Midnight Sun 1200

[FifeingEejit]

This has tempted me enough to stump up the grand sum of £16.80 to reserve a place while I work the rest out
http://vasterbottenbrevet.se/msr1200/

I "think" I've worked out how to do the journey to Umea in 3 days
Day 1: Fife -> Hoek (Stena Night ferry from Harwich)
Day 2: Hoek -> Malmo (TT Night ferry from Travemunde (Lubeck Skandinavianquai))
Day 3: Malmo -> Umea (SJ Night train from Stockholm)

But this requires me to get to Rotterdam for the 1035ish train which gives about an hour to get off the ferry and then an hour and a half to do 30k
and bag up my bike at Malmo (pretty much unavoidable)

And then there's COVID faff of course, I'll need to take yet another test somewhere along the way as far as I can tell (if it was today)

Anyone else, (even if you don't need Hannibal's dodgy milk to give easier logistics).

[salar55]

Why not add a few days for travelling, turn off the hassle and make a holiday of it .

[quixoticgeek]

This has tempted me enough to stump up the grand sum of £16.80 to reserve a place while I work the rest out
http://vasterbottenbrevet.se/msr1200/

I "think" I've worked out how to do the journey to Umea in 3 days
Day 1: Fife -> Hoek (Stena Night ferry from Harwich)
Day 2: Hoek -> Malmo (TT Night ferry from Travemunde (Lubeck Skandinavianquai))
Day 3: Malmo -> Umea (SJ Night train from Stockholm)

But this requires me to get to Rotterdam for the 1035ish train which gives about an hour to get off the ferry and then an hour and a half to do 30k
and bag up my bike at Malmo (pretty much unavoidable)

And then there's COVID faff of course, I'll need to take yet another test somewhere along the way as far as I can tell (if it was today)

Anyone else, (even if you don't need Hannibal's dodgy milk to give easier logistics).

Why not do Newcastle -> IJmuiden? as the ferry leg. It's closer to where you're starting from. Then the train just becomes  Driehuis -> Amsterdam, Amsterdam -> Osnabruck, Osnabruck -> Hamburg, Hamburg -> Lubeck Scandi.

The fact you can't take the bike on the train in Sweden is a right royal pain in the arse, but you seem to be aware of that one. As you have to bag the bike anyway, if you are willing to bag it sooner, you can make use of ICE trains for some of the leg, and then you also open yourself up to the possibility of the night trains.

Note that for taking a bike on a German train you cannot book the bike ticket online. It has to be done by an approved ticket agent (I get mine at Amsterdam Centraal). This becomes a real problem if you say need to buy a bike ticket at Hamburg Hbf, where they don't let you take your bike into the ticket office, but they won't let you lock it in sight of the office. When I asked them what the fuck I was supposed to do they suggested I check my bike into left luggage while I buy my ticket. They really have no fucking clue.

For tickets, do look at interrail passes. They have a 4 days in 30 pass that costs €246. I used this for my trip to Finland and it proved very cost effective. It just means you have to arrange tickets for your bike, and a bike space reservation. This cost me €20 each way for my bike from Amsterdam to Travemunde. If you really struggle to find buy a bike ticket, I'm not totally opposed to the idea of going to Amsterdam Centraal for you. If it's plenty in advance, and you tell me exactly which trains you need. They then produce a pdf ticket you can use, as well as a printed version of the same (can post, or arrange to hand over when you arrive in country).

Oh, and salar55 is right, make a holiday of it, .NL is a lovely place to cycle on the way there :p

J

[FifeingEejit]

The problem with the Newcastle->Ijmuiden ferry is it leaves at 4pm
I cannot work a half day and catch it
In which case I feel I should be moving asap

I've worked out a few options and the Hoek-Travemunde option is currently the most appealing, both for time efficiency and for novelty of route (except for some of the bits along the way to Hamburg)
Snaltaget's luggage restrictions makes their night train useless, and the total amount of time I've spent in Berlin involved being shunted around the Ost Banhof while I slept my way to Praha.

The minimum amount of time I need off to do this is 10 days, which is also the limit before it needs to go to special approval.
10-15 days has to go to my service delivery manager, 16+ days to head of service possibly director.
I have put in for 15 days and waiting to see if I get it. (that'll give me 23 days)

I've already spoken to my mate in Bergen, NH

I've got a cost tracker going in my plans, at present including seat/berth fees, the interrail pass validity period that would be useful for the 15 day approach (7 travel days in 2 months) are roughly the same as the cost to get from Amsterdam to Umea (I worked it out for the newcastle option), and if I do that I can also use the pass to get to/from the ports here.

