The Arctic Circle

One of our most exciting moments when motorhoming was getting to the Arctic Circle. While we were up there we made sure we criss-crossed it across all three Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden and Finland) and that we went to see one of its most famous residents. But more of that later.

Wendy at the Arctic Circle in Norway

When we did the biggest part of our grand trip over 2010/11, we always intended that our northern-most point would be the Arctic Circle. We did actually consider going all the way up to Nordkapp, Europe's most northerly point, but decided to save that for another trip (and probably another van!)

The Arctic Circle is one of the five circles of latitude around the Earth. This means that as well as being able to get to it in Scandinavia, it also runs through Russia, Canada, Greenland, America and Iceland. As the name suggests - it's cold!

We went there towards the end of August driving up the 2000-mile long E6 route. If you want to get up north in Norway, this is the road you will have to use. As you get further north, it gets more and more remote leaving you, a few locals, a few trucks and a few fellow motorhomers. Fill up with diesel when you can!

Man-made cairns on the lunar landscape of the Arctic Circle

The advantage of the remoteness is that there are loads of free places to park up overnight for free. We were on a bit of a mission and didn't arrive until 10pm. It got very dark and very cold and there was very little on the road by this time. We pulled into the free aire that is in the car park of the Arctic Circle visitor centre, put some extra layers on the bed and settled in until the morning.

The visitor centre was fantastic although the cafe was closed (rather disappointingly) as we fancied brekky. The photos give you an idea of just how cold and wintery it is up there. It's very much like a lunar landscape. We didn't fell confident enough going for anything more than a short walk as it was quite foggy and the weather was very changeable.

Wendy at Santa Land in Finland

Later in our trip we drove along the quietest road we have ever been on. We literally saw no-one for about 8 hours as we passed from Norway into Sweden. We passed in and out of the Arctic Circle again just for the hell of it, and to get another photo.

Later on still we went to Rovaniemi in Finland. There is a fantastic site in the town, right on the river, and just a few miles north you can get into the Arctic Circle again, this time with the added advantage of Santa. A massive sign announces that "Santa is Here" even though it was early September. So yes, we did go and see him and yes we did pay 25 euros to the world's tallest elf for a photograph of us with Santa that now takes pride of place on our bedroom wall.

Me, Wendy and Santa. Santa's the big guy in the middle.

Getting up to the Arctic Circle was one of our happiest memories from our trips and it's a great talking point. We are not big fans of souvenirs, but we did make a concession on this occasion and we still have our 'Polarsirkel' t-shirts and van stickers.

Motorhoming through Northern Germany

We have been to Northern Germany a few times. It might seem like an odd choice of destination but we were attracted to it by accident really. We usually pass through it en-route to and from Scandinavia and the Baltic States and always take the time to spend a few extra days here.

Cologne Cathedral

The first thing to say about Germany as a whole is that it is superb for motorhomers. The network of aires (called stellplatz) is better (we think) even than the French one. There is literally an aire every few miles, which means if you don't like the look of one, you simply drive for a few minutes to find the next one. Many of them are free or charge a small amount (5-10 euros) for the night. They are all in a book (more of a magazine really) called Reise Mobil Bord Atlas, which is available in book shops. It costs around 25 euros and is in German, but you can work it out and you make your money back in one or two nights compared to paying for sites.

Our definition of Northern Germany is very loose indeed here basically covers the route from Holland up to the port of Travemunde i.e. the way we went en route to Sweden. Consequently we are missing out some of the larger towns in the north. Regular readers of the blog will know that I can never do justice to lots of the places we have been to and this will be no exception!

So here's the list of places that we would recommend going (on and around this route) and why:

Hamburg: Germany's second largest city. A massive centre for history, business and tourism. Apparently it has 2300 bridges! Not particularly easy to drive in with busy motorways around it. We stayed 20km out and went in on the train.

Lubeck. Amazing architecture and marzipan!

Cologne (Koln): Germany's fourth largest city nestling on the Rhine. Rich in history with an amazing cathedral. There is a cheap aire here right on the river and only about a mile from the city. Great cycling paths down the river. We preferred Cologne to Hamburg actually. 

