Arctic Trek: My Arctic Road Trip

[randomshenans]

I thought I'd put up a thread about my trip planned for October this year. I do have several road trips planned, this is probably the longest for this year but next year has some absolutely mental ones.

My ethos is that life is all about the journey and experiencing things along the way. Meeting people and generally just making memories and while I'm probably getting the boot from work, I figured I should probably just spend the time doing just what I wanted to and visiting the arctic circle was up on my list, so I thought, let's make it a trip.

The trip will be done over 10 days. It's a tight schedule and will be hard in some places, but should hopefully work out.

The aim is to do the first stint in 3 days. Which is a mission and a half. Stopping in Copenhagen, Stockholm and then the Arctic circle. It's a couple of 1000km days which will be long but if we take an extra day, I'm sure it'll be ok.

The way back will be more chilled but takes us via Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas, Warsaw, Prague and back home.

I'm trying to line up people to meet in each city as well, could be people I've chatted to once, could be complete strangers! It's all part of the fun.

I'm going with my 19yr old son and at the moment trying to fix a lot of the things that a 20yr old Volvo obviously has wrong with it.

We will aim to, in each spot, try the local drink, eat the local food, and meet a stranger / someone from the place - if you have suggestions that we should add to that, I'm all ears.

I'm going to take my drone and insta360 / go pro all that stuff to hopefully do my best in documenting the trip, as my first effort at not just doing one but making it compelling for others as well as ourselves.

I've never been to most of these cities, so open to people who have.

Also, I'm getting bull cars, a full livery, a roof rack and some light bars for the trip but anyone has any suggestions about what we should take / include I'm all ears.

We will also have things like hardcore sleeping bags, fold out chairs, inflatable mattresses, a portable hob / couple of cooking things just to make sure we don't get caught short.

I think it'll be a massive adventure!

Suggestions welcomed.

Next I'll tell you about driving back from Japan next year...

 

[randomshenans]

Just fair warning, the toll bridge from Denmark to Sweden is about £50 for a single car one way. When I moved to Finland and had to pay for a van return, plus a single car and it properly cleaned me out.

Other than that, if you are partial to sweets, there's a massive place called Candy World Sweden near where you're crossing into Finland. The pick and mix is outrageously huge.

When you're in Finland try and find somewhere that does decent reindeer and/or bear if you can, they're not super common but they are delicious. Also not sure how flexible your trip is, but would you be able to include Lapland? It's definitely the most scenic part of Finland.

In Riga try to stay near or in the old town because some of the other parts of the city hark back to the soviet era. Old town is beautiful and has loads of restaurants and live music going on though (at least in peak season).

Finally, good luck and enjoy!

Great tips, thank you!
I'll be about 300 down on fuel by that point, so I'm sure the 50quid bridge would be ok!

I did hear from a Swede that they love their sweets, so will have to get a try on some of those.
I have someone I'm meeting in Helsinki, so will see where they can recommend as that would be great to do. It's not super flexible, but semi. It really depends and I am supposed to still have work commitments haha but you know. If I can swing it, it would be great to do.

Wicked, will aim for the old town then! Thank you. Really helpful.

 

[randomshenans]

Seems a shame to rush it in 10 days to be honest.

I know. I might be able to do it slightly longer. It's the battle of work and co-parenting. I take a lot of trips so have to tread carefully on both parts haha

 

[randomshenans]

Things I've currently fixed / done on the XC90 are:

- Headlining and A / B pillar retrimming
- All engine mounts changed

Things I have in parts ready to go on:

- Wishbones
- Track rod ends
- Ball joints
- ARB linkages
- Brake discs and pads (front)
- New power steering fluid for a flush (hope it fixes steering floaty feeling)
- Poly subframe mount inserts
- New windscreen wiper mechanism
- New parking sensors
- Service parts

All of the things to go on came to about 450EUR which is really not bad at all.

