ScanBaltic trip, July 2022

[Ray Ride4life]

The extended version you can read here

Bucketlist ScanBaltic

 

Short version:
Have a Ferry booked from Eemshaven (NL) to Kristiansand (N) and start form there to North Cape.
On the way back i take on some parts of the TET Finland and some random gravel-/dirt roads.
From there i have some sorting out to do because i want to visit St Petersburg but the E-visa is suspended since March 2020 due to Covid. I can apply for a normal tourist visa but i have to check if a PCR test is also needed when vaccinated and with an E-visa you needed to have a hotel booked when you arrive at the border but with a regular visa you have to have it booked when you apply.
I have 23 days for the trip and i only booked the ferry because it's day 1 and i know when i start my vacation plus i have the early bird discount, the rest of the route and trip is just a guideline to stay within the 23 day limit. Other than a line/route on my GPS there is nothing planned or booked once i get off the ferry... so i can't tell when 'm arriving in St Petersburg.
When it's possible to apply for a tourist visa and tell at the border where i stay then it's OK, i can book the night before i cross it.
After St Petersburg it's off to Tallinn and when the visa won't work it's gonna be the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn.
Then Riga and the same problem for Kaliningrad, if it workd for St Petersburg it also works for Kaliningrad and if not i have to go around to get to Danzig. From there it's on to Berlin and then back home. Plan from there is highway because i can visit everything in between in a long weekend. This give me 2 days i can spend extra in the places far away and if i have time left i can stay a day extra in Berlin or take country roads with an extra overnight after all.
Rough plan... Pink is the route that will work, green is what i want if Russia accept the hotel situation and red are TET tracks with some covered by pink because it's part of my route.

[Landshark]

That'll be a great ride.  Time well wasted.  I wish I could do that ride with you but it ain't going to happen.  Keep us posted as you plan and do the ride.  Very interested.

[Ray Ride4life]

8 hours ago, Landshark said:

That'll be a great ride.  Time well wasted.  I wish I could do that ride with you but it ain't going to happen.  Keep us posted as you plan and do the ride.  Very interested.

That's what i have my site for, you can register in the blog section so you get an email notification when i post a new blog.
I started end 2020 and have a 5 or 6 part  series of my ride to Sicily and from last year a 7 part series of my trip through the Balkans both on my Honda Crosstourer and this trip i will do with the T7 and also will make a series about.
The trips (also weekend trips) i also try to capture with the GoPro and those blogs also have a movie with every episode, small things like working on the bikes are just blogs with pictures.

Edited February 19, 2022 by Ray Ride4life

[Dougie]

Sounds fantastic bud. Have a good one. 

[Ray Ride4life]

23 minutes ago, DuncMan said:

Ray, if you’re able to incorporate Lofoten, Sogndal Fjord, Geiranger Fjord and Alta into your Norway trip you won’t be sorry. I lived in Norway and via a business I ran I travelled to every town and village in Norway over the years. When I go there again with the bike those will be the first 4 waypoints on the sheet. 

When i get off the ferry i go up and the first must go is Lysevegen road to Lysebotn, then a few fjords later i get to Trolltunga glacier.
Then i also get to Geiranger and just before a get on the ferry to Lofoten islands i go see the biggest current in Europe.
From Lofoten islands to North cape there are not many connecting roads so i have to take the E6 which passes through Alta, but what do i need to see there? I'm tempting to go on the other side of the Altealva via Raipas because on both maps (Besecamp and Google) it looks like just a town but when i click on "Alta Canyon" in the middle of a grey area which normally is a town there's a picture of a beautiful place and most definitely not a town. Or is that why you mention it?

[Ray Ride4life]

8 minutes ago, DuncMan said:

Alta is just a beautiful little town and the surrounding areas are lovely to drive/ride

I wanted to go there a long time but never got to it.
Been to Oslo for a city trip in a 2 city surprise 5 day trip, you book and then you get 2 weeks in advance what size and weight your luggage can be and a week in advance you get daily weather reports so you know what to pack. At the airfield you scratch your ticket to get a code for your own page at the travel agency and only then you'll know where you go. From Oslo we (my now ex and I) flew to Riga where i will stay also one night on this trip.
But scanning maps to figure out a route i figured that you can't really go a wrong way in Norway to see something beautiful but i saw pictures of Lysevegen and Geiranger so they had to be in it and when i started planning this trip Lofoten was just a bit too much but that changed when end of last year on a news site was announced that for the first time in 7 years there would be a direct ferry from NL to N starting April this year so i booked the next week after confirmation my vacation dates where OK (i have pretty much free choice, just not at the same time as my co-worker as we are the 2 in charge of that location).
This saved me one day which i needed to go to Lofoten islands and still keep the maximum freedom of travel i can get with a fixed 3 weeks off.

