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What is Rosa Bussarna (Pink Caravan)?
The Pink Caravan “Rosabussarna” , is a Swedish travel agency, has been in business since 1970. Their speciality is group trips on a budget, where you live and travel exclusively on a pink bus with likeminded travelers.
Imagine living with a group of strangers 24/7, eating, sleeping and experiencing a new place together. I tell you, this type of travelling is definitely a challenge. You have to get out of your comfort zone with no escape from the bus for more than a few hours during the trip.
50,000 people based in Sweden have travelled with the Pink Caravan. I have been on several trips: 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2022.
Traveling by Ferry: From Stockholm to Faroe Island via Hirtshals
My first trip living, eating, sleeping, and being on the bus for the whole journey with the Pink Caravan was to the Faroe Islands and Iceland during 2 weeks in July 2022.
I got on the bus in Stockholm, Sweden and the trip began on the highway E4 to Gothenburg via a break in Jonkoping.
In Gothenburg we boarded the ferry to Frederikshavn in Denmark, arriving 3,5 hours later. A short bus trip from the harbour of Frederikshavn to the town of Hirtshals late at night, where we set-up camp for the first night in the bus, near the harbour.
The Stena Line website allows you to by ferry tickets to many destinations across Europe: https://www.stenalinetravel.com/
My first night sleeping on the bus roof was spent in Denmark. At least the summer temperatures were with us and I did not freeze that night, getting a night's rest in a borrowed dune sleeping back.
More Ferries and Sea Sickness
We were on the ferry MS Norröna for 36 hours and this ferry is a regular mode of transportation between Denmark and the Faroe Islands.
Since this was my first sleepover on a large ferry I did not know what to expect and had some thoughts about sea sickness, for that reason I had already prepared and had sea sickness chewing gum with me. As expected, I got seasick and my stomach felt weird. It felt ok walking around the ferry and being outdoors was the best way to handle sea sickness. But in the end I just handled the sea sickness by lying in the bed, resting and not eating any food. The chewing gum numbed my mouth, and part of my tongue.
During the day, I got out of the cabin and enjoyed the views of the Atlantic Ocean crossing on deck. I was not alone in the cabin, as this was a 4 person berth. I shared the cabin with 3 other women, and of course one of these women is a loud snorer!
Fortunately my cabin mates spent time out of the cabin during the day and were not partying or drinking too much at night. It is common in Sweden, that Swedes party and drink a lot especially on ferries and boat trips.
Arriving on the Faroe Islands by ferry was truly an amazing experience. Seeing all the greenery as we approached the land from the ocean. Such a wonderful feeling to see land again, even though it was only 36 hours ago I stepped on the ferry.
Lush Greenery, Puffins, and Damp Clothes
We set camp in Torshavn and explored the islands on the bus for the next days. The Pink Caravan bus trip includes a lot of short stops, for sightseeing and toilet breaks. Faroe islands are famous for their lush greenery, and waterfalls.
We drove to the islands and took a short boat ride in Vestmanna to see Atlantic puffins. These birds are very fast and tiny, unfortunately I did not manage to capture the puffins in a photo.
As the journey continued, we had cold and rainy days. Sleeping on the bus rooftop became a challenge as the nights got colder. I had layers of clothing on me: pyjamas, underlay, hat and wool socks. Some nights I even wore gloves and additionally had a blanket on top of the sleeping bag.
The wetter the weather, the more difficult it got for our clothes to dry. After a few nights of rain, everyone in the bus had wet clothes and wet shoes. The wet smell of clothes and people grew over the days.
Some of us got grumpy and irritated. Some of the fellow travellers drank more and more. We had a gang in the back of the bus, who liked partying and day drinking, just being swedes on vacation.
Natural Beauty of the Faroe Islands
I recommend visiting the Faroe Islands, the nature is absolutely amazing. The capital Torshavn is the most picturesque capital, with its parliament in old historic buildings. Walkable town with cute restaurants, cafes, churches, and the national gallery.
Ferry to Husavik, Iceland
After 5 days we left the Faroe Islands and took another ferry to Husavik, Iceland to continue travelling there for a week.
Are You up for the Challenge?
To summarise this trip, being on a group trip is very challenging. Hang out with strangers for 2 weeks on a bus trip as a form of vacation and exploring new locations.
If you are lucky, you might get acquainted and make new friends.
If you are unlucky, there is a prevailing risk that you just have to bear with drunk strangers.
Personally, the most annoying aspect of a bus group tour and sleeping on/in a bus such as the Pink Caravan is the limited physical space in a bus. But also sleeping with people who snore and are inconsiderate about their snoring.
If you really want to challenge yourself and go on a budget trip, then do try out a group bus trip!
