Travelling to Norway

[wyn]

We will be travelling to Norway in late June early July aiming for the Western Fjords between Stavanger and Trondheim
Has anyone on the forum been there before and if so do you have any reccomendations as to the best route for getting there?

 

[gatvol]

It is a tragedy that the old overnight ferry from Newcastle to Norway no longer operates. Overnight ferry plus disco plus booze plus Scandinavian girls represented a wonderful facet of European life that has now gone

I missed out on the ferry (but heard the stories) and have flown to Stav a few times before which i know is useless from a Cali perpective. However, booze is frighteningly expensive over there. My mates living in Stav always ask visitors to bring booze.

 

[coordinated]

Only to Sweden, via the Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry, which worked out well for us last summer - and the route via the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark was fun and interesting.

We're wondering whether to head for Norway the same way, or get a more direct ferry, so would love to hear how you get on.

Best wishes,
Steve

 

[NickE]

Drove to Sweden from London a few years ago. Very straightforward, through Denmark and various bridges. Backroads very quiet making very pleasent motoring though beware of speed cameras. In Sweden (presumably the same in Norway) you will never again see so many fir trees.

 

[wyn]

After much deliberation we have decided to travel out via Harwich Esbjerg (DFDS) and then Hirtshals Stavanger (Fjordline)
Pros
Onlythree hours driving across Denmark
Takes us straight to the Western fjords
Cons
Both crossings are overnight so relatively expensive
On the return journey we will probably drive back through Sweden Denmark and Germany using the shorter crossings from Helsingborg to Elsinore and Rodby to Puttgatden and then Dunkirk or Calais to Dover

 

[Linda]

That sounds like a great trip, Norway is high on my most wanted places to go so will look forward to tales of your travels.
In Denmark and Sweden we took advantage of 'Quick stop' at most camping grounds- a much reduced rate if you turn up after 8pm and leave before 10am.

 

[NickE]

In Sweden I was told you can camp anywhere, a sort of national right. Perfect for a Cali (which I wasn't in at the time). So, might be the same in Norway which is even less densely populated.

 

[Linda]

In Sweden I was told you can camp anywhere, a sort of national right. Perfect for a Cali (which I wasn't in at the time). So, might be the same in Norway which is even less densely populated.

We found some lovely wild camping spots - but we were suprised to find, that its really not always as easy as you might expect to find somewhere suitable to camp up.

 

[greenfintry]

We have travelled through Scandinavia lots..... Last time was about 5 years ago just days before they pulled the Newcastle ferry (sigh). We went right up to the North coast getting near the Kola peninsula etc. That was in a volvo with a roof tent and after assaults by billions of mozzis we made the decision to get the Cali....!!

We have not been back as yet but Norway is both mind bogglingly beautiful and expensive in equal measure (the only thing that is cheap is yoghurt!). There is a rule that allows camping anywhere at least 300m from someone's house........ But finding a flat pull off with a tent pitch is a challenge (cos you cant bang pegs into granite!), but pull offs for a Cali with no extra camping needs will be a lot easier...

WRT ferry, if time and money is no object (!!!) and one route we aim to take next time is ferry from Aberdeen to Shetland, then change to Smyril line up to Faroes, change boat after a few days wait and across to Bergen... or turn left and sail to Iceland........

Bit alternative but not the beaten track. By the way, do NOT miss out on the Lofoten islands in the Arctic circle..... plus you get the midnight sun 24/7 so take eye shades to sleep.