[Ray Ride4life]

In two weeks i'm on the ferry.
Made a few changes to the trip due to the Russian Ukrainian situation and skip St Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
This is the new guideline.

[CoreCass]

keep us updated.. as ill be leaving july 2e.  no boat and going tet trough sweden.

would be funny to see you somewhere on route.

i know there is a week difference but one never knows

[Ray Ride4life]

9 hours ago, CoreCass said:

keep us updated.. as ill be leaving july 2e.  no boat and going tet trough sweden.

would be funny to see you somewhere on route.

i know there is a week difference but one never knows

I'll do.
But looks like i'm going to circle around you but who knows.

[Tenerider]

Epic plan Ray, I'm extremely jealous

As I said, when you're approaching Ruhr area, you'll be close to my home. Always welcome for coffee/tea and some local twisties, if you like.

[Ray Ride4life]

11 minutes ago, Tenerider said:

Epic plan Ray, I'm extremely jealous

As I said, when you're approaching Ruhr area, you'll be close to my home. Always welcome for coffee/tea and some local twisties, if you like.

I try to think about it as i'm passing your town at 10km as the crow flies (himmelweit) but it's the last day of riding starting in Berlin so it depends on the time.
But if i don't veer of too much i might have a day to spare and cut the last day in 2 sections an ride inland roads after all.
I rather use the days further from home to be honest since i can see places in that area in any given weekend.
We can schedule a ride on any given weekend too as we just live about an hour apart

[Tenerider]

32 minutes ago, Ray Ride4life said:

I try to think about it as i'm passing your town at 10km as the crow flies (himmelweit) but it's the last day of riding starting in Berlin so it depends on the time.
But if i don't veer of too much i might have a day to spare and cut the last day in 2 sections an ride inland roads after all.
I rather use the days further from home to be honest since i can see places in that area in any given weekend.
We can schedule a ride on any given weekend too as we just live about an hour apart

True. If you are on the last stage, you just want to get home. So no worries!

[Ray Ride4life]

I'm back home.
It was an epic trip, met a lot of people, made new friends, great riding on- and offroad that made me love the bike even more.

The laundry is already running and i will finish cleaning up tomorrow or the day after because i want to install the Rapid bike first (came in the day before leaving).
Monday i will start 2 6 day (52 hour) workweeks and after that i hope i have a little time (and courage) to get through the footage en get the fist episode of the blog series done.

[Ray Ride4life]

First episode of the blog with video is live.

ScanBaltic Episode 1, we’re off

 

[Ray Ride4life]

Episode 2.

 

 

ScanBaltic ’22 episode 2, Finishing day 2

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Ray Ride4life

[Ray Ride4life]

Episode 3 is now online.

 

ScanBaltic 2022 episode 3, To the glacier

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Ray Ride4life

[Ray Ride4life]

Just put episode 4 up.

ScanBaltic 2022 episode 4, Crossing winterwonderland

 

There is also a video at the end of the travel blogs for those who don't like to read.

[AlexFriedland]

Hey guys.  just know, if you want to visit Russia, then I will be glad to see you!  I live in Kaliningrad.

[Ray Ride4life]

In the original plan was to go via Kaliningrad but due to the situation i skipped it.
I had some doubts because i know most of the people don't want the war and/or don't even know the truth but the visum was also an issue. Was already due to Covid but got worse after the invasion.

[AlexFriedland]

Yes, brother, it's all very difficult and it's politics, but all ordinary people suffer, on different sides ... but in any case, I'm always happy to help, meet, soar in a Russian sauna

[Ray Ride4life]

And episode 5.

ScanBaltic 2022 episode 5, Reaching the North Cape

 

[Ray Ride4life]

Next....

ScanBaltic 2022 episode 6, getting offroad in Finland

 

[Ray Ride4life]

Last days in Finland

ScanBaltic 2022 episode 7, wrapping up Finland