road trip to norway from uk

Driving to Norway from the UK

Travelling from Britain to Norway? There are alternatives to flying. Here is everything you need to know about travelling from the UK to Norway by ferry.

As a regular visitor to Norway, until this summer every single one of my journeys had taken me up 30,000 feet to get there.

However, with a five-week stay pencilled in throughout July and August, this time around I decided a road trip would be something different and the decision to drive to Norway was made.

Is there a ferry to Norway from the UK?

Unfortunately gone are the days where you could hop onto the Newcastle-Bergen ferry, that sailed for the last time in 2008 after being established for over 140 years.

The advent of cheap flights means there are currently no direct ferry routes between the UK and Scandinavia , although there are rumours for a new one. More on that later.

Norway Travel Resources : When you're in Norway, make the most of your time with a guided tour . Check out the best accommodation in Norway to meet your needs. And don't forget travel insurance .

As a result, to get your car into Norway, you'll need to go on a bit of detour, but on the plus side you'll see more of Europe, get to put your foot down when you hit the unrestricted autobahn and avoid some of the general annoyances that only seem to ever crop up at UK airports.

Why Take Your car to Norway?

For a short stay, taking a car is pointless, but if like me you've got an extended trip, or if you're moving to Norway for a longer period , then taking a vehicle has many advantages.

Firstly, the minute you set off, your holiday commences. You can take detours, stop in cities you have never visited before and travel at your own pace.

The other plus point is that you can carry far more items with you when compared to flying; bikes, camping gear, sporting equipment etc. and it's much less hassle packing. Finally, if you plan on exploring Norway, a car makes things far more accessible for seeing Scandinavian scenery and landscapes.

What's the best way to leave the UK and get to mainland Europe?

The first decision you'll have to make is how to leave UK shores, and there are six options, one of them by rail, the others by sea:

• Eurotunnel: 35-minute crossing
• Dover to Calais: 120-minute crossing
• Harwich to Hook of Holland: 8-hour crossing
• Hull to Rotterdam: 11-hour crossing
• Hull to Zeebrugge: 15-hour crossing
• Newcastle to Amsterdam: 16-hour crossing

Which one you take might depend on whereabouts in the UK you are starting your journey from, but the easiest, quickest, likely cheapest and one I recommend is the Eurotunnel.

What about the Immingham to Brevik freight ferry?

If you've been Googling ways to get over to Norway via Ferry from the UK, you have probably seen some blogs and forums talking about the Immingham to Brevik Freight Ferry.

Up until 2016, this ferry did allow general passengers to board with their vehicles. However, this option is now unavailable after UK border agency cutbacks meant they refused to do immigration checks. You can however still load your car onto the ferry, but you cannot travel with it. So you will have to fly and collect it when it arrives.

Tips for getting from the UK to Norway by car and ferry

The journey I took started in London. Then it was Folkestone to Calais, up through France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark. The end destination before Norway is Hirtshals in Northern Denmark, and from Calais, that's around a 12-hour drive excluding stops.

Book yourself onto an early Eurotunnel

For my trip, I set off from Central London around 5 am and for the 7.50 am Eurotunnel from Folkestone. Choosing an early train has two advantages:

• They're generally cheaper
• You have got a full days driving ahead of you to take a big chunk out of the journey to Denmark.

If you live closer and can get there even earlier then do it, the earliest departure is usually 5.50am. With one at 3.27am before that.

Make sure you give yourself a decent amount of time to get sorted and check-in. The good thing is if you do get there earlier and there's a train ready to depart, the staff will fast-track you onto that one if there's room. I ended up getting the 7.20am train for that very reason.

Use Waze for Navigation

If you have a smartphone then I can't recommend Waze enough, it's saved me a ton of hassle by rerouting me past traffic jams I'd otherwise have been none the wiser to. It's basically Google Maps with a community aspect where users update the maps in real time along with Google's own live traffic data.

Luckily my car has Android Auto so I can hook it up to the main display making it very easy to use and follow. If you can't do that, get a Mega-Mount and run it from your phone screen.

Be aware though Waze does use mobile data so depending on your allowance you might want to get a bolt on or use a different SIM card for it. I've got a dual SIM phone so pre-journey I picked up an EE Flex SIM that gives you a set amount of data, no contract or credit check, just a pre-paid SIM . I got 10GB for £25, and that lasted me the whole trip and EU/Norway roaming is included. But there's a few to choose from on the comparison site I used.

Spend the night in Northern Germany or Southern Denmark

You can certainly stagger the trip to Hirtshals over as many days as you want, but if you want to get to Norway as quick as possible then try to get well into Denmark in one day and spend the night there.

Depending how on early you get to Calais, it's certainly possible to get to Hirtshals in one day to make one of the early evening ferry crossings to Kristiansand or Larvik.

For my own trip, I drove from Calais to Kolding in Denmark in around 13 hours, stopping in Antwerp for lunch in and amongst a couple of other stops. Kolding is around a 3-hour drive from Hirtshals, so after a night in Kolding, you can make the 11.45am sailing to Kristiansand comfortably. More on that below…

Which ferries sail from Hirtshals, Denmark to Norway?

There are seven options for you and which you take depends on where in Norway you are heading. I recommend the  Fjordline ferry to Kristiansand which is the quickest and ideal if you are wanting to see the West Coast and Fjords. It's a modern fast catamaran ferry and takes just 2 hours and 15 minutes.

A further option is a ferry from Kiel to Oslo via the Stena Line, this is usually pricier and a 20 hour sailing time making it almost a mini cruise.

Can you drive from the UK to Norway without taking a ferry?

Yes, you'll obviously need to take the Eurotunnel. But it's possible to drive through Germany, into Denmark then cross the Öresund Bridge (a toll bridge) from Denmark to Sweden.

You then continue up along the Swedish coast until you have reached the Norwegian border. This is a long way around and you will be racking up the mileage but if you want to see a cool bridge and some of Sweden, then go for it.

What about the return journey, is there a ferry from Norway to the UK?

There's no ferry running in the opposite direction either, so to get back you'll take the exact same route through Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and France before getting to Calais.

I took the Hirtshals – Kristiansand ferry to Norway with a one-way booking, so my return leg I decided to take the Bergen to Hirtshals overnight ferry.

This departs at midday and arrives in Hirtshals at 7.30am the next day. The reasoning being I'd driven up the West Coast for my trip, so rather than a 7-hour drive back down to Kristiansand, a night on the ferry with an early morning arrival meant a full days driving again in Europe to get to Calais.

Overall though I much prefer the shorter ferry time to between Kristiansand and Hirtshals, so if I were to do the journey again I'd drive to Kristiansand, spend the night there and catch the 8.30am ferry to Hirtshals.

Will there ever be a UK to Norway Ferry again?

Right now it looks unlikely as the ferry companies clearly don't see it as a viable business model.

Over the years there have been a smattering of petitions for the reinstatement of a ferry from the UK to Norway and some sailing firms have hinted at a new route being established but unfortunately, nothing has ever come to fruition.

However, a startup Norwegian company has announced plans to launch a regular car, passenger and cargo ferry link between the U.K. and the west coast of Norway.

Tentatively set to launch in 2026 , the route will run between both Bergen and Stavanger on the west coast of Norway and Newcastle on England’s northeast coast.

What things should I be aware of about driving in Europe?

There are a few things to consider specifically for this trip. For driving in France you'll need a European driving kit which contains:

• Headlamp converted
• Hi-viz vest for each passenger
• GB sticker (if you have an EU GB numberplate this is fine)
• Warning Triangle
• Spare Bulbs
• Breathalyser

Remember to make sure your car insurance has European Cover too. Most firms offer it in your standard policy but it's often only third-party so you might want to ring them and arrange full cover for the duration of your trip.

There are no tolls on the route from Calais to Hirtshals so you don't need to buy any Vignettes or stickers.

Depending on the time of year, you'll also need winter tyres to be fully road legal in Norway . That being said, if this is a holiday I recommend only taking this sort of trip in Summer.

Finally, petrol prices are usually cheaper in Europe. Germany and Belgium are the cheapest, but it's better to fill up in Denmark before you cross into Norway where the prices are higher.

Is driving a right-hand drive car difficult in Europe and Norway?

This trip was my first time driving a right-hand drive car in Europe so before landing in Calais I was wondering how tricky it would be. That question was answered pretty quickly and it's not difficult at all.

The roads are much quieter in Europe, generally better quality, and when there are other cars on the road around you then it's easy to reset the mind to drive on the right. Just take it steady for the first few miles of the journey and it soon feels like you've been driving on the right for years.

The only issue you'll have is if you're a solo traveller trying to overtake on a single carriageway road, sitting on the right does restrict your view of oncoming traffic somewhat if you are trying to get around a slower large sided vehicle.

Update: Ferry service from Netherlands to Norway

In spring 2022, startup company Holland Norway Lines began a regular service between the Netherlands’ Eemshaven (Groningen) and Norway’s Kristiansand. The 18-hour service had proved popular with British travellers.

In August 2022, one of the Life in Norway team tested out the service . Unfortunately, the service is no longer operational.

Have you ever travelled from the UK to Norway by car? Do you have any questions about taking the ferry from the UK to Norway and the drive itself? Leave a comment below and I'll do my best to answer.

About Jonathan

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53 thoughts on “Driving to Norway from the UK”

My first trips to Norway as a child with my parents were Newcastle – Bergen on the old Bergen Line, remember fondly Venus and Jupiter, the ferries shared with Fred Olsen line. Then there was a short period in the ’80’s when Fred Olsen ran a service from Harwich -Oslo, very convenient as at the time I lived 10 minutes from Harwich! then it was back to the long drive up to Newcastle and onto Color Line, until the route was abandoned. Living near Harwich my last trips were either DFDS to Esbjerg, then up to Hirtshals or the Harwich -Gothenburg and drive through Sweden to Oslo but now sadly also gone.

Yeah, there is a lot of history on some of the lines. They all stopped before I’d ever visited Norway, would have certainly used a ferry to get there had one been operational.

On the plus side the Fjordline one I took to Kristiansand from Hirtshals was a good service, got there in no time. The only negative is driving on, because it’s a catamaran you have to reverse park when on board. Looked to be an issue for some people. Lucky the crew do a decent job at guiding people into spaces.

Hi I want to drive up through finland and back down through Sweden in February 2020. Have you or anyone you know done that type of trip in winter. Would appreciate any advice you could pass on.Cheers Roy

I’ve not done the journey so can’t really help with any specifics other than it being a very long drive and you’ll no doubt run into some tough conditions so you’ll need a car capable of handling winter weather kitted out with a full set of winter tyres.

Any car with winter tyres will be fine for that trip. The roads are good and are ploughed on a regular basis.

very very boring roads. Flat as a pancake, both Finland and Sweden. U do not see anything but ,snow and a lot of tall spruce trees. And it get dark. .very very early!

On the plus point the snow reflects al it of light one can see the most amazing Revontulet in the far North and even down to the south occasionolly see moose. Reindeer and many other interesting things . Get to know the local people and you can some wonderful times theFinns are a very proud nation . Thousands of lakes to see and beautiful colours during autumn Ruska . Go beyond the arctic circle when they have The Kaamos polar night where the colours of the snow trees etc are fantastic once the sun comes up the snow and snowy trees take on a different feel and colour alatogether . Then up the top end of the coast Nordkap to Kirkenes is also very colourful

This was so helpful great tips thank you looking forwards to trying out your advise 🙂

Hi. Great article. Just back from a tour of Iceland and now planning for Norway. Some really useful info.

Hi Jon great information thanks – is it necessary to book in advance from Hirstals to Norway or can you just turn up? Are there any restrictions on dogs on the ferry?

There yes im querying about booking in advance for the ferry to Norway too, Can you book online or just turn up for the time?

I’m looking to do this road trip in August, if anyone has any recommendations for detours to spectacular landscape on my way to Tønsberg then I would be very grateful to receive them. I’m going to drive on a budget, in a hybrid sports car at sensible speeds, cheapest ferry, with a tent, etc et. Can’t wait!

Firstly thank you for making this page, its incredibly helpful! Im going to be making the trip to Oslo in December. I was just wondering if you’d happen to know if there will be any changes to this after Brexit? anything else i may need to get i place before i head off? also ill be making the trip in my van (A lwb renault trafic) dose anyone know how much more this will be in tolls/fairs?

There are no tolls until you get to Norway. Then the tolls there depend on where you are driving.

Thats not true at all. You can book your vehicle and travel with it from Immingham to Brevik, meal and cabin included. Check the website!

Show us the website where you can book Ben.

I contacted DFDS yesterday, and they cannot take vehicle and passengers from UK to any Nordic countries

DFDS website says “DFDS freight port of Immingham can accept commercial freight drivers with their loads. Due to UKBF port approval, private passengers are not permitted to be carried through Immingham. This means that we can no longer accept leisure fare paying passengers on the freight routes through Immingham. Leisure passengers should refer to our passenger ferries section on the website for details on our passenger services.” https://www.dfds.com/en-gb/freight-shipping/routes-and-schedules/brevik-immingham

As expected, no response from Ben as he’s run off with his tail in between his legs.

Life In Norway never publishes fake news, there is no way to get to Norway directly from the UK via a ferry. Not even via Ben’s imaginary Immingham to Brevik ferry with meal and cabin included.

For anyone reading the comments and still unsure: The Immingham to Brevik passenger service was culled a couple of years ago, they don’t have the resources or border controls to operate it.

Many thanks Jon. Do the ferries get booked up? I’d like to keep my plans flexible but I will be travelling in June and July so I’m thinking I’d better book all my ferries in advance. Do you have a view? Thanks

I think in the height of summer it will be best to book in advance.

Really useful information. I am planning a trip from Ireland to Sweden, possibly into Norway in April/May this year. Quite a drive, but i don’t mind long drives 🙂

Great article. I don’t suppose you know if you can take a dog with you? Our holidays now are basically where we can drive to with the dog! Would love to visit Norway with her.

Fjordline allows dogs, they can either stay in the car or go up to the deck. All the carriers will have the answers in FAQ sections if you Google it.

I believe Colorline do too as I remember seeing a couple of dogs on the Larvik to Hirtshals ferry I took last year.

Really useful information. I have driven to Sweden and back a couple of times 10 years ago over the Oresund Bridge but in the summer. I am now planning a Christmas family trip to Oslo and then Salen. I already have winter tyres etc. I am interested to know if you have any knowledge of other routes to Norway such as Grenaa to Varberg south of Gothenberg which seems to be about a 4.5 hour crossing and the Frederikshaven to Oslo overnight ferry. Heading to Oslo there seem to be three alternatives including the Hirtshals – Larvik crossing. Just wondered if you have investigated any of these? Thanks, Garry.

I don’t have much info on those ones as I’ve not taken them.

I took the Hirtshals to Larvik ferry last summer, both ways and it’s a 3.5-hour journey, not bad.

So you are going UK > Oslo > Salen > UK? I guess your choice depends on how quick you want to arrive, if you want to stop off new places and how much time you want to spend driving vs on a boat….

Kiel to Oslo they say is a bit like a mini cruise. But it’s 20-hour sailing time compared to the 10 hours (4-hour extra drive to Hirtshals, 3.5-hour ferry to Larvik then 2 hours driving to Oslo) to get there.

I haven’t looked into it a whole lot but if it was me I’d probably do Kiel to Oslo, then go a different route back, which would probably be driving down to Malmo then over the bridge to Denmark.

Thanks – yes UK to Oslo to pick up relatives then we have two ski chalet’s in Salen for the week. Big family. We need to come back via Oslo. One relative who lives in Frankfurt has done the Frederikshaven to Oslo overnight ferry many times as it works well with the drive up from Germany and an overnight stay near the ferry for morning sailing and good on the way back as it is overnight. I must admit I am all for a shorter ferry crossing so Hirtshals to Larvik appeals. He tried Grenaa to Varberg this year. I think I will compare pricings for the alternatives and then it will be a question of the most convenient timings. Many thanks for the information.

I live in Norway and have used many options in the past that are no longer available including Kristiansand to Newcastle. Kristiansand and Larvik to Hirtshals then Esberg to Harwich.

I have also sailed to Hirtshals then driven to Dunkirk and crossed to Dover, in my opinion this is a good option to reduce the miles to be travelled by road.

My last return by ferry and car was from Hull to Rotterdam and then a drive through Holland , Germany and Sweden.

I set off from Hull around 2200 (overnight sail) to Rotterdam, disembarking 1200 the next day and I arrived in my destination not so far from Oslo at 1900 the same day (non-stop drive). My mistake was choosing Rotterdam when I could have disembarked at Zeebrugger which is further north.

The advantage was not having to wait for any scheduled sailing, waiting times, embarking and disembarking. The cost of sailing was not as expensive as such as DFDS and I liked the overnight break to make sure that I was well watered, fed and fresh for the drive.

Border control between Sweden and Norway is also usually trouble free with very little waiting times depending upon the time of day that you arrive.

I cross it at least monthly to take advantage of the cheap prices in Sweden.

Zeebrugge is in Belgium, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and so is north of Zeebrugge. I am amazed that you, or anyone could drive from Rotterdam to ‘not so far from Oslo’ in 7 hours by road.

Tim is living in fantasy land averaging 185km/h in his car to get from Rotterdam to Oslo in 7 hours.

Hi , My partner lives in Norway we go to and fro by air normally. But i’d like to secure a road route too. Last time I checked re UK cars in Norway I seem to remember there was a time limit on how long you care legally allowed to be there with it ( something like 3 months…) Does that ring any bell with you or am, I getting that wrong? Are they any extra taxes tolls as well. i.e I remember there bridge tolls everywhere how do I manage those?

Hei Harper,

I was not sure that your post was directed to me as it is independent.

I have spent 20 minutes writing a reply with the only intention of trying to give you the benefit of my experience of living in Norway for nearly 20 years, driving 100’s of 1000’s of kilometers and hiring 100’s of cars.

When I pressed ‘Post Comment’ everything that I wrote disappeared for an unknown reason.

I suggest you talk about all the implications with your partner as there are many possibilities that will cost you far more money than you might think.

Best wishes.

Planning a trip to Norway for June/July time 2021. We live in Skipton, Yorkshire, so would probably take the Hull/Zeebrugge Ferry. We have no real organised plans etc. Probably would like the Western route taking in the fiords etc, would like to make it to the Arctic Circle maybe even to the far North West. We would be travelling in our 6.95 Deth-Leffs Motorhome (Vera) any advice on camping grounds and road tolls, routes etc. Basically we would appreciate any advice please. Phil

However, this option is now unavailable after UK border agency cutbacks meant they refused to do immigration checks.

-Goes to prove what a Mickey Mouse country the UK is now.

That’s about right.

Hi Jonathan,

I was wondering if there are any tolls I should be considering on my way to Norway, and are there any tolls in Norway and how much if there are any

Kindly regards, Chris

No tolls on the way there if you go France>Belgium>Holland>Germany> Denmark.

Plenty of tolls in Norway though, you’ll get a bill a few months later at the address of the registered keeper of the vehicle.

Took about 2/3 months for mine I think if memory serves.

Hope you are all well?

Me and my son are going to travel to Norway in 2022 to travel the Atlantic Road to keep costs down we are thinking of hiring a motorhome in the UK and driving it there and back. Bearing that in mind has anybody got any ideas of how i go about finding campsites and stops there and along the way please

Thank you in advance

Easiest way to find a camping site is find the area on Google Maps and search for Camping. Bear in mind there are a lot of ferries on the west coast that can be pricey. The Atlantic Road is awesome, though.

Hi Matt . I am living in Norway . And just surfed on internet to see if there was some news for the ferry Bergen Newcastle when I came acros this site. Sorry no good news there . Hoped you guys would find up something when you left the EU 🙂 But okay . Back to your question . There are now many motorhomes in Norway . Much more then just for a few years back . So not so easy to find free camp anymore . But still more easy than your contry:-) But we have many camping sites . And they almost all of then alow motorhomes. Otherwise I wil recomand one of the many Motorhome apps . My favorite has bean park4night . https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.tramb.park4night&hl=no&gl=US Used it from Norway to Gibralter and back again. Welcome to Norway 🙂

Can anyone tell me what the crossing is like from Kristiansand to Hirtshals in November. I don’t think the catamaran is available in Winter months? Also, when do you need to have winter tyres in Norway

Form April 2022, there will be a ferry from Eemshaven (Netherlands) to Kristiansand, that would cut down a lot on the driving.

Well my issue is a bit more complex. I’m doing (or at the minute planning to do) a charity run to Hammerfest. My problem is getting my bike shipped back to the UK from the North of Norway. Anyone with any ideas?

Hi, enjoyed reading the posts for info. re a trip to Scandinavia this summer. Check on the need to have UK reg. plates as opposed to GB and no EU flag. Happy travels.

Hi could anyone advice the best shortest/quickest way to get to Oslo by boat with out a car and the best inexpensive car hire in Norway Thank you Janet

One of the nicest trips I remember when I was a bit younger was the time we wound up in Rovaniemi, Finland, then hired a car for the day. Beautiful pine forests, reminiscent of parts of Maine or even Wisconsin in the US. Tasted reindeer.

With the ferry from Groningen, it’s time for a car trip to Norway.

Hi! Is the Newcastle to Norway Ferry still going ahead? Tak Martin

Looks like it’s been pushed back to 2026…

What a hive of information here 👍 would love to travel to Norway especially after watching Susan C on the fiord Christmas cruising special! I may give it a go. Merry Christmas y’all 🎄🎅🏼🎄

I remember there used to be a P&O Ferry called The St. Clair (summer only) from Aberdeen to Lerwick in the Shetland Isles and then every second weekend it sailed from Lerwick onto Stavanger, I know this because I worked on this vessel for just one season. I think that this was waaay back in the 1990’s, unfortunately it no longer runs.

The new route Holland/Norwegian Lines (Eemshaven) Holland to Kristiansand seems to be good but is only sailing from Eemshaven until mid April 2023 where the departure will be changing to a port just over the German border of a port called Emdem and the journey time is an estimated 11hrs 50 mins. It’s NOT cheap though, I looked at taking my E Class Mercedes + my wife and myself one way (we would drive back) and it came to around £580 this is travelling early June 2023 Their website is pretty vague and there was no mention if this including a cabin or any meals onboard, typical Scandinavian prices.

Your blog is very informative so I thank you for posting it. I like the idea of driving to Hirtshals and crossing to Kristiansand or maybe to Bergen as this is where I’d like to take my wife to.

The last time we wanted to visit Norway was back in July 2011 and just 2 days before our planned journey Anders Behring Breivik the far right extremist detonated a fertilizer bomb outside the tower block housing the office of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in Oslo, resulting in eight deaths, our hotel was situated just across the road from where this happened, Breivik also travelled to Utøya island to a teenage holiday camp on the same day and killed a further 69 young people including children too and understandably the country went into mourning, suddenly it wasn’t right to visit Norway at this time so we cancelled our trip at the last second and have never had the chance to return until now that is, so fingers crossed that all will be good. I have been to Norway many times before both by plane and on various ships and have loved the beauty of it

Please can you give us an update on the proposed Newcastle to Bergen ferry. Have they got funding yet and if so is there a definite start date?

Hi, I’ve been travelling to Tromso for the fishing since 2014 (ex covid). def best way Hull to Rotterdam, with cabin. Then catch the last ferry at Frederikshavn to Gothenburg. Then its a 36 hours driving or 24 with two good drivers. I use Anthia at Nutt Travel, tell them Syd sent you.

Thank you, this has been so helpful. May I ask what one could budget on fuel for the trip from London to Denmark? It would be so helpful to know what other costs there could be. I am a solo traveler first time in Europe. Thanks!

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How to get to Norway from the UK on a Roadtrip

• Post author By Will Cecil
• Post date November 13, 2018
• No Comments on How to get to Norway from the UK on a Roadtrip

You’ve picked Norway, great choice!

I still can’t get over our 3 week trip to the country, so much so that for the first time in our life we may have a somewhat detailed travel plan for our extended trip next year.

When we departed our trip this year we took the first route Google gave us. Now while I am a fan of Google maps it sadly completely overlooked the most efficient way to get to Norway.

We drove to Norway via Copenhagen over the bridge to Malmo and then up the coast, past Gothenburg   and into Norway where we then swung by Oslo and headed west.

At the time we had no idea that this was totally unnecessary.

As we headed west towards Bergen/Stavanger to the best hiking regions we drove around 250 more miles than we would have done if we’d taken the ferry from Hirtshals to either Kristiansund, Larvik, Stavanger. London to trolltunga via ferry is 1200 miles, via road only is 1450.

On top of that is the cost of the bridges in Denmark.

On this route you’ll pass over two, the first is around a £45 fee and the second was £103. In total the best part of £150. (Assuming you’re in a motorhome/van conversion)

Best way to get to Norway from the UK

The ferry is £134 one way…. it’s as simple as this, this is the best route to take.

So in total it costs more, takes longer and puts more miles on your engine to travel the entire way via road.

I would highly recommend to take the ferry for anyone planning a road trip to Norway, while we loved our camp spots on the west coast of Sweden it would have been nice to not have to spend an additional 5 hours and £100 or so pounds in fuel to get there, it’s already far enough!

The ferry to Kristiansund is the fastest at 3hrs 15mins and will put you within a few hours of some of Norways most famous hikes. e.g. Trolltunga, Priekostolen, Keragsboten.

We travelled to Larvik 3hrs 45min which is a lovely little town and has a great camp spot a few miles from the ferry terminal.

The ferry to Stavanger puts you in the heart of a vibrant Norwegian city.

If you have any questions let us know in the comments!

By Will Cecil

I am an avid outdoors-man and adventure addict. I love travelling, I'm currently confined to being a weekend warrior and along with Emily seek breathtaking vistas and new experiences.

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How to Plan an Epic Road Trip in Norway

May 22, 2023 by Silvia 126 Comments

I love places where you can easily get around using solely public transportation, but unfortunately Norway isn’t really one of those places. I mean, if you stick to the cities then public transport will be fine, but if you want to venture into the countryside? You’ll need to rent a car for that in Norway.

Luckily driving in Norway is an amazing experience – in fact I tell everyone who visits that they have to consider a road trip when planning a trip to Norway! I have lived in Norway for eight years, and all of my best trips here have been road trips. 

Plus, public transport can also be really expensive in Norway, so if you’re traveling with other people and want to see as much of Norway as possible, you’re definitely best off renting a car here.

Renting a car in Norway is actually a really good option for budget travelers not only because public transport is expensive here, but also because the cheapest accommodation options are usually outside of the main tourist areas where buses might only pass through once or twice a day. So by renting a car in Norway you can potentially save on transportation AND accommodation.

Plus road trips are so much fun!

If you’re looking for the perfect Norway road trip itinerary, I have put together over thirty Norway itineraries here , most of which are best done by car. 

While I’ve now been living in Norway for eight years, I’ve also spent most all of my summers in Norway since I was a kid (visiting family here), so I’ve definitely learned a thing or two about the whole process of renting a car and planning a road trip in Norway.

I mean, with Norway’s nonstop breathtaking nature it’s kind of impossible to have a bad road trip here, but here my best tips for making yours truly epic.

Norway Travel Guides!  I’ve gathered all my best advice for planning an incredible trip through Southern and Northern Norway in two 95-page ebooks covering my top recommendations for places to visit (both on and off the beaten path), the best times of year to visit, how long to visit for, the best accommodation choices, transportation, what to eat, what to pack, and how to plan the perfect itinerary.

You can  purchase the Norway Travel Guides here .

Car rental in Norway – things to know about renting a car in Norway

The good news is, if you’re traveling with multiple people, renting a car in Norway is going to be a lot cheaper than relying on public transport here. Plus driving in Norway is really easy, as the roads are all well-maintained and there’s very little traffic. Of course the bad news is, it’s still going to be expensive.

At least, a car rental in Norway is going to cost more than rentals in southern Europe where you can get a car for like $50 per week. But! If you book well in advance you can actually get some really good deals on car rentals in Norway too.

I always recommend Auto Europe for car rentals in Norway because they compare prices to give you the best deal. Norwegian laws are quite strict with car rental companies, so you can rest assured that any car rental agency in Norway will be reliable. 

And as fuel in Norway is expensive, definitely go for the smallest, most fuel efficient car you can find.

You’ll also likely be covering huge distances, as Norway is a really big country, so I always opt of unlimited mileage. Or at least make sure you get a minimum of 200 – 300 km a day, depending on what you have planned.

And don’t worry, all cars in Norway have to have winter tires in the winter by law. This isn’t the case in other places in Europe, though. My family has rented cars during the winter in Germany before and then driven up to Norway with them. And it’s always incredibly difficult to drive in Norway on year-round tires!

Driving in Norway

I’ve written a more detailed guide to everything you need to know about driving in Norway here . But here’s a brief overview: 

Toll Roads in Norway

In Norway toll roads are managed by AutoPASS with toll booths that take photos of your license plate automatically and send a bill at the end of the month. This happens automatically, so you don’t even need to slow down as you pass under the toll cameras. You will receive a bill from your Norwegian car rental company after your trip. You can contact the car rental company if you have more questions about when you will receive the bill for the toll roads.

However if you’re driving a foreign vehicle not registered in Norway, paying Norwegian tolls is a bit more complicated. AutoPASS will send an invoice to the registered address of the vehicle. But you can actually speed up the process by registereing with  Euro Parking Collection  (EPC), which will give you access to all your invoices online. I definitely recommend doing this if you’ll be driving a foreign car in Norway! But also don’t freak out if you forget – you’ll just get your invoice in the mail instead.

Car ferries in Norway

Probably one of the most common questions I get about driving in Norway is how to use the car ferries.

No, you don’t need to book short ferries in advance (in fact you usually can’t). You will want to try to arrive fifteen minutes before the ferry leaves to ensure you get a place on the ferry, but to be honest I sometimes arrive right before it’s leaving and I’m almost always able to get on (I think the only exception would be in July when Norway is more crowded).

As you drive on the ferry, a person will take a photo of your license plate and then wave you forward onto the ferry. Then your rental company will send you the bill (often a month or so later). However, if you have a foreign license plate, the person taking the photos will stop you and you can pay by card. I think you can only pay by card – at least I’ve never seen someone paying for ferries in Norway by cash.

Someone will wave you onto the ferry and tell you exactly where to park. On most car ferries everyone gets out of their car and goes to a communal area. If you’re unsure of whether or not to wait in your car, just watch what everyone else does and do the same. On longer (30 minutes +) ferries there will be a cafeteria selling sandwiches, hotdogs, waffles, and coffee.

