2024 Scandinavia-Arctic Circle Trip / HGT'24: 14 days, 8 cars, thousands of miles

[mjn77]

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Introduction

Hello and welcome to my 2024 road trip to northern Europe!

This year saw the BMW Performance Car Club head somewhere other than the usual Swiss / French / Italian Alps locations and head north towards Scandinavia. I've been to Denmark before, but that is as far north as i'd been and on this trip, we'd be heading to the Arctic Circle in Norway!

As is custom with my road trips, it was an early start to catch an early Eurotunnel train from Folkstone. Stepping outside the front door a little after 4am to discover it was already raining which was a little depressing. Car packed and off we go. Another difference this year, was that we were meeting another club member at the eurotunnel. Marek from MDrives YouTube channel and would be travelling with us all the way to the Arctic circle. Driving his lovely M2 finished in Long Beach blue and rocking a 6speed manual gearbox, we heard him before we could see him!

Road trip officially begins when you reach EuroTunnel checkin.



And then there were three.



And this would be a common theme over the next couple of days, picking up drivers along the way as we progressed through Europe.

Into France and it is straight on the motorway heading for Dortmund and our first stop on the trip, Big Boost burger @ JP Performance, where we would collect another driver, Jean in his Japan Red M4.

I’d read about Big Boost Burger a few years back and kept a note of the location. And it wasn’t until 2024 that i would be in the area, so it would have been rude for us not to go there for a bite to eat. Not only do they do badass burgers there, they also have a small collection of awesome cars.



By the time we got to the front of the queue, the queue was outta the door!!



The smell of fresh burgers fills the air and hits you in the face as soon as you walk through the door.



Theses were some damn good burgers.





A random VW Golf hanging above the pool table.



A quick look around the cars.

















E30 with modern steering wheel and iDrive retrofit.









Then there were four cars.



After a quick fill up of fuel we headed for our hotel in Buxtehude. The weather for the whole day was pretty awful. Heavy rain, thunder and lightning, fog, with only small patches of dry and sunshine. All that meant our fastest speed on the autobahn that day was a measley 143mph.



Arriving slightly later than planned we met up with some friends in the area and had a nice meal at the Ratskeller restaurant.





And the view from the hotel.



We were supposed to have met Joao in his M140i as well, but he was running late and arrived after we had all gone to bed.

Final stats for the day.

[mjn77]

Day 1

After collecting another member in the morning (Joao in his M140i) it was a drive through northern Germany and Denamrk for the ferry to Norway.



The checkin for the ferry closed at 15:15 and did not want to be late!

Catching up with Joao gave us the opportunity to apply the tour stickers.











And then there were 5 cars!



But the weather wasn't much better than the day before.



Leaving the hotel nice and early meant we arrived at around 14:30.



We needed have rushed though as the ferry was late.



Time enough to enjoy a quick beer (which i very soon regretted!!!!!)



All loaded on the ferry.





See ya later Denmark.



Then the fun stopped! Not long after departing from Hirtshals the ferry crossing got a little bumpy. Being born and bred in the UK, i've done plenty of ferry crossings to France and Ireland. They can get pretty rough and am used to it. However, about 2/3 of the way through the crossing, it got REALLY rough. People were thrown from their seats, belongings tossed from tables, sick bags handed out en masse and medical staff attending to hurt passengers. I've never been sick on a ferry crossing until this day and that is when i regretted that beer, LOL!

On a plus side, Marek had been on to the observation deck but was stopped on his way back to his seat by a small child. The small child recognised him from his YouTube channel and wanted him to sign his cap! Marek duly obliged and made the child's day. That was the first time it had happened, so of course we told Marek, the next beers were on him, with him being a superstar and all

Once docked a few passengers were asked to contact staff regarding their vehicles, as some damage had occurred. Thankfully no one in our group was affected but as we were at the front of the ferry, our cars were covered in salty water leaving the windows pretty dirty.



Miguel who had travelled to Norway for work a few days prior, gloated about his very smooth crossing....

Our hotel for the night was only a few miles from the Kristiansand ferry port and the view from the car park was pretty good.



Once all checked in, we headed out for food.



A long day demanded beer.......at £11.69!!!



Slow cooked beef with potatoes and vegetables.



We also collected another member, Miguel in his M2.



I did suffer a misforunte in the hotel though......wasn't my fault!



Final stats for the day.

[Efthreeoh]

An E30 retrofitted with iDrive is just plain WRONG!

