Figure 1: The Cyclodyssée team arriving in SaeManGeum, Korea.
Text: La Cyclodyssée
The start of Roverway is less than 50 days away! You and your contingents are most likely busy planning your travels to camp. Whilst most of you will travel by train or plane, there are different, more adventurous ways of travelling to an international Guide and Scout camp.
For this article, we are very lucky to have true experts coming in to share their expertise about sustainable travel! La Cyclodyssée was brought into being by three Scout leaders from France, who crossed Europe and Asia by bike to travel to the World Scout Jamboree in Korea last year! They have travelled for seven months, across 17 countries and covered an incredible 15.606 km.
We hope that their experience will inspire you for your travels to future international events!
For coming to Norway you have a lot of options, but why wouldn’t you take on the challenge of reducing your environmental footprint while exploring Europe with sustainable transport? Here we present the means of transport alternative to flying that you can use to reach the departure points of the paths.
By bicycle
All the countries close to Norway have excellent bicycle roads and you can use for example the main Eurovelo roads to cross Europe like EV 12 North Sea Cycle Route, EV3 Pilgrim Route or EV13 Iron Curtain Trail. It’s a cheap and easy way to travel without any carbon emissions and really discover the culture of the countries you go through. And you don’t need to be a professional cyclist and an expert of the Tour de France! Here are some tips to help you organise your trip to Norway:
Equipment
- Your bicycle: You don’t need the most expensive, top-level bicycle. Just get a good and light touring-bicycle (max 16-17 kg), with grooved tyres, non-notched (to save energy), a comfortable saddle, good transmission, efficient brakes and a luggage rack.
- Further equipment: It would be useful to bring a helmet, cycling bottles, some patches, one extra inner tube per person, a multi-tool, and a pump … don’t worry, if you have a serious breakage on the road, you will find a shop to repair it!
Packing for the trip
- Luggage: There is no need to have your camp bag on the back! Find saddlebags and put all your stuff inside. Then you can keep your bag empty on the luggage rack and later use it for hiking at Roverway!
- What to bring: A light tent or just a tarp, your basic equipment to eat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and of course some clothes and toiletries. Don’t forget your Guide/ Scout scarf!
- Tip: Travel lightly! Don’t take too much equipment, too many clothes.
On the road
- Navigation: You can use the data of your mobile phone anywhere in Europe. There are a lot of apps to find a good road. We advise for example Komoot, very efficient everywhere.
- To be hosted: You can either use camp places, or Warmshower or Welcome to my garden, which is like Couchsurfing but for bike tourers. Just contact people a few days before arriving!
- Schedule: Start with 50-60 km on the first days and you will see you are able to make 80-100 km a day very quickly!
- Tip: You don’t need an extra car to carry your luggage but if you are a team of more than 4-5 people or if somebody feels less sporty, an electric bike in the team can be a game changer. Don’t forget to charge it every evening!
Of course, a lot can happen on the trip. You may have rain, wind, flat tyres, more kilometres by taking the wrong road, and misunderstandings with the locals but it’s part of the adventure and a good way to discover European countries! You’re able to do it! We know that a team of French Rovers will start from France to go to Denmark by bicycle and then by public transport to Norway! So go on!
By train and public transport
The European continent also has a very good railway network. For example, you can use the Interrail pass to travel between the main cities of Europe (to go to Norway: by Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo and Bergen). Night trains are also a good way to travel long distances without spending days on the train. Take the time to stop in the cities and visit the places!
By ferry
There are pretty good ferry lines across the North Sea. The main departure ports are:
- Hirtshals at the very north of Denmark
- Kiel, in the north of Germany
- Copenhagen
From these ports you can reach: Bergen, Stavanger, Kristians, Langesund, Larvik and Oslo, almost all the departure points of the paths!
Combining ways of transport
And of course, you can combine different means of transport: explore a country by bicycle, then put your bicycle on a train, then leave your bicycle at a Guide or Scout base or cross the sea with it!
Carrying your bicycle on a ferry is quite easy, you’re considered a foot passenger and, most of the time, there is no extra fee. Carrying your bike is possible on a lot of trains as well. Here is an article about how to carry your bike on the train in Europe. But it can be tricky so check when you book your train ticket!
Not just limiting your carbon footprint: travel and have fun!
Keep in mind that limiting your carbon footprint by not flying shouldn’t be seen as a constraint only, it’s also an opportunity to take the time to travel, live on the road and enjoy authentic experiences!