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Retirement Travel Blog UK – Your Guide with RetiredCormac
Exploring the world in retirement offers endless opportunities for adventure and discovery.
RetiredCormac, a UK retirement travel blog, brings you practical advice, first-hand experiences, and tips for planning unique and affordable journeys.


Exploring Båtsfjord
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 7 - Arrive @ 00:00, Depart @ 00:30 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 7 / Day 1 - Arrive @ 20:00, Depart @ 20:30 Climate Midnight Sun - 15 May to 31 July. Polar Night - 24 November to 21 January. Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-327114/Norway/Finnmark/Båtsfjord/Båtsfjord Observations - other than Excursions The 30min stop in either direction doesn't provide a long enoug

RetiredCormac
36 minutes ago1 min read


Exploring Berlevåg
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 6 - Arrive @ 22:00, Depart @ 22:10 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 7 / Day 1 - Arrive @ 22:25, Depart @ 22:35 Climate Midnight Sun - 13 May to 28 July. Polar Night - 21 November to 21 January. Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-329158/Norway/Finnmark/Berlevåg/Berlevåg Observations - other than Excursions The 10min stop in either direction doesn't provide a long enough

RetiredCormac
37 minutes ago1 min read


Exploring Mehamn
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 6 - Arrive @ 18:55, Depart @ 19:15 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 8 / Day 2 - Arrive @ 01:20, Depart @ 01:30 Climate Midnight Sun - 15 May to 31 July. Polar Night - 1 December to 10 January. Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-330164/Norway/Finnmark/Gamvik/Mehamn Observations - other than Excursions The 20min stop northbound, and 10min stop southbound doesn't provide a

RetiredCormac
37 minutes ago1 min read


Exploring Kjøllefjord
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 6 - Arrive @ 16:40, Depart @ 17:00 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 8 / Day 2 - Arrive @ 03:25, Depart @ 03:35 Climate Midnight Sun - 12 May to 31 July. Polar Night - 20 November to 21 January. Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-328665/Norway/Finnmark/Lebesby/Kjøllefjord Observations - other than Excursions The 20min stop northbound, and 10min stop southbound doesn't pr

RetiredCormac
43 minutes ago1 min read


Exploring Havøysund
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 6 - Arrive @ 08:30, Depart @ 08:45 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 8 / Day 2 - Arrive @ 08:00, Depart @ 08:15 Climate Midnight Sun - 14 May to 1 August. Polar Night - 22 November to 22 January. Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-327921/Norway/Finnmark/Måsøy/Havøysund Observations - other than Excursions The 15min stop northbound, and 15min stop southbound doesn't provi

RetiredCormac
50 minutes ago1 min read


Exploring Skjervøy
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 5 - Arrive @ 22:10, Depart @ 22:25 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 8 / Day 2 - Arrive @ 19:30, Depart @ 19:45 Climate Midnight Sun - 20 May - 22 July Polar Night - 24 November - 17 January Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-316802/Norway/Troms/Skjervøy/Skjervøy Observations - other than Excursions The 15min stop northbound, and 15min stop southbound doesn't provide a l

RetiredCormac
1 hour ago1 min read


Exploring Finnsnes
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 5 - Arrive @ 11:00, Depart @ 11:30 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 9 / Day 3 - Arrive @ 04:20, Depart @ 04:40 Climate Midnight Sun - 21 May - 25 July Polar Night - 1 December - 13 January Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-294022/Norway/Troms/Harstad/Harstad Observations - other than Excursions The 30min stop northbound, and 20min stop southbound doesn't provide a long

RetiredCormac
1 hour ago1 min read


Exploring Harstad
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 5 - Arrive @ 07:10, Depart @ 07:45 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 9 / Day 3 - Arrive @ 08:00, Depart @ 08:30 Climate Midnight Sun - 25 May - 18 July Polar Night - 2 November - 10 January Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-294022/Norway/Troms/Harstad/Harstad Observations - other than Excursions The 25min stop northbound, and 30min stop southbound doesn't provide a long

RetiredCormac
1 hour ago1 min read


Exploring Risøyhamn
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 5 - Arrive @ 04:35, Depart @ 04:50 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 9 / Day 3 - Arrive @ 10:45, Depart @ 11:00 Climate Midnight Sun - 20 May - 22 July Polar Night - 03 December - 11 January Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-290150/Norway/Nordland/Andøy/Risøyhamn Observations - other than Excursions The 15min stop northbound, and 15min stop southbound doesn't provide a