Plan for winding roads

If you’ll be driving with anyone prone to getting carsick, you might want to come prepared as Norwegian roads are very curvy. In fact I pretty much always get a bit carsick when riding in a car or bus as a passenger. Though one thing that has really helped me has been sea-bands. It doesn’t seem like they should work, but I promise they do! You can buy them in most pharmacies in Norway, or you can be on the safe side and order them in advance on Amazon here .

Driving in the dark during polar night in winter

Another big concern people have about driving in Norway is driving during polar night.

In the winter northern Norway experiences polar night, which means that it will be dark for most of the day. However even when the sun doesn’t rise, mainland Norway still gets a few hours of daylight each day, so you will still be able to see the beautiful landscape here. In fact I find the colors during polar night incredibly beautiful and well worth the trip.

Roads here are dark with very few streetlights, but the edges are always marked by reflective sticks, so you can easily see where the road is. We actually have to have our headlights on at all times in Norway – even on sunny days – but then of course you can use your high beams when it’s really dark (just remember to turn them off if you pass another car!).

Driving in snow in Norway

Okay this is a big one. Should you plan a winter road trip in Norway if you’ve never driven in snow before?

This is of course something you need to decide for yourself, but I can give you a bit of an overview of what driving in snow in Norway is like.

As I mentioned before, you’ll definitely want to rent a car from Norway (or the Nordics) as we all have winter tires here, which is very important! In fact in northern Norway most cars will have studded tires, which is the best for driving on icy roads (you can ask your rental company for a car with studded tires).

Speaking of icy roads, yes, expect a lot of snow and ice! We don’t really salt the roads here, so in the winter there is almost always a thick layer of snow and ice on the roads. Trucks will of course still plow and grit the roads, but if you’re driving in a snow storm there’s a good chance you could be driving on thick snow.

This isn’t actually as scary as it sounds though. I know a lot of people who have driven in snow for the first time during their Norway road trip. Most important is not to drive too quickly and use the brakes as minimally as possible, as braking is when you risk skidding. Either pump the brakes or slow down by gearing down instead. You should be fine as long as you take it really slowly (don’t worry about the cars behind you – it’s better to be slow than to get in an accident).

The same applies for starting a car in the snow. You’ll want to be very gentle when pressing the gas so that the wheels don’t dig into the snow. Ease out of your parking spot as slowly as possible and then you should be ok. And if you do get stuck in the snow somewhere, just wait for someone to drive by to help you. Most Norwegians with larger cars will have equipment to pull other cars out of the snow here, as it happens so often. So be patient as help will arrive!

Parking in Norway

A lot of towns have free parking, but if you do have to pay there will be a meter, or you can pay on the EasyPark app or Parklink app . These are the two most popular parking apps used all over Norway. 

I’d definitely recommend downloading the apps and setting them up (adding your payment method and car license number) beforehand, as it’s always much easier to simply use the app to pay for parking. Plus with the apps you can adjust your parking time as necessary, instead of running back to the meter or overpaying in advance.

Choose your starting point wisely

Norway is enormous, and with all those mountains and fjords even what look like short distances on a map can take a really long time to cover. Luckily Norway is full of airports, many of which have international flights, so I’d highly recommend deciding what you want to see in Norway before choosing your flights. And if you can’t find a direct flight into the region you’d like to explore then check out the domestic flight options.

The main international airports in Norway are in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Tromsø, Trondheim, Ålesund, and Haugesund.

As a (very) general guide:

• If you’re interested in Norway’s cities and mountains fly into Oslo.
• If you’re interested in the fjords but still want to see a city fly into Bergen.
• If you want to do Preikestolen, Kjeragbolten, and Trolltunga – probably the three most famous hikes in Norway – fly into Stavanger. (Though if you only want to do Trolltunga then Bergen is closer.)
• If you’re interested in fjords and mountains, including Geirangerfjord, Trollstigen, and the Atlantic Road, fly into Ålesund.
• If you want to see the Northern Lights, the Arctic, and Lofoten fly into Tromsø or Bodø.

If you’re still unsure of where to go, click on the different regions of the map below for a summary of the region’s main attractions and links to my blog posts about each area.

Use the National Scenic Routes in Norway as a guide

Norway has a lot of absurdly scenic roads, but it also has its fair share of boring highways. And you definitely don’t want to spend the bulk of your epic Norwegian road trip driving through tunnels, which Norway has a  lot of.

An easy way to find Norway’s most scenic roads is by using the National Tourist Routes map . Just to warn you, their website is super glitchy and I still haven’t managed to get the map to load on my phone, but it’s 100% worth pulling out your laptop to check out this site, because every single road listed on it is guaranteed to be amazing.

I always check the map before setting out on a road trip and I try to take detours through as many of the tourist routes as I can. I’ve now driven 15 of the 18 routes and have never been disappointed. In fact driving in Norway is kind of my favorite thing ever, thanks to all the amazing views!

VARANGER : The far north of Norway truly does feel like the edge of the world. This is actually one of my favorite areas to drive in, especially in the summer when it’s one of the few places in Norway that isn’t crowded with tourists. Plus in the summer you’ll find lots of reindeer roaming the roads! Just be careful not to hit any. 

HAVØYSUND : This is another stunning northern route, and can be combined with the Varanger scenic route above. You can find my full road trip itinerary including both Varanger and Havøysund here .

SENJA : Senja has been growing in popularity but is still way less crowded than places like Lofoten and the fjords in southern Norway. The mountain peaks here are stunning, and personally it’s one of my top picks for northern lights viewing in the winter. You can read about my winter trip to Senja (including the best accommodation) here .

ANDØYA : The Vesterålen islands are a great quieter alternative or addition to a trip to Lofoten. Again I can particularly recommend this route in the winter, where you can see whales, the northern lights, and the most beautiful pink skies during the polar night. You can find my guide to the Andøya route in Vesterålen here .

LOFOTEN : This is widely considered amongst Norwegians to be the most beautiful drive in Norway. Here you’ll find jagged mountains rising out of the water with lots of cute red fishing cabins, as Lofoten is a center for cod fishing in Norway. Lofoten is incredibly touristy these days, but still worth the crowds for those beautiful mountain views and picturesque red cabins. I have a bunch of Lofoten guides on my site, but you can start with this guide to planning a Lofoten trip .

HELGELANDSKYSTEN : The Helgeland coast is my favorite are in all of Norway! In fact I love Helgeland so much that I ended up moving here . The Helgeland coast is spotted with countless islands, with similar jagged mountains to Lofoten but far fewer tourists. If you want to get off the beaten path a bit, I definitely recommend Lofoten. You can read my Helgelandskysten guide here . It’s best in the summer, but Helgeland is also beautiful in the winter.

ATLANTIC OCEAN ROAD : The Atlantic Road is probably one of Norway’s most famous roads. This road includes lots of bridges connecting islands, and it was incredibly expensive to build, so Norway put a lot of marketing behind it to draw in visitors. I’d say it’s certainly one of Norway’s most impressive roads, but I wouldn’t put it at the very top of the list – maybe around #10. It’s similar to the Helgeland coast and Lofoten, but the landscape isn’t anywhere near as dramatic. You can read my experience driving the Atlantic Ocean Road here .

GEIRANGER – TROLLSTIGEN : I always say if you only have time to visit one place in Norway, one of my recommendations would be the Geiranger – Trollstigen area (you can find my other recommendation here ). Trollstigen is famous for its many hairpin turns, but actually I find the mountain views at the top the most impressive. And Geirangerfjord is widely considered one of Norway’s most beautiful fjords. You can read my guide to the Geiranger – Trollstigen scenic route here .

GAMLE STRYNEFJELLSVEGEN : This is probably my favorite drive in southern Norway. It’s only open in the summer as the road winds high up into the mountains, but definitely try to make it here if you get the chance. You can read about my experience driving Gamle Strynefjellsvegen here .

RONDANE : This is apparently the most dry area of Norway, and the landscape here really is unique for the country. I’ve written about my trip to Rondane National Park here as well as here .

SOGNEFJELLET : This route isn’t too far from Bergen, and takes you from beautiful fjord views up into a barren mountain landscape.

AURLANDSFJELLET : The Sognefjellet scenic route leads into Aurlandsfjellet as you head south, which will take you down into the beautiful fjord area outside of Bergen. You can read about my experience driving on both Sognefjellet and Aurlandsfjellet as well as wild camping here .

VALDRESFLYE : Farther inland than the Sognefjellet and Aurlandsfjellet routes, the Valdresflye scenic route is a great option if you are heading north (or south) and don’t have the time to take lots of ferries along the coast. I used to drive this route when driving from southern Norway up to Trondheim and back, and it never disappointed. You can read more about my experience driving the Valdresflye scenic route here .

GAULARFJELLET : If you want to spend more time along the fjords, take this route along the fjord and up into Gaular Mountain. This is also a great place to spend the night (or several nights!). You can find my guide to the best accommodation along Sognefjord here .

HARDANGER : This coastal drive is especially beautiful in the spring, when the fruit trees along Hardangerfjord are in bloom, but you can take this route any time of year. You can read about my experience driving the Hardanger scenic route here .

HARDANGERVIDDA : I used to live at the foot of Hardangervidda National Park, but while I’m a  huge fan of the park, this is one of my least favorite of the 18 Norwegian scenic routes. Yes, you’ll get to go up on Hardangervidda, the largest plateau of its kind in Europe, however the road itself is just a busy highway. If you do choose to take this route I would try to stop along the way to hike into the park a bit. Or you could take the ferry into Hardangervidda instead.

RYFYLKE : This is one of the most famous drives in all of Norway, and for good reason. You’ll be passing by two of Norway’s most popular hikes,  Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen)  and Kjeragbolten, and then ending up near Norway’s third most famous hike, Trolltunga. You can find my itinerary including this drive in my Norway itinerary guide .

JÆREN : Last and, unfortunately least. This drive is surprisingly boring and I can’t quite understand why it’s one of Norway’s scenic routes. This is just a busy road along the coast, and not a particularly scenic piece of coastline at that. I would skip this, unless you’ll already be heading this way, for example if you’re driving from Kristiansand to Stavanger.

Connect with people on Couchsurfing and Facebook

Of course not every scenic road in Norway has made it onto the list of National Tourist Routes, so to find more beautiful drives you’re best off asking locals! Norwegians love to gush about the beautiful nature here, and I feel like at least once a week someone is telling me about a drive that I just have to do here.

I personally love to use Couchsurfing to connect with locals from an area (even if I’m not planning to use it for accommodation) but of course you can also find people on Facebook or other social media channels.

I never would have visited Åna-Sira if a local hadn’t told me about it!

Keep an eye out for the northern lights

If you’ll be traveling to Northern Norway in the winter, one of the best things about traveling by car is getting to chase the northern lights!

You’ll want to keep track of both the weather and aurora forecasts and try to get to clear skies, especially with views north. It’s definitely worth marking out the spots on your route with good views north (you can often tell simply by looking at a map), and then stopping in those areas to check the skies.

Northern Lights Guide!

I’ve also written an in depth ebook covering all aspects of planning your northern lights trip, including the best places in the Nordics to see the northern lights, the best time to see the Northern Lights, my top accommodation choices, tour options, how to chase the northern lights (including which apps I use), how to photograph and film the northern lights, what to pack for your trip, and other exciting Arctic activities to try on your trip up North.

If you want to ensure you have the best northern lights trip possible, you can purchase the ebook here .   

Check if the roads are open when planning a trip to Norway

A lot of the high mountain roads close during the winter, and it’s easy to forget that winter in Norway can mean September to June.

You can check the current status of roads at on this map , though unfortunately it’s only in Norwegian. If a road is closed for the season Google will tell you – something which is important to keep in mind if you are mapping out your route in the winter, as Google will avoid any roads that are closed unless you change the dates to the summer.

Schedule at least one free day to make up for bad weather

Even if you’re traveling on a tight schedule, it can still be worth leaving one day free. I’d especially recommend doing this if you’ll be visiting a particular place that you’ve always dreamed of seeing, because the weather here can be really unpredictable so you might end up needing an extra day to (hopefully!) let the skies clear.

I wish I could have stayed an extra day to see Trollstigen without the fog!

Pack rain gear and warm clothing

Even if you’re visiting Norway in the summer, you’ll need some warm clothing – especially if you’ be driving up into the mountains. And if you have a good waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers (I love these ones !) then you won’t need to let bad weather stop you from enjoying Norway’s nature.

Even in the summer I would recommend bringing warm thermals to wear under your clothes while in the mountains, a good quality wool sweater , and of course a raincoat and rain pants.

If you’re camping, bring a really warm sleeping bag and pitch away from the main road

Even in the summer the nights in the mountains get really cold, so make sure your sleeping bag can withstand freezing temperatures.

And while wild camping is totally legal here, I do try to camp out of sight of the road. Last summer there was a lot of press in Norway about European tourists loading their cars with food and camping their way through Norway, spending almost no money while here, so a lot of locals don’t look too kindly on tents.

It’s really silly, but the one time I did camp by the side of a road I was honked at all night, and when I asked other travelers about it many had experienced the same thing. Besides, it’s much nicer camping away from the noise of traffic anyway!

Alternate between grocery store meals and restaurants

Having the extra space of a car makes it a lot easier to buy and store food for meals, which can save a ton of money while traveling in Norway. I generally eat one restaurant meal a day on my travels and balance out the expense with cheap grocery store meals the rest of the day.

If you are traveling on a tight budget then read my post about eating on a budget in Norway.

Anyone have any tips to add? Share them in the comments!

P.S. I’ve written up loads of guides for the best accommodation in Norway for different budgets, including lots of hidden gems in the more popular areas. You can see all my accommodation guides here .

Want to see more of my travel photos? Follow me on Instagram here ♥

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Kelsey says

October 24, 2016 at 8:15 pm

I love all your posts and your writing always keeps me entertained. I can’t wait to actually get my ass over to Norway and take advantage of your amazing tips!

Silvia says

October 28, 2016 at 10:32 am

Aaah thanks, Kelsey! I hope you make it over here soon 🙂

February 18, 2018 at 9:43 am

So, coming over at the end of April. The train I wanted is already booked, sadly. I’m on a tight schedule. Would driving from Oslo to Flam, where I hope to do a boat tour, be safe at that time of year generally speaking.

February 18, 2018 at 2:48 pm

Of course, that drive is very easy and should be fine in April.

November 26, 2018 at 5:57 pm

I am flying into olso march 9th and was hoping to drive to Flam as well and explore the fjords. Ive been having trouble finding information on how realistically possible that is given weather/road conditions. Thoughts or advice? I would rather not train as I prefer to be mobile during my whole stay

November 28, 2018 at 1:22 pm

I think you should be fine in March.

October 24, 2016 at 8:49 pm

A road trip through Norway is definitely very high on my bucket list BUT I’m mostly commenting to say that I LOVE your new header and “about me” photo!! *heart eyes emoji*

October 28, 2016 at 10:33 am

Aaaah that makes me so happy! I tried to hire someone to make a new logo but couldn’t get my aesthetic across, so I ended up putting this together on my own, ha. And I SO needed a new about photo!

October 24, 2016 at 10:27 pm

I am so going to use this advice to plan a roadtrip for next year! Thanks 🙂

PS I love your new ‘about me’ pic!

October 28, 2016 at 10:34 am

Thanks, it was definitely time for a new photo! And I hope you have an amazing road trip when you do come 🙂

Joella says

October 25, 2016 at 1:53 am

I just noticed your new header/logo and design. So cute!

Thanks, Joella!

Marina says

October 25, 2016 at 2:33 pm

Beautiful country! <3

October 28, 2016 at 10:27 am

It really is!

Kate Newman says

October 25, 2016 at 10:22 pm

Norway looks like such a magical place. You’ve given some amazing pointers, I’ll definitely have to look back at this post when I plan my Norway trip X

October 28, 2016 at 10:28 am

I hope you love it as much as I do when you come!

October 27, 2016 at 2:42 pm

I was just reminded that I do have a tip for roadtrippers: if you don’t plan on camping, but do want to go in summer, book really early! Accommodation anywhere near any of the big fjord tourist draws fills up incredibly early, so you may have to book half a year in advance if you want to sleep in one of the prettiest villages on the Geiranger fjord, for instance.

November 4, 2016 at 6:55 pm

Oh that is a good tip – I didn’t realize that since I’ve never traveled in Norway in the high season! Trying to avoid it, haha.

Brittany from Boston says

October 28, 2016 at 2:52 am

Definitely looks like a beautiful place to go road tripping! And it’s great to have these words of wisdom from a seasoned road tripper!

November 4, 2016 at 7:02 pm

Haha I am the biggest fan of road trips ever.

Natalie says

November 3, 2016 at 12:17 am

Norway looks so beautiful and green! Complete opposite to London where I currently live!

Thanks for sharing and your photos look amazing.

December 1, 2016 at 4:17 pm

Hey I was wondering if anyone could answer a quick question. When do you think is best to carry out a trip like this? I’d love to see the Northern Lights but I’d hate to freeze to death wild camping. I’ve wanted to see the NL for so long I am prepared to hold it off a little longer if it means my road trip will be a lot more enjoyable. What do you think?

December 14, 2016 at 2:50 pm

Yeah, I don’t think you can camp during a northern lights trip, since you’ll want to be really far up north, and you’ll need to go sometime between October and March when it’s still dark. You might want to split up the trips – or you could go somewhere cheaper like northern Sweden to see the lights, and do a separate road trip through Norway when it’s warmer.

Aurélie says

June 20, 2017 at 8:36 pm

first off, your website is really great! so much usefull information…

Planning on going on a road trip with a friend next month to Norway. (Been keen onto for so long 🙂 – so yay!) She has a sort of camper van, with a roof that opens up. So can sleep in this, but also bring a tent.

My question is, can you wild camp with the van? Or if we use the tent, where do you park the car? As you suggested in your post to stay away from the roads, to avoid getting honked at :). but what do you do with your car?

PS: is there’s a website or something ro have an overview of the ferry crossings within Norway, and maybe their costs?

thanks in advance! warm regards, Aurélie

Tracy Cooper says

June 30, 2017 at 4:40 pm

my companion and I have hired a campervan for the last week of August and the first week of September 2017. We have worked out a rough route starting in Oslo/Jesshiem, heading straight up the RV3 and E6 to Mo i rana. From there we will head south to Trondheim, Alesund, Bergen, Stavanger and finally back to Oslo. We hope to have enough time to go via the Atlantic Highway, Trollstigen, Gerainger, Dalsnibba and Nigardsbreen. Do you have any suggestions for places that we should make a point of stopping at along our route, other than those I’ve mentioned. I would hate to miss a “must see” because I was unaware of it.

I should point out that the route is not “set in stone”, it will depend on how much time we spend in various places along the way. If we find somewhere we particularly like, we may spend more time there and perhaps miss out one or two of other planned stops. Any other tips you have would be greatly appreciated.

kind regards Tracy (and Glenda)

Grayson says

July 23, 2017 at 2:07 am

I’ve been reading your Norway travel posts eagerly because I snagged an insanely cheap ticket to Oslo in March. I’m from Texas so I’m not intimidated by the size of Norway so much as how wintry it’s going to be! I lived in Colorado and have some snow-driving experience but I’m still trying to get my head around how to plan the trip. So thanks for all of your informative posts!

July 27, 2017 at 9:08 am

Oh that’s very exciting! The roads will mostly be fine in March except in the mountains, where it will still be quite snowy. It’s a beautiful time of year to visit!

August 23, 2017 at 9:41 pm

I’m heading there in January. Is it crazy to plan any kind of road tripping at that time?! We’re flying in to Oslo then taking the train to Bergen, I think. From there, I was planning to rent a car and take us up to the fjords and mountains (not sure where yet).

August 31, 2017 at 11:15 am

A lot of the mountain roads will be closed in January, but otherwise it should be a beautiful time for a road trip!

August 20, 2017 at 4:44 pm

My husband and I will be in Norway in about 2 weeks for about a week. By far, your website has given us the most helpful information. We are both VERY excited and very overwhelmed at the same time! We don’t like to plan our trips much in advance and are realizing that with as much as we want to do in Norway, we will need to do some planning!! First off, thank you for taking time to post all of this detailed information!! Would you be willing to exchange a few emails with us as we attempt to plan our honeymoon?

October 21, 2017 at 10:26 am

Hi Silvia, My husband I are planning to go July next year for 7 days from 12th July to 19th July and without any research we booked our flights to Tromso and coming back from Oslo. What could be reasonable roadtrip look like without missing the fjords, the pretty villages and the main sights. Please not we are not big fans of big cities so we can skip those if needs be!

Thank you in advance!

October 29, 2017 at 7:05 pm

If you’re up for a long time in the car, I’d try to stick to the coast and then drive from Bergen across to Oslo at the end. That would be a lot of driving though, so you could also take the highway inland straight down to Oslo. Also check out the national tourist routes and see if you can hit some of those!

Alexandra says

November 7, 2017 at 3:35 pm

Love your blog, and your love of Norway! We are visiting from the UK for the first time in December…and will be making a road trip!!! I’m a little nervous, my hubby more relaxed I just wondered whether you think it is necessary to book all Hotels in advance or it’s ok to make W wait as we may think we want to drive a little further on certain days etc, if that makes sense? Would appreciate your advice! Thank you Warm regards Alexandra

November 17, 2017 at 6:33 pm

Hmm it depends where you’ll be heading and if there’s much accommodation in the area, but when I travel around Norway I often just book things as I go (sometimes I end up in some pretty random places because of it though!). If you’re traveling around the holidays though I would definitely book in advance, but earlier in December you should be okay to book as you go.

November 25, 2017 at 3:24 pm

do you recommend to drop off the car rental at the different place. for example.. take the car at oslo and return at bodo and rent different car at moskenes lofoten.. return it at narvik

November 27, 2017 at 1:22 pm

That will often make the car rental much more expensive, but if that isn’t an issue for you then it could be more practical!

December 28, 2017 at 4:20 pm

Hello, Silvia. We are planning a trip to Sweden and Norway. We lived in Stockholm for two years many years ago and visited the Norwegian fjords via a cruise. This time, we are traveling with our daughter and would like to gain a different perspective of Norway and the fjords. In May, we will fly into Bergen from Stockholm on the 14th; we have a return flight to the USA reserved for the 19th from Oslo. Because of jetlag, I have had trouble staying awake when driving in Europe for long distances, so I am wondering whether you could suggest an itinerary for the length of our trip that will not include long driving distances – maybe a combination of driving around the Sognefjord and public transportation for the longer legs of the trip, such as our final leg to Oslo. We will be grateful if you share your firsthand insight. Thank you!

December 31, 2017 at 1:21 pm

It’s hard for me to suggest something without better knowing your interests, but if you’d like to get some local advice I’d encourage you to join my Facebook group dedicated to Scandinavia travel – I’m sure we can help you over there! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScandinaviaTravel/

Puneet says

January 3, 2018 at 9:28 am

Very interesting article you created!

I alongwith my cousin am planning to do a road trip for 9 days. If I fly to oslo, then you think I can cover by car to tromso and back to Oslo in 9 days? Or its a challenging trip to plan.

I really need someone to assist since there is so much on the web to read and due to work pressure, im not able to give too much time to create an awesome plan.

My objective is to hire a car, go through the mountains and check out northern lights. Can you please advice what route we should take. Thank you so much!

January 3, 2018 at 6:16 pm

Oslo to Tromso is over 20 hours of driving, but I guess it would be doable in 9 days. Though if you’re just interested in the Northern Lights you could just drive up to Bodø, which is closer to Oslo but still above the Arctic Circle. If you want to drive through the mountains you should try to stay driving in Norway, even though maps might want you to go through Sweden as they have bigger roads (but the scenery isn’t as nice).

Have a lovely trip!

January 4, 2018 at 2:42 am

Thank you Silvia for your prompt reply! You are a star!

Few more questions –

1. Is round trip from Oslo to Tromso and back to Oslo possible in 9 days in March?

2. If above is no, then please give few name of the places where i can see mountains and nature sceneries (in Norway). This is help me to make my route plan and book the bed and breakfast accordingly.

3. Whether my starting point to start roadtrip should be Tromso to Oslo or Oslo to Tromso? Which way its got better sceneries and nature sightseeings.

Thank you once again for your help!

Paul Bernthal says

January 23, 2018 at 7:31 pm

This is very helpful. Thanks! I’m driving from Bergen to Oslo and would like to stay overnight in towns along the way. I’ve stayed in Flam before, which was nice. Any recommendations for small towns to stay in along the drive? Maybe one closer to Bergen and one closer to Oslo? It could be two nights in one town or two separate locations. I’m just trying to break up the drive and want to stay in beautiful locations with lots of views and nature, the towns themselves are less important.

Pieter Cautreels says

January 24, 2018 at 12:17 pm

Great tips&tricks! Do you have a,y experience with small campervans (2pers.) to disover Norway? 🙂

Najeeba says

February 11, 2018 at 10:19 am

Hi, Love your blog. It will help us a lot planning our trip. My Husband and I are planning to have a mid April 2018 Scandinavian road trip starting in Copenhagen and ending in Oslo. Our main concern is the roads, and if we will be able to enjoy the scenery. According to our current plan, we will reach Norway in beg May. How are the roads conditions at this time? And you think a road trip in mid April to mid May is a good idea? or its best to postpone to Summer?

Excuse my poor English.

Regards, Najeeba

Deanna says

February 17, 2018 at 8:21 am

Hi, I am loving your articles, so easy to read and lots of great tips and to especially get off the beaten track. We are looking forward to coming to Norway in August, we know it will be busy, but we are coming from Sydney and this is part of our european summer escape, and probably the only time we will get to visit. We are very lucky to be staying with friends in Trondheim and Alesund, but we are undecided about what to do when we first arrive in Norway. We fly into Amsterdam and then are debating whether to fly from Amsterdam to Oslo, spend one day, then pick up a hire car for three days, drive to Bergen via Telemark and then spend two days coming back to Oslo to drop off car, then fly to Alesund. Or do the train trip from Oslo to Bergen and pick up a hire car there for three days (maybe even follow your Norway in a Nutshell hack love it). Alternatively, we fly direct to Bergen from Amsterdam, have a hire car for four days from Bergen to explore area, but won’t visit Oslo or possibly Telemark…. Basically shall we miss Oslo to have more time with the hire car from Bergen? We will visit the Geiranger fjord from Alesund so I don’t think we need to do any ferry trips from Bergen. Any tips you can provide would be wonderful.

Perscilla Bartley says

February 21, 2018 at 12:21 am

Loved this article! Super helpful as it will be my first time in Norway. In relation to the “wild camping” is it also acceptable to sleep in cars? as long as we have lots of blankets and layers with us to stay warm? Also couch surfing as a young women is safe in Norway? I would love any advise 🙂

March 3, 2018 at 10:15 pm

I stumbled on your blog and it is so helpful. My husband and I are planning our first trip to Norway in early June for 10 days. We have never travelled internationally before and I’m soaking up all your advice. We are flying in to Oslo and want to spend 3 days or so in central Norway visiting the fjords before going to Bergen. Any tips on an itinerary are must sees/dos? Places to stay? After reading your blog, I’m leaning towards driving for budget reasons. Thanks for any advice!

mila holt says

March 13, 2018 at 11:26 pm

Hi, I’m feeling really overwhelmed trying to plan 13 days in Norway. There are too many choices and so many different opinions online! We are flying into Oslo in mid-May. We want to see beautiful sites at a fairly relaxed pace. And no, we don’t want to wait in line to hike up Troll’s Tongue. Is there a good itinerary you would recommend? What would be best for first-timers visiting during the second half of May for 13 days? THANK YOU for your help!

March 19, 2018 at 10:29 am

Your road trip guide is a big gem to me! A few quick questions after reading the guide…

Is Norway really cashless? Is it ok if I come with just a credit card? Do you think it’s a good idea to rent a car at one place and return it elsewhere (e.g. Stavanger and Oslo)?

March 19, 2018 at 4:00 pm

I can’t remember the last time I used cash in Norway, haha. Picking up and dropping off a rental in different places can be super expensive, but sometimes you’ll find a good deal, so I would just check out your options/budget and go by that.

March 22, 2018 at 1:30 am

Very busy planning my road : ) and come up with another question. Can I pay by credit card for taking ferries to cross the fjords? I’m wondering exactly how I do that when driving my car onto the ferry. Do I have to get off my car and pay at a counter? Thx a lot.

March 20, 2018 at 1:04 am

Thx to your road trip guide I managed to come up with 2 adventurous north and south road trips bridged with domestic flight. Your pics are gorgeous and I look forward to seeing all the beautiful scenery myself in 3 months’ time : ).

Marloes says

March 25, 2018 at 1:27 pm

Hi! Thanks for the great advice! We are planning to make a roadtrip to Norway this summer and to try out wildcamping, but we were still wondering about one thing. You say it’s nicer to camp awy from the side of the road, but where do you leave your car then? Just by the side of the road or is it allowed to drive a little off-raod so you have your car close to your tent? Thanks!!

March 26, 2018 at 5:26 pm

Yeah I always leave my car on the side of the road (I’ll pull off in a pull off space of course – I don’t just leave it in the road). But definitely don’t drive off the road closer to the tent, as you’ll damage the nature!

Ryan VanCampenhout says

April 9, 2018 at 3:05 am

In July my wife and I will be traveling to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. For the Norway portion of the trip we plan on renting a car in Stavanager then driving it to Alesund. I just wanted to get a sanity check to see if the driving portion of my trip will be too crazy combined with the activities we were thinking:

Saturday, June 30th – Arrive in Oslo at 12:10 PM, explore city and then sleep in Oslo Sunday, July 1st – Explore Oslo, 9:00 PM flight to Stavanager, Arrive at 9:50 PM, sleep – Stavanager Monday, July 2nd – Hike Pulpit Rock then drive to Odda. Sleep in Odda Tuesday, July 3rd – Hike TrollTunga, then drive to Bergen. Sleep in Bergen Wednesday, July 4th – Free Day in Bergen. Sleep in Bergen Thursday, July 5th – Drive from Bergen to Skei (Scenic Highway E16). Sleep in Skei Friday, July 6th – Drive from Skei to Geiranger. Do Kayak Tour of Geirangerfjord. Drive to Alesund. Saturday, July 7th – Free Day in Alesund Sunday, July 8th – Half Day in Alesund and then Fly to Stockholm. Sleep in Stockholm Monday, July 9th – Free Day Stockholm Tuesday, July 10th – Free Day Stockholm Wednesday, July 11th – Morning Train to Copenhagen. Half day in Copenhagen Thursday, July 12th – Free Day Copenhagen Friday, July 13th – Free Day Copenhagen Saturday – Afternoon flights back home

If we need to add an extra 0.5 or 1.0 days in Norway we would likely take it from Stockholm

April 11, 2018 at 3:34 pm

I think it’s doable, but your days will be packed – especially with two big back-to-back hikes! But if you’re up for it then it really does sound like an amazing trip! Just be aware that the Trolltunga hike is very difficult, so you will likely be exhausted after it.