So I'd only have the seat/bike/berth fees and ferry tickets on top of it.

I've only just managed to find DB's luggage policy is similar to the GB one of "If you can carry it, and it can fit out the way of people, then you can take it"
That helps massively although carrying a bike as hand luggage on a ferry is possibly a bit clumsy, and it looks like can make a faster connection to the ferry at Travemunde by bike than by train+walk.

Seat61's always said DB have a great english speaking call centre for booking tickets so might try them but a handy option QG if I need it.
Although sometimes I find it easier to speak German to a German than try to get my code switch right.


If I get the 3 weeks of that opens up the option to return via the ferry to Vassa, then down to Helsinki, it's just whether I can be bothered with the faff of having a bike with me all that time

[FifeingEejit]

Trying to work out what is possible in Sweden has resulted in the inevitable.
And email to SJ customer services.

I've also explored via Finland again, enough Bike Carrying IC trains to Vassa, only €4 for a bike reservation... can I find out how to book a bike reservation in Finland? CIF.

Other option is I just hire a car...
280 quid for an unlimited mileage 14 day hire of a Peugeot 208 from next week, everything else is more expensive is that because I'd barely get out of Skane before it broke down?

[Lightning Phil]

After choosing route and date and searching. Where it says passengers, additional services and accessibility.   Tap / click on the current 1 adult and it’ll give option to book bike.

[quixoticgeek]

After choosing route and date and searching. Where it says passengers, additional services and accessibility.   Tap / click on the current 1 adult and it’ll give option to book bike.

Yep. It's really easy. I used the mobile app from VR. You just add the bike as an option.

J

[FifeingEejit]

yeah that's easy... easier than pretty much every other rail booking system I've ever looked at how to add a bike to...
right... options of how to get to helsinki, see what comes first a reply from SJ or....

[quixoticgeek]

yeah that's easy... easier than pretty much every other rail booking system I've ever looked at how to add a bike to...
right... options of how to get to helsinki, see what comes first a reply from SJ or....

Travemünde -> Helsinki. 30 hours on a ferry. But it's nice and relaxing. Would recommend. Food ain't too bad either.

J

[FifeingEejit]

yeah that's easy... easier than pretty much every other rail booking system I've ever looked at how to add a bike to...
right... options of how to get to helsinki, see what comes first a reply from SJ or....

Travemünde -> Helsinki. 30 hours on a ferry. But it's nice and relaxing. Would recommend. Food ain't too bad either.

J

Aye, I already kent after spotting they're in competition with TT-Line on the Travemunde-Malmo route, fairly sure it would take more than that to get across to Tallin and then over.
Probably not the best option on the way our but would def work as a return, another return option is to go to tallin cos like I've never been, ride/train to Riga and then Liepadia that has sailings back across to Traveunde I think it is.
€170 euro sharing a 3 berth cabin.


Waiting for the local anaesthetic to wear off before making tea so I I just tried to do a repeated translation of the autmate response for SJ Kundservice.

Dissapointingly it still makes sense after Swedish -> Danish -> GErman -> Dutch -> Frissian -> Luxembourgish -> Yiddish -> Norwegian -> English

I had to break language family to get the good old altavista repeat bablefish thing to mangle up, and went for Slovak.


And there is no wisdom, but there is no strength in them.

This is the best way to go to the beach and there is a good way
And if there was a queen of the king, he said of his life w.e.g. Good morning, no more.
And there was a very good thing, and there were no children. Thank you so much, I have a great time!
טיצט w.e.g. A lot of fun 1-92638475457 What if there was a bunch of people who were going to get to the beach.
אַה
SJ Coat of Arms
________________________________
AV I have a new AV channel and a new AV, AVG is available for download: https://www.sj.se/sv/rattigheter-gd זען.

[Ivo]

Regarding trains and Stockholm. On a Dutch form I read that Flixtrain now runs the Gothenburg-Stockholm route and takes bikes.
There's a ferry from Frederikshavn in Denmark to Gothenburg. And a trainconnection via Hamburg to Frederikshavn.

