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The Arctic Highway is accessible by road routes through southern Norway, Sweden or Finland. Despite the relatively long journeys involved, the standard of roads in all three countries is such that the average speeds which can be maintained enable you to reach either the northern or southern end of the Highway in a matter of just a few days (see Part 3, p65). But first, for non-Scandinavians, there is the matter of getting to one or other of these northern states.

It has now become possible effectively to ignore the seas, straits and channels separating Scandinavia from the UK and continental Europe. The Channel Tunnel and the new tunnel and bridge link across the Great Belt (Store Baelt/Storebelt) in Denmark have been complemented by the Öresund bridge from near Copenhagen to southern Sweden, just south of Malmø. The projected Fehmarn (Ferme) Belt Link between south-east Denmark and Germany will further ease the journey to the Scandinavian peninsula though this is unlikely to be built for at least a decade. Whether there will come a time when the sea ferries become redundant is another question. In the meantime it is a sea passage which figures in the itinerary of most UK travellers to Norway, Sweden or Finland.

The majority of those who travel the length of the Arctic Highway do so in their own vehicles or ones they have hired at home. Alternatives will be described and discussed but it is appropriate to deal first with approaches by vehicle ferry because this will be the choice of most drivers.

Anyone who is simply joining a party for the trip, or wishes to hire a vehicle, can opt to fly or use long-distance coach or rail and short ferry.

Vehicle ferries to Scandinavia and Finland

You are spoilt for choice. The Finns and Scandinavians are very used to ferry traffic and treat it with a familiarity reserved in most countries for the bus. The Baltic, the gulfs of Finland and Bothnia and the Skagerrak, have been crossed and re-crossed by traders and migrants for centuries. The average Norwegian is as much at home on a boat as on dry land. Today's trade and traffic may bear little resemblance to the days of the Hanseatic League but they are no less important.

The contact details of the principal ferries likely to be used by anyone making for the Arctic Highway are shown on p13.

All the ferries shown in the lists on p13 carry vehicles and provide a variety of accommodation. Some ships, notably those crossing from Stockholm to Turku, are like floating apartment blocks, able to carry 2000 passengers and 400 vehicles. The ships currently in use live up to their claims of luxury travel, at least at the top end of the accommodation grading. The usual charging system which is employed consists of a basic fare with add-ons for the grade of accommodation booked. This varies from the simple airline-type seat to a suite of cabins. There is also a variety of discounts available on most lines for parties, students, seniors and infants, and for advanced return bookings. Vehicle charges depend on size of vehicle, especially height. Caravans and trailers attract higher fares but there are usually discounts for vehicles according to their passenger ratio. It is worthwhile looking carefully at what discounts are on offer.

Almost all the ferries run throughout the year but there is a reduction in frequency in winter. Fares, too, depend upon the time of year with, as a rule, three ferry seasons recognized. Peak times are normally from mid-June to mid-August. The intermediate or shoulder period is a month or two either side of the peak and low prices are charged during the rest of the year, the winter. Seasonal differentials are often quite substantial and it is wise to plan so that at least one journey is out of peak time. It is in the peak season that advanced booking becomes essential and it is not unknown for even these vast ships to be fully booked months ahead. It is certainly risky to turn up on the quayside for any of these ferries in the hope of finding an empty berth in early July.

The ships offer not only a variety of accommodation, but also a range of restaurants, cafeterias and entertainment. In almost every case the fare excludes meals which are purchased as and when taken on board. The – la carte restaurants could be considered expensive, especially if alcoholic drinks are purchased. The Norwegian cold table, however, is usually a visual and gastronomic delight. Breakfast is self-service even in the restaurants and can make a substantial and inexpensive meal. On-board entertainment, if any, is rarely as good as the brochures suggest and a pack of playing cards is useful on the longer journeys. The shops are worth walking round if only to reinforce the view that things are cheaper at home. The prices may attract the Scandinavians on board but will seem extortionate to almost everyone else. With Norway resisting membership of the EU, some of the ferries between EU countries call in at, for example, Kristiansand in Norway in order to legitimize the sale of duty-free goods. These are, of course, available on ferries going between EU countries and Norway. Even so, the prices always seem high, unless you live in Norway. Any spare money you may have is more wisely spent on upgrading the cabin which at its best can be close to cruise-liner luxury.

