# Route Norway and Sweden



## sallytrafic

I've just been asked on another forum and also on this one by pm of details of my route, coincidently I produced a slide show the other day and with the aid of some acetate and a large atlas produced this attachment which you can click on.

Rough route leaving out side trips

Stavanger then RV45 to Lysebotn across the Telemark to Oslo fjord Tunnel then into Sweden on the E18. Went N at Vasteras until joined E4 N of Gavle. Stayed on E4 to Lulea then went NW on R97 to cross Arctic Circle near Jokkmokk the headed NNE to Karasjok (passing through 100km of Finland) Nordkapp then SW on E6 via Alta to Tromso cutting big corner by using two ferries. Then E6 and E10 to the Lofotens (ferry from Melbu) Loitered a week on the Lofotens Ferry off from Svolvaer then E6 and R80 to Bodo. R 17 and six ferries to rejoin E6 N of Trondheim. E39 to Molde and Atlantic highway. Then in to Fjord Norway over the Trollstiggen to Geiranger and Dalsnibba then down to Lom. SW then on the R55 Sogndal then via Flam to Voss and from there to Eidford, Odda, Leirvik and Haugesund. 4750 miles .


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## teemyob

*SCAND IN NAVIA*

Hello ST,

Looks like a very interesting trip,

How long did it take you?

Trev


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## sallytrafic

I was there for 31 nights. Nine days to get to NordKapp (Could have done it in six without sidetrips). Seven days on the Lofotens. 

One nice thing about having GPS is at all times I could find out how long it would take us to get to the Ferry at Haugesund so for instance if it said 24hrs I knew that with both of us driving we could do it in four days comfortably three days if we rushed and two days if we had to. This made planning easy I just looked ahead a couple of days thinking where do I want to be roughly by then. This way the whole thing was more of a holiday less an excercise in military Logistics.



Regards Frank

edit : PS its 8.45 and no-one has looked at my photos today!!


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## 103273

Hi, Me and the Missus are looking to do a trip to Norway in our van for our summer trip. We are based near Oxford, and only have 3 weeks to do it. What would you recommend. We are both in our early 30s and will look to do some hiking and sightseeing. We don't want to be on the road all the time. Did you wild camp or pre book campsites before you left?
We've done loads in Europe main but never been to Scandinavia in our van, though I've been several times in winter with the military. Scandinavia doesn't feature very often in the mags.
Any guidance will be greatly recieved. Thanks.


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## sallytrafic

No bookings apart from the ferries.

In three weeks you are limited I would be tempted to avoid a lot of the most touristiy spots. There are parts of Norway where you can really be by yourselves if thats what you want

Before I went I googled a lot and got ideas from blogs etc. I am publishing my trip as a series in a Renault club magazine and eventually I'll put it all here. But here's an extract without the photos to give you a flavour of Norway: 

......Actually the first 24 hours was quite good. We got off the ferry at about 3pm headed south out of Stavanger until we picked up the RV45. Now this road ain’t on everyone’s map and even if it is, it peters out after a while but we had contacts that told us it went right across to the main road to Oslo and so it did. After an hour of gentle driving we took a short detour to a boulder field that I had seen on the internet. Now we’ve all seen boulders, but perhaps not like these, they totally dwarfed us, some of them the size of houses, all lying on top of one another while the road wriggled between them. There were several spots there where we could have easily wild camped.

Wild camping or free camping is definitely an option in Scandinavia. In fact it is a right. I think you should respect a notice that says that a car park is private or one that says no overnight parking or a place closely overlooked by a house. You are also not allowed to just drive off road over land but in general there is no problem finding somewhere to camp for free. We have a loo and a shower so we don’t need a campsite every night. We only stayed at sites on 11 nights and one of those was really only a car park. The other thing they have is motorhome service points, basically a small roadside kiosk (sometimes in a filling station) where you can empty the waste water and chemical toilets and fill up with fresh water. They vary in design but were either free or cost a couple of pounds to use.

Where was I, oh yes an hour or so from Stavanger (only 750 hours to go), I had an idea to camp at the end of Lysebotn Fjord on the 1st night so we headed off again. Now there are two ways to reach Lysebotn, one is on a car ferry from Stavanger, the other? Well what you do is go along the RV45 until you see this small road on the left. After climbing for about 12km or so, passing small lakes with mini icebergs on, you go down into the fjord, there are 27 hairpins and the road drops 700m and by the way the last hairpin is inside a tunnel which is about a kilometer long.