Rhine and Mosel valleys: Heading south from here is what some guidebooks think is the most beautiful part of the Rhine valley. Heading east will take you down the Mosel. Both provide many opportunities for wine drinking as you might expect.

Lubeck: University and port town on the Elbe. Beautiful old town with associated architecture and also famous for marzipan production.

Travemunde: We only went here as it's where you catch the ferry to Sweden, but it is actually a beautiful seaside town with large bays running at right angles to each other (if that makes sense). The sea front is lined with restaurants and cafes and it also has a large aire right on the harbour.

Nord-Ostee Canal: An amazing piece of engineering that runs for around 100km with Kiel at one end and the North Sea at the other. Along the route are numerous picturesque towns and loads of aires and wild camping. Much of the canal has walking/cycle paths and small ferries or tunnels making it easy to get along and over. 

Overnight spot right on the Nord-Ostee Canal

Flensburg and Celle: If you are driving up to or back from Denmark there are a couple of places that really are worth an overnight stop. We only found these by accident as they coincided with the need to find an aire for the night. Flensburg has a beautiful harbour and Celle boasts lots of half-timbered houses and a massive town hall.

For those of you who know this area, you will probably wonder why I have missed out so many places: Bremen, Hanover, Munster etc. It' simply because we didn't get to them en route. I've said it before, but one of the great things about motorhoming is that every time you go you come back with a list of places that you want to go back to. We'll there there next time!

Summer in Sweden (Part 2)

After coming back of the Island we continued north skirting the coast. The main E22 'motorway' runs up this stretch but it's not a motorway in the traditional sense. First of all, it's not rammed with cars and lorries making the driving very relaxing. Also the service stops in Sweden are amazing. They are incredibly well kept with no graffiti or rubbish and really clean toilets. You can stay overnight safely at these places and some of them even have chemical toilet disposal points.

Immaculate motorway services stops

As you drive along the E22, you can choose to pull of onto any one of hundreds of small villages or harbour towns that line the coastline here. Although you are not yet on the Stockholm archipelago as such, this area is made up almost entirely of small islands and inland waterways where you can stop for a swim, or pick up a boat to tour around. It is often possible to tag along on on the post boats although you usually need to book a day in advance to get on these.

Beautiful Stockholm

By chance we pulled off to a place called Valdemarsvik where we ended up for a couple of nights. There is a free aire here right on the pretty little harbour. The town is at the end of a large inlet so has the feeling of a cove (minus the sandy beach). There are a few restaurants and bars here plus the friendliest Tourist Information staff that you could ever hope to meet. You can pick up boat trips here or drive or cycle along the inlets out to more open water on the Baltic sea. We managed to do some fantastic open water swimming here as there are quite a few pontoons provided giving direct access to the water.

The nest major stops north form here are Soderkoping and Nordkoping, both of which have aires and both of which are worth a day's visit. Soderkoping is on the 190km long Gota Canal, which claims to be Sweden's biggest tourist attraction. 

The Kaknas Tower

Further north from here we travelled onto Stockholm. As is often the case in this blog, I just don't have time to do justice to some places and Stockholm is one of them. Suffice to say that it is one of those places that you need to go before you die! We spent three days on the city centre site just 5 minutes bike ride into the city. it's an amazing water-bound city with stacks to do. Our particular highlight was viewing the city from the 155m Kaknas Tower.

After Stockholm we headed west. The main highlights in the central part of Sweden here are its two largest lakes, Vanern and Vattern. As you might expect it gets quite rural in this middle section and could best be described as lakes and forests, with all the activities you would associate with that.

We continue west with a two day visit to Gothenburg, which is a compact, pretty city. From there we went south to Malmo, which had a similar feel about it. It is also the gateway to the amazing Oresund Bridge, which we have now crossed twice in our lives. As a little tip, the price structure is for motorhomes up to 6m and then the price jumps for motorhomes between 6 and 10 metres. Nobody jumps out and checks so they took our word for it that we were 5.98 metres. If you are under 6 metres it's going to cost you about £100 to get to Denmark.

