SCANDI STARS
Dillow points out that travel planners are often confused when it comes to Scandinavian Schengen regulations. “It’s easy to think you can travel into Iceland and Norway on top of your Schengen allowance as they are not members of the EU,” Dillow says. “However, like Switzerland and Lichtenstein, they are associate members of the Schengen Area and included in your 90-day limit.”
The Faroe Islands were one of the early green-listed locations for British travellers and these Danish islands, reachable by a twice-weekly car ferry from Denmark, are outside Schengen, affording a 90-day reset for British passport holders (making them a great addon for a three-month Scandinavian trip, with Greenland and Svalbard also being outside both zones).
Start your Scandi tour in Denmark, entering through Germany and spending a month taking in Denmark’s castles and dazzling archipelagos via an array of spectacular bridges such as Storebaeltbroen, which spans the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, and Oresund, made famous as the setting for Scandinoir crime drama The Bridge.
You can park in roadside laybys (rasteplads) across the country for free. It’s a well-kept secret that Gota, the picturesque canal that scissors along the
length of Sweden from Gothenburg to Stockholm, has along its length a series of canalside aires. These are a great way to see the rolling green heart of Sweden, with its picturesque red wooden houses; the route should take you a few weeks.
After exploring Stockholm, head on to Norway. It’s a vast country, so spend your days wisely, remembering to leave a few in the bank in case you need to drive home with little notice. Route 258 is a less-travelled Norwegian route, with its plunging mountains, cobalt blue waters and glaciers. Norway’s “right to roam” allows you to park for free, although vans and motorhomes must be parked at least 500ft from
inhabited houses and cabins.
You can then hop on a ferry from Norway to Denmark before picking up another via Torshavn bound for the Faroe Islands (36 hours, with spectacular scenery en route). On arrival at the islands, you can free-stand near spectacular natural spots such as Mulafossur Waterfall. Vehicle ferries can take you on to Shetland and back to mainland Scotland, although you’ll need to plan your routes carefully.
Be warned that this is the most pricey of the Grand Tours, with the cost of living in Denmark and Norway around 30 per cent higher than the UK.
See green route – 106 days