[FifeingEejit]

Yeah Flix do run a train for that bit, handy!
Downside of Flix is they aren't in interrail.

There seems to be more routes to Umea than I can be bothered investigating,
The one I'd really like to still exist is Aberdeen or Newcastle to Zoteburgh.

Think getting to Kiel for check in may be a bit of a push without a stop along the way... but I've never been to Kiel (or Lubeck/Travemunde for that matter)

I've also been thinking that Malmo makes more sense than Gothenburgh, but it's similar time on the train and both ferries are 1 nighters.

In Gothaland wearing anything that says Dundee on it eventually results in talking about the 1987 Uefa cup final.

[rholm85]

Let me know if you need a hand translating or figuring anything out with regards to SJ and/or transport planning in Sweden.

[FifeingEejit]

Let me know if you need a hand translating or figuring anything out with regards to SJ and/or transport planning in Sweden.

I tried asking JS but their legendary rubbishness came to the fore.

What I Really need to know is with my bike bagged up officially what trains can I use (obviously individual guards have their own interpretations)

[rholm85]

Let me know if you need a hand translating or figuring anything out with regards to SJ and/or transport planning in Sweden.

I tried asking JS but their legendary rubbishness came to the fore.

What I Really need to know is with my bike bagged up officially what trains can I use (obviously individual guards have their own interpretations)

Well, you're supposed to be able to bring a bagged bike on all trains operated by SJ themselves provided there's room for the bike bag,  but bikes (or any special luggage) are not prioritized by SJ (surprise).

There are regional train operators as well with different rules, most are more open to bike travel than SJ, but they usually have limited space (for example Mälartåg operating IVO Stockholm has room for six bikes in total per train).

But if you're traveling from say Gothenburg to Umeå, that should be two SJ rides and bringing the bike should be OK (but again, no way to guarantee there'll be room, as far as I know you can't book space for special luggage).

[FifeingEejit]

I'll probably stick with arriving in Goteborg on the way out and allow a couple of days to get to Umea in case there's special luggage issues, I'll be trying to interail it so booking spaces isn't too expensive if i need to book a few trains, but I'd prefer to use the sleeper train if possible to Umea from Stockholm.

I can see me booking a car...

[FifeingEejit]

Finally got a response from SJ to my e-mail asking for more info than their webpage said...
They told me to look at the webpage...

So looks like Flix from Goteborg and there's plans a foot for Stockholm-Umea.

Which means my likely route is:
Fife -> A Port -> Kiel -> Goteborg -> Stockholm -> Umea
Umea -> Vassa -> Helsinki -> Travemunde or Rostock -> Mates hoose in Noord-Holand -> A Port -> Fife

Think I'm almost ready to take the punt on the entry fee and hope Covid and/or another injury doesn't feck it all up.

[Kev Sp8]

I have entered this. My vague plan is a flight to Stockholm, then rent a people carrier and drive to Umea. If enough of us clubbed together, this would be both convenient and cost effective I think.

[Feanor]

I appear to have snaffled the last place on the Reservation list!

[Kev Sp8]

Shall we do a Roll Call, plus early thoughts on travel plams?

I've paid up to enter. Im thinking along the lines of fly to Stockholm, then rent a vehicle to drive to Umea, leave it there for the ride, then drive it back after.  (hopefully with other riders to keep cost down)

[Rando-nurr]

Shall we do a Roll Call, plus early thoughts on travel plams?

I've paid up to enter. Im thinking along the lines of fly to Stockholm, then rent a vehicle to drive to Umea, leave it there for the ride, then drive it back after.  (hopefully with other riders to keep cost down)

I've entered. Currently looking like a flight to Stockholm from Birmingham then train. I'd be interested in sharing the cost of a rental vehicle as long as it's cheaper than a train ticket?

[FifeingEejit]

Basically if I end up in Quarantine hotel anywhere along the way I'm not getting paid until I'm back at my laptop.
So I'm having major second thought about spunking £170 on entry.
I can do most of the journey there refundable though.

[Feanor]

Just put my money where my mouth is.

Nagged on by an e-mail from the event org, I've just upgraded my reservation to an actual entry.
Rider 1060.

[FifeingEejit]

I'm stuck in decision paralysis!

[Lightning Phil]

I'm stuck in decision paralysis!

Toss a coin 11 times and go with the result