Country Lane Tours
THE RALLY
TO
HELL & BACK
MAY 21st – JUNE 6th 2008
This will be the fourth Scandinavian event organised by Country Lane Tours and will be travelling further north than ever before. The tour follows the usual leisurely format, which will be familiar to those of you who are veterans of previous Scandinavia, Italy, Ireland, or Wales trundles.
The tour is restricted to just twenty cars, as that’s the maximum number of spaces I’ve been able to reserve on the Hurtigrutan cruise ship from Trondheim to Bergen. Unfortunately, as direct sailings from the UK to Sweden ceased this year, it looks as though the hamlet of Back can’t be fitted into the schedule as originally planned. However, we’re definitely going to Hell (north-east of Trondheim) and we will be coming back! The total mileage in Scandinavia is only 1,000 in two weeks!
The itinerary is as follows:
Wednesday, May 21st. 5pm. Board the DFDS ferry at Harwich for Esbjerg.
Thursday, May 22nd. Arrive Esbjerg 1pm. We then travel on easy roads through Denmark to Frederikshavn. Mileage for day 174. Overnight Frederikshavn.
Friday, May 23rd. We catch the 9.30am high-speed ferry from Frederikshavn to Gothenburg arriving at 11am. There is then a short journey (2miles) to the four-star Novotel overlooking Gothenburg harbour. After lunch there is a guided tour of this attractive city by vintage tram. Mileage for day, 3. Overnight Gothenburg.
Saturday, May 24th. A trip along the beautiful Bohuslan Penninsula. Mileage for day, 90. Overnight Gothenburg.
Sunday, May 25th. Tjoloholm Castle Rally. We travel south of Gothenburg and spend a day at Tjoloholm Castle along with about a thousand classic vehicles from all over Scandinavia. A DVD of the 2004 event, which we attended, is available on request. Mileage for day, 54. Overnight Gothenburg.
Monday, May 26th. In the morning a tour of the Volvo factory by train (fascinating to watch the cars being built, and even the ladies really enjoyed it last time) and the Volvo museum. The afternoon is free for you to explore the city, or just chill out watch the boats go past the hotel. In the evening there is a dinner in the restaurant on the 14th floor of Gothia Towers, with spectacular views across the city. Mileage for day, 20. Overnight Gothenburg.
Tuesday May 27th. An early start today (well 9am anyway). The route takes up to Stromstadt where we catch a ferry across to Sandefjord in Norway and then travel to Skien in Telemark. Mileage for day, 134. Overnight Skien.
Wednesday May 28th. A day to explore and visit the Telemark museum, as well as view the scenery. Mileage for day, 0. Overnight Skien.
Thursday, May 29th. Skien to Flam. An early start today for a run through the mountains to Flam, the fjord hamlet famous for its scenic railway. Mileage for day, 223. Overnight Flam.
Friday, May 30th. A run up the mountain on the railway, which clings to the edge of the fjord. Spectacular views & a chance to relax in the hotel afterwards! Mileage for day, 0. Overnight Flam.
Saturday, May 31st. Flam to Dombas. More scenic roads, lakes, mountains, forests, and little traffic. Mileage for day, 174. Overnight Dombas.
Sunday, June 1st. Dombas to Trondheim. We travel through more spectacular mountain sections, and there is still likely to be snow on the hill tops, even though we’re into June. Mileage for day, 122. Overnight Trondheim.
Monday, June 2nd. Trondheim to Hell. In the morning we travel out to the small hamlet of Hell, and you get your chance to photograph your car next to the sign. It’s a pretty run too. In the afternoon you can explore the ancient city of Trondheim. Mileage for day, 41. Overnight Trondheim.
Tuesday, June 3rd. We board the Hurtigruten cruise ship for the scenic trip to Bergen, visiting Kristiansund, Molde, and Gerainger Fjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mileage for day, 2. Overnight on board ship.
Wednesday, June 4th. Bergen. We arrive here at 2.30pm, and travel the short distance to the hotel. There will be a guided tour of Bergen. Mileage for day, 4. Overnight Bergen.
Thursday, June 5th. Depart Bergen at 11am for Newcastle.
Friday, June 6th. Arrive in Newcastle at 3pm.
Please note! There may be slight variations to the above schedule, but regular updates will be issued to registered participants. Should the tour fail to run for any reason, your deposit will be refunded in full.
The cost for this amazing tour is £3,950 per car (based on two people sharing). This includes all ferries (Harwich-Esbjerg, Stromstadt-Sandefjord, Trondheim-Bergen fjord cruise, Bergen-Newcastle), all good quality hotels on a B&B basis, dinners on ferries (excluding short duration ones), initial dinner at Gothenburg, dinner at the Gothia Towers, entry to Tjoloholm Classic, guided tours of Gothenburg, and Bergen, the Flam railway, the services of an accompanying mechanic, rally plates, and detailed, easy-to-read road book. Prices can be quoted for extra passengers per car, and also classic motorcycles. A holding deposit of £950 per car, repayable in full up to January 15th 2008, secures your place, with the balance due by that date. Remember that entries are restricted to just 20 places, so early booking is advisable!
BOOKING FORM
RALLY TO HELL AND BACK
May 21st-June 6th 2008
Name………………………………………………………………………….
Address……………………………………………………………………….
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……………………………………………………Post Code………………..
Phone number……………………………..Email…………………………..
Car make/model…………………………...Year……………Reg…………
Number of people in party………………..Date……………………………
Amount of payment included……………………………………………….
Any special requirements (vegetarian, disabled, etc.)?.................................
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Please send completed form and payment to Country Lane Tours, Tirionfa, Bodfari Road, Llandyrnog, Denbigh, North Wales, LL16 4HP. For more details email countrylanetours@aol.com , or call me, Ian Glass, on 01824 790280 for a chat.
All tours are carefully reconnoitred by classic car, and most hotels are of a superior quality. All roads are metalled, and days involving higher mileages follow main roads / autoroutes. Regular updates will be sent out as information becomes available, including ‘dos and don’ts’ regarding car preparation and driving in Scandinavia.
A quick reminder! The Croation Crawl takes place from August 24th to September 9th, and the 4th Grand tour of Italy in May 2009.