April 30, 2018 at 11:08 pm

Hello! Traveling with my 75yr-old mom end of May (starting Huritugren cruise Tromso to Trondheim – then driving Trondheim to Bergen over 4-5 days to drive the scenic routes). Just wondering if you have suggestions besides our current plan of driving the scenic routes and stopping at pretty places – any must-see or must-do that does not require hiking for my mom that we should definitely see outside of the main towns like Bergen and Alesund? Thanks!!!

Hugh Burley says

May 13, 2018 at 9:31 am

Thanks very much for taking the time to make this blog!

Meanwhile I’m coming to Norway from Sydney for a short visit from May 28-June 2. I know it’s not long, but I’m in Europe for my friend’s wedding and I don’t have much leave from Work :]. I’d really love to pack in as much outdoors stuff as possible, and I’m thinking it would be best to just pick an area and focus on that.

My plan is ::

Fly into Bergen in the arvo. Two nights here, one day exploring the fjords – maybe a boat tour is the best way in a day?

Next day, rent a car and drive to Trolltunga, via a scenic route if possible. Two nights in Trolltunga, then one day doing the walk.

Then I need to decide whether I drive back to Bergen and see something else on the way back via a different route (i.e. flying back to Oslo), or drive all the way to Oslo. I prob don’t have the time to go to Oslo so it’s probably better to stay closer to Bergen and see more of that region.

It would be great to also visit a national park with forest, I understand Trolltunga is more of a geological wonder than an forested area? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Also if you’d like any travel tips for Australia just let me know – I’ve been all over the place down here :]

Tara vickery says

May 21, 2018 at 9:24 pm

Hi Really great reading. I am converting a van into a camper at the moment, with a view to traveling Europe alone., (I’m a 48 year old lady) is it safe for me to do this alone I norway? Many thanks

Hayley says

June 25, 2018 at 11:15 pm

Thanks for a great article. I’m wondering if you could help with a question I can’t seem to find an answer to anywhere! My husband and I are going to Norway for 2 weeks with our little girl early September. We’ve booked a campervan for 12 days to do a round trip from oslo back to Oslo (where we then fly up to Tromsø for the last 2 days) We’re a little stuck on how much we should bring with us for spending money for this time. Bearing in mind we will need money for fuel, food shopping from a grocery store for meals and snacks and other spends while we’re there (we have paid for excursions already). I don’t suppose you would know a rough figure that we’d be needing that would comfortably cover this? We’d hate to run short so we’d rather bring more than necessary!

Thank you so much for any help! Hayley

Kushal says

July 4, 2018 at 8:56 pm

Hi Silvia, thanks to your blog I have got a different perspective to Norway than what others usually talk about. I am keen on arriving Norway in August and planned to rent a car. Is it true that the driving license should be held since more than a year, in order to rent a car in Norway? I received my license 4 months ago so do I hold a chance to rent a car in Norway? Kushal (aged 30)

July 9, 2018 at 11:15 am

You should email the car rental company and ask.

Ram Raja says

July 23, 2018 at 7:07 pm

Finally we are doing our Scandinavian trip this August. We will be renting a car in Copenhagen then traveling to Stockholm prior to arrive in Oslo. The following is plan for our Norway trip and do you think it is doable.

8/11/2018 Travel to Oslo, Norway 8/12/2018 Discover Oslo 8/13/2018 Discover Oslo 8/14/2018 Eidsbygda 8/15/2018 Atlanterhavsveien 8/16/2018 Trollstigen/Geiranger/Tafjord 8/17/2018 Travel to Oslo 8/18/2018 Cruise to Copenhagen

I do understand travel to Eidsbygda is the longest trip and we are traveling with kids.

July 27, 2018 at 5:55 pm

Looks great! It will be a lot of driving, but all of the drives should be beautiful so you won’t get bored.

August 1, 2018 at 8:14 pm

Hope you are doing great 🙂

First I would like to say thank you so much for the valuable information and your time. All of your images just an awesome. Some how I visited ur blog and Norway became as my dream. I don’t have any idea about Norway but I like to be there any cost. I have done some research and I made one plan. Please have a look and advise me. Here my concern is about Cost and time. Please let me know how much cost and time required to visit below locations. Shall I skip few of them or is it possible to cover all of them?

I am from India (Hyderabad) and I like to fly to Stavanger. So my journey will start from Stavanger. I like to go by Car and we are two members.

Please advice me with Cost and days so that accordingly we will plan.

1. Preikestolen 2. Ana – sira 3. Kjerag 4. Langfossen falls 5. Trolltunga 6. Bergen 7. Geirangerfjord 8. Trollstigen 9. Atlantic Ocean Rd 10. Alesund 11. Lofoten (Bodo)

August 7, 2018 at 6:14 pm

Hope you are enjoying lot in Scotland 🙂

Once you done ur trip please have a look my message and let me know your view 🙂

Regards Anji

April 18, 2020 at 10:20 am

Hey! Jæren is actually really beautiful. Lots og pretty beaches and beautiful scenery. I would def. go there! I should try and highlight what’s beautiful about Jæren instead. Then you probably haven’t seen alot of it! 🙂

Lisa Kutschera says

August 8, 2018 at 12:54 pm

Hello, My husband and I are planning an 8 day trip the last week in August. We are flying into Bergen. My husband then wants to drive North up the coast. I was thinking we could drive to Alesund (making some stops along the way? Geiranger?) then go onto Molde and then over to Trollstigen. Then we want to make our way down to Sognefjorden (seeing Flam?). Then move on to Hardagerford and finally over to Odda to hike Trolltunga. Then we would make our way back to Bergen. Is this to ambitious? We are renting a car. Any and all information/recommendations would be most helpful! Also what road map to you recommend we buy? I wanted to try and purchase one before we leave. Thank you SO much for taking the time to read and respond to this! Lisa 🙂

karthick says

August 22, 2018 at 3:09 am

you are such a wonderful writer. Could you please tell me whether I can get a blabla car or something for a road trip? I need to travel in a car through Atlantic Road?

August 22, 2018 at 7:09 pm

You’ll need to rent a car from a rental agency – sixt.com and hertz.com usually have pretty good rates.

jacopo says

September 4, 2018 at 10:37 am

Good morning, is it feasible in 8-9 days to do the whole E39 route from Stavanger along the atlantic coast until Kristiansand? Then catch the flight in Oslo. Do you have an idea of the total cost for tolls and ferries or any other cost along this route?

Thank you very much!

September 11, 2018 at 6:57 am

Me and my partner are very keen hikers and having spent almost two years in Canada, we love the outdoors and what nature has to offer. And the sleeping spectacular mountains and lakes of course!

We are planning a trip to Norway next July and will be renting a vehicle and most probably paying a one way fee in the process. We would like your advice on which one of the two routes to take during our trip, which will be approx. 10-14 days. We have briefly looked into Stavanger to Bergen (RV13) or Stavanger to Oslo. Based on the fact we love to hike, really enjoy being outdoors and look in awe at amazing landscapes, which of the two would you recommend please. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and really enjoyed looking through the site and the tips and advice you provide.

September 11, 2018 at 12:22 pm

Definitely Stavanger to Bergen. Have fun!

September 26, 2018 at 2:22 pm

Hey Silvia, Great article, really inspirational! I’m planning a roadtrip in Norway for next month! We’re thinking about renting a car in Karlstad, Sweden (we’re exchange students) and driving up to Bergen and back. We want to experience as much of the rough-fjord-nature. How is your experience with hostels on the road? Is it possible to make 200km a day and find some hostels?

Thank you for your answer!

October 1, 2018 at 4:28 pm

It should be possible, though it might be smart to try to book some places in advance. Have fun!

January 7, 2019 at 11:45 am

Iam planning Norway trip of 8 days with my family (2 adults and 3 kids) on March 22 flying to Oslo. 2 days in Oslo and then will take a train to Bergen. From there I would like to rent a car for the rest of my trip. Is it possible to do road trips and what places to visit. Iam clueless as I read the roads are closed and there will be snow (I dont have snow driving experience). Your suggestions will be greatly helpful.

Lara Aurora says

January 7, 2019 at 12:37 pm

Norway is one of the dream place to visit. Lots of places to explore may 1 month is not enough to explore. Thanks For sharing your views upon hiring a car to explore the Norway. May its a great experience. We are visiting to Norway. First to Oslo. So we thinking to explore with campervan rental. We thinking to book a campervan in oslo. Starting trip from Oslo. Own bed, and kitchen. Is it good idea to hire a camper van in Oslo and explore Norway by road. Is this cheapest or we will hire a car, What you suggest?

January 7, 2019 at 9:02 pm

Actually from my experience I wouldn’t recommend hiring a camper van. Petrol here is very expensive and with the cost of staying at campsites you won’t really save money. I would recommend hiring a smaller rental car and staying in self catering cottages and apartments instead. Have a great trip!

Campervan Oslo says

January 19, 2019 at 11:42 am

Thanks for your reply and for recomodations

Nenu Singh says

January 10, 2019 at 6:27 am

Hello Silvia, your Norway blogs are extremely helpful. I was super confused about our upcoming trip to Norway in late June. I was convinced to buy NIN and add days to that cruise. But now, I think we will drive down. We will be in Oslo after touring Sweden and Copenhagen. We plan to spend 6.5 days in Norway. I was debating if we should go to North(Lofoten) or around Bergen/ Ålesund. We have two kids 11/12 yrs. What do you suggest they will enjoy more? Although, I am leaning more towards Bergen/ Ålesund 🙂 Also, can we drive from Oslo to Bergen/ Ålesund and get back to Oslo in 5 days? Thanks Much and I look forward to reading more about your adventures.

Harshad Datar says

January 12, 2019 at 5:45 am

We are in the midst of planning a trip to Europe. Norway was actually not on my horizon. All that has changed after I chanced upon your blog and realised what I was missing. Now my focus has shifted to bringing in Norway into my tour. We would be making that trip around May – Jun 19 and at the moment it looks like we may visit Norway, Sweden, Finland and three of the Baltic States.

I also like your idea of connecting with couchsurfers. I have been on Couchsurfing but have never used any of their options.

Thanks for writing such a lovely blog and giving me motivation to think Norway for our visit pla.

February 1, 2019 at 1:44 pm

Yes! Driving in Norway is one of the best adventurous experience. There are lots of best scenic road trips in Norway. you can choose different locations Routes. In last Year were 3 friends visited Norway and hired a campervan from Oslo for 30 days. An Amazing experience riding on Norway roads. Amazing stay. Our mobile kitchen and bed with us every time. But Your guide really described very well. This summer we also think to tour of Norway to explore rest of places. Your guide help us more. Thanks

Stacey says

February 18, 2019 at 4:38 pm

Hi, Planning a trip April 17-26 ( have already purchased my ticket) I’m wondering how driving will be, from what i’ve read today, most of the scenic routes may still be closed. What are are my realistic options, should I switch to train travel? I was looking forward to driving but not sure it’s the right option now. Also, I am flying into Oslo was planning on going north/west with my main focus being Stave church’s, Fjords, small interesting towns. I will be traveling by myself, although I grew up in snow, driving just want a realistic expectation. Thank you!

Alexia says

February 20, 2019 at 10:38 am

Such helpful information. This will be my 2nd time to Norway. But I am planning on end of September for northern Norway. I know most of the will not be running at this time from what I’ve researched. But for closed roads, would it make a difference for the beginning of Sept vs the end of Sept into October?

Thanks so much in advance!

February 20, 2019 at 5:07 pm

Some roads do start to close at the end of September, so early September would be a safer bet!

James Jayalath says

May 3, 2019 at 2:58 am

We are planning to travel to Norway in July 2019. We are planning to stay there for 6 days. Then I am thinking to hire a car from the Airport and return to the Airport. Can you please let me know the best route from Oslo to cover train and ferry journey and return back to the Airport. My main concern is, can you find parking when you travel by train or ferry’s in certain areas and whether you have to pay for parking.

Please advise.

May 3, 2019 at 2:59 am

We are planning to travel to Norway in July 2019. We are planning to stay there for 6 days. Then I am thinking to hire a car from the Airport and return to the Airport. Can you please let me know the best route from Oslo to cover train and ferry journey and return back to the Airport. My main concern is, can you find parking when you travel by train or ferry’s in certain areas and whether you have to pay for parking?

Abbie Mawhinney says

May 5, 2019 at 12:38 am

Thx so much for answering everyone’s questions!! I plan to be in Oslo early Sept w a sml car and really want to explore Norway including some slow time and hikes. Do you think 2 weeks is a good amount of time and wld that allow me to make it to Loften & Senja? I’ll be looping back down to Oslo again.

Ripley says

August 28, 2019 at 10:43 am

I took a rental car with Autopass included from Oslo airport, used Avis/Budget badged subcontractor located there who assured me the Autopass etag was working, nothing more for me to do or pay, before I drove away – contrary to what the Avis rental contract states! The Autopass etag proved to be a dud; suspected when passing through road toll points, then proved when ferry onboarders tried their handheld scanners to no avail. When I was eventually overcharged I put the message through to Avis/Budget customer service, they went silent, then I went to Norway Innovation (Govt agent) they pointed me at the Ministry… no response. Cannot use Norwegian Consumer Council because you need to be a Norwegian resident with a national ID to do that. The Norwegian Govt behaves as though it cannot manage Norwegian businesses that behave fraudulently, so sad, too bad, won’t be back. Certainly would never recommend Avis/Budget at Oslo Airport as a rental car source.

September 2, 2019 at 4:00 pm

Yeah I’ve heard bad things about Budget in Norway as well. Personally I always rent through sixt.com, as they have a great reputation in Norway.

December 12, 2019 at 1:53 am

Love this guide, perfect for anyone planning a Norway road trip! As a Norway native I agree with everything, except the part about “the roads are all well-maintained”.. I wish it was true! hahaha. Thank you so much for sharing your tips!

Naomi Hagen says

January 14, 2020 at 9:50 pm

Thank you SO much for your travel tips. I’m working diligently on my plan for our upcoming July trip to Norway and am finding your blog to be so helpful! Can’t wait to visit this stunning country!

KatieM says

January 24, 2020 at 12:04 am

Hello Silvia, I love your blog! We are planning a road trip to Norway and all of your blog posts have been so helpful! We are flying in and out of Bergen. Our first night we haven’t decided where to stay, we land in Bergen around 3pm and then We’re driving to Flam the next day, any tips on where to stay either on the way or a bit out of the way as we’re game for adventure and driving 🙂 Thank you! Katie

January 25, 2020 at 3:06 pm

I’ve compiled a list of my favorite hotels in the region here: https://www.heartmybackpack.com/norway/best-sognefjord-accommodation/ Aurland is especially idyllic!

Kathryn says

January 30, 2020 at 11:20 pm

I love your blog 🙂 It’s been very helpful during the planning process for my upcoming trip to Norway (April 30 – May 9). I’ve been running into some trouble with my itinerary since there seem to be some road closures and was wondering if you had recommendations. Right now I have:

April 30: Arrive to Oslo May 1: Oslo May 2: Norway in a Nutshell train to Bergen May 3: Bergen May 4: Bergen

For May 5 – May 9 I was hoping to include Alesund, Geirangerfjord and back to Oslo (possibly stop somewhere else if there is time). Do you have any suggestions for how to do that during that time of year? The only thing booked right now is our Oslo flights, so if this isn’t possible, we are also considering Oslo to Lofoten instead. Thanks so much for any help you can offer!!

January 31, 2020 at 12:51 pm

Most roads should be open in May if the road closures you’re seeing now are due to weather, though Trollstigen doesn’t open until late May or early June. You’ll definitely be able to drive from Bergen to Alesund though.

January 31, 2020 at 4:11 pm

Thank you for your quick reply, Silvia! You rock 🙂 Do you know if it is possible to get from Alesund to Geirangerfjord easily since Trollstigen is closed?

February 1, 2020 at 1:08 pm

Of course! Trollstigen isn’t actually part of that route anyway, and the main road will definitely be open. Or you could take a boat trip from Alesund – I have more suggestions in my Alesund guide: https://www.heartmybackpack.com/norway/alesund-travel-guide/

February 1, 2020 at 7:49 pm

Thank you so much!

Malerie says

February 10, 2020 at 10:13 pm

Hi, Silvia! Your blog is wonderful! I’m planning my first trip to Norway this summer. I’m spending four nights in Lofoten (already have a wonderful Air BnB booked), and then plan to spend four nights in the Mor Og Romsdal region. I want to explore Alesund, do the Atlantic Road, visit Geirangerfjord, and Trollstigen. Ahh! Where should I base myself? Do you recommend homesteading in Alesund and just planning to drive a lot, or doing two and two somewhere? Thank you!

Autumn says

February 12, 2020 at 7:27 pm

Hello Silvia 🙂 Thank you for your wonderful website and always being so prompt at responding to all of your social media. You helped me out late last year and I was able to change my plans to arrive after Easter. So thank you again for that. I’m hoping you might be able to help me out with some other information I’m really having problems finding answers to online. I will be flying into Oslo on the 24th of April and flying out on the 7th of May. My trip is going up through Norway and down through Sweden. I’m having trouble figuring out whether to look at Winter or Summer hours/fees? Most websites I’ve looked at completely leave out April and May when they show the dates that each is for. I also am planning on renting a car and driving but I am having trouble figuring out if I can cross boarders and whether there are fees for it? The rental websites are so unclear about it. Thanks for any help

Bruce Alpert says

March 5, 2020 at 8:46 pm

Thoughts on a roundtrip drive from Bergen to Geiranger in 4 nights, five days in June. Towns to overnight?

Sheila says

April 26, 2020 at 6:37 pm

Like what I read event hough I would not be driving. Keep the good info going.

April 26, 2020 at 6:42 pm

Am schedule to visitScandinavia in July 2020. I hope to reach Geiranger by ferry from Bergen and return to Oslo in 30 hours. I already paid for accommodation which maybe a problem.

May 24, 2020 at 7:27 pm

Norway is the country my heart fell in love with. First I had to come back year by year and now it´s time to move there and show this beautiful country to other adventurers. Lofoten is the most beautiful part that I love, but now it´s time to explore south as well.

Katie McDonald says

June 9, 2020 at 2:21 pm

Amazing blog to read! I am landing in Oslo and doing a full coastal road trip curving round and finishing just North of The Atlantic Road. Heading back South to Oslo for our returning flight, I was wondering if there is a mountainous route which is worth stopping for 1 or 2 nights before reaching Oslo. Thank you so much!

July 19, 2020 at 4:25 pm

Silvia, Thank you for the tip on Auto Europe. It turned out to be the cheapest rate for us. Looking for 9 days and manual transmission plus unlimited miles! Made a difference.

August 2, 2020 at 4:10 pm

Hei! I came across your website while looking for information about planning a road trip in September from Trondheim to Tromsø. Great and very useful article, thanks! I checked out the rain pants you recommended, but they are no longer available at the link you provided 🙁 since I’m looking for a good pair of rain pants, I wanted to ask you if those you recommended are made to wear over something (like if I’m already wearing jeans and I can have them over) or they are more to wear by themselves or maybe with woollen underpants if cold. I’m not even sure which would be more versatile, but I just want to understand more and make the right purchase! And if you update your link, just reply with it 😉 thanks in advance!

Joseph Jones says

November 4, 2020 at 5:28 pm

Appreciating the time and effort you put into your website and in depth information you offer. Awesome places to explore. I would like to suggest it to my friends so that we can plan a trip and take a time for ourselves in this busy schedule. Keep posting such wonderful places. Thanks!

Stefan Robert says

November 22, 2020 at 10:50 am

Here, one thing is very important. Like when you will go for visiting Norway in summer. You should need to bring a warm cloth to keep protect your cold environment. Your clothes should be waterproof.

April 20, 2021 at 4:10 am

Loved the information and I was planning to travel again after this pandemic. You know you’re in good shape when you become uninterested in thinking back. Keep it up!

April 26, 2021 at 4:45 pm

Thanks for all your blogs that I’ve read so far! My trip planning is still very early days, but I’m hoping (covid pending) to visit Norway next May-June. I’ll be doing a trip up to Svalbard and then would like to road-trip south through Norway, potentially starting at Alta, heading east and then back over to the west coast, unsure yet where I’d finish but let’s say Oslo.

Is it possible to do this in 2 weeks or would you recommend allowing longer or starting elsewhere?

May 26, 2021 at 10:30 pm

Hei Silvia – what a wonderful, absolute gem of blog for Norway travellers! Kudos to you! I moved to Norway last year (all the way from the warm Pacific) to start my new job here. Your blog is sooooo helpful, it’s such a blessing for new travellers. Really appreciate all this effort you’ve put into sharing your experiences!

September 28, 2021 at 11:40 am

Tracy Shannon says

February 13, 2022 at 8:34 am

Hi Silvia! Your website and information is awesome! I’m from the USA and I’m leaving for various Countries in the EU March 1st ( VERY soon!) for my latest female Solo travel adventure. I’m starting in Denmark (visiting friends)then headed to Norway 3/22 or 3/23 for 10 days before I head to Switzerland and then Italy. I wish I could stay longer but the rules are strict that I must only stay in the Schengen area for 90 days. I have been reading a lot of blogs on the Internet but they were all from Travelers so when I saw yours I was thrilled because you’re a local! I’ll be leaving Copenhagen and was thinking about heading north first in the hopes of still catching the northern lights. I would really love your opinion of the best trip I could hope for in my short 10 day stay. I will be renting a car and I am completely unaware of where I’ll be staying since I don’t even have my itinerary mapped out. I’m feeling a little stressed because it will be time to leave so soon now! Any help or suggestions that you can give me would be so very very much appreciated. If it turns out that you’re available while I’m in your beautiful country I would be happy to meet you for coffee and a pastry perhaps 😎 I love to hike and road tripping like you!

February 14, 2022 at 2:29 pm

If you want to see the northern lights I would fly up to Tromsø and rent a car from there. You’ll be right at the end of the northern lights season, but should still have a chance at the end of March. The distances here are really great so I don’t recommend trying to see too many places at once. I think my top pick would be Tromsø and Senja. You could also drive around Kvaløya, the island next to Tromsø, and Sommarøy during the day, and then Kvaløya is also a great place to watch northern lights at night. These posts should help: https://www.heartmybackpack.com/norway/tromso-northern-lights-tour/ https://www.heartmybackpack.com/norway/things-to-do-in-tromso/ and https://www.heartmybackpack.com/norway/things-to-do-in-senja-norway/

2 Cups Of Travel says

March 6, 2022 at 5:23 am

Awesome shots! This looks stunning. We didn’t have Norway on the list for our 2022 trip but maybe need to add it in!

Steve Wheller says

March 10, 2022 at 10:05 pm

Just came across your fab and informative blog. I am looking at planning a trip to Norway with my son before he heads off to University. We are looking at coming for a week in the last week of august, first week of September.

I am a photographer so looking to capture the amazing landscapes. We are going to fly from Cardiff and then hire a car. What would be the best road trip for a week to capture the best of the norwegian landscapes.

March 17, 2022 at 3:05 am

Hello, Your info on Panama was a great help when I did that trip and now I found your info on Norway! Just one question. If we rent a car and plan to camp in the evening, is it legal and is there room to just pull off on the side of the road somewhere?

March 26, 2022 at 7:32 pm

Yes, totally legal as long as you’re 150 m away from buildings, houses, or cabins and not on farmland. You can usually find plenty of places to pull off.

carl woodward says

August 20, 2022 at 6:05 pm

this would be my dream

October 16, 2022 at 9:23 am

Thank you so much for all the tips, tricks and ideas on your Blog concerning Norway. Though it does makes planing a trip way more difficult, as there is so much to see 😉

One thing in was wondering in relation to cars is, if you have any experience with electric cars in Norway. From what I could find, Norways is well equipped with a Network for charging an all, but I was wondering, if you have by chance any experience in using an electric car for a road-trip with medium-long drivedays. I’m planing a trip for May 2023 an would like to do it as sutainable as possible. I’m already planing on traveling by train up from Switzerland where I live all the way to Bodø (with stops in between to explore obvisously) but I was thinking of probably renting a car in Bodø for ~1 Week to do the Lofoten, Tromsø and Lyngen Alps Area.

Would love to hear, if you have any experience with this.

greetings from Switzerland, Tina

October 17, 2022 at 5:48 pm

I’m afraid I don’t have any experience with this myself. But yes, there are lots of charging stations all over, so finding a place to charge shouldn’t be a problem.

Tina Baumgartner says

October 19, 2022 at 6:42 pm

Thank you !

November 5, 2022 at 2:51 pm

Silvia, well done on such a wonderful set of articles!

next June a friend and I will be riding motorcycles down the coast of Norway from Nordkapp to Bergen. You know motorcyclists sometimes it’s more the road and what it holds than stopping and walking long distances into the hills. A question if I may, what would you consider a reasonable daily distance, [some have suggested 300 km tops] bearing in mind our sort of “getting on with it” mindset?

November 15, 2023 at 10:51 am

Me and my friends rented a campervan in Norway and we couldn’t do better! Not only it was the best budget option for us, but the freedom we got in return was priceless. Travelling Norway by campervan should be mandatory haha! I can’t imagine seeing and exploring all the beautiful places in any other way. I recommend travelling in June – it’s still quite quiet on the roads, yet the weather is more than perfect and nature is in full of life. Oh, I loved it all. Want to come back asap…

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Once a full-time nomad, I'm now trying to find a balance between continuing to explore off the beaten path places around the world while also building a home in Norway. Want to know more? Head to my About page !

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Planning a road trip in Norway? Here you will find how to plan the ultimate Norway road trip, Norway tips & things to know before visiting Norway.

How to plan a Norway road trip [for first timers]

Norway, The beautiful monarchy of the Vikings, a land of trolls and legends, stunning fjords, and dramatic wild landscapes. Norway has Wonderful and pristine land of wonders, suitable for all hiking lovers.

A road trip in Norway is for you if you are a mountain climber and addicted to the adrenaline of peaks, snow, and ice. If you like long hiking in the cold or warm sun, rain or fog. If you like quiet and nature.

The beauty of Norway is an indisputable fact. Norway also has cultural and artistic heritage, some of the steepest roads, some of the northernmost institutions in the world, and many happy people.

A Norway road trip - If you are sick of landscape of any kind!

Important thing to know on a trip to Norway, Prepare your wallet - There is no other way to say it.

Everything is more expensive than we are used to.

The prices in Norway will meet you in all areas of the trip as a tourist in a foreign country: in tourism services and nature reserves, car rental and fuel prices, accommodation and food, site entrances, parking, ferries, toll roads, and more.

However, it's possible to travel to Norway on a budget .

Norway is a large country - A variety of options stands before you visiting Norway.

Therefore, it's recommended to plan your trip to Norway well ahead!

Before we begin - Here are some word suffixes in the Norwegian language related to elements in the landscape:

brean = glacier

vatnet = lake

fossen = waterfall

dalen = valley

Gard = farm

vegen = road

fjellet = mountain road (fjell = mountain)

Plan your road trip around Norway:

How many days should you spend in norway.

In my opinion, the minimum time for a Norway road trip is 10 days. the ideal time for a road trip in Norway is 14 days .

Norway is a huge country! On an independent travel to Norway everyone has their own pace and time and it is worth taking the time to make the most of Norway.

Despite this, with 2 weeks in Norway, you can have time to visit the main cities that shape the whole country and also get a taste of the breathtaking fjord sights.

Best Time for Road Trips in Norway

I visited Norway in the summer so I will write about it - I think the best time to do a road trip in Norway its in the summer for those visiting Norway for the first time.

Road trip in Norway during summer

Summer in Norway means long days, short nights, and quite often at stable and pleasant temperatures on land and at sea.

From late June to mid-August, the weather is warm and not really dark.

This is a welcome respite after a long, dark, and cold winter and like the flowers themselves, the Norwegians bloom from the pleasant sun and heat.

Once summer gets a grip on Norway all the locals go outside to enjoy the sun after the long and cold winter , there are barbecues in the parks, and in general, just everyone goes outside the houses.

From late June to early August summer peaks with temperatures that can reach 25 ° -30 ° C.

At the same time, there is almost no humidity in the air, and even at night, the temperatures can remain high.

The further north you go in the summer, beyond the Arctic Circle, the more you can see nights with the midnight sun.

On the evening of June 23, the Norwegians celebrate everywhere.

They gather by the sea, light fires into the night, eat, drink and rejoice.

The water temperatures in the sea can reach 18 ° C and even higher, which makes swimming a popular pastime, but you should check the water before you jump in - it can definitely be colder than expected.

In conclusion, while winter is completely cold and frozen, in summer the possible temperature range is very wide and it can vary drastically.

On a long trip in Norway, you will experience cold and rain (and even snow!) And a few days later a temperature of 30 degrees.

It should be remembered that even when it is hot in Norway - at night it is always pleasant or cool.

If you are traveling Norway for more than a week, it is almost impossible to avoid rain, the rain will probably reach you at least once on the trip.

The Norwegian Meteorological Service website is excellent and regularly updated, it is a must-have item for travelers in Norway.

Clothes for a summer trip in Norway

All types of clothing are needed - warm and cold, long and short.

A good Jacket is a must-have item, as well as at least one thermal shirt and 3 pairs of merino wool socks .

Rain jacket (raincoat or soft shell) is also an essential item.

A good and comfortable solution is detachable pants that can be used for hot and cold days.

Shoes are an item that is well worth investing in.

Norway is a destination for hiking and climbing, even if you do not intend to do hiking.

Sneakers will also ruin your legs. You should invest in proper hiking or trail running shoes .

Currency in Norway

The local currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK).

1 usd = 8.75 nok

1 eur = 9.95 nok

The usual and convenient way to pay in Norway is by credit card.

There is hardly a place where you can't pay with credit card , even in restrooms, however, you should stock up on a little cash as a backup.

Using credit card includes fees, so for those who are interested, you can also get by with cash only (there are some places where you do not receive cash, but they are very few).

In Norway you don't need euros and dollars, there is no point in getting them.

On the other hand, there are places in Norway that accept Swedish Krones, and the closer you are to the border, the more likely it is.

Those coming from Sweden should be equipped with a few Swedish Krones, it will be very easy to get rid of them on the way.

When to book a flight to Norway?

If you are planning a trip to Norway, you should start looking for flights starting at the beginning of the year (January) if you want to travel in the summer months June-August.

When airlines open new flights, there is an allocation of a number of tickets at significantly lower costs.

Keep in mind that tickets with an attractive price are snatched up quickly.

I use the Expedia search engine when I need to book a flight or look for good deals.