RetiredCormac
1 hour ago1 min read


Exploring Svolvær
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 4 - Arrive @ 21:20, Depart @ 22:15 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 9 / Day 3 - Arrive @ 18:30, Depart @ 20:30 Climate Midnight Sun - 28 May - 14 July Polar Night - 7 December - 5 January Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-276917/Norway/Nordland/Vågan/Svolvær Observations - other than Excursions The port stop at Svolvær is 55mins northbound - but its late at night - so

RetiredCormac
2 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Stamsund
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 4 - Arrive @ 19:15, Depart @ 19:40 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 9 / Day 3 - Arrive @ 22:15, Depart @ 22:30 Climate Midnight Sun - 25 May - 17 July Polar Night - 7 December - 5 January Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-276799/Norway/Nordland/Vestvågøy/Stamsund Observations - other than Excursions The 25min stop northbound, and 15min stop southbound doesn't provide a

RetiredCormac
2 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Bodø
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 4 - Arrive @ 13:05, Depart @ 15:20 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 10 / Day 4 - Arrive @ 02:30, Depart @ 03:30 Climate Midnight Sun - 01 June to 13 July Polar Night - Not applicable Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-269359/Norway/Nordland/Bodø/Bodø Observations - other than Excursions The port stop at Bodø is a generous 2hrs and 15mins northbound, which is ample time

RetiredCormac
2 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Vadsø
Only applicable to Port to Port travellers.

RetiredCormac
4 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Vardø
Visit the small but interesting Vardøhus Fortress.

RetiredCormac
4 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Ørnes
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 4 - Arrive @ 10:00, Depart @ 10:10 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 10 / Day 4 - Arrive @ 06:25, Depart @ 06:35 Climate Midnight Sun - 2 June - 10 July Polar Night - Not applicable Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-264081/Norway/Nordland/Meløy/Ørnes Observations - other than Excursions The 10min stop northbound, and 10min stop southbound doesn't provide a long enough o

RetiredCormac
4 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Nesna
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 4 - Arrive @ 06:00, Depart @ 06:10 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 10 / Day 4 - Arrive @ 10:25, Depart @ 10:35 Climate Midnight Sun - 9 June - 2 July Polar Night - Not applicable Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-255902/Norway/Nordland/Nesna/Nesna Observations - other than Excursions The 10min stop northbound, and 10min stop southbound doesn't provide a long enough op

RetiredCormac
4 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Sandnessjøen
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 4 - Arrive @ 04:35, Depart @ 04:50 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 10 / Day 4 - Arrive @ 11:45, Depart @ 12:15 Climate Midnight Sun - 12 June - 30 June Polar Night - Not applicable Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-255674/Norway/Nordland/Alstahaug/Sandnessjøen Observations - other than Excursions The 15min stop northbound, and 30min stop southbound doesn't provide a l

RetiredCormac
4 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Brønnøysund
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 4 - Arrive @ 01:35, Depart @ 01:45 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 9 / Day 3 - Arrive @ 15:00, Depart @ 17:25 Climate Midnight Sun - Not applicable Polar Night - Not applicable Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-244819/Norway/Nordland/Brønnøy/Brønnøysund Observations - other than Excursions The port stop at Brønnøysund is a generous 2hrs and 25mins southbound, which is

RetiredCormac
4 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Rørvik
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 3 - Arrive @ 21:40, Depart @ 22:00 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 10 / Day 4 - Arrive @ 21:00, Depart @ 21:30 Climate Midnight Sun - Not applicable Polar Night - Not applicable Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-239229/Norway/Trøndelag/Nærøysund/Rørvik Observations - other than Excursions The 20min stop northbound, and 30min stop southbound doesn't provide a long enou

RetiredCormac
4 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Kristiansund
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 3 - Arrive @ 02:45, Depart @ 03:00 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 11 / Day 5 - Arrive @ 16:30, Depart @ 17:30 Climate Midnight Sun - Not applicable Polar Night - Not applicable Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/1-201405/Norway/Møre%20og%20Romsdal/Kristiansund/Kristiansund Observations - other than Excursions The port stop at Kristiansund is just 60mins, which is too sh

RetiredCormac
5 hours ago1 min read


Exploring Molde
Schedules Round Voyage & Voyage North - Day 2 - Arrive @ 22:35, Depart @ 23:05 Round Voyage & Voyage South - Day 11 / Day 5 - Arrive @ 21:15, Depart @ 21:45 Climate Midnight Sun - Not applicable Polar Night - Not applicable Here is a good link to the Norwegian weather service. https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/2-3145581/Norway/Vestland/Gulen/Molde Observations - other than Excursions The 30min stop northbound, and 30min stop southbound doesn't provide a long enough op