[mjn77]

Day 2

Now that we're actually in Norway, let the awesome roads and driving commence!

The morning view from the holiday looks promising!



First order of the day was to wash the cars and remove all the sea salt from the ferry crossing.







Looking much cleaner now.



Just as we're loading the cars with all our luggage, a message on the group chat caused a few issues. One of the passengers in the group was seriously ill and had been up all night with diarrhoea and vomiting. They weren't sure they could continue with the journey and the party considered going back home. And in true Top Gear / Grand Tour style, we left them behind Later in the morning after a trip to the hospital, they were diagnosed with norovirus and whilst unpleasant, is over very quickly. After the worst of it was over, they drove straight to the next hotel via the quickest route.

Meanwhile, everyone else met up ready to start driving.

And now with Miguel, six cars strong. Well, five really with one member staying behind due to the above sickness.



Heading out of Kristiansand, we head west and hug the coast.



One thing which we all quickly noticed was the great condition of ALL the roads, pretty much zero potholes. However, not all good news as whilst Norway has probably the best roads in Europe, they seemed to have the lowest speed limits!





But the scenery is stunning, so we didn't mind too much.

These roads were fantastic to drive.



One road did however, turn from smooth tarmac to loose gravel, for around 2-3 miles.



But soon enough we were on our way to Stavanger.







Our first ferry across the fjords.





These ferries are cheap, i mean, real cheap, like under €10.

Under €10 for a view like this.



On we go.













After Stavanger, we went through the Ryfast Tunnel which is 14.4km long. Much childish antics took place here,



Arrived at the hotel.





The brighter amongst you may only count 4 cars and not 5, well Marek found a great spot to stop and fly his drone.

A well deserved beer.



Or two.



Ok, 3 beers.



Everyone parked outside their little chalets.



Final stats for the day

[mjn77]

Day 3

Late last night, just as everyone else was going to bed, the party (Joao) with sickness arrived at the hotel. We said a brief hello and went to bed.

During the evening meal the previous day, i noticed that quite a few dishes were served with brussel sprouts and as i perused the breakfast items available, something caught my eye....yup, a brussel sprout omlette!?!?!?



And then, if that wasn't enough brussel sprouts for you and you fancied some with your meat and cheese, or maybe with your cereal, just some plain brussel sprouts.



I've stayed in hundreds of hotels and never once have i seen sprouts served for breakfast! LOL!

Today, we left the town of Sauda and headed north east towards Hagafoss. Tonight the group was spread amongst three different hotels. My hotel was on the lakeside of Strandavatnet.

The sun was shining and the roads were empty as we set off.

















As we climbed further out of town, the roads narrowed.







With the scenery getting better and better with every single mile.





Finally, with the cars in front peeling off, we were able to increase the pace.









This could be anywhere in the Alps.



My type of roads.



Reaching the summit gave us a breathtaking view.







We sat and absorbed for a short while.





Was this the peak of the trip, could this be bettered?

Carrying on towards Roldal.







Yup, this could be the Alps.







Slightly off the beaten track here, meaning traffic was pretty much nonexistent.









A lot of farm animals roam across the land in Norway and we were stopped in our tracks by three sheep having a gang bang. Two males were fighting over a single female, taking it in turn to have a few thrusts before being rammed off.





A couple of beeps of the horn and they moved out of the way.



Carrying on.



Another stop, more photos.



This spot was pretty busy with hikers.



But another great view.





Finding somewhere for lunch and it was decided we would stop at the Låtefoss Waterfall.



















Another cool AF tunnel.



Each time we thought the view couldn't be beaten......it was.



Staying on the 7 route.













Clouds moving in.





A pretty good view from the hotel car park.



And the hotel.





And as you can see, right on the lake side.





The view whilst we have evening meal.



Well deserved beer.



And food (with more sodding sprouts!)



Some of these hotels are in the middle of nowhere and when you eat at them, the choice is, "would you like a meal?" There is no choice of which meal, just do you want a meal. Not to worry though as the food was awesome.

Dusk starting.



Stats for the day.

[MRTAQ]

This looked like an amazing trip.

[Vinnrox250]

This trip look like a blast! Very much enjoying the write up! Beautiful E90!

[playswcars]

Fun fact: The E30 M3 you saw actually has a complete F82 M4 drivetrain swap including engine, DKG transmission, custom axles and Carbon Ceramics off the F82. It's way more than just iDrive.

[F80DK]

Thank you so much for putting this together. As a Dane, however, I an very dissapointed that you went straight thru my tiny beautiful country But then again, Norway has some spectacular sceneries: I went to Hemsedal and Bergen couple of years ago. Damn goods roads and very recommendable.