If you have a date that you know you can go on vacation, try to book the flights as far in advance as possible!

Accommodation in Norway: Camping, Youth hostels, Cabins & More

Like flights, accommodation should be booked early in advance.

As the summer season in Norway approaches prices go up.

Rooms at a relatively low price (still expensive compared to Europe) are quickly hijacked and already during April most of the rooms are occupied.

This is true for almost all types of rooms, from private rooms in hostels to hotel rooms.

So where to stay in Norway? What is the cheapest way to travel in Norway?

Here are some ways to travel Norway on a budget:

Camping in Norway

Camping is a great option to sleep in Norway on a budget and it is recommended way to feel nature in all its glory, to be in nature as part of nature.

Camping in Norway in summer has several benefits-

Price - The cheapest price for accommodation in Norway is to sleep in a campsite, and more than that especially if you do wild camping in Norway in an area where you do not even have to pay anything and it's completely free .

Norway has a law that says you can set up a tent and sleep anywhere in the country as long as it is 150 meters away from a private area.

This fact therefore greatly reduces the cost of a trip to Norway.

Freedom - There is no limit to reaching a certain destination.

You can always go further or decide to stop and stay in a certain place for a longer time.

Since the days in Norway are quite long, especially in late June and during July.

In fact, there is no darkness and you can hike a lot and see more during the day.

The most basic equipment needed for camping in Norway:

Tent - a good tent for 3-4 seasons that knows how to handle rain and winds.

Sleeping bag - A sleeping bag that is suitable for low temperatures - has cold nights around 0 degrees Celsius even in summer. Especially in mountainous areas.

thermal clothing - Quality thermal clothing even in the summer.

These three are the main things for good sleep without a cold problem.

You should bring a small stove for cooking and a small pot and camping utensils.

It’s always nice to stop wherever you want and reheat the soup on a cold day or sip coffee on a sunny day with a nice stop on the way.

The gas cylinders can be purchased at some gas stations and equipment stores.

The rest of the camping equipment should be brought with you from home as these products are expensive in Norway.

Travelling norway in a campervan

Similar to a camping trip in Norway, a trip with a camper van in Norway also has no limit to which direction you start the route, and all the recommendations regarding camping, apart from the equipment, certainly apply here as well.

Of course, the costs for renting a van in Norway are much higher than in many other places in the world.

There are those who rent the van in neighboring countries where the cost is lower but pay on a longer arrival time.

It is worth noting that in Norway many roads are quite narrow , these narrow roads make it difficult for large vehicles to run like caravans and the speed of these vehicles is quite slow.

All sites marked in Norway with a camping sign catch up on the caravans.

Of course, it is advisable to check and know what services are provided everywhere.

Staying in a youth hostel in Norway

Many travelers like young people, adults, and families use youth hostels as a popular way to stay when traveling around Norway at an attractive price.

There are attractive places in Norway where the costs of youth hostels and cheap hotels offer similar prices.

Here, too, the accommodation options are varied and the prices vary.

The rooms are definitely of a good and pleasant standard.

There are several accommodation options in youth hostels in Norway:

Accommodation in shared rooms for only a few people with or without sleeping bags

Accommodation in dorms rooms of 3-6 people with shared toilets.

Accommodation in a double room with a private bathroom - the cost of such a double room is the most expensive option.

The rooms are pre-hijacked and in April and even in March there are hostels that are fully booked, mainly those that are in popular places in Norway.

You should make a membership card for the youth hostels that give discounts.

The excellent distribution of youth hostels in Norway gives you the possibility to end the nights and stay in Norway at a relatively reasonable price.

staying in a cabin in Norway

One of the most popular ways to travel in Norway is to stay in holiday cottages.

These cabins are located almost everywhere and almost every campsite has a number of holiday cabins.

There are cabins that include toilets and showers whose cost is probably more expensive.

At the peak of the summer season, the holiday cabins need to be booked in advance because the vast majority are booked in advance.

The combination of camping within cabins is the ideal combination to travel in Norway both in terms of costs and location.

Hotels in Norway

The price of hotels in Norway is really not one of the cheapest in Europe.

Staying in hotels makes the trip to Norway cumbersome in a long trip because you have to be there on a set date.

If you are sleeping in a hotel in Norway you can check and compare prices through booking and find the most affordable hotel.

The advantage of booking from a booking.com is the cancellation option, it is usually possible to cancel the accommodation up to a day before arrival which allows extensive freedom of action.

As a rule, you will always choose hotels that give you the option of self-cancellation as close as possible to the date of arrival at the hotel.

Driving in Norway: Speed limit, Tunnels, ferries & toll roads

Everything you need to know before your norway road trip.

In general, driving in Norway is quite comfortable and straightforward.

Most roads in Norway are in good to great condition - even roads that have steep ascents or descents - driving them is easy, as long as you drive slowly and carefully.

If you are afraid of leading in Norway - then do not (emphasizes that the reference is to summer only).

Some points about roads and driving in Norway that are worth considering:

A large part of the roads in Norway, especially when driving away from the cities are single-lane roads or two-way roads with limited visibility of vehicles coming from the other side.

Sometimes you will find yourself stuck for long minutes after a slow vehicle with no possibility of overtaking or even find yourself as part of a convoy, accept it with understanding and patience, do not try to make dangerous detours .

Many roads in Norway are very narrow - and still full of trucks or the most common hit vehicle in Norway - camper vans.

You will encounter many situations where you will have to stop or slow down to let the vehicle on the other side pass. The keyword is patience.

Speed limit

The maximum driving speed in Norway is 110 kph, but on most roads in tourist areas, the speed limit is 60-80 kph.

Speed ​​cameras are mostly scattered on multi-lane roads near large cities (but not only).

Not sure how many are real and how many are fake cameras.

Many people go over the speed limit and I have not seen a single police car on the whole trip, not even in Oslo.

Drive with discretion.

ferries in Norway

A trip to Norway will also include quite a few crossings with the vehicle on ferries.

It's a simple, fast and efficient process - almost imperceptible.

Get on the ferry and check out on the other side, sometimes you will not even have time to get off the toilet and you will continue on the way.

how to pay for ferries in Norway?

You don't need to book a ferry in advance!

*Pay everything on the ferry.

There is no need to even check the times of the ferries that are on major roads - as they operate throughout the day and frequently.

Did a ferry escape you? It's ok, get on the waiting lane, wait 15-30 minutes (in the meantime drink coffee) - and you will already be on the next ferry.

The information refers to transit ferries and not tourist cruises!

* Apart from the ferries in Geiranger Fjord - which should be booked at least a day in advance , these ferries are busier and their activity ends relatively early (the last ferry departs from Geiranger to Hellesylt at 18:30). The ferries in this fjord are considered a tourist cruise and not a means of transportation (although in practice they are also used for this), so they function accordingly.

The ferries on Flåm are also tourist cruise ships and not a means of transportation - so they also require advance booking.

The prices of the ferry vary, but in most places, it is a small amount of money relative to the total trip costs.

The price is calculated according to the size of the vehicle - the larger your vehicle, the more you will pay.

The price of the driver is included in the price of the vehicle transfer and each additional passenger has to pay.

Here too, the ferries in Geiranger are exceptional and are considered a tourist cruise - therefore they are much more expensive.

Toll roads in Norway

The toll roads in Norway are many - they can not be avoided completely, it is unrealistic for the time-limited tourist.

In some specific cases, a toll road replacement can be found, most often it is not worth the effort.

You can calculate the cost of travel on the troll roads according to the point of departure and the point of end.

Note: For drivers of a rented car - the travel fees are calculated automatically and will be sent to you by email from the rental company.

Check with the rental company before setting off.

Tunnels in Norway

One of the most prominent features of the road network in Norway is the tunnels.

A road trip in Norway includes passing through dozens and even hundreds Of tunnels - some of them are particularly long, but most of them are well maintained and well lit.

You will find unimaginable amounts of tunnels hewn in the mountains.

The tunnels in central Norway are modern, comfortable, well-controlled, well lit.

The tunnels have great radio reception.

The tunnels are maintained through cellular reception and an Internet network.

In some of the large intercity tunnels, you will find particularly surprising and impressive, even squares that divide the tunnel and split it into sub-lanes in different directions.

The famous car tunnel, the longest inland in the world, the newest in the world, and the most stunning of them all, is of course the Lærdal Tunnel . Located on an important road in Norway, the E-16, between Bergen and Oslo.

The tunnel is 24.5 kilometers long and connects Lærdal to Aurland.

The Lærdal Tunnel is located 120 kilometers (as the crow flies) northeast of the city of Bergen.

Along with the tunnel strict speed controls.

Claiming that Norwegians are not used to driving on straight roads, and the road may confuse them for driving too fast.

The tunnel is well controlled. After each kilometer, there is a sign that makes it clear to the driver how many kilometers he has traveled in the tunnel, and how many kilometers he has left before him.

The most exciting in the Norwegian Lærdal Tunnel is the surprising lighting, in the extensions along with it.

In the long darkness, you will suddenly discover an extension of a rounded space, resembling an ice igloo, lit by a variety of blue and yellow lighting.

Here you can stop, refresh, take pictures. Even trucks can stop here for rest and refreshment.

The blue-yellow lighting gives a fresh feeling of daylight, prevents apathy and drowsiness from the drivers.

The lighting also reduces feelings of claustrophobia, which can form in this long and almost endless tunnel.

In the tunnel some traffic light barriers, seven blockages deep in the tunnel, due to an accident or other malfunction, allow drivers to retrace their steps and exit the tunnel without getting stuck in it.

The level of communication and control of the tunnel is increased, it has cameras, and as in many Norwegian tunnels, it has an SOS communication system every 250 meters.

A state-of-the-art control system also counts the cars coming in and out of the tunnel. Permanent air conditioning, a dust filtration system, and the world's first electronic filtration to remove carbon and gas emissions from vehicles.

Road trip in Norway: car rental, scenic routes, gas stations & more

Car rental in norway.

Many people choose to rent a car in another country (usually in Sweden).

Rental prices in Sweden are about 30% -40% cheaper than renting in Norway.

However, this figure is very general and variable, so it is best not to work on an automaton.

You should check the options depending on your specific route and especially depending on the length of your stay in Norway.

I always find the best deals in Rentalcars.com , I booked through them on my trip to Norway.

In general - the shorter your trip, the option of renting a car in another country becomes a waste of unnecessary time.

Sometimes you can find lucrative offers for car rental in Norway, depending on demand, season, etc.

All the options are available to you but remember one important rule - time is also money.

gas stations

Fuel prices are high in Norway, and they start at about 14.50 Norwegian kroner (NOK) per liter. In some parts of Norway, gas stations could be 100 km apart . ‍

Small villages in Norway do not always have a gas station, even if they are in a secluded location.

These circumstances, together with the large driving distances in Norway, can create a situation where non-tourists Those accustomed to driving in Norway may get stuck with an empty fuel tank - which is not advisable.

Norway roads closed in winter

Some mountain passes, including popular roads around Geiranger, are closed during the winter (usually November - May). Other mountain roads may be closed for a shorter time (several days or one night) when the weather is severe.

These roads are always closed in winter ("vinterstengt"):

Road 55 Sognefjell (Nov-May) Road 51 Valdresflya (Dec-Apr) Road 63 Geiranger (Nov-May) Road 63 Trollstigen (Oct-May) Road 13 Gaularfjell (Dec-May) E69 Nordkapp (Oct-Apr')

Many visitors incorrectly estimate the distances and travel times in the territories of Norway, a large country with relatively slow driving.

Main distances on a road trip in Norway:

Oslo - Bergen: 500 km / 310 mi / 8 hrs Oslo - Stavanger: 540 km / 335 mi / 8 hrs Oslo - Trondheim: 500 km / 310 mi / 8 hrs Trondheim - Bodø: 700 km / 435 mi / 12 hrs Oslo - Geiranger: 450 km / 280 mi / 7 hrs Bodø - Tromsø: 600 km / 372 mi / 10 hrs Bergen - Geiranger: 400 km / 250 mi / 7 hrs Ålesund - Trondheim: 300 km / 186 mi / 6 hrs

the most beautiful roads in Norway

A Norway road trip passes dramatic landscapes - cliffs plunge into long, narrow bays of water, which are the famous fjords of Norway.

Norway's scenic routes are interwoven with spectacular scenery and make the trip itself an unforgettable experience.

Some of the best roads in Norway:

Aurlandsfjellet scenic route

Its length is about 50 km .narrow road, and cars are constantly passing by, but everyone is very considerate. 

Whether it's small cars or caravans that stop and let pass. 

Along the way, you will find such beautiful views and we had to stop, whether it was for a view of the fjord from above, small waterfalls, or snow along the way. 

We got used to the twists and turns and got stronger for the next. 

Those who are not interested in traveling on the scenic road can make their way in the longest tunnel in Norway - 24 km!

Sognefjellet road

A road with narrow sections and twists and turns and passes between two large parks in Norway - the Jotunheimen and the Jostedalsbreen. 

It lasts about 108 km.

This road also has countless beautiful stops, waterfalls, bridges, and small trails and you can stop for a walk and enjoy the view or stop at a small cafe and drink hot chocolate.

You can deviate from the road to other roads (and they are also narrow) and enter the parks, into valleys with waterfalls or glacier trails such as the Nigardsbreen Glacier, which can also be climbed by prior arrangement. 

Even the parking bays where we stopped for rest were always with a view or access to water.

Trollstigen road

A scenic road of about 100 kilometers, from the Geiranger ​​Fjord to the north. 

The pictures on the internet made me slightly apprehensive about traveling this way, but after inquiries, and after experiencing some winding scenic roads on the edge of the abyss, we already felt experienced.

On the trollstigen, there are neat stopping points including a nice walking trail for observation from which you can see the twists that lie ahead and you can still regret it.

But how will you regret knowing that you are facing a journey in such a dramatic landscape? Twists one after the other, and in the rounds, there are waterfalls with huge amounts of water, and when there is no abyss on both sides there are spaces where you can do hiking trails, get into the water or flip a skimmer. 

Wherever you choose to stop you can spend at least a day.

The Atlantic ocean road

A scenic road that runs between Kårvåg and Bud, is 36 kilometers long. Opinions about this road are divided and there are those who say that if you have already driven on some of Norway's scenic roads, the Atlantic ocean road will not then elicit cries of admiration.

On the Atlantic ocean Road, you can stop at lookout points with small hiking trails, look at the ocean and the small fishing houses next to it.

And there are lots more -  and besides these famous roads in Norway, there were many more roads, maybe not everyone has a name and fame but they are so beautiful! 

Roads that pass over a mountainside and roads that pass through a valley alongside streams are more or less winding and with breathtaking stopping points, and campsites along the way are a pastoral spot within the landscape that makes this whole trip one big experience and leaves a taste for more.

Read more: 8 most scenic routes in Norway

Norway on a budget

Without a doubt, Norway is a very expensive country. Supermarket, fuel, and beer prices are expensive.

Accommodation in Norway is also expensive.

As long as you keep a low-cost trip and prefer youth hostels, camping, wild camping, and cabins over hotels you can get by with a low budget.

Prices start to jump whenever you want to be pampered or get service.

Restaurants are very expensive, coffee is very expensive, hotels that are beyond the standard - insanely expensive.

What about Shopping in Norway? Forget it, Norway is not a shopping destination.

You can go out cheaply in Norway (relatively) - if you stick to independent cooking and a smart and economical trip.

The best way to save some money in Norway is to travel with people.

A solo travel in Norway (which does not include tent accommodation) is most expensive due to the lack of single or shared rooms.

Couples have many more options and the groups do not lack cabins, which, if divided by their price, is not a very large expense in most cases.

Couples and groups can also split car, fuel, and food rental prices and save hundreds of dollars in aggregate.

So if you do not want to be alone (which is possible and most legitimate in a destination like Norway) - travel with other people to save some money.

15 essential things to know before visiting Norway

1. The weather in Norway is very unpredictable and may change quickly from a beautiful and clear day to cloudy and rainy.

You should keep up to date with the weather daily on the yr website or app especially if you plan to hike in the mountains.

2. When walking at the edges of the cliffs in Norway there is usually no railing and safety fence and the responsibility is on the hiker.

3. First aid can be far from where you are, which requires taking every action into account.

4. You can almost always pay with a credit card.

5. However, you should always keep at least 100 NOK in coins.

There is a toll road with unmanned checkpoints that do not charge by credit card or bills, so you need some coins to pay.

6. Always make sure to refuel, do not be lazy, and refuel, if the fuel gauge shows less than half a tank should already start thinking about the next refill.

There are areas where the distance between the gas station is large.

7. Make a playlist with your favorite songs, there are long drives in Norway.

8. If you are planning to fish - fishing in Norway is through a special license designed for designated areas for you to protect the fishery from overfishing.

Therefore, freshwater must be licensed. In saltwater (fjords/oceans) fishing is free and no license is required.

9. Speed cameras: Norway is full of them.

Drive at the speed allowed by law. There are quite a few speed traps and in almost every long tunnel there are sometimes 3-speed traps.

Although there are preliminary signs that warn by but note that the fines can be quite high.

10. Important phone numbers: 112 - Police / 113 - Ambulance / 110 - Firefighters

11. Driving in Norway is on the right side of the road.

12. In Norway, you have 24 hours of daylight in summer.

13. A popular and relatively convenient supermarket chain in terms of prices is Rema 100, always looking for their products with the private label because it will usually be the cheapest and most affordable.

14. Get mentally prepared for prices - Norway is expensive.

15. Bring sleeping bags If you do not intend to sleep in hostels, it will save you the payment on bedding that in many places there is an additional and not cheap payment.

How to plan a road trip in Norway: summary

Norway is a beautiful country, with a rich history and out-of-this-world landscapes.

Contrary to popular belief Norway is not part of the EU but does have extensive trade and border crossing agreements (Schengen Agreement) with the EU and therefore a stay in Norway will not feel in any way different from anywhere else in Europe.

On a more personal note - During my road trip in Norway I realized that Norway is one of the most advanced countries I have traveled to, both in terms of accessibility of daily procedures (driving, fees, etc.) to the average tourist and in terms of infrastructure and overall comfort.

I hope this Norway travel guide will help you plan the best trip to Norway. ‍

Norway is not an ordinary destination, the scenic routes in Norway, the amazing things to see in Norway, and the wild nature, makes the road trip in Norway so epic.

I have no doubt, I will back to Norway very soon because there is much more to see and discover in this amazing country.

Thank you for reading my guide on how to plan the ultimate Norway road trip!

Read My Other Europe Blogs:

2 days in bergen norway

8 most scenic routes in norway

3 Day Madrid Itinerary

how to spend weekend in Amsterdam

2 weeks in sicily: the perfect sicily road trip

how to spend 3 days in prague

scotland road trip Itinerary for 14 days ‍

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Getting to Norway is an integral part of the journey to experiencing this nation’s fjords, cities, and natural landscapes. Here’s our guide on how to get to Norway, with tips from our local travel experts.

Where to fly into Norway?

How to get to norway from the us, how to get to norway from the uk, how to get to norway from canada, how to get to norway from europe, how to get to norway from australia, how to get to norway from new zealand, do you need a visa.

Flying is the most common and efficient way to get to Norway, especially if you're travelling from a long distance or internationally. There are regular direct flights to major cities in Norway such as Oslo , Bergen , and Stavanger from various European destinations and some cities in the United States.

If you're interested in exploring other parts of Scandinavia or Europe along the way, you might like to travel with a vehicle.

How to get to Norway and enjoy your trip to Bergen © Shutterstock

When you're planning your trip to Norway, you'll have a few international airports to choose from. The main ones are Oslo Airport (OSL), Bergen Airport (BGO), and Stavanger Airport (SVG). Oslo Airport is the biggest and busiest, with tons of international flights coming in from all over the world. Some major airlines that fly to Norway are:

• Norwegian Air
• Scandinavian Airlines
• British Airways
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

The cheapest time to fly to Norway typically falls during the off-peak season, which is generally during the winter months, particularly from November to March. For a more in-depth look, see our guide to the best time to go to Norway .

If you're flying from the US to Norway, you'll usually need to catch a connecting flight, with Oslo Airport being the most common destination. Major airlines like Norwegian Air, SAS, and United Airlines have both direct and indirect flights to Oslo from various US cities. The flight time varies depending on the route and any layovers. 

• A direct flight from New York to Oslo takes about  8-9 hours , a flight from Los Angeles will take around  10-11 hours .
• You can expect to pay around $500 to $800  for a round-trip ticket.

Polar bear, ice floe, Svalbard, Norway © Shutterstock

You’ll find there are plenty of direct flights available when flying to Norway from the UK. You can hop on a plane with Norwegian Air, British Airways, or Ryanair from major airports like London Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, and Edinburgh. These flights will take you to cities like Oslo, Bergen, and more. 

• A direct flight from London to Oslo is just about  2 hours.
• Typically you’ll pay between  £50  and £150 for a one-way ticket, depending on the airline and when you book.

Driving to Norway from the UK

If you're up for a road trip adventure , driving from the UK to Norway is fun way to travel. Start by taking the Eurotunnel or a ferry crossing to mainland Europe. From there, you can drive through Denmark and enter Norway via the Svinesund Bridge, or take a ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand. 

The whole journey from London to Oslo is around 1,200 miles (1,930 km) and can take about 24-30 hours, including ferry crossings and rest stops.

Travel to Norway from the UK by train

While there are no direct trains from the UK or Ireland to Norway, you can still make the journey by rail if you prefer to avoid flying . First, take the Eurostar from London to Brussels or Paris. 

From there, connect to high-speed trains heading to cities like Copenhagen or Stockholm . Once you reach one of these cities, you can continue your trip to Norway by ferry. Keep in mind, though, that this option is likely to cost more than flying.

Besseggen Ridge in Norway © Shutterstock

If you're travelling from Canada, getting to Norway usually involves a connecting flight through major European hubs like London, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt. Airlines such as Air Canada, Lufthansa, and KLM offer convenient routes to Oslo and other Norwegian cities. 

• A typical flight from Toronto to Oslo takes about  10-12 hours with layovers and a flight from Vancouver will take around  12-13 hours . 
• You can expect costs around  CAD 800-1200 for a round-trip ticket, depending on the season and airline.

If you live in Europe, or are taking a larger, multi-country trip , you’ll find you can easily access Norway.

• From West Europe: Countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands have direct flights to Norway, as well as efficient train and ferry connections.
• From East Europe: If you’re coming from an Eastern European country, you may find direct flights to Norway or opt for train journeys via Sweden or Finland.
• From Southern Europe : Spain, Italy, and Greece have indirect flights to Norway, with layovers in major European cities.

Midnight sun on the Longyearbyen waterfront in Svalbard in the Norwegian arctic © Shutterstock

For travellers from Australia, reaching Norway usually means catching a connecting flight through major European hubs like London , Frankfurt , or Amsterdam . Airlines like Qantas, Emirates, and British Airways fly from cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. 

• Flight times vary but generally range from  25 to 35 hours , including layovers. Round-trip fares typically start from  AUD 1,500 and can go up to  AUD 3,000 or more.

Those coming from New Zealand can connect to Norway through Australia, Asia, or the Middle East, with transit points in places like Dubai , Singapore , or Hong Kong . Airlines such as Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways offer routes from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

•  Total travel time from New Zealand to Norway is generally between  25 to 40 hours , including layovers. 
• Round-trip ticket prices typically range from  NZD 2,000 to NZD  4,000 .

Kristiansten Fortress, Trondheim © Shutterstock

Norway is part of the Schengen Area, which means that citizens of many countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, can enter Norway visa-free for short stays (up to 90 days within a 180-day period) for tourism, business, or family visits.

The Rough Guides to Norway and related travel guides

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Travel advice for Norway

From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Norway

• Eating and drinking in Norway
• Sports and Outdoor activities in Norway
• Shopping tips for Norway
• Getting around Norway: Transportation Tips
• Travel Tips Norway for planning and on the go
• Best time to visit Norway

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updated 23.05.2024

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A 2-week Norway road trip itinerary

Updated On 10th May, 2024

Norway , a country of outstanding natural beauty and raw sublime power, with dramatic waterfalls, crystal clear fjords, majestic mountains, and spectacular glaciers. If that hasn’t convinced you to pack your bags and plan a Norway road trip, hopefully, this blog post can offer up some inspiration on what you can expect from one of the most beautiful countries in the world and one of the best places to visit in Europe . 

If you’re planning a Norway road trip and are wondering how you can possibly experience all of the best adventures this beautiful country has to offer, all within 2 weeks, you’re in the right place.

In this blog post, I’m going to share a 2-week Norway road trip itinerary with you, featuring my top places to visit in Norway, top things to do in Norway and tips from my very own trip. 

Other blog posts you might find useful…

• A 2-week Cornwall road trip itinerary
• My 2-week Scotland road trip itinerary
• Christmas markets in Europe road trip itinerary
• 10 top tips for responsible van life
• The best things to do in Europe
• A bucket list via ferrata in Norway
• How to plan your UK road trip
• Van life in Europe: a bucket list of Europe road trips

Norway is all about experiencing nature, with respect for animals and plants coming first. So this trip will probably suit those adventurers who are active and don’t mind sleeping under the stars.

Fortunately, the right to roam or “allemannsretten” makes this very easy, it ensures that everybody can experience nature, even in larger privately owned areas. So, you won’t be aimlessly driving around in the dark looking for somewhere discrete to camp (If you know, you know). Just be sure to be considerate and thoughtful, making sure you pick up rubbish and show respect for nature and locals – leave the landscape as you would want to find it.

Find out more about responsible van life here. 

Of course, this itinerary can be adapted for the less adventurous type, with 26 affordable hostels spread around the country, along with Airbnb always saving you if the weather takes a turn.

A 2-week road trip itinerary for Norway…

This Norway road trip begins in Oslo , the capital of Norway, and finishes in the western city of Stavanger covering some 2050 miles (3300km) along the way. Optionally you could fly to Lofoten if you have fewer days, but I wanted to actually see the country, rather than fly over it, and you know…  flying isn’t exactly great for the planet. 

Get more sustainable travel tips here.

Now, this wouldn’t be much of a road trip without a car, however, I decided to get two trains to cover the 700 miles from Oslo to Bodø rather than drive. But, if you have more time and do have your own vehicle or want to hire from Oslo, that’s fine, the route is fairly similar. However, the one thing you will learn about Norway pretty quickly is how expensive it is (the second most expensive country in the world). So I only hired a car in Trondheim for the second week, for the drive down the west coast to Stavanger. Taking a car up to Lofoten can add some serious costs with tolls, ferries and fuel, and I don’t think you necessarily need one to experience the Islands. So, I guess this is a backpacking road trip hybrid!

Day 1: Oslo-Bodø

Into the arctic circle.

• Train time: 16-17 hours (two trains; one is overnight)

I arrived in Oslo the night before my Norway road trip started and spent the night in the Anker Hostel, which is a good place to meet fellow travellers from around the world. It is also a cheap option (£20 per night). See my top tips for travelling on a budget here. 

I was itching to head north, and as I’m not much of a city person, I didn’t spend too much time in Oslo, but there is plenty to do here should you want to stay and explore.

I jumped on my first train from Oslo to Trondheim. This takes about 6 hours and costs roughly 619 NOK (£50). This is an amazing journey, with plenty of time to sit back and relax, take in the mountain views as the train weaves its way through valleys and tunnels.

Once in Trondheim, I had enough time to grab some food and then I mentally prepared myself for the overnight train from Trondheim to Bodø which takes 10-11 hours and costs approximately 1269 NOK (£102) return (You can pay more for a cabin). This turned out to be the best train I’ve ever taken (despite it being an overnight one), and takes you through some truly remote wilderness and into the Arctic Circle. You probably won’t get much sleep, and if the midnight sun doesn’t keep you awake, the view out the window will certainly keep you going.

Day 2: Bodø – Moskenes, Lofoten

Keep going north….

• Train time: whatever is left from yesterday’s overnight train
• Ferry time: 3 hours
• Driving time: 10 minutes

If you did get some sleep, then you will wake up on day 2 of this Norway road trip travelling alongside the mighty Skjerstad Fiord, which boasts some great views of the mountains of Svartisen and Rago National Park. The train ends in Bodø, and is opposite the ferry terminal where you can pick up foot passenger tickets for the ferry to Moskenes, Lofoten. The 3-hour ferry offers another great opportunity to sit back and take in the views of the mountains and abundance of sea life. 

Once I arrived in Moskenes, I hitched (buses also available) a lift to the Lofoten Hostel Å, located in the cozy small fishing village of Å, right at the end of the Lofoten Islands. The hostel is amazing and sits on the waterfront with several room types, some being 100-year old fisherman cabins. I opted for this as my base for the next few days as it is one of the best places to visit in Norway, a perfect starting point for hikes, and only costs £20-30 per night for a shared room (although I ended up with one to myself).

Fun Fact: The old fishing towns in this area largely exist due to Stockfish exports from Lofoten, which is dried and matured Arctic cod. You will see (and smell) a mass of drying racks scattered around the islands.

Days 3-5: Å, Reinebringen, Munken, Bunes and Kvalvika Beaches

Sunsets & cinnamon rolls…, å .

My morning routine in Å without fail involved a visit to the bakery (Gammelgården – the Old House) which was built in 1844 and bakes fresh bread and cinnamon rolls everyday. It’s a stone’s throw away from the hostel and I can tell you now, the cinnamon rolls will change your life and you will find yourself with some serious withdrawal symptoms upon leaving, so make the most of it.

I spent the next few days exploring and climbing many of the surrounding peaks, which are some of the best places to visit in Norway. You can catch a bus easily with contactless or hitchhike to many of the fishing villages along the islands. It’s up to you how far you explore here. I wanted to save some exploring for my Long Crossing Hike of Lofoten on my Norway road trip, so didn’t venture too far off Moskenesøya.

A few spots to add to your Norway bucket list for the surrounding area are:

• Reine and Hamnøy

Reinebringen 

• Bunes Beach 
• Kvalvika Beach
• Arctic Surfing or Kayaking

One of the main reasons to visit the Arctic Circle in the summer is to experience the midnight sun, so make sure at least one (if not all) of your evenings is spent up high watching the phenomenon. It’s a photographer’s dream, with 6-8 hours of golden hour, so snap away. This is one of the best things to do in Norway, so make sure you don’t miss it! 

At a modest 448 meters high, Reinebringen has one of the most iconic views of Lofoten and the midnight sun from the summit. It’s quite a steep path and I would aim to walk this around 9pm to avoid many of the crowds. Once at the top, if you are comfortable with exposed ridgelines, I highly recommend carrying on to the summit, almost everyone takes photos part way up and I had the summit entirely to myself all evening.

