When the flight to Benjamin Deras, 24, and Mikael Ingbrigitsen, 24, was canceled, they got a new idea of how to get to Torrevieja.
– It was great to fly, but we have to adapt to the situation. You can’t sit back and get angry — you have to see solutions, not obstacles, says Ingebrigtsen.
The guys from Namsos were actually going on a trip to Torrevieja with four other friends, but decided to go down a week before the rest.
Suddenly the message “Your flight may be canceled” appeared.
– We thought “it’s probably going to be cancelled, so at least we’ll go and look at a car.” When we sat down at Tesla, Diras says, we were notified that the plane had been cancelled.
They also say that after the letter from SAS, they decided to buy a Tesla Model 3, and then set off directly from the auto show, in the direction of Spain.
The two tell VG that the plan is to sell the car as soon as the holiday is over.
No one slept continuously for more than two hours
When VG talks to Derås and Ingebrigtsen on Wednesday morning, they are in the Swiss Alps. On Monday, they set off from Trondheim.
– It was very spontaneous, so we did not sleep much. We’re considering a hotel stay in Monaco—none of us slept more than two hours in a row, says Deras.
– So far, we kept driving, so the other one managed to sleep a little. But after Denmark, it’s been so cool to see new places, so we both want to be awake, says Ingbrigtsen.
The men say they went to Kolding and Hamburg. Moreover, they have plans to bypass Torino, Monaco, Barcelona and Nice before they end up in Torrevieja.
Switzerland was the best so far. It’s a bit reminiscent of western Norway, but more extreme – with high mountains, says Deras, adding that the German motorway was also a great experience.
– We are really looking forward to Monaco. It’s an incredibly cute little place, says Ingebrigtsen.
The car may have to be sold
The two say they took out a loan for the full amount to buy the car, which costs 530,000 crowns – used.
– It was 350,000 kronor when we started, but then you think “if we add another 10,000 kroner, we get this, and a little more you get this”, so we end up in a Tesla, says Ingebrigtsen.
He laughs and says with a twinkle in his eye, “The plan is to sell it right after, but it’s a very good car that we fell in love with.”
They say they had a petrol car in Trondheim, but they thought it was more economical to use an electric car. They also say that they never planned to buy a Tesla before, and that this came as a result of their plane being cancelled.
VG saw documents confirming the purchase of the car and the cancellation of their plane tickets.
Trondelag residents have not yet received the refunds from SAS, but they say these will cover electricity and fees for the trip to Torrevieja, as well as the first installment of the car loan.
drive wrong
You can save money on electric driving, but it also presented some small challenges for the residents of Trondelag.
– We’ve thought about the Alps, but we’re not sure we’ll get there by electric car — because of the long slopes and maybe a few charging stations, says Deras.
But plans must change. “We drove wrong, so we’re driving through the Alps,” they wrote in an SMS about an hour after they spoke to VG.
Have your vacation plans gone in the aquarium? Check out the best tips here:
How many times did you have to stop to recharge?
– We’ve made nine stops to charge, but many of them stop for shorter 15 minutes as we extend our legs. Tesla plans where we have to stop, so we don’t have to think, Ingebrigtsen answers.
– The trip back can be very long
The two reported a good atmosphere in the car, but were still a little worried about the trip home.
– We think the trip home can be quite long, so we plan to take a different route so we don’t have to be identical, says Ingebrigtsen, adding that they will stop at Paris on the way home.
He went on to say that they plan to return home around July 28.
– We’ll have a birthday by the 30th, so we have to plan the trip.
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
