I am toying with the idea of making this the first tour outside of the UK. The decision, ultimately, will depend on my riding skills primarily, but another consideration is climate. Although I am fully prepared for adverse weather conditions, I don't particularly want to be riding hundreds of miles in cold, wet and miserable conditions. Leaving the UK has been pencilled in for July...prior to that I need to undertake a fairly comprehensive view to each route's most suitable season for touring.
NORDIC TOUR (miles):
•Train to Alborg (Denmark)
... to Kolding = 130
... to Copenhagen = 145
... Gothenburg = 195
... to Oslo = 180
... to Bergen (via Geilo) = 285
... to Oslo (via Nystuen) = 340
... to Stockholm (via Orebro = 330
(...Boat...) ... to Helsinki = 0
... to St Petersburg = 240
... to Tallin = 230
... to Riga = 195
... to Kaunas = 165
... to Minsk = 180
... to Warsaw = 345
... to Auschwitz = 210
•Train to somewhere...
TOTAL = 3170miles
I've not even set foot in any of these countries! Off the top of my head I am not even sure if any friends are housed in any of the locations...or even countries - clearly I need to start mixing with some giants of Scandinavia. I've met plenty of people from Poland and have to say I adore them as a people. Likely I will end up spending far more time in that country than this route would suggest. St Petersburg...now, there is a fella from there who's life I saved once - perhaps I could hunt him down for a reunion.