relax. I am on my second Shogun 3.2 litres diesel so long driving isn't a drag. Been doing it for about 10 years now. Earlier on I went through the Channel Tunnel as I got a mate in Asford so I have done all the different trunk routes. I would prefer the orderly, quieter and fast traffic on the German side to the choatic French side.
Apart from Holland, which has a lot of traffic, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and northern Italy are quite enjoyable to drive.
From experience skiers on wheels seldom has to queue. If there are too many people in one spot we could always drive to another. We can always choose a quiet spot to go up the mountain before the queue builds up or drive to an isolated spot to join the circuit.
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Thanks again. Perhaps going that way to the alps is also worth a try. I assume most people don't 'cause I don't read much about it.  .
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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PK2, I don't do it, and we drive from Newcastle. However, we take our dog with us, and she wouldn't like been left in a kennel (or in the car) on board the ship overnight. We don't find the journey too bad, although the journey home through UK is always the worst part. Leave at around 6-7am, early afternoon ferry, or Eurotunnel, then overnight stay around Epernay/Reims/Troyes. 8.30 am start gets us to resort around 4pm with a proper stop for lunch. On the return, we leave later, say 10.30, we stay overnight around the same area, then cross about noon-1pm. Home by 6.30 (clock back one hour). I did cost out the various options driving/flying/long ferry.short crossing recently. I'll try and find the thread/
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Helen Beaumont, Thanks for both - useful info there. I'm assuming you're talking alps here  . Was the main reason for ruling out the Newcastle ferry looking after the dog?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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PK2, as no-one else seems to have done the Bergen ferry, I suppose I ought to give you my experience. Not entirely sure how relevant it is though as it was a) in mid-summer rather than winter and b) about 25 years ago. The ferry journey was fine, the N Sea was fairly smooth when we went, although there was a fair swell in the middle of the night. As an economy measure though, we'd taken the couchette seats rather than individual cabins, and that was a bit of a disaster. They were actually fairly similar to aeroplane seats, reclining into the person behind you and not enough leg-room. There were also loads of people moving about all night, and the usual quota of screaming babies/kids, which meant sleep was a virtual impossibility. Eventually gave up and kipped down on the seats in the fo'c'sle bar, which were way more comfortable (although I think I rolled off and landed on the floor at some point due to the swell). I would certainly advise getting a cabin if you are going on an overnight ferry journey (We were on a driving/touring holiday so returned from Kristiansand/sund - whichever one is on the southern tip of Norway, can never remember which one's which - to Harwich, and had the most fantasic smorgasbord breakfast .)
We actually stayed that night about an hour north of Bergen (no room at any inn), then drove back though Bergen and onto Voss the following day, which was about half a day's drive IIRC. It was pretty slow as there were loads of trucks trying to get past the holiday caravans on windy roads (although the passing years may have caused me to confuse that with another day's journey).
Hope that helps.
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| Quote: |
I would prefer the orderly, quieter and fast traffic on the German side to the choatic French side.
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there's nothing very chaotic about the autoroute from Calais down to the Alps if you avoid the obvious problems of school holidays. The times we have driven it has been pretty empty and I have done a couple of overnight trips under clear skies when spotting the tail-lights of a lorry in the distance, and making a bet with myself as to whether the track on the CD would end before I caught up with it was about the only excitement on offer. [/quote]
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You know it makes sense.
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GrahamN, Thanks for that. I guess not many people think of going to Norway for skiing and those that do prefer flying. I have also been thinking of doing something similar to you (in the summer, before I seriously consider it in the winter) so it's useful to read. Having taken the ferry to Ireland at night many times (which is a much shorter journey) I always take a cabin now as the communal areas tend to be full of too many drunks/kids and people being sick to make the journey enjoyable. Definitely worth the extra IMO.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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PK2, that is the other problem with the Newcastle-Ijmuiden ferry, hen and stag parties. I don't really want to spend the whole journey in the cabin.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Took the Ferry to Norway in 1988 for a competition - got drunk as a sack in the all night disco bar..
Och, to be young again..
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Been on the ferry from Newcastle (well North Shields to be precise) twice and really good trips. Took the car but it was in the summer
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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PK2, Not driven in Norway but skiied there 2 years ago. I think the driving could be "interesting". There was an awful lot of snow and ice on the roads between the airport at Fagernes (I think) and Geilo. In fact I was told that they put snow on the road over the ice to make it easier to drive on. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi Colin B,
Fagernes was the airport I arrived at when I when to Geilo. I had also noted that the "road suface" was a layer of compacted snow and ice. I've never seen/heard of them putting snow on the road to make driving easier though I can see how that might work, in principle. I was always impressed with how the traffic coped, given the correct choice of tyres and some care.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ryanair do cheap flights Newcastle to Oslo Torp. driving seems a barmy idea for both time and cost reasons.Torp is the wrong side of Oslo but the drive is still only about 3.5 hrs. Friends of ours did it at half term and got the flights for under a pound before taxes.
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PK2, Fly. As Frosty the Snowman, said you can get cheap flights but not only with Ryanair, BA, Norwegian, Braathens and SAS have good deals sometimes. You will also land North of Oslo with fantastic rail links.
Enjoy it if you go!!!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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PK2, We occaissionally send trucks to Norway, and it is cheaper to send a container to Australia 
ps Folks that drive to the Alps are also barmy (providing they live norf of Watford)
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I hadn't seen that it was that expensive for a car, but I don't know how much it costs to send a container to Australia. I trust your trucks have snow chains, after reading how the police there had to check foreign lorries at the ports a couple of weeks ago
I suppose those who go the alps have the chance to stock up on cheap booze on the way back which might make it more worthwhile. Obviously not an option from Norway.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I thought most skiers in the Alps get there by driving. Fair enough the British are far away and so flying is quicker especially if you go there for a week.
Driving can be rewarding if you want to see as much resorts as possible. When suitably equipped driving in snow condition can be rare experience and fun, especially in Norway.
In a week time I shall be setting off for 3 days in Sion to cover Cran Montana and Verbier, followed by 4 days in Cervinia, then 4 days in Italian Milky Way/Serre Chavalier and finally 3 days in Deux Alps/L'Alpe d' Huez.
Last years I went for Gamisch Partenkirchen, St Anton and Sella Ronda. The year before I covered the entire Tarentaise Valley in a trip.
It may be barmy to some but it can a poor man alternative of skiing-in and skiing-out (to the car park!).
With skies at the car roof and able to go to any resort is also a freedom not much different from that in skiing to any part of the mountain. Enjoying an outdoor sport in winter surrounding is itself barmy by those who prefer warm indoor environment.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I recently had to get my son to a ski training camp in Geilo, and flew cheaply (although horribly early!) from Stansted with Ryanair, to Oslo Torp - which isn't very near Oslo!
I hired a hertz car on the ryanair deal, paid the 'winterised' option, and then drove our Nissan Note across Norway for approx. four and a half hours to Geilo, stayed overnight then drove back through a snow storm to get back to Blighty!
Interesting things about the road - when I had to stop at one point for a 'natural break' the road surface was like a skating rink, but the car with no now chains but Winter Tyres held the road like it was on rails! I only had 3 occasions when we had a little slip n' slide - and I blame my driving. I would be very wary of using my own car without proper winter tyres, as I think you'd very quickly be in need of Norways version of the AA/RAC to recover you from whichever verge, field or frozen lake you found yourself on!
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FAQ
. TBH I hadn't ruled out the flying option, I was just looking at the alternative - since I like boat journeys. Anyway I'm getting the feeling that 