I've registered to participate in the spectator events at the WOC. The sprint event will be held at Arena Stromsvallen.
- First of all, where is it? Google Maps knows nothing about it and I couldn't find anything on the WOC website which locates the venues.
- I'll be staying in Halden, Norway. Do you recommend I take a train or drive (I will be renting a car)?
Thanks!
- Dean
http://www.stromstad.se/upplevaochgora/idrottmotio...
Pretty sure this is it in Stromstad. We are doing the same staying in Halden and travelling to ROC. Planning to go by hire car.
http://www.woc2016.se/en/news/393-information-rega... (although this seems to mostly cover the other days). It should be straightforward to get to Stromstad itself from the Swedish side, perhaps a bit less so from across the border.
I'll be driving in from Hvaler, in the Fredrikstad area, I'm sure there will be ~1000 people crossing the border for each of the races, so it should be relatively easy to get a ride if you don't have your own transportation.
The first weekend is effectively inside Strömstad city limits afaik, both for the sprint and for the finish of the Sunday Middle distance.
The weather forecast is quite nice for this entire week, so I'm hopeful the terrains will dry up a bit from the recent (large!) rainfall period.
Searching for "strömsvallen, strömstad" I find a company with that adress:
https://www.google.se/maps/place/F%C3%B6reningsNav...
From the satellite image the arena is next to it.
Searching for things in the Nordic countries, there are sometimes better tools, like:
http://kartor.eniro.se/
here you will find it directly
To answer the train question, the trains from Halden don't go down the coast so it's tough to get to Strömstad that way. There is a bus that
meanders down to Strömstad, but takes twice as long as driving yourself.
On the other hand, there are trains (although not especially frequent ones by European standards) from Gothenburg to Stromstad.
I also read in the Strömstad local paper that the inner city will be almost totally closed off. Out of town parking - used also in the heavy tourist season - and shuttle buses will be provided.
Note there is a toll on the 2 bridges across the river (fjord?) at the border. If you have a rental car it will be charged to the company, there are no toll booths.
Many cars and trucks get off the E road and take the smaller and cheaper old bridge, but it does a t times back up, especially if the Norway customs sets up a station.
I don't think the old bridge is cheaper -- as far as I'm aware the toll is 20kr for cars without autopass (a little less for those with) on either route.
Both bridges are exactly the same, otherwise there would be no traffic on the more expensive one. :-(