Have a good trip

 

[12steven]

Hi, I believe this ferry will take ordinary cars and is the last crossing still operating to Norway. Or at least it did last summer. http://freight.dfdsseaways.com/dfds_ferries/north_sea_ferries/brevik_immingham_ferries/
I havent tried it yet because last time I tried to book it was full and I ended up driving the long way home via Calais (Trondheim- Liverpool) but as far as I know private vehicles are no problem if you can get a space. It has none of the frills of a usual ferry but it will get you just south of Oslo.
And beware of Norwegian roads, they are the worst and slowest in Europe, so keep your eyes open for pot-holes appearing out of nowhere :censor
The coastal drive from Oslo to Bergen can be spectacular, after which you might head inland and through Jotunheimen National Park.
I've lived in Norway myself now for 15 years now and although Ive mainly driven straight from Trondheim to Oslo and back in the Cali, I've cycled the length of it, so would be glad to help if I can

 

[wyn]

Have just decided on and booked ferries for the return journey -
Langesund (SW of Oslo) to Hirtshals and then Calais to Dover
We will probably break the journey from Hirtshals to Calais with an overnight stop around Bremen

Whilst in Norway we will definitely be following some of the routes outlined on this site

http://www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en

but will otherwise take things as they come

 

[maxxy]

Good luck on your trip and any updates would be welcome.

We are heading to Norway in August - ferries will be Harwich to Denmark then Denmark to Oslo - pricey but fitted best with our timescales as we only have 3 1/2 weeks and quite ambitious plans for Norway. We are missing Bergan and western Fjords on basis we can get a cheap flight there some other time. Heading from Oslo to Oppdal (musk ox safari) - then working our way up to to Bodo, Lofoten Islands, Senja, then up to Alta, possibly Knivskjelodden then into Sami areas - probably a dash back through Sweden to Oslo.

We really want to spend some nights wild campervanning so any ideas there would be welcome - or any activities that you thought worth doing. Any advise (or blog link) at all!

Enjoy your trip!
Maxxy

 

[wyn]

One development before we have even left is that the brand new ferry MS Stavangerfjord with which Fjordline were to operate the Hirtshals Stavanger crossing on our outward journey and the Langesund Hirtshals crossing on our return has been delayed by three weeks mraning that we have had to cancel our bookings and are now sailing with Color Line from Hirtshals to Kristiansand and back fom Larvik to Hirtshals

 

[greenfintry]

We pretty much did the whole of that trip about 5 years ago over 5 weeks..... The wild camping was easy if you had a Cali (we didn't and it inspired us to get one... If pitching next to a vehicle it can be a bit tricky as fjord sides are vertical and the surface is rock....., but otherwise there are plenty of close to the road pull offs etc.)

Lofotens are amazing and the tunnel down to the ferry to the islands south of Narvik is like descending into the core of the Earth...... Senja left us a bit flat after Lofoten but the north and Altafjord are amazing..... we would have liked to spend time in Lingen Alps, but not enough time.

It is worth nipping into Sweden to refuel and refood (and rebooze) as Norway is brutally expensive.... Swedish roads are also way better...

The atlantic bridge road from Trondheim also a must.... enjoy!

 

[Dottie]

Do you need a mosy net for mosies and/or midges in Norway/Lofoto Islands?

 

[ArcticMatt]

We did travelled over last year. We went over from Newcastle to Amsterdam then drove up to Hirtshals to Kristiansand with Color Line. That ferry was cheaper than the Fjordline Ferry. We just tried to combine as many of the Norwegian National Tourist routes as we could on the way up. We wild camped down at Lindesnes to begin with which is their version of Lands End then carried on up the way. like this. It takes a while to get anywhere. If you think it takes and hour on a map then double it and you'll cant go wrong. If you get a chance to visit Lofoten then do it. Dont forget Vesteralen too which is the poor relation to Lofoten. The mozzies are a bugger to in the summer. I got monstered where we live when I went up the fjell in my shorts!

Untitled by Matt Wilde, on Flickr

 

[Hotel California]

Do you need a mosy net for mosies and/or midges in Norway/Lofoto Islands?

We went in june this year and had no big trouble with musqitos or mossies midges whatever you call them ....
Guess it depends on the season .....

 

[ArcticMatt]

We went in june this year and had no big trouble with musqitos or mossies midges whatever you call them ....
Guess it depends on the season .....

If you get a bit of breeze it's fine but they can come in waves. Mosquitos are called Midge over there and what we know as Midges are Knot. Then there's the horrible klag or the Horsefly who can be quite brave little buggers!