This was one of my favourite hikes on the islands and at 797m, it offers 360° views of surrounding peaks and the many lakes and fjords scattered around it. Check out 68north for good trail maps and guides for this area. The main trail to Munken is located in the village of Sørvågen on Moskenesøy, a walkable distance from Å. You can also book to stay in the bothy near the summit, or camp anywhere along the trail should you be feeling extra adventurous. 

Bunes and Kvalvika Beaches

You can take day trips to either of these stunning beaches, both require either a short boat ride or bus from Reine, followed by an approximately 1 hour hike. The sand is beautifully white and the turquoise sea is very inviting on a sunny day. Just brace yourself for that Arctic water; let’s just say I was in and out decidedly quick. 

Day 6: Moskenes to Trondheim

I’m not crying, you’re crying….

• Train time: 10-11 hours

After one emotional visit to the bakery, and a last hike up a small 490m peak called Tindstind in the morning, it was back onto the ferry from Moskenes to Bodø in the afternoon. A bit of time to grab some food and explore Bodø before heading onto the overnight train back to Trondheim. This time I was treated to a particularly good sunset and even saw a moose*.

*Sunsets and moose not guaranteed.

Day 7: Trondheim

An englishman, an american and a german walked into a bar….

Upon arrival from Bodø, I decided to spend the rest of this day in my Norway road trip itinerary in Trondheim to recharge my batteries (literally) and booked into the hostel, which turned out to be a dorm where I met some great people from all over the world. One particularly nice old man had even walked all the way from Spain on pilgrimage.

Considering I’m not much of a city person, Trondheim is actually a beautiful place, with cobbled streets, a beautiful old town and a great Cathedral. 

Things to see in Trondheim:

• Visit the beautiful Nidaros Cathedral
• Check out the Beautiful “Old Bridge” and take pictures
• Wander around the Old Town
• Visit the Kristiansten Fortress for amazing views (it’s free)

The day ended with some food and drinks with some hostel friends, then to bed, ready to pick up the car first thing in the morning. It’s time to switch from backpacking to a road trip in Norway!

Day 8: Trondheim to Trollstigen via The Atlantic Road

The road in the ocean.

• Driving time: 6 hours

After navigating out of Trondheim, I headed west on the E39 to The Atlantic Road, also known as “Atlanterhavsvegen” or ”The Road in the Ocean”. This is a part of a 36km National Tourist Route between the towns of Kristiansund and Molde and is considered one of the best road trips in the world by many. With seven bridges that allow the road to follow the islands and sea like a snake, here you can experience both nature and architecture in great interaction.

Some of the best places to visit in Norway are on this stretch of our Norway road trip. Be sure to stop along the way and check out:

• Storseisundbrua : The longest bridge on the Atlantic Road and the symbol of the road. 
• Eldhusøya : Hiking path and nice, easy round trip with a Café (open during the summer season). 
• Kjeksa: Magnificent view point near the fishing village Bud. 
• Geitøya : Short walks to hilltops and down to the water. 
• Askevågen : View point.

One of the best ways to take photos of this area is with a drone. See more of my travel photography top tips here. 

Travel tip:

In Norway, the roads are great, however a lot of ferry’s, roads and tunnels are unavoidable and you will be automatically charged when you drive on them or you can pay using contactless. The Atlantic Road is a toll, so you will have to pay a small fee.

Trollstigen

Coming off The Atlantic Road, I continued on the Fv64 aiming for Trollstigen, one of the best roads on this Norway road trip. Trollstigen, or “The Trolls Road”, snakes its way up the Romsdalen valley beneath Europe’s tallest vertical mountain wall, The Troll Wall and the Trolltindene massif. This road is only open from June to November and is a must do, although if you don’t have a good head for heights perhaps you should let someone else drive!

There is plenty to do in Trollstigen, with a nice visitor centre and viewpoint at the top and many hikes should you want a little leg stretcher. I chose to camp up here so came up the road late in the afternoon when most of the tourists had gone. After some food I hiked up to a lake called Bispevatnet, then went to the main viewpoint where me and a few other hardcore campers took in the view for the rest of the evening.

Check out more bucket list road trips in Europe in this blog post. 

Day 9: Trollstigen to Geiranger

Destination geirangerfjord.

• Driving + ferry time: 1 hour 45 minutes

As it turns out, the fun driving is only just beginning and in the morning I continued along the Fv63, which takes you along some truly stunning mountain passes to a nice short ferry across Storfjorden.

Once off the ferry, it’s over another mountain pass before descending down the winding road into Geirangerfjord. Be sure to stop at the Ørnesvingen viewpoint and take a walk along the mountainside to get some EPIC views of the fiord and numerous waterfalls cascading off the steep cliffs. This has got to be one of the prettiest drives on this Norway road trip. 

The deep blue UNESCO-protected Geirangerfjord is surrounded by huge mountain peaks, waterfalls and lush, green vegetation. The famous falls De syv søstrene (“The Seven Sisters”), Friaren (“The Suitor”) and Brudesløret (“The Bridal Veil”) are the main waterfalls that tease the cliffs, producing a mist whose mission is to create a never‐ending display of changing rainbows to fill you with delight and wonder. 

You can experience the fjords and the waterfalls a few different ways once in Geiranger. Either from one of the many available sightseeing boating trips, the abundance of hikes, or from a kayak. I highly recommend taking out a kayak here, which is one of the best things to do in Norway, and not too expensive if you go solo rather than a guided tour. Group tours and double kayaks were also available if it’s something you’ve never done before. It’s probably about a 3-hour round trip to the waterfalls.

Should you prefer to hike, the best viewpoint of the Seven Sisters is from Skageflå. You can hike here from Geiranger and it takes 2-4 hours depending on fitness, but the views are definitely worth it.

Day 10: Geiranger to Flåm via Jostedalsbreen National Park

Hitchhikers and hot coffee.

• Driving & ferry time: 5 hours 10 minutes

The ultimate goal of day 10 on this Norway road trip itinerary is to end up in Flåm , taking the route that passes through Byrkjelo and navigates through Jostedalsbreen National Park . It takes roughly 5 hours and has at least one short ferry, not including all the stops along the way for the views.

It’s up to you what you do along the way. I managed to get a few quick hikes in and picked up a hitchhiker who joined me for a few hours which made the drive even more enjoyable… always good to hear a fellow traveller’s stories.

Jostedalsbreen National Park is one of the best places to visit in Norway and not to be missed. It covers 1315 square kilometres, nestled between two of the world’s longest fjords, Sognefjorden and Nordfjord. The Jostedal Glacier in the National Park has a total area of 487 square kilometres and is the largest glacier on the European mainland. You can see glimpses of this throughout this whole drive. 

Things to see along the way:

• Take the Loen Skylift to get some amazing views of the area.  See my via ferrata experience in Loen here. 
• The village of Olden.
• Hike in the beautiful Bødalsbreen area. 
• Nigardsbreen – Glacier arm of the large Jostedalsbreen glacier.
• Stegastein viewpoint

I rocked into Flåm in the evening and headed up a small mountain road to a small lake called Bjønnøyane where I spent the night watching a mass of water topple over the surrounding cliffside. 

Day 11: Flåm, Gudvangen & Trolltunga)

Norway in a nutshell.

• Driving time: 3.5 hours

In Western Norway, at the innermost point of the Aurlandsfjord, you’ll find the small village of Flåm. This little town is a popular spot with the cruise ships in peak season and one of the best places to visit in Norway, so it can get pretty busy, but for good reason… it’s absolutely beautiful. I spent a good few hours here in the morning, but didn’t opt in for the main tourist attractions as it was too busy. 

Things to do in Flåm:

• Take the famous Flåm railway (Flåmsbana) up to the Myrdal station at 867m and bike back down the valley back into Flåm.
• See Kjosfossen Falls at the Myrdal station.
• Get an adrenaline rush from the longest zipline in the Nordic countries, at 1381m!

If you have time on your road trip in Norway, it’s probably worth spending an extra day in this area if you have one. 

After Flåm it’s a quick drive through a tunnel before reemerging in Gudvangen, which lies at the bottom of the UNESCO World Heritage Naeroyfjord, the most beautiful and wildest arm of the Sognefjord. This place was truly breathtaking, and I just had to stop and take it all in. Look around and you will see the most insane set of waterfalls cascading down the mountainside. I had some food here, soaked up the sun and admired the view by the fjord before getting on the road again. If you have extra time in your Norway road trip itinerary, spend it here! It’s easily one of the most beautiful places to visit in Norway. 

Things to do in Gudvangen:

• See the Viking village, Njardarheimr.
• Take a relaxing fjord cruise onboard the award-winning, electric catamaran Legacy of The Fjords in Nærøyfjord. You can also take this from Flåm.
• Take a Kayak onto Nærøyfjord.

I was aiming to sleep at Trolltunga that night, so it was back in the car and a quick 2-hour drive from Gudvangen down to Tyssedal in the afternoon.

Trolltunga is one of the most scenic and spectacular cliffs in Norway, sitting some 700 metres above Ringedalsvatnet lake. It had been on my Norway bucket list for years, so I wanted to savour this one, avoiding the crowds if possible, so I decided to spend the night up there. 

From the main trailhead at P2 in Skjeggedal, the round-trip hike is 27km with an ascent of almost 800 metres. The estimated hiking time is 4-6 hours each way, however you can boss this in 3 if you are a keen hiker. Trolltunga has become insanely popular due to social media and I couldn’t believe the amount of people I passed coming back from here at 6pm. If you want to day trip this, expect a huge queue of people waiting to take photos when you get there – it’s one of the most popular places to visit in Norway.

However, if you camp, expect only a few other campers and a much better vibe. We all took photos of one another on the “Troll Tongue”, sat back to watch the sun setting over the distant glacier and then joined in with celebrations after watching a Trolltunga proposal! 

Dreamy…

Tips for Trolltunga:

• It’s £64 for one night’s parking in Skjeggedal, where the trail begins (a daylight robbery). I would recommend either hiking the additional 7km from Tyssedal, catching a bus, or hitching up the valley.
• I don’t think it’s worth going here for one day, avoid the crowds and camp.
• You will need to be properly equipped and in good shape.
• Best trail conditions are between June 1st and September 30th.
• Weather can change fast in the mountains, always be prepared.

Day 12: Vidfossen, Låtefossen and Langfoss Waterfalls & Preikestolen

Norway’s worst kept secret.

• Driving time: 5 hours

I woke up with the sun rising over the distant peaks, and had a few chilled hours taking it all in, appreciating where I was. After a few hours of passing a steady stream of people heading up for the day, it was back down to Tyssedal to reunite with my car (and food). 

From Tyssedal it’s roughly a 4 hour drive to the next destination on this road trip in Norway, Preikestolen. Again, I was aiming to sleep above Preikestolen to avoid the crowds, so there was no rush and plenty of time to explore along the way.

Vidfossen, Låtefossen and Langfoss Waterfalls

The drive from Tyssedal is very scenic and you will travel through some beautiful canyons and over some inspiring mountain passes. Firstly, from the Rv13 you will see both Vidfossen and Låtefossen falls. Låtefossen is particularly spectacular as you get a perfect view right from the car as it passes under the bridge. 

A slight detour along the E134 takes you to Åkrafjorden, where you will find Langfoss waterfall. It is impossible to miss this, and you will probably hear the almighty roar of water running down the steep mountain next to you before laying eyes on it. With a total drop of 612 metres, Langfoss is the fifth highest waterfall in Norway and has been voted the world’s most beautiful waterfall multiple times. There is parking here and you can hike up to the top if you want. This is one of the best things to do in Norway! 

Preikestolen 

After an awesome drive, I arrived at the Preikestolen Mountain Lodge car park late in the afternoon. Preikestolen, which was formed more than 10000 years ago, is the most iconic natural landmark in Norway. From the top of the 604m cliff, you will find the most dramatic views of the outstanding Lysefjord and surrounding area. As Preikestolen is fairly close to Stavanger, it is an extremely popular place to visit in Norway for tourists from cruise ships or day trippers from Stavanger. In my opinion, go in the evening to avoid some of the crowds!

It’s a moderate 4km hike each way with a 500m ascent, but well worth the effort and was one of my favourite things to do in Norway. When I arrived at roughly 7pm, there were still a few people around, but they slowly disappeared to leave the few of us to enjoy a peaceful evening. After some photos, I slept at the summit of Neverdalsfjell, which has an amazing panorama of Stavanger and surrounding fjords.

Day 13: One decidedly sketchy rock (Kjerag)

• Driving time: 2.5 hours

After watching a pleasant sunrise from my bed, I hiked back down the 4km trail to the car park. Next up on my road trip in Norway,  I was aiming for Kjerag, which was a 2-3 hour drive and a quick ferry away. Once again, this is the next camp spot to avoid any potential crowds, so there is no need to rush this drive. The hike starts from the parking (reasonable overnight fee) at Øygardstøl south of the Lysefjord by Lysevegen above Lysebotn. Located here is a service facility with toilets, cafe and tourist information. 

Rising 1,084m above the Lysefjord, Kjerag is the tallest peak of them all and is home to Kjeragbolten, a round rock wedged in a mountain crevice. Kjerag has also become a popular attraction for mountain climbers and base jumpers, so if you are lucky, you will get to witness a few adrenaline junkies happily throwing themselves off the huge cliffs. The hike takes around 5-6 hours return trip and is around 10km long. The demanding trail will take you up and down hilly mountaintops, with roughly 570m elevation gain. 

Once at Kjeragbolten, you can step out and try your hardest not to fall off the decidedly sketchy rock wedged above a 984m deep abyss. It definitely gets the heart going, just make sure you are sure footed before committing to this, it’s a long way down!

Things you should know before hiking Kjerag:

• The trail is not obvious the whole way, so make sure you check a trail map.
• I wouldn’t recommend this hike in poor weather as rock slabs will become slick. 
• A general good physical fitness and proper equipment is necessary. 

Day 14: Stavanger

All good things come to an end.

• Driving time: 1 hour

If you’ve made it this far, the final day of this road trip in Norway is upon us and it’s time to head to Stavanger where we will end this epic journey.

Once you have made the return hike from Kjeragbolten, the cafe at Øygardstøl is a good place to grab some breakfast and get some epic views of Lysefjord.

It doesn’t really matter which road you take to Stavanger, but I would recommend taking the Fv503 which will take you past Gloppedalsura. Here, thousands of years ago, there was a huge landslide from the high cliffs on the south side of the valley at Gloppedal. Blocks as large as houses fell off the steep cliff and made a huge pile of scree which filled the valley. The road weaves its way through this and has some great views of the lakes and mountains.

I returned the car in Stavanger (you can pay a little extra when hiring a car to drop it off somewhere else). Stavanger is worth a look and is a nice place to eat some decent food and relax after a few weeks roughing it on the road.

Things to do in Stavanger:

• Visit Old Stavanger to walk the streets of the 18th century old town.
• Take in the fresh air in the harbour by the historic wharf houses of Stavanger (Sjøhusrekken).
• The colourful Øvre Holmegate is lined with lovely cafés and galleries.
• Explore some of the amazing street art around the city.
• Visit the Swords in Rock at Hafrsfjord.
• Take a dip in the ocean at some of the beautiful beaches.

And that’s it, a 2-week Norway road trip itinerary. Thanks for reading and I hope this post has inspired you to plan your very own Norway road trip!

Have you been on a Norway road trip?

Where are your favourite things to do in Norway? Anything you’d add?

Love as always and happy adventuring Arthur Cottingham

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Norway one month overland itinerary.

Planning a trip to a country like Norway where there are so many places to see can sometimes feel like an impossible task. We normally start by listing all of our must-see spots and then figure out a route that includes as many as of these possible, hopefully all of them.

This was the route that we took for our road trip and although we didn't get to see everything that we wanted, we still managed to tick off all our top places.

One Month Itinerary

Driving to norway.

To drive up to Norway we took the Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais, then drove up through Europe to Puttgarden in Germany. Here we took the ' Puttgarden to Rødby ' ferry which cuts off a fair amount of wiggling around Denmark. We also have family in Sweden so this determined our route. From Rødby we drove to Copenhagen and over the Øresund Bridge . Then up through Sweden to Oslo.

The total driving time for us took about 24 hours , and if you exclude the days we spent broken down in the Netherlands (what did we expect when we drive a Land Rover 😅) then it took us about 3-4 days to Oslo & the start of our Norway Adventure.

This part of the trip is probably the hardest because it involves A LOT of motorway miles & the views aren't particularly desirable, but the excitement of what's to come definitely keeps you going. We did also manage to find some wilder camping spots along the route thanks to  Park4Night!

Click here to see the costs of our route up to Norway...

Fjords of Southern Norway

The Norwegian fjords are one of those things that you really have to see to believe. We drove some of the steepest roads we've ever tackled in our Defender & we definitely struggled on some of them 😆 But for a camping road trip, we honestly cannot think of any better country. It's truly stunning.

Some of our Must See Spots for Southern Norway:

• Hardangerfjorden
• Preikestolen Hike
• Sognefjorden
• Hike to Kjerag Rock (we sadly didn't get to do this because the weather was too dangerous but from photos alone we can recommend this one!)
• Lovrafjorden
• Trolltunga Hike
• The Atlantic Road
• Trollstigen

One thing worth mentioning is that travelling during off-season meant that we weren't able to do as many of the hikes that we would have liked because the weather was so unreliable. Also, some of the longer hikes you have to consider that you have fewer hours of daylight in autumn/winter which makes them more dangerous, especially as you don't want to get caught out in the mountains unprepared. This definitely had us dreaming about coming back during the summer sometime soon!

There's no way this trip would have been as comfortable without building out the back of our Defender into a cosy campervan! If you want the details of our build... click here!

A Day in Bergen

Did you know Bergen is known as the rainiest city in the world and it rains around 240 days a year!

Well it wouldn't be a true experience if it didn't rain so we wrapped up in our rain coats and away we went! This picturesque city is right in the heart of the Norwegian fjords and despite the weather, it's cute as heck. We parked just outside the city centre and spent a few hours wandering along the bustling streets lines with colourful houses, cute little shops and market stalls.

It definitely felt like a bit of a whistle stop tour but we had many more miles to cover that week to make it up north!

Entering the Arctic Circle

As we started to drive up through central Norway, the temperatures dropped dramatically and with this came snow, and A LOT of it! Our dream for this trip was to see some snow, and to say we achieved this would probably be an understatement. We found out later that this was actually one of the snowiest Octobers they've had in Norway in 20+ years!

We weren't quite prepared for how long this section of the journey would take, especially travelling at a snails pace because of the black ice & insane amount of snow plummeting from above. But the drive across Saltfjellet was one of our favourites from the entire trip. This is also where the Arctic Circle officially starts, and we were lucky to see herds of reindeer everywhere!

After two weeks of sleeping in the Land Rover, with some nights dropping to -10°c, we were relieved to finally arrive in Tromsø where we had an AirBNB booked for a couple of nights. Especially to take advantage of the hot water... oh the luxury! 😍

This lovely little city is actually the northernmost city in the world & when we arrived it felt like a Winter wonderland. We mostly spent our time eating and drinking, exploring around the cute little streets & we also really enjoyed the Polar Museum , learning all about the history of the Norwegian culture and historic expeditions to the North Pole.

A stand out favourite though, was Fjellheisen , the cable car you can take to a restaurant and viewpoint over the whole city. You can also hike up to the restaurant, but the route was closed due to heavy snow when we were there. We paid 218.50NOK each for a return ticket (about £18.50) and the price was definitely worth it - the views were epic, and the wine wasn't half bad either!

Lofoten Islands

Visiting here was our main goal of the trip. Lofoten is possibly the most photographed place in Norway and for good reason. The towering mountains emerging straight from the sea is the stuff of dreams. You have access to so many outdoor activities, whether you like hiking, surfing, climbing or just driving around staring out the window in utter amazement, you're always in for an incredible time.

Some of our Must See Spots for Lofoten:

• Fredvang Bridges
• The road to Nusfjord
• Rambergstranda
• Å, the furthest town
• Hamnøy, the iconic photo spot but still unmissable!
• Kvalvika Beach

Driving back to the UK

And just like that, we were sat on the ferry from Lofoten back across to mainland Norway, watching the sunset and wondering how time can go so damn quickly. We won't lie, the drive home was utterly exhausting, Norway is massive. We managed to drive from Lofoten to the UK in 5 days and at the time we fully regretted giving ourselves such little time. We drove around 8 hours a day in the Defender, and well; if you know, you know. But it did mean we got to spend as much time as possible exploring Lofoten and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

As it was winter and we didn't know how icy the roads through Sweden would be, we decided to drive back down through Norway for the route home. But if it was summer, or Leo didn't have to be back at work in 5 days time 😆, we would have taken the grey route through Sweden that you can see on the map.

I'm sure we all wish for extra time on any trip, because nothing ever feels like enough... especially in a country like Norway, where we feel like we only just scratched the surface. But we are ultimately so grateful that we had so much time at all ☺️

One month, two people, one dog and a Land Rover Defender... 9348km's travelled!

If you want to know more information like how much this trip cost us, down to the penny... click here, & you can see more of our photos from norway over on instagram, come & say hey.

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Norway Overland Road Trip: Complete One Month Budget & Itinerary

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Driving in Norway – All You Need to Know

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Driving Norway Road Trip Tips

Norwegian roads are made for driving. With incredible scenery, long sweeping stretches of empty highway and exciting driving roads high in the mountains and around fjords, Norway is the perfect country for road trips and longer tours.

We’ve been driving and traveling in Norway for years, and spent three months road tripping in Norway several years ago. We share all you need to know about driving and road rules in Norway, so that touring is fun and you stay safe on the road.

Rent a Car in Norway

Hiring a car in Norway is pretty straightforward, and in many respects an easy option in a country where winter driving requirements and a complicated toll system for foreigners makes taking your own car just a bit more challenging.

If you do decide to rent a car in Norway, you’ll be able to pick-up at all the major airports and have the benefit of one way drop off – perfect for road trippers looking to see as much as possible in this huge country. There are a few requirements to be aware of;

• You must be 21 years or older to rent a car in Norway.
• You must have held your driving license for at least 12 months.
• Non EU/EAA licences can be used in Norway for up to three months.
• You’ll need an international driving permit if your licence is not in English.

There are a few things you should make sure of when arranging your car hire;

• Make sure you get unlimited mileage as part of your car rental deal as you’ll probably be covering large distances .
• Book the most fuel efficient hire car possible – along with everything else in Norway, fuel is expensive.
• All cars in Norway must have winter tyres fitted by law, but double check with your rental company that this is the case.
• Check that the car has an AutoPASS electronic toll tag fitted – the toll fees are usually added to your final bill.
• Check the excess and if it’s too high, buy an independent excess policy before you arrive – this will help keep costs down.

Don’t expect car rental in Norway to be the same cost as in Spain – the price is likely to be at least treble what you would pay in southern Europe. Brace yourself, book early and you’ll get the best deals for your fly drive Norway holiday.

We recommend Rentalcars.com for Norway car hire because they have have a huge amount of purchasing power in the rental car market and always come up with the best price.

Take Your Own Car to Norway

Norway is easy to get to from Europe as long as you don’t mind long hours of driving to get there. If you’re planning to take your own vehicle to Norway, here’s what you need to know;

• You must have at least 3rd party insurance for your vehicle. Update August 2021 – you no longer require a green card to prove you have vehicle insurance cover when travelling in Europe.
• From 28th September 2021, you will have to display a UK sticker on the rear of of your vehicle, instead of a GB sticker, unless you have a new style UK numberplate which displays the Union Jack flag.
• Your headlights must be adapted for driving on the right.
• A UK licence allows you to drive in Norway for up to three months. UK drivers who have a paper driving licence or a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man then you will need an  International Driving Permit .
• You may want to take out breakdown cover for your trip – it will be expensive if you require recovery and repairs in Norway.
• It is compulsory to carry a warning triangle in all vehicles in case of a breakdown.
• Reflective jackets are compulsory for residents and strongly recommended for visitorrs.
• It is recommended that you carry spare bulbs for your car’s external lights, a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit.
• If there is snow or ice covering the roads, winter tyres, studded tyres or snow chains are compulsory (motorhomes & RV’s over 3,500kg must use snow chains). You can be fined for travelling on icy/snowy roads using summer tyres only. You can expect your vehicle to be checked at or near the border in winter – if you are not carrying or using the right tyres you must purchase them or return to the border.
• Make sure your vehicle is serviced before your trip. Driving through Norway is hard on cars, with steep gradients, switchbacks, hairpins and bendy twisting roads being common. In many rural areas accessing breakdown assistance can be difficult.

Is this your first time visiting Norway? Get all the information you need in our Norway Travel Guide , including what to pack, the best time of year to go, getting there and practical tips to help you have the best trip!

Norway Road Trip – Three Unmissable Routes

Driving to Norway from UK – Routes & Tips

Atlantic Road Norway: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know!

Driving in norway, general tips.

Do not underestimate how difficult and time consuming it is to travel around Norway, especially if you want to go north enough to see the Northern Lights or enter the Arctic Circle. It takes a whopping 30 hours of solid driving from Oslo in southern Norway to the Lofoten Islands for example.  

Norwegian drivers are usually disciplined and calm, happy to give way and wait where necessary. 

The road system is well maintained, even on smaller ‘B’ type roads, and you can often drive long distances without seeing other vehicles.

Some mountain roads and roads around fjords that have not been replaced with tunnels are narrow and larger vehicles may only be able to pass by pulling in at passing places. This can lead to traffic jams in popular areas like Gerainger in summer – patience is key!

Norway Driving Rules

These are the main rules of the road that you need to be aware of;

• Norway drives on the right hand side of the road.
• Seat belts are compulsory for all occupants of the car.
• You must use dipped headlights or daytime running lights at all times.
• Unless indicated by a sign, vehicles approaching an intersection from the right have right of way.
• Trams always have the right of way and should be passed on the right.
• Pedestrians always have the right of way at marked pedestrian crossings.
• Mobile phones must not be used while driving.
• It is forbidden to use radar detectors in Norway.

Speed Limits in Norway

Norway has four general speed limits;

• Residential areas – 30km/h
• Other built-up areas – 50km/h
• Rural roads – 80km/h
• Motorways – 90km/h

General speed limits in Norway are not usually signed, you’re expected to work it out based on the road’s surroundings.

Other speed limits are referred to as ‘special speeds limits’ and these are signed – they are common in residential and urban areas but can be found anywhere, so keep your eyes peeled for signs.

Other Norway Travel Ideas & Guides

• One Day Oslo Itinerary – Map, Guide & Tips
• How to Tour Norway by Campervan
• Trolltunga Hike – Plan it Like a Pro
• How to Visit Flåm in the Summer

Mountain Passes

Norway’s mountain passes are beautiful to drive but often have very long and winding downhill stretches, which can cause brakes to overheat. To avoid this, drive in a low gear so you do not have to brake too hard, or too often.

On the uphill sections, keep an eye on the car’s temperature gauge as the engine can quickly overheat when driving up steep gradients.

Some of the higher mountain passes (many designated national tourist routes) can still have snow or ice on the road in the shoulder seasons, particularly in April and early May, and in late September and October.

Wildlife Hazards

In rural and forested areas, beware of elk, moose or deer near the roadsides as they can suddenly decide to cross the road, especially at dusk and dawn.

In northern regions, reindeer (often in groups) may also wander into the road. There are usually warning signs in areas where wild animals are known to make frequent crossings.

Driving in Norway in Winter

There is no reason why you can’t take a winter road trip to Norway. The Scandinavian countries have the right infrastructure to manage snow on their roads and it does not disrupt day to day life as it does in other European countries, who are less used to the white stuff.

Snow ploughs keep the main routes open in cities and around the country, but some of the Norwegian Scenic Routes and high passes will be closed – you can check driving situations and conditions in Norway here .

But if you’re not an experienced driver or have no experience of driving on snow and ice, and want to see the best of this beautiful country, then a summer road trip in Norway is definitely preferable. If you do decide on winter road trip, you need to make sure your vehicle is prepared;

• Winter tyres are a legal requirement for winter driving in Norway – it would be impossible to drive in the winter without them. Many Norwegians use spiked or studded tyres rather than winter tyres as they give a better grip ion ice.
• When winter tyres are used they must be fitted on all four wheels and must have a minimum tread depth of 3mm.
• If used, studded tyres must be fitted to all four wheels.
• You may use studded or spiked tyres from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter. If used, studded tyres must be fitted to all four wheels.
• In the three Northern counties of Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, studded tyres are permitted from 15 October to 1 May.
• You will be charged a fee for using studded tyres in the cities of Oslo and Trondheim because they damage the asphalt and generate airborne particles, which causes reduced air quality. There are vending machines on the main roads into both cities where you can buy a sticker for the day.
• Ensure that your engine cooling system has the required level of antifreeze for Norway’s very low winter temperatures.
• You’ll also need antifreeze in your windscreen washer bottle.
• Make sure you have an ice scraper, shovel, additional warm clothing, water and snacks in the car.

Low Emissions Zones in Norway

There is a combined congestion and LEZ zone in Oslo called the  Oslo Charging Scheme . The cost of entering the LEZ is calculated within the toll charges for driving in Oslo. No sticker or vignette is required.

Oslo also operates emergency measures and closes to diesel traffic when emissions are high. 24 hours notice are given of any closure, you can  check here  for updates and current status.

Bergen is planning to introduce a similar scheme in 2023.

Toll Roads in Norway

There is a sophisticated and comprehensive toll system in Norway.

You will know you’re on a toll road by the signage of a camera and wifi, but it’s safe to assume if you’re on a major main road, or in a city, it will be a toll road.

Now it starts to get complicated! The system is not straightforward but this is what you need to do;

• Register your vehicle for electronic tolls with one of the AutoPASS authorised providers. Head to the section entitled ‘register a payment account for your foreign vehicle’. Leave plenty of time for this step, so your electronic toll tag can arrive in the post.
• Flyt is one of the user-friendly options on the list and we would recommend them. Their tag covers you for toll roads, bridges, tunnels and some fjord ferries in Norway and you are invoiced by email monthly in arrears.
• If you want an electronic tag to cover you for Sweden and Denmark as well, EasyGo operate this scheme and using it gives a discount on both the Strebaelt and Oresund Bridges when linked up with a BroPas account . EasyGo don’t actually issue the tags themselves, you need to use one of their operators such as the Oresund Consortium . The EasyGo tag is only worth doing if you’re planning to cross to Norway over the Danish bridges and/or travel in Sweden.
• If you choose not to have the tag (or the discounts), you only need to register with Epass24 who manage billing and collect monies on behalf of AutoPASS, who are the toll system operator (until April 2021, the collector was EPC [Euro Parking Collection], so if you registered with them previously, you’ll need to do so again with the new provider). Once registered, you can choose to get your invoice monthly by email and pay with a credit card or make payments via a linked credit card as you go.