On the Oresund Bridge

Once you get over the border the first stop is Copenhagen where we spent three nights on a site just a few miles from the city centre. Again, I can't do justice to the city here, but it too needs to be on everyone's 'bucket list'. 

The direct route toll-free home now takes you through Denmark, Germany, a bit of Holland and Belgium and into France to pick up the Calais ferry. If you've got time there is plenty to keep you busy on the route home. On previous occasions we have built in trips to Hamburg, Koln and Brussels all of which were fantastic.

Summer in Sweden (Part 1)

When we did the main part of our European Tour in 2010/11 we were aware that we were rushing through quite a lot of places that we would really like to have stayed longer. Sweden was one of those places - which is why we chose this year to re-visit. Having started to write the blog we were reminded of just how much there is to see and do, which is why this is going to be a two-parter!

Windmills on Oland

Our first thoughts of Sweden before we travelled were the obvious ones - Abba, snow, saunas and lots of blonde people (usually frolicking in the snow on their way to the sauna). Our other references came from Swedish crime drama, of which we are both big fans. Having just watched 'The Bridge' and endless repeats of 'Wallander' you might think that there is a gruesome murder every 15 minutes.

So we can confirm that there are indeed lots of blonde people in Sweden and yes there are lots of saunas too. Many campsite have saunas, some of which make a small charge and some of which are provided for free. We can also confirm that there are NOT lots of murders in Sweden but if you are fans of crime drama, you can do lots of site spotting, particularly in the south.

The harbour at Ystad

In terms of the practicalities, we have tried a couple of ways of getting there. Sweden is well connected via ferry directly to Germany, Denmark, Poland and the Baltic States leaving you plenty of options. Assuming you are travelling from the UK, your best options are the Travemunde (Germany) day long crossing to Trelleborg on the south coast. Other options include the shorter ferries from Helsingor (Denmark) to Helingborg or of course there is the amazing 5 miles long Oresund Bridge, which is actually a combination of bridge and tunnels. 

As we couldn't work out the best way to go based on price, we did a round trip using the Travemunde ferry to get over and the Oresund Bridge to get back. The bridge has the added advantage of taking you right past Copenhagen, which makes a fantastic stop if you have a couple of spare days.

Once you are there you can expect Sweden to be generally a lot less busy than other summer destinations, with a few tourist hot spots. The climate may come as a surprise because although it doesn't get as hot as southern Europe, you can still expect temperatures in the mid to high 20s.

Swedish archipelego

The southern coast is basically one massive sandy beach, which seems to run the entire width of the country. The campsites here do get busy, mainly with German tourists. However, there is so much beach to go at that it is still possible to find yourself a quiet spot. There are many beautiful villages and towns all along this stretch all accessible on relatively quiet and easily navigable, toll-free roads. Inland from the beach, are acres of open, mainly flat country made up of corn and wheat field. Before the harvest it is essentially gold, green and blue as far as the eye can see. 

We travelled from Trelleborg along the coast focussing on the area beteen the two major harbour towns of Ystad (a must for Wallander fans) and Simrishamn which are at either end of this beautiful stretch. If you travel east from Trelleborg you can follow the coastline all the way round to Malmo, which itself is worth a visit. As well as the main towns, the tiny harbour of Kasaberga is worth a visit. It is home to a handful of fish restaurants, but the real star is the Ale's Stones, a megalithic monument made up of 60 large boulders forming the footprint of a boat, perched on a windswept cliff face next to the Baltic Sea. It's stunning at sunrise or sunset and you can stay overnight on a massive aire for about a tenner.

Giving alms in Karlskrona

Our plan was to follow the coast all the way up to Stockholm and there are lots of choices as you head north. We visited the glass blowing area known as the Kingdom of Crystal where you can buy or even blow your own glass. We also visited the naval town of Karlskrona and the coastal town of Kalmar, with its castle. From here you can cross the (free) bridge onto Oland (The Island). This is one of Sweden's hotspots in summer, particularly popular with Stockholmers. It's small enough to drive around in a day and boasts a couple of castles and hundreds of small windmills, some of which date back to the 17th century.

