Travelling Fletchers

Before I tell you about the Color Fantasy, let me share a bit about food prices in Germany. Supermarket costs are similar to the UK and picking up supplies has been fairly easy. Eating out is much more expensive compared to home. The tax system is structured differently, making eating out a luxury. But the quality of food is much higher and so much more enjoyable. One tip we’d been given was to travel with a camping knife, fork and spoon set – these have been most useful as we’ve bought salad bowls in supermarkets that we could share between ourselves.

Returning to our journey, the Color Fantasy isn’t just a ferry – it’s a floating mini-cruise. There’s a spa for pampering, an indoor Aqualand with pool and waterslides, shops to browse, restaurants for every taste, and evening shows to round it all off. You could almost forget you’re travelling between Kiel and Oslo. The tip here is to book early – although everywhere will be crowded as this is effectively a 24-hour cruise, meaning everyone wanted to cram in as much as they could. We opted to sit on deck and watch the scenery pass by.

The route from Kiel to Oslo on the Color Fantasy takes around 20 hours and is as much about the journey as the destination. Leaving Kiel in the afternoon, the ship glides out through the busy harbour and along the Kiel Fjord before heading into the Baltic Sea. The scenery changes from bustling docks to quiet stretches of coastline dotted with small beaches and forested headlands.

One of the highlights early on is passing under the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark – an impressive span that feels even more dramatic when viewed from the open deck of the ship.

There was also the added bonus of a beautiful sunset.

We woke as the journey slipped into the Oslofjord, with its winding channels, wooded islands and colourful Norwegian houses signalling our arrival. As we were a day behind our plans and bookings, we pushed on to catch the train to Stavanger.