If you don’t register, you will be identified via ANPR and will receive a bill in the post from Epass24 with an assumed class and emissions category, and a charge for not registering.

There is no manual way of paying tolls whilst travelling Norway, other the Alesund Tunnel.

Low Emissions Zones

But who wants to drive into a capital city in a motorhome anyway? Park or camp outside and use the excellent public transport system to get around. 

Fjord Car Ferries

From time to time, you will need to take a car ferry across a fjord on your Norway road trip route. These are usually quick crossings designed to get you from one place to the other as fast as possible, a bit like public transport.

It is not complicated, the road stops with no option to take another route and there is a ferry slip (fergekai) ready for the boat. Google Maps or your sat nav will know this and direct you accordingly.

Usually, the ticket seller will come to your vehicle with a mobile card device and dispenser. Expect to pay around NKR100 or €10 for most regular ferry crossings, or use your electronic toll tag to pay.

Fuel in Norway

Petrol & diesel.

Diesel and petrol costs are similar or slightly higher than the UK, but considerably cheaper than France or Italy. Look for self-service stations like Uno-X and Jet – they only accept credit cards with a 4-digit PIN number but fuel is quite a bit cheaper.

Fuel stations may be rare in the mountains and other remote areas, especially in northern Norway, so keep a close eye on your fuel levels. It is better to fill the tank when you have the opportunity rather than risk running out of fuel if you don’t find another garage.

There are more than one hundred LPG/autogas pumps in petrol stations across the country. The most common connection is a Dutch bayonet. Many stations provide an adapter that will work regardless of your car’s system. Use the myLPG.eu app to find petrol stations with autogas.

Norway is investing heavily in electric vehicle infrastructure. Quick charge stations are being built in increasing numbers on long distances between bigger cities and more and more hotels offer electric charging, sometimes for free. Check the map for EV charging points here .

Parking in Norway

Many Norwegian towns have free parking and parking garages (P-hus) are common in the larger cities.

Where you have to pay for parking, you’ll find an automated parking meter (P-automat). To use the meter, park your car and then purchase a parking ticket from the nearest P-automat to display on the dashboard of car.

You can also pay using the clever EasyPark app , which operates across the whole of the country.

Drink Driving

Drinking and driving penalties are severe in Norway and include heavy fines, prison and the surrender of your driving licence.

The legal limit is much lower than the UK at 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (in the UK its 80 milligrams) so be mindful of this.

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London to Stavanger by road: a Norwegian roadtrip

W hen the last direct ferry between Britain and Norway set sail in 2008 , severing a historic maritime link between the two countries, it also called time on Norway's popular Newcastle booze cruise, and forced holidaymakers into the air. But for those who still hanker after the romance of slow travel – and the convenience of arriving in one of the most expensive countries in Europe with a car full of beer and provisions from one of the cheapest – there is another way.

Lured by the image of pristine sandy beaches backed by forest and nature reserves, we set off from London to the south coast of Norway by car: a round trip of 1,390 miles by road, plus sea crossings. Having our own wheels meant we could take as much camping gear as we liked; Norway's accommodation costs are notoriously high, but its campsites and log cabins are cheap and plentiful – and in the best locations. The trip would start on an overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland, followed by a leisurely jaunt to the German border, a frantic dash up the autobahn to Denmark and finally, at the tip of continental Europe, a short ferry ride across the Skagerrak strait to the southernmost point of Norway. On the way back we'd treat ourselves to a luxurious overnight sea crossing from Esbjerg (half-way down Denmark) to Harwich, only two hours' drive from home. In the process we would take six ferries, stay in some of northern Europe's most dramatically situated campsites and make use of Scandinavia's highly recommended breakdown and recovery services.

The summer season in Norway is short and intense, and the southern coast, which enjoys the country's longest hours of sunshine, is a popular holiday destination among Norwegians, though little known to outsiders. Most foreign visitors head straight for the fjords to the north, passing over some spectacular coastal scenery, where clear sparkling water laps the shores of deserted boulder-strewn beaches dotted with crooked pine and spruce trees, shaped and worn by glaciation and the harsh winter winds.

"Expect to see a pair of BMW headlights up your arse all the way through Germany," I was warned. This turned out to be no exaggeration. But by comparison, the roads of southern Norway are a gentle cruise. Single-lane motorways with a top speed of 80kmph are flanked by gentle mountain slopes and small wooden lakeside houses. The comfortable Color Line ferry makes the three-hour crossing from Hirtshals in Denmark to Norway 11 times a day in summer, depositing travellers in the seaside resort of Kristiansand. In the onboard duty-free shop, along with bottles of vodka and gin, passengers can buy joints of ham and large chicken portions from big freezer compartments – a sign if ever there was one that your pound isn't going to go far when you reach dry land. From Kristiansand you can drive east towards Oslo or west to Stavanger. It's not an easy decision: you could spend a whole fortnight just campsite-hopping along the stunning coast between here and the capital.

We do just that and head north-east. At Hove Camping , one of the many sites along this coast – Norway's very own riviera – the dilapidated caravans and tents parked under the trees on the island of Tromoy, just off the mainland, are surrounded by sea, weird windswept copses and wild flowers. Knackered old mobile homes come alive in August, when city dwellers decamp here from Oslo, dusting off their barbecues and reacquainting themselves with old friends, some of whom have been coming here for 20 years despite long ago emigrating to Spain and Portugal. Most of the campsites hire out huts – cosy wooden chalets offering basic accommodation for up to six people, with cooking facilities and flowery curtains, an outside standpipe and a deck where you can sit and watch the nuthatches while enjoying the Danish beer you bought on the way.

Hove is known among music lovers for its festival, held each June , where 10,000 people gather to hear bands such as Florence and the Machine, Muse and Vampire Weekend belting out their songs in an old military encampment next to the nature reserve. Festivals seem to be a way of life here, especially in July and August. There are horse festivals, Viking festivals, even accordion festivals. At Arendal, a few miles up the coast, there's a slow food festival. Unni Ramsvatn, one of the originators of the slow food movement in Norway, runs Bjellandstrand Gard , a bakery and restaurant set in a rose garden and small orchard on the north-east side of Tromoy, just up from Hove Camping. Built on foundations laid by occupying German forces during the second world war, this former farm building turned watering hole is a labour of love for Unni and her husband, Jon, who serve up healthy salmon and couscous salads, bread from their wood-fired oven and vast slices of cake to weekend visitors. "It was almost impossible to buy a cup of coffee before on this island," says Jon.

In Arendal, there is no shortage of coffee shops. The old town, with its whitewashed wooden houses and harbourside boutiques, also has a fish market and restaurant and, according to Monica at the tourist office there, a very nice boat trip to the island of Merdo, where you can camp for up to two days. In fact that was exactly where we were headed before a mechanical fault brought us to an unscheduled stop. Still, there are worse places to break down than coastal Norway – especially if you have your own onboard stocks and a mobile phone. After a few running repairs we waved the empty tow truck off and headed back west along the coast to Mandal, the other side of Kristiansand, taking in the famous towns of Grimstad, home to the Ibsen museum , and Lillesand – a tidy little waterside settlement not unlike Henley on Thames, with cobbled streets, white picket fences and carefully trimmed lawns stretching right down to the sea.

Mandal is famous for Sjosanden beach: 800m of perfect sand at the edge of Furulunden Nature Park. There's a handful of campsites near Mandal, but the beachside Sjosanden Holiday Centre is hard to beat. Roe deer graze among the tents, and the accommodation ranges from wooden cabins to a small "motel" arranged around a flower-filled courtyard. It has a whiff of the holiday camp about it, but the low-key Scandinavian architecture ensures that the site remains in keeping with its natural setting. We explored some of the paths into the surrounding woods on foot and by bikes hired from the tourist office, then took the long, twisty road to Lindesnes Fyr , a red and white cast iron lighthouse built on the site of the first lighthouse beacon in Norway, at its remote and windswept southernmost point. In the rugged grounds, the small cafe prides itself on its rhubarb muffins, made using fruit from the lighthouse garden.

Local skipper Magnus Midling-Jenssen's boat-hire business offers visitors a great way to take in the local sights, including an old herring factory, the Spangereid Canal and rows of 17th-century houses in the historic coastal village of Svinor. Magnus is the archetypal salty old seadog. Full of stories and local lore, he operates his empire from a little yellow hut – "my crisis centre" – next to the house he built on the edge of the land. The water is heaving with salmon and cod, he says, and for about £20 a day you get world-class fishing.

Leaving the beach behind, we took the old winding coastal road – the famous Highway 44 – towards Stavanger, passing through countryside of dazzling green, by farms and lighthouses and cows grazing in boulder fields right next to the sea. A string of interesting villages along the coast include otherworldly Brusand, which has its own international art gallery, Nordisk Kunst Plattform . Just an hour to the north of Stavanger are mountains and the start of the fjords. Campers are spoilt for choice here, and a network of ferries whisks you and your car into the undulating countryside, and forests of giant fir trees where moose roam – though the only one you're likely to see is the one on the ubiquitous bumper sticker.

Stavanger itself feels like a city that has everything but is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand. Vast cruise ships fill the horizon and around every corner is something to explore: quirky shops and cafes, smart seafood restaurants, a stately old town and museums celebrating the city's glorious past as herring capital and centre of the oil industry. As we surveyed this prosperous scene from a harbourside bar, a group of Norwegian financiers pointed out that when the sea border was drawn between the UK and Norway, it clipped the oil fields. A smidgen the other way and all this could have been ours.

Getting there

Harwich to the Hook of Holland: Crossings from £61 single for a car and two adults. Cabins start from £11pp on day crossings or £18.50pp overnight (two-berth cabins, based on two sharing); stenaline.co.uk .

Esbjerg to Harwich: crossings from £232 for a car and two adults, including ensuite cabin; dfdsseaways.co.uk .

Hirtshals to Kristiansand: economy car packages from £45 one way; colorline.com .

Hove Camping , Tromoy; hovecamping.no , +47 37 08 54 79. Tents NOK 180 (£19) per night plus electricity, caravans Nok 210 per night plus electricity, four-bed cabins from NOK 400 per night.

Sjosanden Holiday Centre , 4504 Mandal; sjosanden-feriesenter.no , +47 38 26 10 94. Tents NOK 110 per night, caravan NOK 170; motel NOK 700 for doubles/twins in summer, cabins NOK 1,200 in summer (sleeping up to six).

FURTHER INFORMATION

Bjellandstrand Gard: Bjelland, 4818 Færevik (near Arendal); +47 37 09 44 49, visitnorway.com . Lunch buffet of local homemade food for £14 per person.

Lindesnes Fyr: 4521 Spangereid; +47 38 25 54 20, lindesnesfyr.no . Entry fee: £4.50 per adult, children under 12 go free.

Magnus Midling-Jenssen has holiday houses and apartments for rental in the Mandal and Lindesnes area as well as boat trips and sea fishing; norges-ferie.no , +47 38 25 60 88.

Nordisk Kunst Plattform is at Brusand Togstasjon (train station); nkplattform.no

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Norway road trip - make memories for a lifetime

Stunning Norway has an abundance of sensational landscapes and beautiful roads. The combination of well-built modern roads and sharp mountain peaks, gigantic fjords, mighty glaciers, and wild coasts is hard to beat. A Norway road trip is best done in summer when the days are longer and you have more hours to drive.

But where do you go? I am sharing a two-week road trip which really fits the description “best of Norway”.

In this post

How do you get to Norway?

Best time for a road trip in norway, the best car for your road trip in norway, calculate your road trip budget, norway road trip itinerary: from cities to islands.

You will find direct flights from the U.S. to Norway with a few different airlines. Flights usually land at Oslo Airport in Gardermoen. Expect to pay on average $790 for a round trip flight NYC-Oslo and $1000 on average for LAX-Oslo.

At the airport you can pick up the rental car for your road trip and begin your vacation. Once you finish your Norway road trip in Lofoten you will need to catch a domestic flight back to Oslo before heading home.

Summer is the best time for a Norway road trip. The period from June to August sees the warmest temperatures and the most hours of daylight. The visibility on the roads during the day is also better in summer. In addition, several of the best roads in Norway are closed during the winter, especially those that go over mountains.

But of course, the best time for a Norwegian road trip is determined by what you want to experience. If it's skiing or the northern lights that attract you, you should go in February or March. Spring and fall have certain clear advantages: with half as many visitors on the roads, there is less traffic, especially around the tourist attractions and these periods often beckon with less expensive hotel prices.

By using Weatherbase and Numbeo I have obtained data on weather, gas prices, and other local conditions which can help you plan the best possible trip.

It’s a good idea to have some extra space in the car if you are driving longer stretches over several days. Get a car rental type that is large enough and preferably has an extra empty seat depending on how many passengers are traveling. Being cramped in the car, possibly with luggage on your lap, is no fun! And renting a good car that won’t give you any trouble is pretty easy in Norway.

Here you can find some tips when driving in Europe as well as road trip tips for your vacation in Norway.

Thinking about costs is the least pleasant part when planning a Norway road trip. As you know, Norway is a rather expensive country to vacation in. Through a planned budget, you can keep track of the costs and avoid bad surprises at the end.

The average price per day for a rental car in Oslo is NOK 1,055 (about $100). If you plan on following our first itinerary, you’ll need a car for 13 days, which brings the cost to NOK 13,715 (about $1,300) though you can find cheaper prices from time to time.

The average daily price for a rental car comes from KAYAK comparison data.

Accommodation

13 hotel nights

• Average price for a mid-range hotel, double room: NOK 1,605 ($150) per night x 13 nights = NOK 20,865 ($1,950)
• Other alternatives, like hostels, can be cheaper if you’re traveling alone: NOK 883 ($83) per night x 13 nights = NOK 11,749 ($1,079).

The average prices for hotel rooms and hostels are coming from KAYAK comparison data.

A Norway road trip itinerary that covers about 870 miles would require approximately 41 gal of gas for a medium-sized car.

Based on the price of the gallon of gas in Norway (NOK 84.2 or $7.67 in April 2024 according to numbeo.com ), the total gas cost will be approximately $315 .

The total cost for accommodation, car rental and gas , for a 13-day road trip in Norway (based on two people traveling together and sharing the cost) would be approximately: NOK 18,400 ($1,700) per person with mid-range hotel accommodation.

Day 1: Oslo (1 night)

Norway's capital has seen a huge development in the last 15 years and is home to over 700,000 people. Today, Oslo is an exciting city, with a wide range of restaurants and entertainment. It is a perfect place to charge your batteries before you embark on your Norway road trip.

The Opera House , Vigeland Park , Akershus fortress , Holmenkollen, and the Viking ships in the Viking Shipyard (currently closed, but said to reopen in 2026) are major attractions.

There are also world-class museums such as the Munch Museum and the Norsk Folkemuseum , home to many historic buildings.

If you have time, you can ski both downhill and cross-country regardless of the season in the SNØ indoor stadium. A boat trip in the Oslo Fjord offers the opportunity to see the city from the water.

Where to stay in Oslo: Hotel Verdandi is a very central and also affordable hotel in Oslo.

Day 2 & 3: Bergen (2 nights)

Driving distance from Oslo : 298 miles, approx. 8 hours drive

You begin by driving the E134 over Hardangervidda National Park, the largest high mountain plateau in Europe whose endless expanses lie above the tree line. That Valtatie 7 highway shows you more of Hardangervidda, but the E134 passes by Heddal Stavkyrka . This is Norway’s largest and most well-preserved stave church, a fascinating medieval cathedral made entirely of wood with many Old Norse-inspired decorations.

On the way to Bergen, magnificent fjord landscapes await. The Hardangerfjord is perhaps the most famous fjord in Norway and home to the country’s most beautiful orchards. The area is known for its special cider. If you go on the left side of the Sørfjord after the town of Odda, you will come to the manufacturer Aga Sider, which is located next to the very ancient farm Agatunet with 13th-century wooden houses.

After you take the ferry across the fjord at Jondal. You don’t want to miss the Steindalsfossen waterfall, where you can walk on a path behind the roaring, falling water curtain itself.

Today's destination is Bergen, a cultural city with a lot of history, gastronomy, and impressive surroundings. The Bryggen neighborhood is known for its colorful facades by the sea. Its strong connection to the Hanseatic period makes the area a World Heritage site and one of Norway's most visited tourist attractions. Håkonshallen is a majestic royal banquet hall from the 13th-century. The Fløyenbanan cable car takes you up to the town's nearest mountain in five minutes and offers wonderful views over the whole town.

Where to stay in Bergen: Radisson Blue Royal is located in the World Heritage Bryggen, surrounded by historical sights. It offers comfortable rooms and a lovely breakfast buffet.

Who doesn't want to brighten up their Instagram by standing on the iconic protruding rock tip Trolltunga on the Hardangerfjord? However, keep in mind that you’ll first have to brave a 7 mile steep hike uphill to get there.

Day 4: Sogndal (1 night)

Driving distance from Bergen: 173 miles, approx. 4 hours drive

Start by driving road E16 north from Bergen. You pass the Voss ski resort and soon come to the Nærøyfjord. This is perhaps the most spectacular of all Norwegian fjords because several smaller and narrow fjords converge here. The entire area is classified as a World Heritage site due to its unique character.

You continue through the Laerdal tunnel, the world's longest car tunnel with over 15 miles which is usually seen as a tourist attraction in its own right. After Laerdal, you take the ferry and then pass the Kaupanger stave church. You spend the night in Sogndal in the middle of the fjord landscape.

Where to stay in Sognal: Hofslund Fjordhotell has a spacious garden with a pool next to the Sognefjord.

The Nærøyfjord is so special that it's time to park the car for a couple of hours and take a boat tour with one of the electric, state-of-the-art boats. You can also take what might be the train journey of a lifetime on the famous Flåm line from Flåm.

Day 5: Molde (1 night)

Driving distance from Sogndal: 264 miles, approx. 8 hours drive

The road over Sognefjellet is one of Norway's highest roads and stunningly scenic when the weather is good. You pass right near Galdöpiggen, Norway's highest mountain (8,100 feet). Even after Sognefjället, the road meanders through breathtaking sceneries with deep valleys and wild mountains. It honestly resembles a fictional movie world! The adventure continues on the Ørnevegen, a serpentine road that goes straight up and is almost a mile long with all its turns.

Between Sylte and Åndalsnes begins another famous stretch through idyllic Valldal, famous for its strawberries. After it is time to descend the legendary Trollstigen - another extreme serpentine road that climbs down into the beautiful mountain valley Isterdalen.

Trollstigen is not dangerous to drive as long as you take it easy. If you have time, you can drive a bit on the E136 into Romsdalen. Here you find Europe's highest vertical rock wall. The day ends with you taking the ferry from Vestnes to the attractive town of Molde.

Where to stay in Molde: Molde Fjordhotell sits on the quay in central Molde and has lovely bright rooms facing the Romdalsfjord.

Day 6 to 8: Trondheim (3 nights)

Driving distance from Molde: 157 miles, approx. 3.5 hours drive

It is an absolute must on your Norway road trip to go north from Molde to the small coastal community of Bud. From there, you follow the coast up to Kårvåg by driving the famous Atlanthavsvägen - a stretch that The Guardian called "the world's most beautiful road". This road, which runs over eight bridges and a series of treeless islands, has been used in many commercials, especially car commercials. It probably feels familiar immediately even if you are driving it for the first time!

The day ends in Trondheim, which was founded by Vikings in the 9th-century. The city has an abundance of historical sites such as Nidarosdomen Cathedral , Kristianssten fortress , Norway's best-preserved historical fort, and Munkholmen, a small island with a medieval monastery that was converted into a prison. There is also Bakklandet district, a historic neighborhood that is popular for its colorful wooden houses and cozy cafes.

Where to stay in Trondheim: Clarion Hotel Trondheim is an architectural delight paired with great views over the fjord and the city.

Day 9: Helgeland coast towards Brønnøysund (1 night)

Driving distance from Trondheim: 232 miles, approx. 6 hours drive

It only gets better. North of Trondheim awaits the Helgeland coast, one of those areas in Norway that you may not have heard of but which you will remember as one of the absolute highlights. This coast offers driving at its best.

The coastal road on National Highway 17 is a sometimes dreamlike road that starts in Steinkjer and ends, 40 miles later, in Bodö above the Arctic Circle. With continuous mountain massifs inland, you pass small fishing villages and white sandy beaches on the road as it snakes its way through an ever-changing landscape. This leg takes you to the coastal community of Brønnøysund, which is suitable for an overnight stay.

Don’t miss the island of Leka as it is something very special. Its bright red-yellow color has nothing to do with its surroundings. The island is actually a small piece of North America left in Europe!

Where to stay in Brønnøysund: Corner Hotell is a nice family-owned hotel that is affordable and centrally located in Brønnøysund.

Norway has 18 dedicated tourist roads with Kustriksveien being one of them. These roads have been designated as Norway’s most beautiful and the country has invested in their design, viewing platforms, rest areas, and bridges.

Day 10 & 11: Helgeland coast towards Bodö (2 nights)

Driving distance from Brønnøysund: 331 miles, approx. 8 hours drive

The northern half of the Helgeland coast in particular offers much to experience and I would recommend staying at least an extra day. For example, you can take a boat out to the 6,500 Vega islands for hiking and paddling in incomparable nature, surrounded by thousands of Puffins. The boats out here depart from Horn just north of Brønnøysund, where you spent the night.

Worth mentioning is the huge mountain Torghatten near Brønnøysund. It has a hole in the middle through which you can see the sun setting. Also, don't miss Svartisen National Park with its rare beautiful glacier.

Where to stay in Bodö: Scandic Havet is a modern and comfortable hotel with panoramic views that can arrange various day trips.

The views from Rødøyløva mountain on the island of Rødøy beat almost anything I've seen.

Day 12 & 13: Lofoten (2 nights)

Driving distance from Moskenes to Svolvear on Lofoten: 77 miles, approx. 2 hours drive

From Bodö you can save yourself a lot of driving if you take the ferry directly to Moskenes on Lofoten. Lofoten is something of a world in itself and should not be missed. They can be described as an extremely dramatic mountain range. The countless pointed mountains stretch out into the North Atlantic and become a row of islands at the far end.

But not only the spectacular landscapes draw visitors. On Lofoten, there are many activities to try and a lot of traditional culture remains in the small, interesting fishing villages. For drivers who are doing a Norway road trip, it is a pleasure to drive on these roads that wind between mountains and the sea.

Where to stay on Lofoten: Thon Hotel Lofoten in Svolvear offers you nice views of the harbor and the city.

Kaviar Factory is an unexpectedly good museum of modern art in Henningsvaer, a fishing village built on the islands and a major tourist attraction in itself.

Driving through Norway's ever-dramatic landscapes is one of a kind. A road trip in Norway is something far beyond the ordinary and offers a journey that passes fjords, mountains, history, culture, and wonderful people. The only disadvantage might be the fact that Norway is a bit pricey, but if you set your budget before it is not too bad. And even though this guide contains a lot, there is much more in Norway to discover - you may have to book another flight immediately!

The hotel recommendations included in this article are based on customer ratings and the author's personal choices, so please feel free to use our hotel search tool to find the accommodation best suited to your needs.

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Driving to the Arctic Circle, Norway: our bucketlist road trip to the Arctic!

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Driving to the Arctic circle in Norway. It sounded crazy, the distances were crazy and the timings were crazy but then, we’re crazy when it comes to our travel bucketlist! 24 hour brightness and the chance to stand in the Arctic were too great a temptation and, before we knew it, a visit to the Arctic Circle was penciled into our Norway route. As we started our road trip, which took us from Oslo, through the Fjordlands and onto Bud, it became apparent that distances in Norway should be measured not in kilometres but in units of full day drives! By the time we arrived in Bud, a town close to the Atlantic Road on Norway’s north west coast, our Arctic Circle dream had been put to bed and replaced with a relaxing 3 day drive back to Oslo taking in all the sights along the way.

Of course that didn’t turn out to be the case!

Driving the Arctic Circle

As we awoke to another stunning Norwegian sunrise in our cosy little Bud cabin Elaine planted the seed of possibility. ‘You know Dave we could totally make it to the Arctic circle tonight if we really wanted to’. You guessed it, we wanted to!! We were unaware setting out from Bud that morning that two days of the most exciting, white-knuckle, exhausting drives but ultimately one of the most unforgettable trips of our lives lay ahead of us. We experienced so many amazing moments in the 48 hours following our spur of the moment decision: beautiful countryside, a surreal encounter with a wild elk, a stay in one of Norway’s most beautiful cabins, copious amounts of coffee, a quick 12 hour detour to the UNESCO inscribed Vega Islands and of course….standing at the Arctic Circle itself.

Planning our drive to the Arctic Circle

A quick search revealed that the Arctic Circle Centre, located in the Saltfjellet mountains just inside the Arctic Circle itself, was almost 800km from our cabin in Bud. Our GPS was predicting a 14 hour drive including some sightseeing stops. The plan was to take shifts of driving, swapping when the other got tired and repeating this system until we made it to the Arctic Circle. In hindsight it was a crazy, spur of the moment decision but let’s face it: they’re always the best kind. This one most definitely led to an amazing adventure!

Renting a Car in Norway

Renting a car in Norway is the best way to explore the country. Driving conditions are really good with extremely good quality roads throughout the entire country. Having your own car gives you the flexibility to travel at your own pace through the Fjord lands and see places that are simply not possible on group tours or public transport.

We’re huge fans of road trips and have driven rental cars in over 40 countries so we have a lot of experience renting cars in foreign countries. Book your car now with RentalCars.com , where you will find the best rental car prices

Click here for the best rental car prices

First Stop: The Atlantic Road!

We had spent the previous evening exploring the Atlantic Road and we loved it so much we returned that morning to catch one last glimpse before setting off for the Arctic! It’s easy to see why the Atlantic Road is known as the world’s most beautiful roads: for 8.3 kilometres it snakes up and around an archipelago of islands from Bud to Kristiansund. It was amazing to feel the power of the ocean as it relentlessly pounded and the wind howled around the small islands and structures supporting the Atlantic Road itself. It’s worth setting aside a few hours to marvel at this amazing structure which was voted Norway’s engineering feat of the century!

Our route took us from Bud in the Northern Fjordland region of Norway, across the magnificent Atlantic Road, through Trondheim and then up the long and winding road north to the Arctic Circle.

A Fly By: Trondheim!

By late morning we reached the outskirts of Trondheim and stopped for some snacks and a quick power nap. Due to the mammoth drive ahead of us we didn’t have time to take in the Trondheim sights and vowed to return. Once we were east of Trondheim it was a simple left turn and then north up towards the Arctic circle! We now faced the exciting 600 km trip north.

Entering Nordland: The Drive North!

Leaving Trondheim in our rear-view we started to wonder what the next few hours held in store. The scenery was lush and green and just north of Trondheim we entered Nordland, the county separating southern Norway from Troms in the north.

Advancing north we both assumed that the countryside would become less inhabited and increasingly barren but it turned out to be the opposite. The scenery did change but it was for the better and we passed many picturesque villages and houses as we cruised on northwards. The highlight of the drive was the road itself.

Although it is the main road to Northern Norway, the E6 snakes north slowly, twisting and turning to the contours of the rugged, yet immensely beautiful countryside. Cutting through the middle of Nordland, the road runs the length of Norway and we were on this road for the majority of our final 3 days in Norway!

The E6 was entirely unforgiving as it continued to throw countless bends at us. There was very little other traffic on the road and there were periods when we didn’t meet another vehicle for over an hour or so. Like so many places in Norway, at times we hit patches of pure wilderness and there was nothing for miles and miles but us, the open road and the beautiful surroundings.

The relentless twists of the road meant we had to take frequent breaks to rest and snack but we continued on for the afternoon. We were aiming to reach the town of Mo I Rana, just south of the Arctic circle, by early evening and arrange a cabin for the night. From there we planned to drive towards the Arctic circle itself early the next morning.

After a caffeine fuelled 14 hour drive from Bud to Mo I Rana we finally reached our campsite at around 9 pm that evening. Having left Bud at 7 am to describe it as a long day was an understatement! Although tired and weary, once we discovered the gorgeous Ranfjorden views from our cabin balcony we completely forgot about the long drive earlier. A warm bed, hot water and a balcony affording us panoramic views across the fjord and we were all set for the evening!

The Arctic Circle

As we sat down to relax and chat about the day’s events I leaned over to Elaine and jokingly told her of my conversation with the campsite owner. ‘You know the Arctic circle is only 90 minutes from here….we could definitely go tonight’ The stunning fjord views must have given us a renewed energy as, despite the long day and feeling depleted just minutes earlier, we grabbed some snacks and jumped in the car with one goal in mind. A final destination of the Arctic Circle!

We knew that we would reach the Arctic Circle after midnight. The cabin owner had told us that, although there would be no mid-night sun due the time of year the entire drive would still be bathed in a long sunset. The drive from Mo I Rana to the Arctic Circle was a trip we’ll never forget. As we passed the many reindeer farms the landscape started to change drastically. The surroundings became more barren with the countryside becoming noticeably less green.

At this point we were running on pure adrenaline and we were relived when we emerged from the ravine road out into the Arctic wilderness and were met with our first Arctic Circle sign: we were 2 kilometres from the Arctic Circle!

We finally arrived at the Arctic Circle and hopped out of the car into the freezing midnight temperatures to explore! Obviously at that late hour the centre was closed but we were happy to run around by ourselves and enjoy with the stunning views while high fiving at the success of our epic road trip!

We explored the area around the centre in the crisp midnight air and were amazed at how bright it still was. A line of rock pillars stretched into the horizon on either side marking the invisible Arctic Circle line of latitude. The only noise was the occasional passing car and the chirping of birds as they played in the eternal sunset.

We could have spent hours at the Arctic Circle simply staring at the sky with its rich and never ending sunset however by 1am we both knew that we needed to leave and get some sleep!

Like all return journeys the trip back to our cabin in Mo I Rana felt so much quicker. By the time we reached the cabin we barely had the energy to sit with a well earned beer, marvel again at the stunning fjord views and chat about our amazing day. It was truly one we’ll never forget.

The long trip back to Oslo

After a well deserved rest we set off on our three day adventure back to Oslo. It was sad saying goodbye to our incredible fjord views but we were ecstatic to have finally ticked the Arctic Circle off our bucket list. On the trip back to Oslo we visited two amazing UNESCO world heritage sites:  a 12 hour detour to the Vega Islands archipelago and a stop at the historic mining town of Røros, both unplanned but hey, it worked out well for us!