Our journey then continued north towards Stockholm, which on this occasion would be our most northerly point. More on that plus Sweden's two largest lakes and a trip across the Oresund Bridge in part two!

The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Our first visit to the Baltic States was in 2010 when we were on a massive tour that looped all the way around Scandinavia before dropping into Tallinn, the capital of Estonia via the ferry from the Finnish capital Helsinki. We really didn't know what to expect and it's one of the few places we have visited where we were a bit nervous before going.

18th century stately home in Latvia

About a month later we left having had our eyes well and truly opened. The Baltic States are now officially my favourite part of Europe (although it never gets hot enough for it to go into top spot for Wendy). We travelled in September as the season was dying off. Due to the weather, which is similar to that in the UK, they tend to have a fairly short season and most of the sites close down at the end of the month.

In that time we came across  a lot that we didn't expect. I'll start with the bits we did expect. Firstly you have the three capitals, Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia) and the lesser known Vilnius (Lithuania). There's too much in all of these places to do justice to here. Suffice to say that you could happily spend at least a week in any of them. The capitals combine the old with the more recent Soviet influenced past plus a lot of modern development. In many ways they are typical modern capitals combining history, commerce, tourism and lively eating-out and night-life.

Traditional and modern transport in eastern Estonia

Outside the capital the other expected aspect of this tour was that a lot of the areas remain very agricultural and pretty basic. You will still see old women in head scarves and horses and carts trotting down the road, especially in the eastern parts of each country. Many of the roads, particularly in rural areas are not tarmacced, which can be a bit of a surprise, although all the major routes are. The roads were quite quiet although in common with the rest of mainland Europe there are always plenty of lorries around.

Another aspect that we expected was the Soviet influence, which can be seen all over the place. You can see this in many of the cheap housing blocks, the old tram systems, the statues and monuments and the civic buildings. There are also many museums dedicated to their recent past including a KGB musuem in Riga and the amazing Grutas Park in southern Lithuania, where an enterprising mushroom farmer bought up thousands of old statues and turned them into a tourist attraction.

In terms of the unexpected The Baltics boast some wonderful coastline. It was of limited use to us in September, but earlier in the year these places get packed out with locals. In Latvia there is the Curonian Spit, a 94 kilometre long peninsular onto the Baltic Sea. Another surprise were the aspects of much older history including castles (in Cesis for example) through to 18th century stately homes, such as Rundale Palace in Latvia and churches (Russian Orthodox and Catholic) such as the Aglona Basilica in Latvia.

There is also plenty in the way of forests, lakes and country parks making it very easy to get out walking and cycling, or just touring.

Beautiful modern campsite in Cesis.
Note the Union Jack put out for our benefit!

Next surprise was how much the Baltic States have latched onto the tourist trade, but not in a way that has spoiled the place. For example the town of Druskininkai in southern Lithuania has fashioned itself as a spa town appealing mainly to wealthy Germans. All over the Baltics there are towns making the most of what they have got and there is no shortage of decent campsites, restaurants, supermarkets etc - all the things you expect and need as a tourist.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that the people are incredibly friendly and really pleased to see you. Yes, they are happy to take your tourist pounds off you but personally I like travelling to places where they don't take you for granted. Also, the prices are good. The important things like diesel and beer tend to be a lot cheaper than most other parts of Europe. Food in supermarkets and restaurants is also much cheaper than most of western Europe.

There is loads to see and do in the Baltics. In addition to the places mentioned above a 'mustn't miss' list could also include:

Russian Orthodox Church in Tallinn

1. The Lehamaa National Parks in Estonia
2.The Livonian Coast
3. Gauja National Park
4. Trakai island castle
5. Kaunas
6. Klaipeda
7. Tartu
8. The Hill of Crosses
9. Daugavpils
10. Lake Peipsi

This could be a much longer list. Eyewitness Travel do a really handy tourist guided covering all three countries that we have used quite successfully. You really do need a guidebook in countries like this as it's quite easy to miss things and they do not have such an extensive network of tourist information offices that you might find in other countries.