[TikiTourer]

Great trip ..poor choices of beer though 😂
I was looking for the photos of the cars at Nordkapp....but no..your trip is not yet complete. Next year maybe?

[eanto]

impressive! thanks for sharing!

[[/:\] GP9000]

That waterfall looks so stunning. A nice mix of cars, folks and a scenic route!

[eddiehaug]

Amazing! Looking forward to the continuation!

I actually live in Norway and this is inspiring me to take a similar road as I've been thinking for a while to drive to the Artic Circle. I would do it using an electric car though. Teslabjørn (Bjørn Nyland, a Norwegian electric car reviewer) has done it several times, so I know it's possible.

Keep the posts coming!

Cheers!

[mjn77]

Day 4

Waking up on this fine morning was not pleasant. Some of those earlier randy sheep had damaged two cars!! Looked like they had brushed up against and scraped their cow bells on the bodywork causing scratches.





Great view from outside the hotel.







A bit of morning pussy.









We also collected another club member, car number 7, AJ and his black 1M, with retro fitted soft close doors!!



And then there were 7 cars.



The others travel from their hotels to ours.



A few weeks before we set off for this trip, i had AJ and another local check my route to make sure the roads we planned would be enjoyable and they muchly approved. As such, we let AJ take the lead.

The scenery just kept getting better and better!!











Off we go again, heading for Laerdal.



This is NOT the Laerdal tunnel, but keep reading!!





We keep climbing.











Another great view.



More sheep blocking the road.



As we approach the summit over the Laerdal tunnel, the ground flattens.





Another great view.





Once in Laerdal we were given a personal tour by the owner of a secret private car collection. This was organised by the final tour member, Gaute, and just take a look at the cars below.

And most of these cars are driven, so no garage queens here.

Road legal Ford GT40 replica.









The Ferrari from the 80's video game Outrun.











Ferrari Testarossa.







Honda NSX





Not any Renault Clio, but the one that tried to kill every driver.







Lamborghini Diablo









Ferrari 308 GTS ready for its engine to be installed after a full rebuild.



Super super rare BMW bought for a full restoration.











We also collected the 8th and final member of the tour, Gaute in his white 1M.



All parked up whilst we had lunch.







This is also where we said goodbye to Miguel who had to head to Oslo.



After lunch it was through the Laerdal tunnel. A tunnel so long it has laybys.













Out the tunnel, we carried on heading north.



The weather started to change.



Those 1M are rapid!!



A considerate motorhome pulling over to let us pass.



Looking very grey.









Keen to to reach the hotel before the rain starts.





Time for another ferry.









A better view than when you cross the English Channel!









Into the forrest we go.







The Gaularfjellsvegen Viewpoint.







Motorhome ruining the photo LOL.



Last few miles before the hotel.



The rain starts.



All parked up at the hotel.







Looking back.



The hotel, made up of lots of small buildings.





And a fantastic room for us.



Well deserved beer.



And another.



Ok, if you insist, a 3rd.



This was another hotel where the food choice was, "Would you like to eat at the hotel?"





Final stats for the day.

[mjn77]

Originally Posted by F80DK

Thank you so much for putting this together. As a Dane, however, I an very dissapointed that you went straight thru my tiny beautiful country But then again, Norway has some spectacular sceneries: I went to Hemsedal and Bergen couple of years ago. Damn goods roads and very recommendable.

Ah well, time is short and Denmark is expensive.

[mckman]

Nice e90 and thanks for posting. Great trip so far.

[DocWeatherington]

Awesome post

[M_Torx]

that S55 E30 💦 E30 or E36 S55 is so nice

[Dégoûté]

I watch mdrives all the time. Very well put together videos of some jaw dropping drives.

[DisonKlaud]

a fantastic story about bimmers and their owners.thanks for sharing.great view!

[anakha]

Just did a trip through parts of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden last month. Would have been great to have my F87 with me, but not so easy to bring it across the pond 😂

Beautiful country and beautiful pics. Thanks for posting. Your story and pictures make me want to go back and explore more of Norway via motorways! Looks like an epic trip!

[mjn77]

Originally Posted by Dégoûté

I watch mdrives all the time. Very well put together videos of some jaw dropping drives.

Yeah, Marek will have some video online soon enough but he said it’ll take him weeks just to go through all the footage he captured.

I’m still going through my photos. Not touched the videos yet!