Arriving back in Oslo three days later we were finally able to take time to appreciate what we’d accomplished. Since leaving Bud four days previous we had driven over 2,000 km, visited the Arctic Circle, seen two amazing and lesser known UNESCO World Heritage sights and had a crazy amount of fun. We’d call that a success!

For more Norway adventures check our our Norway page here ! Our fave is 39 pics of an epic roadtrip !

7 thoughts on “Driving to the Arctic Circle, Norway: our bucketlist road trip to the Arctic!”

Great article, wife and plan to do similar. Up and back by car, might go up by train or bus or maybe fly and drive back, on the other hand round trip sounds fun. Thank you

Hi guys, What time of year did you take the trip?

Looks amazing 😊

We traveled at the start of June, so the Arctic Circle drive was in the first week of June

Thank you for the information. I am planning to get to Norway’s Artic Circle later this year, on motorcycle. As I plan to camp along the way I and would be interested to if there were enough petrol stations along the route up from Oslo. As I plan to camp for some nights on my journey I wondered if you noticed any problems with mosquito’s/bugs? Cheers for any assistance.

There were petrol stations along the route – if you map it on Google Maps and add in the petrol stations you can see how far you have to go without a stop. Some of the stations are unmanned/not attached to a shop so you need to have a credit card to purchase.

I don’t remember any mosquitos or bugs (and if they were there they would have found me!) – it was cold in June when we traveled and there were no bugs when we camped.

Have a great trip Elaine

Hi John, I am planning to travel in June in 2024 on my motorbike. Did you do it and any tips? Thanks, Carol

I am travelling on 17th May from Liverpool to AC by motorbike too! Look out for my green ninja x

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Norway Tours from The UK

From city breaks in culture-rich Oslo to scenic journeys through the fjords, the Norwegian travel experts at Nordic Visitor can make your trip to Norway from the UK unforgettable and stress-free. In just a 2-hour flight from London you can be exploring Norway’s attractions by train, cruise or car on a bespoke holiday.

Travel to Norway from the UK

Looking for the perfect package holiday to Norway from the UK? Enjoy an authentic and stress-free trip to Norway from the UK with a bespoke tour arranged by the Norwegian travel experts at Nordic Visitor . As one of the leading travel agencies in Scandinavia, we take care of your hotels, your driving route and rental car (if you’re doing a road trip), your tickets for any travel by train or cruise, and any itinerary customisations you desire.

Getting to Norway from the UK

Most trips from the UK to Norway begin in the capital city, Oslo, which is home to many of Norway’s top cultural attractions as well as Norway’s main international airport. Luckily for British travellers, there are a number of short, inexpensive non-stop flights to Oslo Airport  from the UK:

• London to Oslo: 2h 5m (Norwegian, British Airways, SAS, Ryanair)
• Edinburgh to Oslo: 1h 45m (Norwegian)
• Manchester to Oslo: 1h 55m (SAS, Ryanair)

See the Northern Lights in Arctic Norway

From Oslo it’s just 55 minutes via domestic flight to popular winter destinations like Tromsø, Kirkenes or the Lofoten Islands in Norway’s far north. With a short winter break in northern Norway between December and March, you can experience landscapes covered in snow and the incredible northern lights (aurora borealis) as well as winter sports like snowmobiling, dog sledding and more -- all in under a week. You could even spend a night in a snow hotel!

Visit the Norwegian Fjords by train or car

Another major highlight for travellers booking a Norwegian holiday from the UK are the fjords. From Oslo it’s easy to travel to the Bergen area and nearby fjords of western Norway by rental car or train in 7 - 14 days.

By car: Exploring Norway by car from the UK is the way to go if you plan to do some hiking in summer or if you just want to explore at your own pace. Nordic Visitor offers a range of customisable self-drive tours in Norway , available from May to September, that come with marked road maps, information about driving in Norway, our own travel guide showcasing the highlights of each region, and more.

By train: By far the most popular Norwegian train holiday is the Norway in a Nutshell® classic tour , which includes a short fjord cruise on the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord and a scenic ride in vintage rail cars on the mountainous Flåm Railway. This tour has year-round departures and can be customised by Nordic Visitor to include additional nights in Bergen as well as side trips to other cities such as Stavanger.

Don’t want to travel on your own? Join a Guided Small Group Tour of Norway to see the fjords and more with an experienced local tour leader at the helm.

Take a Hurtigruten Coastal cruise

You could also experience Norway’s fjord-indented west coast by travelling on a Havila or Hurtigruten cruise. With 34 ports of call between Bergen at the southern end and Kirkenes in the Arctic North, this voyage is a hit with travellers visiting Norway from the UK and makes a great addition to travelling by train from Oslo. Nordic Visitor are certified Hurtigruten and Havila agents. Plus, we offer cruise packages in Norway year-round, so you can even sail under the northern lights in wintertime.

Stree-free Travel from the UK with Norway experts

No matter what type of your holiday in Norway you choose, Nordic Visitor’s itineraries are designed to be well-structured yet flexible to be tailored to your needs and interests. Nordic Visitor can even arrange flexible self-drive tours in Norway and bespoke holiday packages in Scandinavia that combine stays in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and other Nordic destinations.

What’s more, you’ll have your own dedicated travel consultant to advise you about possible add-ons to your tour and handle all the details for you. You’ll also have access to Nordic Visitor’s 24/7 helpline while travelling in Norway, so in case of any any unexpected delays our friendly staff can quickly get your trip back on track.

Contact us to get started on your dream holiday in Norway from the UK!

— WHY US?

Why book with nordic visitor.

• Hassle-free & seamless travel experience
• Flexible & customisable tour options
• Value for your money
• Professional service from local experts

Experience the northern lights in winter

Head up north to Kirkenes or Tromsø for snowy activities and colourful skies. These short breaks are ideal with extra nights in Oslo.

Northern Lights by Train and Cruise

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Countries Visited Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark

Best of Scandinavia & Iceland - Winter

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Experience Norway in a nutshell on a scenic railway journey between Oslo and Bergen, with route modifications available.

Norway in a Nutshell® - Classic

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You do the driving, we handle the travel arrangements. Drive around Norway’s top attractions at your own pace, with a flexible itinerary.

Norway Fjord Route by Car - Classic

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Countries Visited Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark

Scandinavian Road Trip & Finland Cruise

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Hop on a Havila or Hurtigruten voyage between Bergen and Kirkenes for incredible scenery. Overnight cruises are great in combo with train journeys.

Lofoten & 71°North Cape

Northern norway & coastal cruise, best of the norwegian fjords, expand your nordic adventure.

Why not visit Norway and Scandinavia in one tailor-made trip? Check out our most popular multi-country tour packages below.

Best of Scandinavia & Iceland

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Countries Visited Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia

Highlights of Scandinavia & Baltic Cruise

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As a travel agency founded in the Nordic region, Nordic Visitor knows how to make the most of your time in Norway. We offer a variety of tours – both independent and guided – that include must-see attractions as well as lesser-known highlights that are hand-picked by our own Norway travel experts. To ensure a stress-free trip, we handle all the local details for you – accommodation, activities, rental car, train tickets, cruise reservations and other specialist services.

Oh, and we can customise your itinerary! If you decide you want to add extra nights at a certain location, for example, your personal Nordic Visitor travel consultant will be happy to make suggestions and modify your itinerary.

Different ways you can experience Norway

We have tours for all varieties of travel styles and interests. See our options for exploring Norway below.

Self-drive tours

Independent train travel, guided small group, partially guided, northern lights, what do our customers say.

The reviews speak for themselves. See what Nordic Visitor travellers said about their experience with us.

The tour was perfect and went smoothly the entire time. Communication from Nordic Visitor was timely and detailed. Would book with this tour company again.

Memories we'll cherish forever

We found Norway to be a fabulous country and enjoyed every minute of our trip. The scenery was fantastic, the places visited were brilliant and the people were incredibly friendly and helpful. The information pack provided by Nordic Visitor was invaluable, the route chosen for us was superb and the places we stayed in were great. Likewise, the excursions offered, especially the Rib Safari were fantastic and gave us memories we'll cherish forever. Lastly, but by no means least, Irja, our travel consultant, couldn't have been more helpful and I would like to extend a huge thank you to her for all that she did.

Unforgettable in so many ways

It was unforgettable in so many ways, highlights after highlights. We knew to expect a lot after our trip to Iceland a couple of years ago, also organised by Nordic Visitor. Our expectations were exceeded and more. We saw northern lights three times, the food everywhere was excellent, experienced dog sledding in the moonlight and sleeping in the SnowHotel, and we saw a white reindeer! How lucky we are to have experienced all that. We have now returned home, happy and full of awe.

A great experience

Very well-organised tour and a great experience. Nordic Visitor were very professional and their experience was evident in choosing the well-located and comfortable accommodation they selected for us. Best of all we got to see the northern lights!

Incredibly happy!

Our travel agent, Małgorzata, was amazing to work with! She was able to add a few extra days in Oslo and arranged transportation via train to Bergen. Overall, I thought booking this vacation online and making payments was seamless. All the hotels we stayed in were nice, clean and safe! We loved the breakfast buffets, they were top notch! Also, collecting our rental car and navigating in a foreign country was seamless. We are incredibly happy that our tour package that we received at our first hotel included a physical map that had our tour highlighted.

I'll be recommending Nordic Visitor to my friends

The trip was really amazing. We had an absolutely superb time in Tromsø; hotel and excursions were spot on. The guide and whole the staff was really professional. Professional photos taken by the guide were really fantastic. They gave us excellent care, more than what we have experienced on any trip. Our favourite experience was the snowmobile, but catamaran trip was great too. Certainly I will be recommending it to my friends. I was very pleased that those who delivered the services showed a lot of professionalism.

Very satisfied customer

This was my second experience using Nordic Visitor. I am a very satisfied customer. A few years ago we did a self-drive tour of Iceland that was just amazing. This time we did a train/cruise combo tour of Norway. Once again, I can only say you will have a fantastic experience and you will appreciate the labuor of organising and planning being handled by experts who know what they are doing. The cruises through the fjords were beautiful as were the train trips. We loved the combination of train and boat travel as each offered distinct beauty from a different perspective. The country is truly lovely and we look forward to booking future travel with Nordic Visitor!

Extraordinary!

Extraordinary! Everything went off as planned without a hitch. Our travel guide, Juliana, was exceptional, very responsive in answering our questions and providing updates.

Very satisfied with Nordic Visitor

We were very satisfied with the tour and overall experience with Nordic Visitor. The hotels were strategically chosen and the quality of hotels was satisfactory. The optional tours were also highly recommended. Timings of the schedules throughout the tour were ideal and not rushed.

Best vacation we ever had!

Our family of 5 (3 adult children) loved our Norway fjord tour. We saw the most beautiful scenery and loved each hotel. The food was delicious. Something for everyone. Our guide Al and driver Chris kept things running smoothly. We will have memories to last a lifetime. Thank you Nordic Visitor. Best vacation we ever had!

An excellent decision to book with Nordic Visitor

Following research, we decided to book with Nordic Visitor. This was an excellent decision. The booking process was easy and informative and Hanna was always available for guidance. The accommodation provided was top class and, importantly, convenient to the train stations from which we travelled. Our tour was amazing throughout with stunning scenery and sights.

The tour gives you a fabulous overview of Norway!

The tour gives you a fabulous overview of Norway. We did a lot of travel in between sights but this enabled us to have a real breadth of experience, from fjords to mountain passes, railway adventures and small boats. Our tour guide was excellent and the sights and experiences outlined for us were top-notch. The materials provided about our tour were excellent and well thought out.

Travel Guide

Be prepared for just about anything on your Norway adventure.

The first sight that greets most visitors to Norway is Oslo, Norway’s capital city and home to...

Pulpit Rock

Rising an impressive 604 metres (1982 ft) above the Lysefjord, Preikestolen or Pulpit Rock, is...

Geirangerfjord

Considered among the most beautiful fjord in the world, the Geirangerfjord will take your...

What to bring

Layers, layers, layers! Come prepared for all type..

What’s the weather like in Norway? You just might ..

Norwegian Language

You will get by fine with English, but here are a ..

Time & Daylight

When to expect sunrises, sunsets, northern lights ..

Our Services

Whether you travel by train, cruise ship or car in your Nordic Visitor package, all customers receive personalised service with a designated travel consultant , tailor-made quality travel documents, and our self-drive clients receive a hand-marked map that outlines their route, overnight stays and highlights along the way. Furthermore, Nordic Visitor has long-standing professional relationships with local tour operators , which are carefully selected by our staff and are recognized for consistent, quality service.

Book With Confidence

• Protect your money & plans with our  flexible booking terms    .
• 97% of customers say they’d recommend us to friends.
• We work closely with trusted, high-quality suppliers.
• Enjoy personal service from Norway travel experts.
• Get peace of mind with a 24/7 helpline during your stay.
• We’re here for you in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Do you have a question about our Norway tours? Or maybe you want to customise a travel package. Whatever you need, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Our Scandinavian phone number is +46 8 666 23 30

How about a live chat with one of our local travel experts?

Blog posts you might like

Top norway honeymoons & romantic getaways, 10 things to do in norway in winter, why scandinavia is perfect for solo travel, in focus: 10 must-sees in norway.

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2 Week Road Trips Through Scandinavia: Your Guide

Scandinavia is a Northern European region that encompasses the countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. With lush countryside, stunning coastline and rugged mountains, it's ideal for a road trip. Plus, take the wheel and you can stop whenever you want to take in the breathtaking views and attractions.

If you're interested in going on a  Scandinavia road trip of 2 weeks, there are plenty of options. You could spend time exploring one country, delve into a specific region, or even tour all 3 Scandinavian countries in a single itinerary.

Read on for inspiration and suggestions on how you can plan an unforgettable tour. Here we'll give you our insider recommendations on the best road trip routes in Scandinavia.

Road trips in Sweden

Sweden is the country of ABBA, a thousand isles (or more like 200,000!), sleek design, and  fika coffee break . Stockholm, its capital, is fantastic for a city break, but have you ever thought of visiting the other  Swedish cities and countryside? You’ll be surprised what you find.

Read about visiting  Sweden in summer or winter to decide on the best time for you. In winter, we recommend independent train and cruise travel so you can sit back and relax. 

Tour the 3 big Swedish cities

With 2 weeks in Sweden, you could travel between Stockholm, Malmö and Gothenburg. You’ll enjoy the mix of urban vibes, with interactive museums and grand royal palaces, and the superb nature and tranquil oases along the way.

Journey from Stockholm to the lush area around Lake Vättern where you could go for some wild swimming. Then drive through the scenic Swedish province of Småland to visit historic ruins and castles.

Cross onto the island of Öland and wander through the limestone plateau of Stora Alvaret , a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You then follow the coast south to Ystad and then north toward Gothenburg. As you’re travelling at your own pace you can stop at quaint villages and sandy beaches along the way.

Journey north to Sunne through the Swedish forest. Enjoy the scenery and, if the weather allows, stop for another lake swim. Sweden is the perfect place for immersing yourself in nature. Finally, we recommend spending some time in the Dalarna county. It is one of the most popular areas to visit in Sweden.

Good to know: This is one example of a tour you could take around Sweden. But Nordic Visitor itineraries can be tailored. Maybe you want to spend more time in certain locations or extend your trip. Just ask our Swedish travel experts !

• Check out our Sweden self-drive tours
• Related: Read about the top Swedish road trips for a variety of tour lengths

Road trips in Norway

Norway is known for its fantastic hiking opportunities, scenic fjords, and Viking history. As Norway is another large country, you'll have many possibilities for places to visit on a 2-week road trip. Here are our two favourite suggestions:

West coast: Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger

You may be able to drive this itinerary of 700 kilometres (435 miles) in a few days. But you can spend as much time as you wish along the way. It’s the beauty of a road trip as you choose where and what you stop to see.

Bergen to Trondheim will take you inland via the lovely town of Loen , nestled between mountains. And on the way back, you’ll follow the beautiful coast of Norway. Explore the majestic fjords, renowned worldwide for their grandeur and beauty.

You’ll also get to experience the Atlantic Ocean Road , one of Norway’s most scenic drives. Then sail south again, via Bergen, all the way to Stavanger . You could even take time to hike up the iconic Pulpit Rock too.

• Browse Norwegian self-drive tours for a memorable road trip

Complete tour from Oslo

Soak up the countryside and mountains as well as the western fjords on this tour of Norway's southern regions. Although it leaves out the north (we think it’s worth its own holiday!) this road trip will take you through a variety of cities, villages, and natural landscapes.

You’ll get to admire what Norway has to offer on a complete tour from Oslo to the west coast and back. Along the way you'll discover the fjords, high peaks, fishing villages, and so much more.

Here are the 10 best things to do with 2 weeks in Norway :

• Stroll through Norway’s grand capital,  Oslo
• Wander through the Rondane National Park and visit Røros
• Visit the dramatic fjord landscape and maybe even go kayaking
• Experience the quaint village of  Flåm and its steep railway
• See the west coast city of Bergen and all its highlights
• Drive the exciting routes of  Trollstigen , the Atlantic Road and  Eagle Road
• Take in the stunning views surrounding Loen
• Marvel at the ethereal waterfalls  Seven Sisters and Bridal Veil
• Explore the medieval city and historic capital of Norway, Trondheim
• Spend time in the Olympic town of  Lillehammer

Scandinavian triangle

When it comes to an unforgettable road trip through Scandinavia, we recommend visiting all 3 countries in one tour. Sweden, Denmark and Norway are close together, well-connected, and share similar historical and cultural aspects. For that reason, the region as a whole makes for a fantastic destination.

To get a taste of all 3 nations, we recommend visiting the capitals: Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo. This way you can discover these grand cities of Scandinavia , with their entertaining museums, gourmet cuisine, and royal palaces. And between the capitals, spend time enjoying the beautiful countryside.

You can even choose whether you'd like to drive, along Sweden’s south-west coast, or take the ferry between Copenhagen and Oslo. If you opt for the ferry, you'll board a large ship with your car and spend a night sailing along the Kattegat Strait.

• Explore self-drive tours around Scandinavia
• Related: Read about the best trips for first-time visitors to Scandinavia

Iceland’s Ring Road

Although not part of Scandinavia, Iceland is an absolute must see in the Nordics. And as it's THE place for a road trip, we had to include it.

Route 1, also nicknamed the Ring Road, circles Iceland, connecting nearly all the regions of the island. With 2 weeks, you’ll have plenty of time to visit the attractions and soak up the scenery along the way.

Highlights on a 2-week tour of Iceland include:

• Spending time exploring Reykjavík , Iceland's lively capital city
• Discovering the 3 most famous attractions on the Golden Circle  route
• Walking along the  Diamond Beach to see the glistening ice scattered on the shore
• Marvelling at the top waterfalls around the country
• Seeing the massive floating icebergs at the  Jökulsárlón g lacier lagoon
• Strolling through the quaint streets of  Akureyri , the capital of the north
• Exploring Iceland's beautiful national parks: Vatnajökull , Þingvellir and Snæfellsjökull
• Journeying through the volcanic  Lake Mývatn area
• Enjoying the striking nature of the Snæfellsnes peninsula

You could also add in the remote, but spectacular Westfjords to your itinerary to get a complete tour of the island.

• Find out more about Iceland self-drive tours

Suggestion for a 2-week Scandinavian road trip itinerary

If you would like to take a  2-week tour around the region and want to include all 3 countries, here is our suggestion.

This itinerary is available with Nordic Visitor, but you can always ask our travel experts to tailor your tour. If you’d rather drive via Gothenburg, add day trips, or even include a Finland cruise to see Helsinki, just ask!

Day 1 – Welcome to Sweden

Fly into Stockholm and, depending on when you arrive, spend some time wandering around the capital city of Sweden. Stroll along the shopping street Drottninggatan and explore the surrounding area of Östermalm. You’ll find interesting shops, cafés, and restaurants for a perfect introduction to Scandinavian culture.

Spend the night in Stockholm.

Day 2 – Full day in Stockholm

Today you will explore the heart of scenic Stockholm. Start with a walk around the Old Town (Gamla Stan). Here you’ll find the Royal Palace, the parliament, old churches, beautiful cobblestone streets and medieval houses.

Later, head to Djurgården, a cultural oasis that's just a short ferry ride away. You could visit the kitschy Abba Museum, the Nordic Museum, the Gröna Lund amusement park, and the Skansen open-air museum.

Spend another night in Stockholm.

Day 3 – Into the Swedish countryside

Today you pick up your rental car and kick off your road trip toward the south of Sweden. Your destination is Kalmar, a medieval city with a rich history, making it a perfect stop for history buffs. In the old town, you can visit Kalmar Castle, which dates back over 800 years.

Spend the night in Kalmar.

Day 4 – A day at leisure in Öland

From Kalmar, cross onto Öland, a region characterised by sandy beaches, a beautiful coastline, and a vast agricultural landscape. Enjoy the scenery and bask in the quietness of this island. Two highlights include Solliden Palace, the summer residence of the Swedish royal family, and Stora Alvaret, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spend another night in Kalmar.

Day 5 – Sweden’s south coast

Your first visit today, on your way to Sweden’s most southern region, is at the naval city of Karlskrona, another Swedish World Heritage site.

Before you reach the charming town of Ystad, there are many stops along the way that might interest you. These include Kiviks Musteri and the fortress of Glimmingehus, which dates back to the middle ages.

Spend the night in Ystad.

Day 6 – Explore Skåne

Drive through splendid Skåne and the area of Österlen today. You can stop at quaint villages, sandy beaches and historical sites, and don’t forget to taste the local cuisine. We recommend stopping by the popular Ales Stenar stone ship monument, which offers a picturesque view of the Baltic Sea.

Spend another night in Ystad.

Day 7 – Explore Copenhagen

Drive to Smygehuk, the southernmost point in Sweden, before continuing on to the old towns of Skanör and Falsterbo where you will encounter long stretches of white sand beaches. Next, arrive in the charming capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen. Take time to explore the colourful harbour, Nyhavn, and the amusement park, Tivoli Gardens.

Spend the night in Copenhagen.

Day 8 – Set sail for Norway

Spend the morning at your leisure in Copenhagen. You could visit popular landmarks such as Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, and the famous Little Mermaid statue, or even take a canal boat tour. In the late afternoon, you’ll board your cruise to Oslo.

Spend the night on the ferry.

Day 9 – Arrival in Norway

This morning you’ll sail along the Oslo Fjord, so admire the view before arriving in Norway’s capital. You then have the rest of the day to visit some of Oslo’s highlights. We recommend the historical  Royal Palace , the mighty Akershus Fortress, the modern Oslo Opera House, and the  Aker Brygge area along the harbour.

Spend the night in Oslo.

Day 10 – Explore the capital, Oslo

You have a full day to explore Oslo as much as you want. We recommend visiting the beautiful  Vigeland Sculpture Park and the  Holmenkollen Ski Museum and tower. You could also learn about history at the Kon-Tiki Museum or simply stroll along the popular Karl Johans street.

Spend another night in Oslo.

Day 11 – Scenic drive to Örebro

From Oslo, cross back into Sweden and drive all the way to the city of Örebro. Along the way, make a stop at Karlstad, which is known as the "City of Sunshine". You could also visit Kristinehamn where you find a 15-metre-tall Picasso sculpture which was donated to the city by the artist in 1964.

Spend the night in Örebro.

Day 12 – Leisure day in Örebro

You could visit the 14th-century Örebro Castle and the Wadköping open-air museum, with buildings that date back to the 17th century. Another suggestion for quiet walks is to wander through the large public park, Slottsparken (Palace Park).

Spend another night in Örebro.

Day 13 – Drive back to Stockholm

Your first stop today is at the open-air museum Rademachersmedjorna. This area is famous for its many castles and manor houses, including the 16th-century Gripsholm Castle. After a day of sightseeing, you’ll return to Stockholm to drop off your rental car.

Day 14 - Departure

Enjoy one last Scandinavian breakfast and visit some more sights before it is time to fly home.

• Related:   15 things to see and do in Stockholm

Other ways to travel around Scandinavia

There are many ways to see the countries and regions of Scandinavia. If you would rather enjoy the view than drive around, you could go on a guided tour or travel independently via public transportation.

With two weeks, the possibilities are endless. You could sail through the Norwegian fjords and discover the capitals of Finland and Estonia, Helsinki and Tallinn. Or, pair your trip around Scandinavia with some day tours in Iceland to take in another culture.

Independent travel in Scandinavia

If you would like to discover Scandinavia on your own but prefer not to drive, then an independent tour is the perfect choice. Public transportation in Scandinavia is fast, reliable and punctual, so getting around by train and ferry is a great alternative to driving.

On top of visiting the Scandinavian capitals, you could add a Norway in a Nutshell tour to your itinerary. You’ll take train rides, cruises and buses to see some of the most iconic locations in Norway.

Independent travel is ideal for  winter tours as driving conditions can make it a bit harder to get around. And you may have the added bonus of seeing the northern lights  inside the Arctic Circle.

Winter is also a good time to go up into  Northern Norway , Svalbard , or Lapland , which encompasses the northern regions of Finland and Sweden. Stay in an Ice Hotel , go dog sledding or visit the Santa Claus Village .

• Browse our independent tours around Scandinavia
• Related: 10 Cool facts about Denmark

Small group tours

To see the region from a local’s point of view and make some new friends along the way, pick from one of our  guided small group tours in Scandinavia .

You’ll get an enriching experience of Scandinavia, getting under the skin of Sweden, Denmark and Norway in the company of a knowledgeable guide and like-minded companions.

This also makes guided tour packages perfect if you'd like to travel to Scandinavia on your own. Check out these top group trips in Europe for solo travellers for inspiration. 

Ready for your Scandinavia road trip? Why not let a local organise it for you? Our Scandinavia travel consultants are based in Stockholm and have extensive experience of the region. They can tailor an itinerary just for you based on your needs and tastes.

Plus, you always have support with Nordic Visitor, with access to our 24/7 helpline during your tour. We’re here to make sure you have the road trip of a lifetime.

Browse our  Scandinavia self-drive tours or get in touch to start planning.

  Camila grew up between the French Canadian and Chilean cultures, before moving to Scotland in 2012. When she’s not travelling or writing about travels, Camila loves to read, run, and puzzle. Her favourite destinations have been Reykjavík, Copenhagen, Estonia and Cape Town.  

Find Camila on LinkedIn .

Getting there

We'd love to give you the same amazing travel experiences as you read about in our blog! To visit the destinations and attractions mentioned in this post - and to discover a few new highlights along the way - check out these recommended Nordic Visitor tours.

SCANDINAVIAN ROAD TRIP AT LEISURE

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SCANDINAVIAN ROAD TRIP & FINLAND CRUISE

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How to get to Norway by campervan – from the UK

• September 12, 2018
• Living and travelling in a van

My plan was to take the most direct route from the UK to Norway to catch the end of summer.

OK, there was no ‘plan’. I just wanted to go to Norway in my van. So here’s how I did it. I’ll also share a few other alternative routes and options I found along the way.

Also see this post on how I prepared the van:  Servicing the van in 15 jobs – with video

A direct ferry from the UK to Norway?

That would have been the best option but this route no longer runs. It used to go from Newcastle to Stavanger, which would have been a great option. It’s possible P&O might reopen this route at some point in the future, but for now…

Here’s the route I took – the first option

I got ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland. I drove through Holland, through Germany and up to Hirtshals at the top of Denmark. From there I got a ferry to Kristiansand in the south of Norway.

You could do this journey in a day or two but I took a few days.

Here’s what it cost

Ferry from UK to Holland: £127 – booked through  Aferry.co.uk Diesel from Hook of Holland to Hirtshals, Denmark: £142 Ferry from Demark to Norway: £93 – also booked through Aferry Total: £361 

Once you’re in mainland Europe there are several different ferry routes to Norway.

Here are 3 other options I considered:

Option 2: Ferry from Kiel (northern Germany) to Oslo

This takes around 20 hours and operates nearly every day. Route operated by Colour Line.

A nice break from driving – and less wear on the tyres – but costs a fair bit more money, and takes more time.

Option 3: Ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo

This takes around 17 hours, operated by DFDS Seaways.

I was tempted by this option but I had visions of me loving Copenhagen and staying there too long. Same with Oslo. I can visit on the way back down.

Option 4: Drive into Norway through Sweden.

If it was Spring or the middle of summer I’d probably take this option. But It’s not. I better get a move on!

Why I chose option 1

Kristiansand seems to be a good starting point for exploring the west of Norway: the fjords, mountains and… further north before it gets too cold. I can visit Oslo on the way back. Also, this seemed to be the cheapest route at the time.

A few of tips

Tip one: The cost of the ferries can vary hugely from day to day – probably based on how booked up they are. I stayed totally flexible as to what day I booked the ferry. I looked for sailings, and the costs, for the next week and simply chose the cheapest one.

Tip two: You might want to fill up with Diesel before you leave Germany. It’s more expensive in Denmark and Norway.

Tip Three: Same with food. Stock up with food in Germany! Maybe I’ll do a separate post on this?

Other options?

If you have any suggestions, or know any other alternatives for getting to Norway in a van, please let us know in the comments below…

Watch the video:  VIDEO: driving to Norway in my van 

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5 of the best Scandinavian road trips

One of the best ways to enjoy the dramatic landscapes and sensational scenery of Scandinavia is on a road trip.

Here are some of our favourite long-distance journeys, plus a couple of shorter drives that allow you to see the best of the Scandinavia’s scenery as a quick and easy day trip.

So, whether you’re heading out on a full-length road trip or just doing a dramatic short jaunt, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Oslo to Helsinki

Total distance: 1000km

Three capital cities, two time zones and one ferry – the car journey from Oslo to Helsinki lets you squeeze in a lot of sights in a relatively short space of time.

This trip follows the fast E18 highway as it sweeps east of Oslo, across Sweden to the port of Kapellskär, on Sweden’s east coast, then continues to Turku in Finland, then finally onto Helsinki.

The first leg of the road trip, from Oslo to Stockholm, is a 600km journey that takes around seven hours. After around 220km you’ll reach the elegant lakeside town of Karlstad , which makes a good place for a lunchtime break.

Alternatively, you can carry on to another pretty lakeside town, Örebro, which is home to a 13th-century castle. The road continues east, running just north of Stockholm , but you’d be mad to miss out on visiting Sweden’s beautiful capital, which makes a great first-night stop.

The next day, it’s a 90km drive to Kapellskär, where you can catch a ferry (8–9 hours) in Finland. The ferry goes via the attractive Åland archipelago, a cluster of Swedish-speaking islands that belong to Finland and lie roughly half-way between the two countries.

Once docked at Naantali, it’s a short (15km) drive to Turku, Finland’s oldest city and former capital, and a great place to spend your second night.

The following day, it’s a 165km drive to the lively but laid-back seafront capital Helsinki , where you can enjoy boat trips galore and some great free attractions .

