Starting from our tiny town, Flekkefjord, we took the E39 towards Kristiansand. The drive would take less than two hours, with no stops or just quick toilet/gas breaks. When we first moved here, we gathered (unspoken words) that it was thought that the drive from Flekkefjord towards Stavanger, or vice versa, is waaaaay more scenic than the route to & from Kristiansand. For me, it is partially true because that Stavanger to Flekkefjord stretch is really.. quite.. grand. It always reminded me of the landscapes in New Zealand.. that being said, the drive to Kristiansand is scenic enough. :)
Moving on, a summer town, Mandal, will be coming up on your right. We've been meaning to visit this town and its' famous beach, but we haven't gotten around it. It is probably one of the more well-known summer towns in the Vest-Agder region. Based on an educated guess, I would say Mandal is well-worth a stop :)
For now, just relax because.... the terminal will be in sight soon!
The operator of this car ferry is Colorline, the timetable is essential, especially for those, like us, have to drive a little before taking the ferry. You have to be there an hour before departure time. Quick tip is pay the little extra and get the buffet on the way BACK - what you pay for the food, you also pay for a table space throughout the whole journey. We always do a little shopping after a bite and go back to our seats to chill till we reach land again. (Yes! There's shopping onboard - see here)
And, off you go for a 3 hours and 15mins break on the ocean, away from the road.
And notice the change of landscape!
So from here, there are a few options. It is easy to pick a pretty town and stay a night before taking the next day's ferry back. You could take a 30min drive to Skagen - a pretty summer town, famous for the beach and art. And/or take a further drive to Aalborg, the fourth largest city in Denmark. With more time, and after some fun time in Denmark, you could even take another ferry at Fredrikshavn to Gothenburg, Sweden :) or drive all the way south to Copenhagen - it's about 5 hours drive from Hirtshals.
A happy camper,
ABE