Lets get the whole tunnel experience over with. Basically the Norwegians have spent their North Sea oil revenues on tunnels. They are mostly fairly narrow single carriageway roads under mountains and fjords which are typically a few kilometres long. We went through one that was 25km long and several of 8 to 12km length but that’s just tunnellers showing off. Their most impressive trick is making them spiral upwards through a mountain and in the network under Tromso they have roundabouts inside them! The simpler tunnels tend to have a curved and very well lit bit at each end to get you acclimatised, then a boring straight bit which is also lit but not brightly. Seeing a dot approach for 3 minutes that suddenly develops into a 8 axle road train in a dimly lit tunnel under 6 metres wide keeps you on your side of the road, no question. A small tunnelling firm was once asked by the roads authority how they intended to do the work, the boss said that his brother would start his team at one end and he would start at the other. What if you don’t meet, what happens than? Well then you get two tunnels for the price of one! We didn’t meet any tunnels with two bores so I guess they are pretty good at it.
So three and a half hours after getting off the ferry we are tucked up in a campsite, with a view to die for. No advance booking and lets face it if there was no room we would have found somewhere to park up and free camped. This site was home from home for base jumpers. Sure enough when enjoying our breakfast egg the next morning a parachutist executed a neat turn overhead and landed a few meters away having jumped off the impressive 3000 feet cliff by the side of the fjord. Well I think driving down is more difficult.

Regards Frank


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## Gasper

[I've just been asked on another forum and also on this one by pm of details of my route, coincidently I produced a slide show the other day and with the aid of some acetate and a large atlas produced this attachment which you can click on. quote]

Frank,

Can't find your attachment, going to Norway on Motorhome is our dream trip, will love to read your trip when you publish in MHF.

Regards,

Gasper


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## sallytrafic

It was the map can you not see it at the end of my first post?

You can start to read my blog by clicking ion the button below

Regards Frank


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## seaviews2

*Norway Trip*

Hi Frank

Thanks for providing so much information on your experiences in Norway.
Nice pictures too.

My wife and I are off from Newcastle to Stavanger for 22 days on Friday this week, returning from Bergen to Newcastle. Not the best planner in the world - but will be deciding over the next 24 hours exactly where we might get to.

Didn't realise that it was quite so cold at this time of the year - so will probably not go too far north.

Many of the MHF members say Oslo is fantastic. Do you think we should ensure we spend a few days there?


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## Grizzly

Many thanks Frank. Can't wait to read the rest of the account. It's a trip we want ot make now we have time at out disposal.

Can you give us some idea of costs of everyday things - food, fuel, a meal out ? We're always told Scandinavia is so expensive and it is a good idea to fill the van with food before you go. This doesn't attract us but we don't have a huge budget.

What about insects ? I'm a major insect target so this is a consideration for me.

G


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## bognormike

I think Frank's away at the moment - will have to wait until he returns with more details!


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## Don_Madge

Grizzly said:


> Many thanks Frank. Can't wait to read the rest of the account. It's a trip we want ot make now we have time at out disposal.
> 
> Can you give us some idea of costs of everyday things - food, fuel, a meal out ? We're always told Scandinavia is so expensive and it is a good idea to fill the van with food before you go. This doesn't attract us but we don't have a huge budget.
> 
> What about insects ? I'm a major insect target so this is a consideration for me.
> 
> G


Hi Grizz,

Friends of ours did this trip a few years ago, you might find it useful.

Jane Swindail
June 2003
Eleven weeks exploring the highways and byways of Norway.
From mid-April until the end of June 2003 my husband George and I toured Norway in our motorcaravan, a hightop conversion on a 1997 VW LT35. What follows is a summary of our travels along with a few thoughts which might be of interest to others contemplating a similar trip.

Week 1 In south-west Norway, from the ferry port at Kristiansand to Lindesnes lighthouse (the southernmost in Norway) and the beaches and sand dunes of the Jaeren coast south of Stavanger.

Week 2 Into fjordland, including a trek up to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) above Lysefjord, and an informative afternoon at the Hardangervidda Visitor Centre near Eidfjord.

Week 3 The run to the north, leaving the western fjords by driving along Sognefjellsvegen, over the highest mountain pass in northern Europe, and joining the E6 to cross Dovrefjell, culminating in crossing the Arctic Circle on May 6th. The snow lay several metres deep away from the cleared roads, and many lakes were ice-covered.

Week 4 Continuing northwards on the E6, with a brief detour to Tromsø.

Week 5 An exploration of coastal Finnmark (especially the Nordkynn and Varanger peninsulas), with marvellous scenery and birds, quiet roads, remote villages, milder weather than we had anticipated, and our first walk in the midnight sun.

Week 6 Visiting Kirkenes and the Russian border area, both around the small coastal settlement of Grense Jakobselv and south along the Pasvik valley, and returning to Tromsø via Finland.

Week 7 To the island of Senja, then by ferry to Andenes on the Vesteralen islands for a whale safari (5 wet hours and no whales!). Later, a meander south into the Lofoten islands

Week 8 Exploring the Lofotens, with their spectacular scenery of white sand beaches, clear blue sea and jagged mountain peaks.

Week 9 Back on the mainland (via the Moskenes - Bodø ferry) and gradually southbound via the Rv17 coastal route to Mo-i-Rana, with interesting visits to Saltstraumen and the Engebreen arm of the Svartisen ice cap.

Week 10 Avoiding the increasing numbers of northbound motorcaravans (British registrations were conspicuous by their absence) by detouring off the E6 along quiet side roads, and visiting the old copper-mining town of Røros before heading west to Hardangervidda.