Other plans / things still to do:

- New car play head unit
- New front and rear speakers
- Fix / replace drivers window mech (it doesn't quite go up and hisses with air, which is rather annoying)
- Possibly new steering rack if the above doesn't help steering
- Possibly new drivers side front driveshaft

Considering the car was 1100 EUR (which was actually 990GBP at the time), the engine mounts were 160, the material and stuff was 60 and the above ready to change parts at 450, I'm into the car for about 1800EUR at the moment.

With all the fresh stuff on it, it should be good for a bit I hope.
The shaft would be about 150 and the rack 300 if I have to go that route. Speakers and head units are not mandatory but nice to haves to make it pleasant, so mechanically could be 2250EUR.

I couldn't get one over here for less than 5000EUR (which is stupid) and it wouldnt have a list of things replaced, so I can still justify it in my man maths

 

[randomshenans]

I'd recommend stopping for a bite to eat in Malmo (just over the bridge from Copenhagen), can suggest a few places if you're interested.

Yes mate for sure! Will see what I can get in there.

Looks fun, but agreed that 10 days seems a little short!

If I send you the ex wife's phone number, do you want to wangle me longer?

Im tempted to drive to Oslo one day. So this trip makes my idea seem vaguely sensible

My next trip after this is planning to be 13,500km back from Japan, so Oslo seems very reasonable to me!

Check the winter tyre requirements of each country for the period you’ll be there.

Check what first aid kit/safety equipment each country mandates.

Make sure your full coverage car insurance is valid in every country you’re travelling through.

Get a front and rear dashcam.

Fit the highest capacity battery that will fit in your Volvo.

Buy a proper car jack and a big metal plate to put under it. Get a wheel nut brace. Carry at least one LED work lamp and an old floor mat. Chances are, you’ll get a puncture at night in the rain or snow.

Great advice! Fortunately the car actually has 4 brand new winter tyres on, so that's a bonus. I thought I was going to have to do them myself.

I do have a dash cam but also will be running the go pro for a lot of it as well.

I was tempted to get a secondary battery / big thing that I can charge off the battery while driving but then use outside of it... so not perma wired in, but for things like charging etc. Need to look about online for something.

Good recs on the other stuff too! I might see if I can carry a full spare wheel on the roof cage in case. Should be able to pick up a wheel easy enough.

 

[randomshenans]

That route doesn't draw a dong at all, are you sure you've done it correctly?

Also, 10 days is far too short. You'll get back home and wish you'd had more time to spend at various points.

I can draw some balls on it if you like? lol

I can recommend Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs for some hearty food and plenty of beer selection when you're in Riga, it's an underground bar/restaurant that often has live music etc too. Gets very busy, great atmosphere.

If you want a nice meal in Tallinn I would highly recommend Rataskaevu 16 but you will definitely need to book. Genuinely great food.
If you want somewhere a bit less "nice" but a bit of a novelty then Olde Hansa is a medieval style place.

For Warsaw it's a mix, I love the Socialist Realism architecture around Constitution Square, and the reconstructed Old Town is really well done.
Podwale 25 is a big Bavarian style place that does oompah music and a mix of Polish and German food, it's on the edge of the old town.
I would also, if you like your beers, go to Kufle I Kapsle (usually packed) and the bigger Jabeerwocky, 2 great craft beer places on the same street just a few blocks behind the Palace of Culture & Science.

You're cramming a lot into ten days but I think you already know that!

Thanks man, this is epic stuff. I'll take those recommendations for sure.

I know it's short and crammed in. It really is, and I might be able to stretch it out a bit but I can't imagine much! Will see what happens between now and then!

 

[randomshenans]

So I've been putting together things to do in each place. While it's a tight schedule I believe I can fit these things in no problem, since the first 3 days are where over 50% of the driving is happening.

Anyway, as mentioned at the top, the idea for things to do along the way have to include:

• meeting a local (I'll put it out there on t'interwebs, which has already lined up some people in places)
• doing an activity
• drinking local drink
• eating local food

With that, I started to get some rough ideas:

1. Copenhagen - this might be a simple stop and go due to 1000km driving to get there. We'll start early so we can have a dinner there mind.

