As departure day draws closer, our plans for Loop 1 (North) are becoming clearer.
No, we still haven't booked anything.
No, we're not going to book anything (with one possible exception... you'll have to read on to see what that is!)
How we plan : one large (but outdated) laminated map, a laptop computer and whiteboard markers. #teachersinthewild
Our travel itinerary
For this loop, we're heading north-east: Belgium, Aachen (via Luxembourg because I (heart) small countries and, more to the point, diesel is cheaper there), Cologne, up into northern Denmark, across to Copenhagen, over to Sweden, right the way up to the edge of the Arctic circle, down through Finland, the Baltics, Poland, Berlin, then home. We'd love to take a detour from Tallinn to St Petersburg, but the feasibility of that in the current circumstances is doubtful.
Why north first ?
We're not big fans of extreme heat around here, which means south in summer is a big NO from us. We don't have the equipment for extreme cold either, meaning that Scandinavia in winter is also out. August and September seems like a pretty ideal time to visit.
We'll also (fingers crossed) be fulfilling one of my only childhood dreams that didn't involve dinosaurs : visiting Legoland in Copenhagen. That's the bit we'll need to book.
The children have not been informed of this part of the plan, and anyone telling them will be subjected to hours and hours of Isidore singing Baby Shark on repeat.
Accommodation
Scandinavia is known for being Expensive-with-a-capital-E. It's also known for excellent camping facilities. Additionally, Norway, Sweden and Finland all have right to roam laws which allow camping on public land all over the country, within reason. We'll be renting places later on in our trip, but for this loop, we're taking our tent, both for flexibility and to keep costs down.
This is not our tent, our hammock broke a while ago, and I don't think Ze Husband would ever wear a checked overshirt. Other than that, this image is entirely representative of our plans.
French edition coming soon!
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