North Cape Preparation

Some things to consider are:

How many time do i want to ride?
Where do i want to sleep? Hotel or in a tent?
Which season do i go. Even in the summer it can be cold.
Where do i want to eat and how?

These are the main consideration points on how long the journey will last and how expensive it will be. Now you know the answers to the questions you have asked yourself, or if you don’t, you need some extra information.

How long do i want to ride?

Most of us have2 a 3 weeks of holiday leave in Europe. When driving to the North Cape, this can be achieved in a week or so. You will ride somewhere between 450 a 600 kilometers a day. With leisure time and sight seeing, you need to leave at 09:00 to arrive at 17:30’ish. These can be long day’s.

An other thing to consider is where are you from? When traveling from Portugal or Italy or Greece, you need to add a week to travel to and from Denmark to choose the passage to Scandinavia. You need to add 2 day’s to ride it, or take the ferry to Oslo overnight and save 2 days. This will cost you an additional 1.100 euro for a return ticket (up to 200 euros savings possible when ordering it from the .no website).

Where do i want to sleep?

When riding from southern parts of Europe sleeping in a tent could be a very cost effective method. Most campings, up the to North Cape have showers, WiFi, Power with EEC outlets and nearby, yes even on the artic circle, are supermarkets and gas-stations. The prices in Europe for a room could be around 50 a 80 euro’s, but in Scandinavia, this can go up to 250 euro per night, while prices for campings with electric will cost you between 15 and 30 euro’s per night. Cabins cost between 30 and 50 euro’s and you pay the next morning. Most of the venue’s are on booking.com as well.

The first Choice

To get to Norway i have some options:

Going to ride from the Netherlands or your country to Oslo (as the virtual starting place).
Take the Ferry from Hirtshals (Denmark) to (Larvik) Oslo
Take the Ferry from Germany (Kiel) to Oslo
Take the Ferry from the Dutch Eemshaven to Kristiansand

For the Trip i choose june 2nd to depart and return the 20th of June 2022.

Riding from the Netherlands (Amsterdam region) to Oslo is 1.373 km, or 15 hours non-stop. So you could do it in two days, but best is 2 nights by ferry and drive the third day further into Norway. This also means that you need 5 to 6 days of travel to get to, and from Norway and take that into account (add) in your travel plans to reach the North Cape. The costs are the gasoline (when calculating 1/20 liter) approx. 122 euro. Then the campings in Germany or Denmark (approx 15 euro) and Sweden (approx 25 euro). Food and drinks is variable on your diet and needs. In Denmark you need to pay TOLL on the Storebealt Bridge and Sont Bridge. This totals up- to 81 euro’s two-ways. So getting to your (virtual) starting position costs approx. 200 euro’s, and the same for getting back. That totals de Riding all the way option to 400 euro’s.

The Colorline Ferry from Hirtshals to Larvik is a ride of 960km’s in 9,5 hours non-stop to Hirtshals. So just under the 100 euro’s for gas and no campings. I need to leave in the night to make it on time to Larvik. The road to Larvik is all Highway Tarmac. The travel with a motorbike will cost you 175 euro’s with a lunch and Dinner in a diner in just 3:45 hours. From there on it is a 1,5 hour drive to Oslo. Total traveling time is then approx. 14:45 hours (non-stop) for 275 euros. This totals this option for 550 euro’s both ways. Be aware that if you take the cheaper evening boat, you are arrive in the middle of the night in Larvik.

To take the option to travel with Colorline via Kiel to Oslo it will take you 5,5 hours (544 km) non-stop to Kiel. The costs are approx 50 euro’s on gas and some beverages and snacks. Then you board at 12:30 and arrive the next day. With the cheapest cabin (inside) and cheapest breakfast, lunch and Dinner the (return) trip will cost you almost 1.000 euro per person. You have your own cabin and your motorcycle is also coming along. You can save a few hundred euro’s maybe if you book from the .no website. The total costs for this option are 1,100 euro’s.

Then the last option, which i valid from 7th of april 2022, the ferry from the Dutch Eemshaven with the Holland Norway Line. It will sail 3 times a week and it will be an overnight trip. The return will cost you 390 euro’s, and the travel time to the Eemshaven is 2:12 (199km). The costs will be approx. 20 euro. Gas in the Netherlands is currently almost 2 euro per liter. The trip from Kristiansand will take you 3:45 hours (319 km) to reach to Oslo as you (virtual) starting point. More convenient is that it is also 3:56 hours (226 km) away from Lysebotn, which is an amazing ride down to the fjord, and could start your Journey in the best possible way. The total costs for this option are 440 euro’s, and an overnight sail trip and a best way to start the trip. I will definitely choose this option.

Camping & Travel gear

I am a starter at camping. I have been to Normandy with friends in 2019 and did camping as a kid. Also during my years in the military I was used to camping. After 2 years with a one person tent, it was definitely to small for me. Also I need to upgrade the cooking gear and lighting. Below I am gathering a list with links for what I am about to purchase or use. I like a little of luxury and my bike can carry it with ease.

The Complete List is viewable here. Below some stuff not to forget to pack extra