2. Stockholm, Sweden​

   • Activity: Participate in a snow rally or ice driving experience near Stockholm. (someone lining this up)
   • Eat: Köttbullar? (I know we have swede based people here!)
   • Drink: Snaps, apparently local?

3. Arctic Circle (entry from Sweden)​

   • Activity: Dog sledding
   • Eat: Reindeer stew or smoked Arctic char.
   • Drink: Hot lingonberry juice.

4. Helsinki, Finland​

   • Activity: Finnish sauna followed by an ice dip in the Baltic Sea.
   • Eat: Mustikkapiirakka (blueberry pie) with vanilla sauce.
   • Drink: Koskenkorva

5. Tallinn, Estonia​

   • Activity: Open on this one, not found anything that I think is a must yet...
   • Eat: Apparently their pork sausage?
   • Drink: Vana Tallinn, a sweet herbal liqueur apparently

6. Riga, Latvia​

   • Activity: bobsledding on the Olympic track in Sigulda, just outside Riga.
   • Eat: Latvian grey peas with bacon.
   • Drink: Riga Black Balsam.

7. Kaunas, Lithuania​

   • Activity: Need final decision don't know much about the place!
   • Eat: Cepelinai - potato dumplings stuffed with meat, curd, or mushrooms.
   • Drink: Midus, a Lithuanian honey mead.

8. Warsaw, Poland​

   • Activity: Need final decision​

   • Eat: Pierogi​

   • Drink: Vodka ​

9. Prague, Czech Republic​

   • Activity: Still open for suggestions​

   • Eat: Trdelník​

   • Drink: Czech beer!​

I'm not certain my son is going to come. He's a non committal 19yr old that says one thing but never commits, which is whatever, but a mate of mine has said he's up for it and he could be an additional driver so potential win win there.

Going to take the week after next off and hammer through some volvo work and get all the parts changed over in a couple of days.

​

 

[randomshenans]

I have always wanted to do Finland in my car but not for the same reasons. I have just wanted to do Rally Finland.

That's insane. Rally drivers are something else man

 

[randomshenans]

To be fair, adding Krakow over Warsaw only adds about 150ish KM on the clock, so it's not too much out the way. If that would be a better place to visit in Poland, I'd definitely be up for that.

What's in Krakow then?

 

[randomshenans]

To contradict the guidance above though --- Krakow is a worth a proper visit in its own right. If you are just flying through, Warsaw will be "fine"?

Yea, so it's probably going to be an afternoon / evening worth of time to smash through something, get some food etc.

So would definitely not uncover 1% of what any place has to offer. It's like a taster of each place, which will leave me wanting to come back to each place for a true trip!

 

[randomshenans]

Happy to masquerade as your son?

Development on this... he's dropped a bombshell that, despite saying he's going to go off traveling, he's going to move in with his GF in Normandy... FML but anyway, let's not go there because she's something else as well So chances are, he's going to bail for sure.


I'd happily consider others coming along. All part of the fun isn't it?

My mate hasn't confirmed yet either. Last thing I want is to do it solo. I mean, I would, but it's not as much fun that way.

 

[randomshenans]

This is fast approaching now!
With all the planning for my Japan trip I've had to juggle this as well, but it's getting there.

I had some lovely drama with the XC90 after trying to fix as many things as possible on it. I changed brake discs and pads, wishbones, track rod etcs, drop links, all engine mounts, upper torsion bar mounts and went to remove the subframe bolts to add some poly bush inserts to them to firm it up... when the first bolt upped and broke. Snapping the bolt in the car. Lovely.

My local garage man helped fix that for me, thankfully and I got it back just in time to drive it to the UK for an MOT. I wasn't sure how the journey would go, or how the car would be... I had it booked in for the start of the week, so if anything needed doing I'd be ready to have it done, or do it and still have time for a retest.