Renting a car in Scandinavia

Scandinavia is relatively easy to explore using public transport, but if you want to tackle any of these road trips you’re going to need some wheels.

Renting a car is easy and you can almost always take vehicles from one country to another without any hassle or extra charges – but be sure to double check this at the time of booking.

We recommend Rentalcars.com, which lets you compare rental prices from all of the main providers. Search below to find a car for your trip!

Copenhagen to Oslo

Total distance: 600km

Short on time and want a quick intro to Scandinavia? This road trip takes you through three countries and two capital cities – plus you’ll get to drive across that iconic bridge.

This trip starts in Copenhagen and ends in Oslo , but much of the journey is spent following the Swedish coastline. From Copenhagen, it’s just a 45-minute drive across the Øresund bridge ( a rather hefty toll is payable ), to the likeable city of Malmö in Sweden. Here, you can pick up the E20 to Gothenburg , then the E6 to Oslo.

You can do the whole trip in around seven hours, but it’s better to take your time to stop en route and enjoy the scenery. If you have more time, the sleepier towns of Helsingborg and Varberg make for good places to break the journey.

If you’re not sure about driving, this guide shows you how to get from Copenhagen to Oslo with public transport.

Bergen to Trondheim through Norway’s fjordland

Total distance: 920km

There are several different routes from Norway’s second city (Bergen) to its third (Trondheim).

The fastest and most direct tours sticks to the main roads, but where’s the fun in that? A more spectacular route heads north via Geirangerfjord , zig-zagging up mountains passes and over ferries, taking in gushing waterfalls and some of Norway’s most dramatic scenery.

You could do the whole journey with two long days of driving, but this is not a route you’ll want to rush – you’re best off taking a few days to make the most of landscape, and give yourself plenty of time to stop off for some walks.

Good stopping points along the way are the pretty fjordside villages of Balestrand and Geiranger, the attractive Art Nouveau town of Ålesund and the coastal town of Kristiansund.

Höga Kusten, Sweden

Total distance: around 100km

Running along the ‘world’s highest coastline’, this stunning scenic drive may be short, but what it lacks in distance it makes up for in drama.

In the province of Ångermanland, in north eastern Sweden, the E4 highway heads north from the town of Härnösand to Örnsköldsvik, though a landscape formed during the Ice Age and now protected by Unesco heritage status.

The Höga Kusten (or ‘High Coast’) drive passes through pine forests and deep valleys, plus high red granite cliffs and rock formations, with dramatic views over the islands and coastline of Gulf of Bothnia.

If you fancy stopping off en route, it’s a just short detour off the E4 to the Skuleskogen National Park, where there are some awesome hikes and trails to enjoy.

The Atlantic Road, Norway

Total distance: 65km

Frequently dubbed ‘the world’s most beautiful drive’, and not without reason, the Atlantic Road runs from Bud to Kristiansund along Norway’s west coast.

The route connects the island of Averøy to the mainland, via a series of eight bridges and islets that run for more than 8km – a serious feat of engineering.

The road zigs-zags and switchbacks along the coast, crossing the mouth of a fjord, with waves often crashing alongside the cars.

Make sure you take time to stop at some of the scenic viewpoints along the way! The Askevågen viewpoint juts out over the sea about 10km north of Bud, while the Eldhusøya viewpoint, another 20km or so further along, includes a 700-metre path that runs along the top of the visitor centre out around a rocky headland for fantastic sea views. 

See also: Norway in a Nutshell: the DIY option Renting a car in Scandinavia Driving in Sweden

Copenhagen vs Stockholm: which one should you visit?

You may also like.

Gothenburg to Copenhagen

How to survive a layover at Helsinki Airport

Getting from Arlanda Airport to Stockholm city

Riding the Blue Train in Sweden

The best tours of Scandinavia

The ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki

Getting from Stockholm to Copenhagen

Getting from Copenhagen to Oslo

Scandinavian rail passes: Interrail and Eurail explained

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Home on Wheels-Motorhome Blog

Definitive guide to touring norway with a motorhome.

After spending the last 6 weeks touring Norway in our motorhome I think we have found motorhome heaven! Norway has everything the enthusiastic motorhome owner needs. If you don’t own a motorhome or camper van, please buy one or hire one and take it to Norway, because you will be hooked, just like we are.

When to go to Norway

The best time to go to Norway is in the summer months, unless you want a skiing holiday. Many roads in Norway can be closed in winter, especially roads like Trollstigen . In fact the Trollstigen road had only opened a week before we were there and I would have hated to have missed the drive up there. There is a good website where you can check which of the scenic Norwegian roads are closed and also a table that shows you the dates that the roads opened for the past few years. You can visit that website here .

We arrived in Norway in early May and the weather was warm and sunny. The temperature reached 24C on several occasions, although Norwegians we spoke to said the hot weather we had was very unusual. I would also recommend being in Norway for their National Day on 17th May. It’s a fantastic spectacle to see so many proud Norwegians waving their national flag.

Days in Norway, of course, are very long in summer. We found it was still light at midnight and was light again at about 4am. Black out blinds in our motorhome were very useful in helping to get a good nights sleep.

How to get to Norway

If you are driving from the UK to Norway with your motorhome you will need to find the best way to get to mainland Europe. There are no ferries from the UK to Norway. Our route took us from Hull to Rotterdam on the overnight ferry and we then drove through the Netherlands and northern Germany to the port of Puttgarden. Ferries run every 30 minutes to Rødby in Denmark. We took this ferry route because we wanted to see Copenhagen and drive north through Sweden.

The most popular ferry route to Norway is from the Danish ferry port of Hirtshals, to Kristiansand in southern Norway. Ferries also operate from Hirtshals to Larvik. Ferries are operated by Color Line and the journey takes 3 hours and 15 minutes. The typical cost of a one way trip with a 7 metre motorhome is about €198, based on  June departure, but costs are higher in the peak season.

When travelling with Fjord Line from Hirtshals to Kristiansand, you can choose between the catamaran Fjord FSTR or one of their cruise ships (MS Bergensfjord and MS Stavangerfjord). Fjord FSTR sails between March and October, and offers you the fastest way to Norway with a crossing time of just 2 hours and 25 minutes.

If you take the Puttgarden ferry (about €100 for a 7 metre vehicle) you then need to cross the Øresund Bridge to Malmo which costs 910 DKK (£105), as of January 2024. Alternatively, you could take the ferry from Helsingør to Helsingborg in Sweden and then drive via Gothenburg to Oslo.

A more expensive option is to take the ferry from Frederikshavn in Denmark to Oslo. This is the 12 hour ferry route we are using on our return from Norway. The cost for us was £335, including a 2 berth outside cabin.

The cost of living in Norway

Norway is an expensive country to visit. They have a high standard of living and food prices are high. Diesel cost us about £1.45 a litre. Before setting off for Norway we took as much food with us as weight would allow so that we could limit the amount we spent on food in Norwegian supermarkets. Of course, we bought fresh food such as milk, salad, orange juice (applesin juice) and found that we used Bunnpris and Joker supermarket chains, not because we thought they were cheap, but because we just happened to find more of them.

Driving, Tolls and Tunnels

Driving in Norway is a joy. Speed limits are low and even the main roads such as the E39 can be narrow making journey times longer than you might expect. In general, the Norwegian speed limit is 80 kilometres per hour, except for in built-up areas or town centres, where it is 50 kilometres per hour unless otherwise stated. It can be as low as 30 kilometres per hour in residential areas, and as high as 110 kilometres per hour on certain dual carriageways and motorways. Penalties for exceeding the speed limit are amongst the highest in Europe and I saw several cars stopped by unmarked police cars. I was also randomly breathalised at a police checkpoint so don’t drink and drive.

AutoPASS is the Norwegian system for collection of road and tunnel tolls. There are very few manned tolls and instead automated VNPR cameras are used to record number plates. I registered my vehicle details with Euro Parking Collection (EPC) before entering Norway and they send an invoice for payment. You can read about EPC here.

I have never driven through so many tunnels in my life. Norway has over 1,000 road tunnels that cut straight through huge mountains and underneath the sea. The longest tunnel is over 15 miles long. Most are free but there are some where you pay a toll. Drive carefully through Norwegian tunnels because many are very long and narrow and quite often they can be very dark, especially until your eyes become adjusted to the change from bright sunlight.

Many tunnels in Norway are not lined with concrete and instead have just bare rock; we found these tunnels to be the darkest to drive in. You will also be amazed when you see tunnels with roundabouts in them and road junctions.

The best tunnel we drove through was the Vallavik Tunnel which is an incredible tunnel-bridge-tunnel combination which includes two roundabouts in it!

Ferries in Norway

You can hardly drive anywhere in Norway without using ferries. They are very efficient and run regularly. They are part of the fun of a motorhome holiday in Norway, but you need to budget accordingly. The cost of taking a motorhome on a ferry in Norway depends on the length of the motorhome. Under 6 metres is the cut off point and anything over than that costs on average about double. Our motorhome is 7 metres long and the amount we paid for each ferry we used is shown below. Bear in mind that if you say your motorhome is under 6 metres and they check you can be fined so always be honest.

Payments for ferries in Norway are normally paid after you have driven on to the ship but we paid in the queue for the Geiranger ferry. We paid all our ferry costs by card but cash is also an option.

• Halsa to  Kanestraum 320 NOK (20 mins)
• Molde to Vestnes 420 NOK (40 mins)
• Geiranger to Hellesylt 1400 NOK (1 hour)
• Lavik to Oppedal. 300 NOK
• Vangsnes to Dragsvik. 320 NOK
• Kaupanger to Gudvangen. 1580 NOK (3 hours)
• Harvick ferry. 258 NOK (20 minutes)

Where to go in Norway

Norway is an amazing destination to visit. It is perfect for touring. The scenery, the people, the culture, the towns and the quality of the campsites all stand out to make Norway our destination of choice, especially when touring with a motorhome. Norway is a very big country so when planning your visit don’t try to do too much; you can always visit Norway again. When planning our trip we originally wanted to visit the Lofoton Islands but we decided we would save Lofoton for another time after realising that we would be driving for longer than we wanted. Lofoten is 1,369 km from Oslo and at least 20 hours driving time on slow roads.

For more information about where we visited in Norway see the separate articles below.

• Driving from Sweden to Norway – Blog article here
• Driving the amazing Atlantic Road – Blog article here
• Molde to Alesund and celebrating Norway Day- Blog article here
• Geiranger and the terrifying Trollstigen road – Blog article here
• Geiranger ferry and the awesome fjord – Blog article here
• Briksdall Glacier and Melkevoll Bretun – Blog article here
• Dalsnibba – The best view in Norway? – Blog article here
• The highest mountain road in Norway – Blog article here
• Sognefjord – Longest and deepest fjord –  Blog article here
• Visiting Bergen in a motorhome – Blog article here
• Hardanger – The ultimate driving experience – Blog article here
• Guide to visiting Oslo with a motorhome – Blog article here

Using the Internet and mobile phone in Norway

Every campsite we visited offered free WiFi and sometimes it was good enough to stream You Tube or similar and sometimes it was very poor. We also have good data allowances on our phones. My phone has a 25GB data allowance per month and I found that more than enough for our trip.  Most mobile phone companies include Norway in their European roaming as part of your monthly phone, text and data allowance but it’s worth checking with your mobile phone provider.

Motorhome service points and free camping

The Norwegian word for a motorhome is ‘Bobil’ and the word for parking is ‘parkering’. Norway is a very big country with a small population, many of whom own a motorhome themselves and the country is very well geared up for motorhomes. Car parks often having specific places for motorhomes and if they don’t there is normally plenty of space available.

Motorhome service points, where you can empty your waste and fill up with water are plentiful in Norway. Petrol stations often have service points. The excellent app. Camper Contact has many of the motorhome service points listed and is well worth getting.

Norway also has plenty of free places to stop for the night. All the locations we stayed out appeared perfectly safe to us and there were often other motorhomes parked there too. We found it harder to find free parking places in the popular fjords area’s such as Geiranger, but maybe we didn’t look hard enough. We would rather pay to be on a good campsite in a great location rather than stay overnight in an industrial area, so we probably stayed at more campsites than we could have done. We found campsite prices to be fairly reasonable. The beautiful campsite at Oldevatn for example cost £18 a night, which is far cheaper than many campsites in the UK. Norwegian campsites normally charge about 40 Norwegian Krone extra per day for electricity and use of the showers can cost 10 Norwegian Krone a time , we avoided paying  this by just using our own shower for the most part. Campsites in the main tourist towns tend to be more expensive. For example we paid £30 a night in Bergen.

The majority of campsites in Norway that we visited had holiday cabins for rent of various sizes. It’s possible to just turn up without booking, apart from high season, and prices are quite reasonable. I enquired about several and was quoted between about £40 and £75 per night. It’s expected that you supply your own bed linen, but it’s possible to hire that too. If you don’t have a motorhome, consider taking your car and rent a holiday cabin similar to the one I took a photo of below.

How much did our motorhome trip cost?

Norway is an expensive country to visit but there are things you can do to reduce the cost. Food costs about 2 or 3 times more than it does in England so we took 2 large plastic boxes of food costing about £200, which I didn’t include in the table below. We did quite a lot of wild camping, but we could have done more, but the best campsites are in the best locations so we decided to use them.

Ferries are an inevitable part of visiting Norway. You can’t really avoid using ferries but you can avoid the expensive one’s that we used as a tourist attraction. Two ferries alone, Geiranger and Kaupanger, cost us £275 and we didn’t need to do these.

We didn’t really dine out but the amount we spent included 2 lunches and the inevitable coffee and cakes! What’s the point of visiting a country if you don’t do some tourism things? We visited many museums and other bits and pieces.

The cost of our motorhome tour of Norway was slightly above our budget and I haven’t included the cost of getting to and from Norway. We could have done it a lot cheaper. Overnight camping costs worked out at £18 per night on average over 45 nights.

Top tips for a motorhome tour of Norway

• When visiting popular cruise ports in Norway, such as Geiranger, Flåm, and Alesund try to avoid days when a cruise ship is visiting. Thousands of cruise passengers disembark and the towns can be swamped with tourists, not a pleasant experience in my opinion. Use crew-centre.com website for a full list of dates and cruise ship names. For example, if you arrive in Flåm expecting to use the Flåm railway and a cruise ship is in town you might find the train is fully booked.
• We didn’t book a single campsite in advance and there is no need to book ahead apart from popular places in high season. Driving takes far longer than you might expect due to low speed limits so we only planned a few days in advance and would turn up at campsites without a booking. We found the campsites to be very quiet, although weekends would get busy. Norwegians tend to take their main summer holiday from 21 June so from then it gets a lot busier.
• If you intend to steep roads such as Trollstigen make sure your vehicle brakes are in good working order!

I hope this guide helps you if you decide to visit Norway. It’s an incredible country but we did not see many people from the UK. Maybe it’s the perception that Norway is expensive, but that should not put you off visiting Norway, because it has an incredible amount to offer, especially if you are touring in a motorhome.

Please leave a comment if you have a question about visiting Norway with a motorhome or if you have any advice of your own to add. We would love to hear from you.

57 responses to “Definitive guide to touring Norway with a motorhome”

Brilliant guide David, as you know we were loving exploring Norway in our motor home at the same time as you and agree with everything you have said. It is the most spectacular country with truly wonderful people and we are missing it already. Great blog as always. So loved meeting you both on that remote snowy mountain road. 🌎

Heading to Sweden, Finland and Norway very soon, so bookmarked your page. Thank you, it will be useful. I live practically full time in my motorhome and travel the world. Had it shipped to Canada and drove to Alaska and back last year! facebook.com/smallhomebiggarden

Hi Alan. Thanks for commenting. Wow that’s amazing what you have done. We have just completed 12 months full time. Sounds like we have some catching up to do. Happy travels

Hi guys, I have been following your blog with interest and envy. Norway certainly looks stunning and is now on our (long list) of places to visit. Working full time limits the amount of time we have currently but I am sure we will get to Norway in our Motorhome one day. Wishing you many more happy adventures.

Hi Neil. Good to hear from you and I’m pleased you enjoy the blog. I hope you get to Norway in the future but in the meantime happy motorhoming!

great guide- thank you! We’re heading up to Norway in our motorhome next week- can’t wait!!

Enjoy. It’s a wonderful place for motorhomes.

Thank you so much for all the information. We are planning a trip to Norway next year and your guide is fantastic. All the best Carole

Thanks Carole. Glad you found the guide useful. Enjoy your travels. David

Very good and accurate report on motorhoming in Norway. I would thoroughly recommend the north of Norway – Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja – but avoid from mid June to end July as it can get a bit crowded. I would also mention that there are many marinas and lots of these offer parking from spring to autumn and these generally have all services available.A very useful site that we use is http://bobilplassen.no/kart/ only in norsk but you should be able ti figure it out. ( I am a keen motorhomer and live in Norway.)

Hi Alan. Many thanks for your useful comments. We intended to go to Lofoten but decided it was too much driving this time. Thanks for the information about marinas. A beautiful country and a must do for motorhomers.

Some excellent advice and information, to take a trip to a Norway is on our list. Can I ask why you chose the ferry rather than drive up through Germany into Denmark and across the little belt bridge and Storebaelt Bridge. (e20) into Sweden.

Hi Julie. To get to Norway we drove through northern Germany to Puttgarden and caught the ferry to Rødby in Denmark and then drove to Copenhagen. We wanted to see a little of Sweden so we drove across the Öresund bridge to Malmo and then on to Stockholm. We drove north then to Sundsvall before turning west to Trondheim and then down the west coast of Norway. We then caught the ferry from Oslo to Fredrikshaven on the return because it’s something we have always wanted to do. Not the cheapest return ferry but there are many options we could have used. Hope that helps. David

What a fab guide! Norway has been on our “list” ever since we got our motorhome. This will come in very handy indeed. Thank you!

Thanks for commenting. Hope the guide inspires you to visit. We will be going again next year.

Superb guide and just what we needed for our trip next year. Thanks for putting it together and in such a useful and factual format.

Thanks Geoff. Hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did. Best wishes – David

Thank you David, great read, gave us some fantastic ideas, we have just paid our deposit on our first motorhome, and was hoping to take delivery in March but now advised July, we will definitely have Norway on our bucket list. I have flown to Norway on business many times in the past and travelled the country by train but did not see much of Norway on these trips, understand the daily costs. 👍 🇳🇴

Hi Andrew. I’m sure you will love your new motorhome and exploring in it. Glad you enjoyed the blog and thanks for commenting. All the best – David

Hi David Great info on your trip to Norway. We own an older but reliable motorhome which sadly has no turbo so hills are slow going and there have been times, like driving to the Mount Etna base station, when I thought we wouldn’t make but we did. Looking at your excellent photos the roads are steep with plenty of hairpin bends. As a seasoned traveller would you say they are steeper and more difficult than the mountain roads of The Scottish Highlands, Italy and Slovenia?

We want to make the Norway trip but also want to be sure the van will make albeit a bit slower up the hills.

Hi Rosalyn. Thanks for your comment. The mountains in Norway are not as high as in Italy or Slovenia, although we have not driven our motorhome in these countries. Many of the steep mountain roads in Norway like Dalsnibba can be avoided so I would say older motorhomes would be fine on most of the roads as long as your brakes are good! Much of the beautiful Norwegian coastal area does not have high mountain roads. Enjoy your travels. David

Hi David. Great blog and looks like a fantastic trip,my wife and I are looking to go for 2.5 weeks in June and hiring a moterhome we used to tow caravan for 15 years so have a good sense of the concept.Is it possible for you to send me the route you took to see Thank you Phil

Hi Phil. Our route was a total of 8 weeks so it probably won’t be suitable for a much shorter visit to Norway. Essentially, we drove to Stockholm and up the east coast of Sweden before driving west to Trondheim and then down the coast to Bergen. We then drove over the Hardanger plateau to Oslo. If I were you I would be getting the ferry from Hirtshals to Kristianand and then exploring the western side of Norway. Hope you enjoy it. David

Hi, I’ve just read your guide to touring Norway in a Motorhome as we’re looking at the possibility of doing this in ours in the near future. The only problem is that our Motorhome is 8.9m long. Having read about the narrow roads do you feel that it would still be possible in a Motorhome of this length?

Thanks for the message Dale. Our motorhome is just over 7 metres long and we had no problems, even on steep mountain roads. Good brakes are essential though! We saw a few longer motorhomes. It’s maybe not narrow roads that might be a problem but some mountain roads have hairpin bends that could cause a problem. The major roads though are very good. Maybe you could ask on a motorhome forum whether anyone with your length motorhome has had problems in Norway. Personally, I think it would be fine although bear in mind that you will pay more on the Norwegian ferries. Best wishes – David

Thank you so much David for all your wonderful information on Norway i am just looking to plan a trip there, you have helped so much. really a great blog. Happy Travels

Thanks for commenting on my Norway blog Vanessa. Glad you found it useful. Happy travels to you too, when we are eventually allowed to travel again!

We want to book a Norway motor home vacation , can you recommend a good website for renting out motorhomes. Also what kind of motorhome you would recommend to rent? We can only stay 7 days (more like 5 full days due to the airport arrangements) , which places you would recommend to see in this short time. Thank you

Hi. Thanks for asking about motorhome rental in Norway. We took ourown motorhome to Norway so I can’t recommend any particular company. I think it costs about 2,000 NOK per day so it’s not cheap. I did a search on Google and found quite a few companies who do motorhome rentals so it might be an idea to contact a few to compare prices. An alternative might be to hire a car and stay in cheap accommodation. Most campsites offer huts or some form of self catering accommodation. Best wishes David

Hello Garcia, This is probably too late to help you, but maybe David could add a line in the post?? I’m a Brit living in Norway since 2010 and we regularly rent a motorhome for a summer holiday. There are a few commercial places to rent from but by far the majority rent from private owners via our local ‘ebay’ site called https://www.finn.no/

As mentioned Norway is expensive and Motorhomes are crazy expensive and the only way that many folks can afford to buy one is to rent them out for a few weeks a year. Rental is also pretty steep, we’ve paid from 10,000 to 15,000 kroner for a week depending on the age etc. Quality is very good as they are privately owned. Be aware that cleaning is not included (although some let you pay for it) so you’ll need to allow a couple of hours to clean it at the end of your trip. Materials are provided.

We prefer to camp in the roadside spots (nearly always with one or two others for ‘peace of mind’) but we do find it difficult to plan ahead as these places are not kind of advertised etc. We’ve never not found a place to stay but it’s fair to say that occasionally we’ve stopped at less than ideal locations lol!

Food wise, it’s definitely more expensive but if you’re careful, it’s not crazy by any means, There are more and more ‘home brands’ and ‘first price’ lines and the quality is good.

Safety, never even think about it. I’ve lived all over the world and Norway is by far the safest place I’ve ever been. I often forget to lock up my garage full of construction tools, once or twice even with the garage door open lol! And I never lock my car at home and have found the keys in the ignition more than one morning.

Of course cities are cities and all have their rough elements, but out in the sticks it’s as safe as houses.

Ok, as you can imagine, I could go on 😉 Thanks for the article, it’s a good write up David! Cheers and hope you get to see more of this amazing country. Ian

Hi David, nice information. Do you have a map with the travel you did?

Hi Ismael. Thanks for your comment. I have a Google Map of the places we stayed in Norway and other places in Europe. You can view the map below. Happy travels – https://www.google.com/maps/d/drive?state=%7B%22ids%22%3A%5B%221LJpNNWFhb2EbTdVMM0otUZ3GTyxq6LDY%22%5D%2C%22action%22%3A%22open%22%2C%22userId%22%3A%22117560295096271464859%22%7D&usp=sharing

Thanks for your answer David, I have my route almost finish: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1a8LU9ub9nuVM2x9GrbbpYPlKh614JjXz&ll=60.79730266244792%2C9.60700901040505&z=7

I am wondering if you had problem with narrow roads, I took a look into same route using google maps view, and some of them has only one lane, did you have problem with this? Are there routes with a limitation in width of the motorhome?

Hi Ismael. We didn’t come across many single track roads on our motorhome tour of Norway. When we did, there were plenty of passing places, so we never had a problem. I can’t remember seeing a width restriction. The roads are good in Norway and traffic is generally light. The map of your Norway driving routes looks excellent.

Hi David. This is a very useful guide. Thank you for putting it together. I’m researching a good destination to explore via motorhome (with wife and 2 children) and Norway is a nice option. The only place we’ve ever rented a motorhome was in Iceland and the trip was incredible so we would like to do something similar again. I’m curious of your opinion…where do you think has been the best all around country to explore via motorhome? In terms of natural beauty, ease of getting around, campsite availability, etc. Thanks.

Hi Steve. Thanks for your question. On balance I would say France is the best country for motorhomes because it’s got everything from rugged coastlines, beaches and mountains in The Alps area. It’s also the most motorhome friendly in terms of places to stay. Having said that, our motorhome tour of Norway takes some beating due to the beautiful west coast mountains and fjords. The only downside of Norway is that food is expensive, but probably very similar priced to Iceland. Happy travels.

Hi David, Thank you for the excellent blog on Norway. I found it very helpful. We are planning a visit in May 2021 for 2 months or more. It may be that there will be a shortage of cruise liners clogging up popular areas if we are lucky! We are thinking of shipping our MoHo (7m) directly from Southampton to Drammen (Oslo) by RoRo and I have been quoted £950 oneway. We would consider driving back. I was wondering what you thought of this as an option. David

Hi David. Your idea of putting your motorhome on a ship to Oslo sounds like a good one. Not one I have considered. It’s the more expensive option but it’s probably the quickest way of getting to Oslo. I would recommend driving at least one way because our trip through The Netherlands, northern Germany and Denmark was excellent. Happy travels.

This was absolutely brilliant and gave us so much information. We purchased a VW California which we took delivery of just before Christmas (2020). I know we are in the middle of a pandemic but we have put our positive hats on and booked the Shuttle for end of June and will be travelling to the Lofoten Islands. So fingers crossed. Thank you so much for the blog and I will be returning to it as part of our research.

Hi Tracy. Many thanks for your positive comments about my Noway motorhome blog article. I’m really pleased you found it useful. Yes, it’s good to be positive about being able to travel again soon and I bet you can’t wait to start using your new VW California. It certainly will be an exciting trip to the Lofoten Islands, a place we didn’t make it to on our Norway trip, but it’s certainly on our list! Best wishes. David

Really enjoyed your guide. We plan to go in May and your blog will certainty help us plan our trip. thank you Philip

Very useful information David, thanks for that. I noticed you included costs for LPG. Do you have an LPG tank or bottles, and how did you get on filling up ?

Hi Colin. Thanks for your comments. Yes, we have a refillable gaslow system with 2 7kg bottles. We only needed lpg once and I found it using an lpg app. Norway is very motorhome friendly and many Norwegians own them. Happy travels. David

Is there a map that incorporates all of the scenic routes together?

Hi Alex. The Visit Norway website has all the scenic tourist routes with maps and you can find that here

Such a very informative website, David. We are currently planning a trip to Norway in May and the information on this page is brilliant. We intend to go right up to Nordkapp, weather permitting. Even though you went in 2018 it was great to see your budget page to get an idea of what expense there will be. Thanks so much.

Hi Margaret. Thanks for your nice comments. Nordkapp is a long drive but an exciting journey. Enjoy your trip. David

Hi, we’re going to take a motorhome trip in Norway this summer. I was wondering where one disposes soiled water from the motorhome? And how would you refill your water tank? Are there dedicated hookups in the overnight parking areas? I know campsites do provide hookups, but you often mention free overnight parkings. I’d appreciate the information. Thanks!

Hi Marina. Nice to hear from you. As you say, campsites have hookups and waste disposal. Free parking areas for motorhomes and camper vans do not have facilities for fresh water or waste disposal, however many fuel stations have motorhome service points that we used on our Norway trip. Many picnic areas also have toilets that you can use. Hope that helps and I hope you have a great trip to Norway. Best wishes – David

Hi we are thinking of driving from Tromso to Oslo in September in a small rented camper van. We would only have 17 days of road travel time. Is that just not enough time?? This is a great guide thank you.

Hi Julie. Thanks for reading my blog about exploring Norway in a motorhome/camper and thanks for your question. Tromnso to Oslo following the west coast route is about 1700km and that is about 24 hours worth of driving. 17 days is a good length of time to explore the best bits of Norway. If I were you I would spend more time exploring south of the Trondheim area, which in my opinion is the best bit, although you may also want to spend time in the Lofoten islands. There is so much spectacular scenery to see in Norway that you could easily spend a month there but 17 days is a reasonable stay although you will need to plan what you want to see and calculate how long you can spend in each of those places. Good luck and enjoy your Norway trip. David

Great blog- thanks for sharing. We are planning a trip up to Norway in August and I am thinking about all the logistics. Would you say it’s essential to put a Gaslow system in? Or is it at all possible to exchange gas cylinders in Norway. Thanks in advance for your help. Alice

Hi Alice. Thanks for reading my blog about our motorhome tour of Norway. We have a gaslow system and we did fill up in Norway. The Gaslow system, however is quite expensive to install, although cheap to fill up. I don’t know what the situation is in Norway about exchanging a gas cylinder. Might be worth asking the question on the Facebook forum Motorhome Adventures. I hope you enjoy your Norway trip. It’s an amazing place for a motorhome adventure! David

I like your Guide David and I’m also thrilled to see another Hobby. We’ve got a Hobbyvan which we bought in 2013 and have used extensively up to Covid. Now planning a trip to Norway in September with the idea of getting to the Lofotens and a bit further north. We’ll be there for at least two months so I’m going to take your advice and take it easy . Cheers Conor

Hi Conor. Thanks for your comment and it’s great to hear from another Hobby owner! Norway is a fantastic country for a road trip and I’m sure you will love it there. I’m envious that you are going to the Lofoten islands as we didn’t make it that far north. Enjoy your travels. David

Enjoyed reading your blog. I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind. Firstly our motorhome is 8.5 m long tag axle. Would there be many issues exploring the main tourist areas in this do you think, and secondly are dogs welcome in Norway? Thankyou.

Hello Eileen. Thanks for your comment and I’m glad you like the blog article about touring Norway in a motorhome. You won’t have many issues taking an 8.5 metre motorhome to Norway. The only thing I can think of is that you will pay extra on the ferries in Norway because of the length of your vehicle. There are many ferries on the west coast of Norway that are used to cross fjords instead of a long drive around!

As far as taking a dog to Norway is concerned, we are not dog owners so I’m not sure of any regulations but I didn’t notice any restrictions. You would be best to check this though. I found this website which might be helpful – https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/travelling-dogs-or-cats-norway .

Happy travels! – David

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