In rough seas, the fact that meals are not included in the fare can seem a very real advantage. The North Sea can be very rough especially when winds are coming from the north over a long fetch. Even the Baltic can be choppy but for the most part these large ferries with their modern construction and stabilizers will not cause even the most sensitive of stomachs to complain. Some of the ships travelling from Bergen to Newcastle call in at Stavanger and up to that point are sailing in the protective shelter of off-shore islands. It may be advisable to wait until the ship sails out into the open North Sea before booking a table for dinner!

There is a general air of informality on board all the ferries and for most people it is clearly the start of their holiday. Public parts of the ship tend to be a little crowded during the day and, especially in the case of the North Sea crossings, the weather is usually such that only a few will be attracted to sit or stroll on the open decks.

Ships’ officers and crew are helpful; once they even re-opened the vehicle-loading doors at Bergen when I arrived rather late for my ferry.

Cargo Ship

If the choice is a sea crossing from the UK but large passenger ferries don't seem attractive, then the alternative is to use a cargo ship. Perhaps the most enjoyable crossing I ever made was from Hull to Helsinki via the Kiel Canal and the Baltic Sea. With ‘owner's cabin’ accommodation and a maximum of just four passengers, nothing could have been more relaxing. We had our own steward, dined with the ship's officers, never seemed to stop eating and had the run of the ship.

This isn't going to be the quickest way to get to Scandinavia – we were delayed over 24 hours before we set sail – but it is a wonderful experience. Most of the vessels will be roll-on, roll-off (ROROs) so getting a vehicle on board is no problem and access to it may be possible throughout the voyage.

To ask about bookings, try the United Baltic Corporation in London (tel 020 7265 0808). If you are making a return trip and already in Finland then try the Travel Center Helsinki Ltd in Helsinki (tel 09-680901). Another company worth approaching is DFDS Tor Line (freight). They have cargo ships going into Gothenburg in Sweden and into Norwegian ports. They can be contacted and bookings made through DFDS (Seaways) whose contact details are on p13.

Air routes

If you decide to hire a vehicle in Scandinavia, then flying there is an option. The budget airlines have made this cost effective and the airfare should, in any case, be compared with the cost of the ferry price plus the cost of food and drink on board. As with other intra-European flights with no-frills airlines, it's useful to check the airports being used. Sometimes, when the journey between some outlying airport and the final city destination is calculated, it might well have been cheaper and less hassle to have used one of the mainstream airlines.

Norway is well served by the major airlines with most flights routed to Oslo's International Airport (code OSL). Other international flights touch down at Stavanger (SVG) and at Bergen (BGO). If the approach to the Arctic Highway is to be via Sweden or Finland (see Part 3, p65), Stockholm and Helsinki are also on flight routes of a number of major world airlines.

National carriers provide the main services. Flights from UK regional airports to Scandinavia are possible with the airlines listed, but usually involve a change of aircraft at a hub such as Copenhagen. There are direct flights from London into some of Norway's regional airports, but others require a change. For up to the minute information, it will be best to consult the websites of the various carriers listed on p14. The current situation for direct, non-stop flights is given in the box on p15.

Domestic flights within Norway
If you intend to fly to one of the termini of the Arctic Highway before turning to road travel it will be least expensive to fly to Oslo, Bergen or Stavanger and then transfer to SAS domestic routes or those of Braathens or Wider�e, both part of SAS. A small company, Coast Air AS, also has a limited number of flights within Norway. Mo i Rana (lying at the southern end of the Highway) and Kirkenes (situated at the northern terminus) both have small airports with regular services. Between them, SAS, Braathens and Wider�e (all part of the SAS family) provide an impressive domestic network. Wider�e serves the short take-off and landing (STOL) airstrips, while SAS/Braathens link the larger airports. If you're flying into or out of North Norway, SAS/Braathens will get you to Oslo, and also to Bergen on some flights. Wider�e uses Trondheim as a hub and you must transfer there. The SAS/Braathens services in the table below are at least daily in and out of each of the airports shown with the exception of Lakselv (also, confusingly, called Nordkapp) which takes Sunday off.

Only those North Norway airports which are likely to be of interest to anyone using the Arctic Highway are shown in the table below.

USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT: ROAD OR RAIL

European rail services and long-distance coaches are an inexpensive way to reach Norway if you are not taking your own vehicle. The final ferry crossing, from, say, Denmark will not add much to the cost. Once in Norway, you can reach the Highway by bus or rail (see Part 3, p111).

The great number of options, using bus or train, means that you are probably better off consulting a travel agent or the internet for the latest bargain prices.

When to go

The Arctic Highway is officially an all-weather road. The sections liable to closure in winter have been reduced in number and the length of any closure period is, today, very short. However, the entire Highway is not likely to be open every day of the year. The vulnerable sections remain the high plateaux, or vidder, including the Saltfjell (Nordland), the Kv�nangsfjellet (Troms) and Sennalandet (Finnmark). Other sections may have to be closed for short periods in a severe winter and, of course, many of the Highway's branch roads will be impassable at times. Some of the approach roads to the Highway will also be subject to closure in winter. This is particularly the case with roads across the high plateaux of western Norway. To check on road closures there is an information line – Vegmeldingssentralen (tel 22 65 40 40).

There's little doubt that a winter journey along the Highway will be an experience of a lifetime for most people. This is the Arctic at its harshest, yet it is a season which is the quintessence of all that is polar. The days are short and in midwinter almost non-existent. Midday is simply twilight and the land of the midnight sun is still half a year away. Few visitors, however, will choose to explore the Highway in winter. The locals keep their own journeys by road down to a necessary minimum and their winter driving skills are likely to be superior to those of the foreign traveller. Most of the Highway is kept almost clear of snow with the use of ploughs and powerful blowers. A thin cover of packed snow is left to protect the road and to give a better driving surface. Many sections of the north's roads are afforded some protection from drifting snow by high snow-fences placed back from the road, but the usual practice is to blow the snow into the bordering ditches. It is for this purpose that the Highway is often raised a few metres above its surroundings.

Driving in winter will take care and courage and, as has been said, the whole length of the Highway may not be open to traffic. The usual severe-weather precautions should be taken with regard to carrying some provisions and warm clothing, and it is advisable to include a shovel and sacks in case the vehicle should become stuck in snow or stranded on ice. Even better, sand ladders can replace sacks and are more reliable. It is only sensible to let someone at your destination know that you are travelling and to give an expected time of arrival.

Four-wheel drive is highly desirable for winter travel and chains or studs will be necessary. Some of the motoring associations will have chains for hire though they are not especially expensive to purchase. A very few hotels provide engine-heating points in their car-parks but, although quite common in Finland, this is not a regular feature of most Norwegian establishments. Diesel-powered engines may well cause problems because of the higher freezing point of the fuel. Daily journeys will need to be much shorter than in summer and accommodation should be booked in advance of each day's trip.

Unless you are used to similar conditions of snow and ice at home, a winter exploration of the Highway is not advisable and it certainly should not be undertaken by anyone who does not already know the route in the daylight of summer. (See also Convoy Driving, p27).

Spring travel has little to offer despite the cultural importance that season has in the north. Road surfaces are often at their worst as the effects of winter are revealed by the thaw. Days are longer but if spring is chosen then a late period of the season will be best, not least because this will be when the vegetation is recovering and often at its most attractive.

Autumn comes early and is the season when many of the more vegetated areas are at their most colourful as the greens turn to every shade of brown, red and gold. But it is also the period when quite severe frosts will be experienced. The jernatter (literally ‘iron nights�) may catch the unwary who have neglected anti-freeze in their car's cooling systems or some extra clothing.

It is arguable that there are only two seasons in the far north: winter and summer. The real summer is very short but a journey along the Highway is made particularly easy by the long hours of daylight. The north is the Land of the Midnight Sun. At least that is the theory but the chance of seeing the sun at midnight is dependent upon weather conditions and not just on latitude.

The best months to explore the Highway are June and September, bearing in mind what has been said about spring and autumn difficulties. In fact the road is most heavily used in the six weeks or so of July and early August. The omnipresent mosquito will be at its most bellicose at this time but the hotels will be offering accommodation at their lowest rates and campsites will be open.

There are some disadvantages in driving the Highway in late August and September. The further north you go, the shorter is the summer season. You can expect many camping sites, cabins and even some hotels to have shut down for winter by mid-August in the extreme north. Tourist information offices, as well as museums and other attractions, may also close from the latter half of August.

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