RetiredCormac
7 hours ago1 min read


A Simple Trick to Reduce Birmingham Airport Parking Costs
Here’s how I cut Birmingham Airport parking from £99 to £76 in under two minutes. The Initial Prices Via the official site - https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/parking I was looking for parking for a standard car for the following period; 17:00 16th July 2026 to 22:00 20th July 2026 Initial quotes ranged between £119.76 for Carpark 1 (1 min from the terminal) through to £62.99 for Car Park 7 (5 - 10 min bus ride from the terminal). Car Park 5 which is within walking distance

RetiredCormac
1 day ago2 min read


Comprehensive Review of the Thule 100502 Hard Bike Travel Case
My Thule 100502 Hard Bike Travel Case, also known as the Thule RoundTrip Road Bike Travel Case is now my preferred option for flying with any of my bikes. This review dives deep into its specifications, features, and highlights why it stands out in the realm of bike travel cases.

RetiredCormac
2 days ago4 min read


Building the LEGO Icons Road Bike (11380)
This review of the LEGO Bike set 11380 walks through my build experience, similarity to the Trek 520, the various working features, and whether the set is for cyclists and LEGO fans.

RetiredCormac
4 days ago5 min read


Cycle Touring – Phase 3 – Best Cycling of My Life
We found ourselves in a small village off the main road in rural France - it was coming up to 13:00, and we were in danger of missing ‘menu du midi’. We knew it would be good, given the number of vans parked up outside. We were well fed for 16 Euro - with as much water, red wine, cider and lemonade as you wanted. I love France. That lunch in rural France perfectly framed something that I'd been thinking about for a while. After years of cycle touring of different types, I was

RetiredCormac
Jun 178 min read


Cycle Touring – Phase 2 – 10 Years of Solo Cycle Touring Across Europe
I could see the dogs larking around in the road maybe 250 metres ahead of me. They spotted the red frame of the bike and locked onto it like a charging bull. They were soon up to speed, sprinting towards me as I grappled with the weight of my touring bags while turning back the way I’d come. Thankfully, I already had a good tailwind behind me and, after an initial 50 metres of wondering whether I’d make it or not, I was soon accelerating away from them. They continued the cha

RetiredCormac
Jun 1110 min read


Cycle Touring - Phase 1 - Adventures with the kids cycling the North Sea Cycle Route
Between 2007 and 2014, I cycled large sections of the North Sea Cycle Route (EV1) with my children, camping across Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the UK. These trips were the first phase of what became a lifelong cycle touring journey. I’ve a distinct memory of cycling down a steep winding road in Oslo with two of my kids. All was good until they decided to race each other fuelled by Haribo, and were soon out of sight. They are in their 20s now. At the

RetiredCormac
Jun 96 min read


A Weekend in Bruges from the UK — Hotels, Parking, Food & Travel Tips
Bruges is lovely. It's a touristy, welcoming, peaceful package tied up in a bow, just like the chocolates that you can buy there - and certainly worth a return visit. Two plus years into retirement and we are still enjoying the freedom to slow down, travel at our own pace, and do stuff like revisiting some of our favourite corners of Europe. Driving to Bruges from the UK for the weekend, for what was our 4th visit, made for a fantastic visit. Best for: Couples, retirees, week

RetiredCormac
May 257 min read


Our French Cycle Adventure: Exploring Europe by Bike
Two plus years into retirement, and we are still enjoying the freedom to slow down, travel at our own pace, and revisit some of our favourite corners of Europe by bike. This post is a lead-in for our trip. Over the coming weeks, during our travels, I plan to publish detailed daily posts covering our accommodation, ferry crossings, quality of cycling routes, the great food that I’m hoping to have, logistics and stats, costs, and the highlights (and I’m sure occasional mishaps)

RetiredCormac
May 235 min read


Tripp luggage failure
One of the wheels on our large Tripp suitcase finally gave up while I was dragging it around Japan. It was a long walk from the station to the hotel, trying to keep the suitcase balanced on it’s remaining three wheels. Anyway. When I got home I contacted Tripp thinking I could just buy a replacement for the failed wheel. It’s an older suitcase and has had a good long life. It’s survived airports, train stations, cobbled streets, and more flights than I can count, so didn’t ex

RetiredCormac
May 142 min read
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