Week 11 Two days in Rjukan (the site of the heavy-water plant of WWII fame), with the opportunity to walk on the edge of Hardangervidda after an ascent by cable-car. Then a gentle meander to Kristiansand, seeking out stave churches and the locks of the Telemark Canal on the way.

Norway surpassed our expectations in terms of scenery, as no amount of reading or looking at photographs can prepare you for the extent, scale and variety the country has to offer. Despite travelling for days on end the view never seemed repetitious or boring, but continued to inspire interest and wonder. In fact, the only time we were not totally gripped by the landscape we were passing through was when we cut through Finland on our way back to Tromsø: even this had its compensations, though, in the form of speedier travel and slightly cheaper fuel and food en route.

Apart from viewing the scenery as we drove, we took every opportunity to get out and walk, whether for several miles across country or simply a short stroll. We always went equipped with binoculars for birdwatching and, although we missed out on some of the species we had expected, we were thrilled to see (often at quite close range) birds we had never seen before (smew, snow bunting, king eider, hawk owl and others).

A word of warning to any waterfall addicts who may be thinking of visiting Norway - choose your time carefully. Despite the spring thaw being well under way (the early part of the year had been relatively mild), some of the major waterfalls in the south were almost non-existent in late April. We discovered that they are only "switched on" in the tourist season (June 20th to August 20th), the water being diverted into hydro-electricity schemes for the rest of the year.

Now for the heretical bit - we did not visit Nordkapp! For us the time and money were better spent seeing other parts of the north, which is a time consuming business as every route away from the main road has to be retraced since there are no car ferries permitting circular routes to be constructed (although with a small 'van it would be possible, but expensive, to use the Hurtigrute coastal cruise vessels for this). Slettnes lighthouse on the Nordkynn peninsula (the northernmost mainland lighthouse in the world at over 71ºN) became our Nordkapp, and we still had the time and enthusiasm to drive via Vardø (Norway's easternmost town) to the old fishing village of Hamningberg. Overnighting here gave us the opportunity to wander by the shore in the light of the midnight sun.
We used many ferries, some of necessity (the E6 in Nordland can only be followed by taking the ferry between Bognes and Skarberget), some from choice. Being only 5.5 metres long, our 'van was treated as a car, but fares were higher for vehicles over 6 metres, in many cases over twice what we were charged, making some of the longer crossings very expensive.

Maybe we were unlucky with the few campsites we used, as we found them to be expensive yet providing barely adequate facilities. This encouraged us to wild camp, which is essential in some areas in any case and freed us to travel at our own pace rather than jumping from site to site. Although the authorities are clamping down on overnighting in some of the more touristy areas in the south, on the whole we found it relatively easy to find a quiet place to stay, although this may be harder in high season. We spent many nights in solitary splendour (except on the odd occasions when we were joined by a German, Dutch or Norwegian 'van), by Norwegian Sea or Arctic Ocean beaches, alongside fjords, by waterfalls or rushing rivers, or high in the fells - for us a major part of "the Norway experience".

Because we weren't using sites we got through plenty of gas, but this caused no problems as filling our Carabottle was cheap and easy, just needing a little planning to ensure a visit to one of the few places selling LPG several days before we expected to run out. (Petrol stations selling LPG do not advertise the fact, and a list of such stations is essential - we started with a list gleaned from the internet, but obtained a more detailed one from the very helpful tourist information office in Dombas). Our roof-mounted solar panel worked wonders, too - it can never have provided a charge (admittedly not always large) for so many hours per day as it did on this trip.

Toilet and waste water emptying points are available around Norway, especially along the main roads. They are often listed in tourist office leaflets and normally reasonably well signposted. Many, but not all, are on petrol station forecourts; many, but not all, are free; many, but not all, work! We found it best to call in even when emptying was not a priority, in case those that were further on were out of order - we assumed that more care is taken to maintain these points (used by coaches as well as motorcaravans) during the summer. Fresh water was usually available at the emptying points, but all petrol stations we asked at were happy for us to fill up at the tap provided for use by motorists.

Norway has a reputation as an expensive country so we went prepared, with every nook and cranny in the 'van containing tins and packets of food or other supplies (we had consulted the customs allowances very carefully before stocking up, but the customs men at Kristiansand seemed to have no interest in either us or any other vehicle leaving our ferry). We still had to buy fruit and vegetables, of course, at what seemed extortionate prices (almost £2 for a small cauliflower!) but at least we felt we were making our money stretch as far as possible. The cost of diesel varied around the country, but was generally similar to that at home.
Was it expensive? Yes, but wild camping saved us a great deal. Was it worth it? Yes, definitely. Would we go again? Yes, even though we embarked on this tour with the thought that it would be a one-off and have a long list of other countries we would like to visit. Sooner or later the scenery and the birds will draw us back.


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## Grizzly

Don, thank you . That's a very good read and has lots of useful information. Norway is not a country we know much about so a rough itinerary is a useful starting point.

G


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