Fortunately, it passed! A few minor things to observe, but nothing to fail it. So I'm legal for another 12 months and to be fair she ran brilliantly to and from the UK. Over 2000km in the week and was lovely.

While I was over there I added something I got delivered to my parents place

BEASTY!

I now need to get a number plate mount, so I can mount that on the bar, and I should hopefully have some nice lights to go on there too, so I can light up all the dark roads on my travels!

Next up it's prep time, so I have some sponsor stickers due to come soon, as well as my stickers for the trip.

I also have a roof tent on the way from a company I'm working with, so today in fact, I have the roof bars arriving for that to sit on, as well as a solar panel I'll be mounting to the top of the roof tent box.

I've got the rough schedule for the trip as well, and a mate of mine, who said he would come and I just wasn't sure he'd commit, has fully committed, which is awesome! And I also have another mate flying to Helsinki and joining for the back half of the trip, but @413x happily meet you somewhere, too!

This whole thing is about meeting people and experiencing as well as just connecting with places and people.

I completely understand in the best case we'd do it over so many more days. It's not like I have holiday at work to worry about but others do. But in that time, we'll have the ability to be sitting on an evening, looking out on to the peace and our surroundings and appreciate the world for what it has, and that's pretty special.

If anyone is from these places, knows anyone from these places etc etc. would love to connect and show us a bit of your world. Even for an afternoon, evening, or few hours.

Much love!

 

[randomshenans]

Thought I'd update this one! What can I say... that was a lot.

Of course it was. 7000km in 11 days is pretty ambitious, especially the first 4 days covering 3800km of those with just two of us driving but man, what an experience it was.

Whilst everyone could/would say, it wasn't enough time in each place, I'd argue you could have said that for a weekend break in each place. It just wouldn't be enough. It did give us a sense of a place, the people, culture, food, drink and places we'd love to go back to.

We ended up on 2 ferries during the trip.

Honestly, this world is just so beautiful.

The volvo did great! I have a knock somewhere now (not engine) that I need to work out what it is, but I've given myself some time off since being back on it.

Longest day was the first day, 1150km that day and 14hours on the go.

Didn't stop us though. Arrived in Copenhagen, checked into the cheapest hostel on booking.com and hit the bars, went to bed at 2am ready to hit the road the next morning to head to Stockholm.

This is where we stayed in a converted prison for the night.
The rule was, you're not allowed to book the hotel before the day. We had no research, no plans, but it made the drive filled with trying to learn about the place, where to stay, what to eat etc.

Each day was a new challenge. We stayed in so many different places, from the cheapest hostel (34EUR each), to a prison, to a roof tent and a palace. It was so great it being unplanned. It made it so much more interesting.

It put us out of our comfort zones in so many ways. So much so that I ended up doing karaoke... something I would NEVER have done before.

Once in Helsinki...

And somehow again in Riga. The world loved Mr Brightside at 3am

We saw some of the most beautiful places. Filled with history and charm.

From ancient, to insanely grand.

Each city was a beautiful glimpse of the world.

We left a little mark where we went.

Just a little one...

Played with some weapons. As you do.


We had some of the best food I think I've eaten, coupled with a ton of service station hot dogs, which are actually incredibly good in both Sweden and Finland...
Plenty of beer, many people met and most of all, it was such an incredible experience.

Hard to cover so much of what went on in that space of time. I did do a daily video, but even with those, just can't ever cover the laughs and experience.

I'm sure if you want to find it you'll be able to on my YT or my tiktok.

Here's to the next one... and if you're planning on a stupid road trip, just do it. You'll never forget the memories you make during it.

 

[randomshenans]

That's the oldest looking 19 year old I've ever seen.

hahaa my son bailed on me (chose his gf over this trip, so you know lol) so ended up going with a mate of mine and another mate joined us in Helsinki for the rest of the trip!

 

[randomshenans]

That looks like the trip and experience of a lifetime. Well done!

It was, truly! I now can't wait to do more. The experience was great, I just want to see where they can take me around the world haha