The Soviet influence is never far away.

You probably need a month to do justice to it, and you do have to allow a few days to get there and back, depending on how you get there. We drove back through Poland, but next time we would use the Kiel to Klapeida ferry as this would massively reduce the driving time.

Can't wait to go back.

Holland by motorhome - Clogs, Canals, Cheese, Cycles, Castles and Camels!

It goes without saying that there are windmills.

Another favourite for us when we are short of time and/or money is Holland (or the Netherlands as we should call it really). Yes it is flat, but as we live near Lincoln we have got quite used to the flat landscapes and big skies that characterise Holland. We are also keen on cycling and as Holland has thousands of miles of traffic-free, clearly marked cycle paths, we often gravitate towards it for a short break.

We usually use the Dover Calais crossing and chug along the E4 motorway through Belgium to Holland. It only takes a few hours and although this stretch of road is a bit boring, it does take you very close to Bruges and it would be very easy to pop in on the way there or back if you wanted. For campsites, if it is low season we use our ACSI card www.eurocampings.co.uk/‎ (12 - 16 euros a night ) and for high season it's the mini-camping scheme www.vekabo.nl/‎ which vary from 10 to 20 euros a night.

The southern and central parts of Holland are where the lion's share of the population lives and where most of the main cities are located including the capital. Driving distances are relatively short around the country and the roads are brilliant and almost entirely toll-free.

We couldn't quite believe it either but they were in a
field in Southern Holland.

The most obvious tourist attraction is the capital, Amsterdam. Plenty to do (and eat) here as you might expect. The first thing to say is that we wouldn't recommend driving your van into Amsterdam. It's very easy to park up at one of the outlying train stations and use their hyper-efficient railway system instead. There's too much to Amsterdam to do justice to it here. The best way to see it is via the canals and there are lots of options to do this relatively cheaply. Allow plenty of queuing time if you want to visit Anne Frank's house.

So, apart from the capital, what's worth visiting in Holland. Here's a top ten:

1. Cities. Any number of interesting cities including Delft, The Hague, Arnhem, Amersfoort, Edam, Utrecht, Maastricht, Eindhoven, Alkmaar, Rotterdam, Dortrecht. The list goes on and all of these are within a few hours of each other.

2. Art. It's ridiculous how many famous artists have come from Holland over the years. There are art galleries in most major cities and beyond including the Hoge Veluwe near Arnhem (worth a visit in its own right) and there is a lively programme of visiting exhibitions throughout the country. 

3. Cycling. A bit obvious this one, but if you want to have a decent bike ride where you don't get buzzed by motorists and the cycle paths don't run out after a few miles, then this is the place to come. Visit the local tourist information office (the VVV) and get yourself a cycling map or follow the really easy numbering signpost system. You never have to go up a hill and you get to cycle along some beautiful stretches of waterway.

The Hunting Lodge in the Hoge Veluwe National Park

4. Castles. Yes, castles. Amazingly, Holland has a couple of hundred castles, many of which are in the southern and central belt. Some of them are private homes and some can be visited. We did a 'castle tour' on our bikes in 2010. It was fascinating!

5. Cheese and Clogs. We are not that bothered about either of these, which is why I've grouped them together but some people love them. I will confess to once buying a pair of clog shaped slippers, but that's as far as it went. The cheese is mainly of the Gouda/Edam variety and by our standards tends to be a bit mild. I'm probably being a bit of a snob on this one, but you can't beat a bit of Stinking Bishop.

6. Canals. These are an engineering marvel and basically stop Holland from being under water. They range from the massive trade routes with 200ft long barges to the web of urban waterways you will find in the cities, down to small networks of dykes. You can follow many of them via the towpath, which is almost always a dedicated cycle path.

You will see miles and miles of fields of bulbs in the springtime

7. Beer and Food. Holland are big on lagers and most regions and cities have their own local brews, many of which are familiar to us in the UK such as Heineken, Grolsch and Amstel. I think it's rude not to try the local beer every time you come across one. Food-wise, the Dutch don't tend to be internationally famous. We have found that they have embraced all food styles (a bit like the UK) and that the portion sizes tend to be quite generous.

8. Flowers and Bulbs. Beautiful in the spring, even if you are not particularly into horticulture. Keukenhof is a must if you are a fan of such things. It's not far from Amsterdam (to the south) and is open all through spring.

9. Beaches. Perhaps not an obvious spot for a beach holiday, but all along the eastern coastline there is plenty to go out. The beaches are flat and sandy and busy in the season.

The art deco style radio station in The Hoge Veluwe

10. The North! Although many of the obvious attractions are in the southern and central belt, a drive up to the north is well worth it. The university town of Groningen is beautiful and you can see how the land simply disappears into the sea along the northern 'coast' a bit further up from here. Fields, roads and hedgerows simply vanish into the water! Come back down across the Afsluitdijk, the 20-mile long causeway.

The Cabo de Gata in Spain

Boats on the beach at San Jose

It's finally gone cold properly. Nice as it is throwing logs onto the fire and settling down in front of the TV, our thoughts have turned to the next bit of decent sunshine we might see. For us this usually means Spain, and it usually means getting as far south as possible. 

One of our favourite areas is the Cabo de Gata which is on the southern most coast on the Costa Almeria. I checked the temperature there today and it's still 18 degrees even though we are half way through November. According to the temperature charts, it is normal for it to stay in the high teens throughout the winter period.


We last went at the beginning of April. Our friends in the UK were texting us about the sleet and cold temperatures, so we text back a photo of us in an outdoor pool with the temperature gauge just topping 25 degrees.

The coastline on the Cabo de Gata

We tend to be quite flighty, never staying anywhere more than three nights. The Cabo de Gata is one of the areas where we manage to slow down a bit. This area is not for everyone and we have met a few fellow motorhomers who don't see the attraction. We've also met plenty who head down here for the whole of the winter, so I guess it depends what you like.

The area is fairly sparsely populated particularly when you compare it to the urbanisation that you will encounter just a couple hours drive up the road in the Costa Blanca. The area is characterised by a desert-like landscape inland and sharp craggy rocks by the sea. Along its length you will find a number of charming villages and a few larger towns.

Our personal favourite is San Jose, which has a small fishing port and good range of restaurants and cafes. The beach here is flat and sandy and of course you are on the med, so going into the sea is like getting into a bath.

Further along the coast you will find the windswept Las Salinas, which is a large area of nature reserve comprising miles of quiet open coastline. You can really get away from it all here, particularly if you are traveling out of season. We have seen flamingos and eagles here and we are not even that good at bird-spotting!

The rugged volcanic rock near Escullos

On this stretch is the Church of the Almadraba. You could imagine yourself being in Mexico with this amazing little church standing isolated among the sand, with the rocky mountains as a backdrop. It's easy to see why they filmed a lot of the 'spaghetti westerns' in this area and you actually can visit the Costa Brava film studios, which are about half an hour away inland from here.

There are plenty of other places of interest up and down the coast here. We tend to stay fairly local and either walk or bike up and down the coast, perhaps stopping off at one of the local cafes for a beer. 

It's true that there are no major attractions in this part of Spain, as the area, most of which is national park, is the attraction. It is quite rugged and barron and you can still expect to see shepherds walking their flocks of sheep and goats around trying to find a bit of green grass.

However, if you want to get away from it all, this is the place to come. There are three campsites in the area. We have never tried the Camping Albergue Tau near San Jose, though it seems to get reasonable reviews. We can however recommend both:

Camping Cabo de Gata (www.campingcabodegata.com) 
Los Escullos (www.losescullossanjose.com)

Your typical coastal town on the Costa Almeria

Both are on the ACSI scheme and offer discounts for long term stays. Both have excellent facilities and really friendly and helpful staff and they open all of their facilities  (including the pool) in the quieter part of the season, which some Spanish campsites do not.

It's a fair old drive down there, but if you have the time, it is definitely worth a visit. It is one of those places that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, even when you are back home in the UK in the middle of November!