# Norway bound in our new motorhome



## Andrews family (May 13, 2015)

Hi all. we are new members to this forum and also to motor homing. Bought our Autotrail Mohawk 3 weeks ago, had two weeks ends away locally (Essex) and we are now planning our big trip to Northern Norway (Harstad, where our sons lives and then onto Sweden for a family holiday with the grandkids).
I think we have decided to go via Dover/Dunkirk then drive up via Copenhagen across the Helsingor ferry up to Oslo then up via Norway route (will return via Sweden).
I am trying to judge travel times and plan stopovers up to Oslo then hopefully wild camp/park up each night.

Any information, advise etc or suggestions would be good to receive. Thanks in advance

a question: we have had fitted a pair of Gasflow LPG tanks, does anyone know what type of fitting I will need in Norway / Sweden if we need to top up our gas?

Kevin


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Here is a gaslow catalog for you.

cabby

http://www.rhinoinstalls.co.uk/pdf/Gaslow-2009-brochure.pdf


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

Enjoy the trip!


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Maybe cheaper ways of doing the route than you have selected! How long have you got for the trip? We did a round trip staying a week with my brother in Sogndal and taking in Harstad on the way back from Lofoten. 7 and half weeks and 4,600 miles! Beware autotolls around Oslo and Trondheim and various tunnels roads. There is no way to pay manually.
http://www.visitnorway.com/uk/about...ar-holiday/toll-roads-and-autopass-in-norway/
Since the demise of Harwich Esjberg it may well be better to cross from Germany maybe? This avoids Storebaelt bridge which is quite costly. If you want to visit Copenhagen there is a campsite north of the city i.e. on the way to Helsingor called Absalon Camping. They provide a help in purchasing tickets for the rail/tram into the city. You buy a book/card of tickets normally and it is stamped on each journey. The campsite avoids you having to make unnecessary purchase by "loaning" a ticket or part used ticket and you give back after using however many trips you need - they'll explain how it works. Can give lots of advice on where to stop on the way up but there is an aire in Oslo centre, you need to check opening times. Also good site to East of city. I'd recommend travelling up the E6 for convenience then a ferry from Bodo to Lofoten and visit A at the southern tip. Aire at Eggum quite near a Viking Museum allows you to watch the midnight sun not quite set over the sea. On then to Harstad where your son would take over the route planning maybe? Trollveggen and Trollstigen and the Atlantic Highway would be some of my unmissable places, Roros another and Magalaupe near Dovrefjell just of E6 Road from Lom to Sogndal RV 51 is stunning and gets you to glacier area...Nigardsbreen being fairly accessible. Another way to get to the north would be to go Harwich - Hook up through Denmark crossing Hirtshals to Kritiansand on a fast ferry then up through Hardangervidda, via Odda and new suspension bridge over Hardanger Fjord, cross Sognefjord at Vangsnes to Balestrand then via Byrkjelo Stryn Gerainger Eidsdal and on the RV 63 descending Trollstigen to Andalsnes Molde Ferry to Bud and on to the Atlantic Highway Kritiandsand Trondheim then E6 to Mosjoen, Mo i Rana, Storforshei, Krokstranda (Arctic Circle reached here!) Visit Saltstraumen where they have the "World's biggest maelstrom" Then I'd take the ferry Bodo to A in Lofoten E10 to Harstad but stop at Eggum and the Lofotr Viking Museum.
Have host of images from left to right Trollveggen, Trollstigen Saltstraumen Eggum


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

A couple more images showing Eggum aire again on Lofoten and the road in late June over from Gerainger to Trollstigen, Arctic Circle Centre location and the Atlantic Highway. At one point our Satnav announce one morning as we set off, "In 207 kilometres at the roundabout take the second exit" this effectively meant going straight on! Glacier Museum and glacier (breen) at Nigardsbreen.


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Norway Aires taken from a file of 1000s in many countries, see also this site's database if you can find it after the changes!!! Tab delimited for Excel - I hope....


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

You need to be aware that ferries in Norway (there are a LOT) are not cheap. You simply cannot get away without using them as the roads just stop at the waters edge, the fare TREBLES if you are over 6m in length (and a Mohawk certainly is!!) 

There are some staggering tunnels to be seen. One is 27K long !!!! (and tolled of course!!) 

It is a fantastic country to motorhome in. Wildcamping is the norm. So long as you are not within about 100m of a house you can stop. They have rebuilt a huge number of roads which has left a lot of large "lay-byes" that was the old road !!

You also need to be aware that it is an eye-wateringly expensive country as almost everything has to be imported. Take as much food with you as possible and if you like a drink take it ALL with you.

Diesel was about the same price as the UK, same with campsites. 

There is a great ferry service overnight from Copenhagen to Oslo. I did it about 6 years ago and it saved many hundreds of miles. If you do use that ferry be sure to get up early to enjoy the journey up the Fjord. There is a good Aire in Oslo at the marina (they even have a shower!!) 

BEWARE of using the Oresund bridge, you will need to rip out an iternal organ as the DEPOSIT for crossing it with a MH (think around 90 Euro's EACH WAY!!!) 

Be sure to take in "Pulpit Rock" at Preikstollen. Its an energetic 2.5 hour hike to get there but boy is it worth it!!!! Do a Google search.

Do a LOT of research on ferrty company websites to see if they have deals. I got a 50% off deal on an overnight sailing from Stavanger back to Hirtshall at the top end of Denmark. If you are there take the time to visit the very top at Skagan (or something like that) 

I did 12 days in Norway and it was nothing like enough!!!

Develop the habit of using engine braking, some of the hills are VERY long indeed !!!!!!!!!

It is the most fantastic country you can imagine, its the sheer scale that is beyond comprehension.

Be sure to do the "Norway in a nutshell" trip that is advertised everywhere, not cheap but well worth the cost !

If you haventy guessed Mrs Plodd and I rather enjoyed it when we went.


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

If the 27km tunnel is Lærdalstunnelen Laerdal to Flam and its railway and Stegastein Viewpoint (which we got up to in our MH), then it is actually now free. Unlike UK Norway's approach to toll roads is once they have paid for the construction costs they become part of the road network and free. Maintenance is then taken on by the State. The internal ferries do apply higher rates over 6m. We are 6.68 m and the people who collect the tolls don't need a tape measure to know this! However they weren't quite treble the cost for us. If you use the E6 from Norway to Harstad in fact there is only one internal ferry you need to use.
Pretty useful guide here
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/0ea5a22d#/0ea5a22d/77

http://www.fjord1.no/eng/ferry/ferry-timetables/sogn-og-fjordane/hella-vangsnes
This is a pretty short crossing that I mentioned in a previous post costs treble if over 7 metres. Timetables and prices available in English.

p.s.if crossing from mainland Denmark to Sweden there are two pretty expensive toll bridges, Storebaelt (50 Euro 1 way for campervan over 6m which I mentioned in Denmark and Oresund (94 Euro for campervan) ( which Mr Plodd mentioned appropiately I guess as it was star of the detective series "The Bridge"!) which crosses to Sweden.

Steve


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

We went for 3 weeks in 2010 then again for 3 weeks in 2012....nearly did the same again this year but delayed it until next year!!!
Haven't been higher than Trondheim so may go to the Lofoten islands next time.
There is so much to see and all in a remarkably unique atmosphere.
Not too interested in the Nordkapp.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

We went quite a few years back but not in a motor home but our Daihatsu Four track jeep, we camped all the way to the top, I wanted to dive the furthest North I could which I did in the Barents Sea, we drove back through Lap Land into Sweden then back to Norway to get the ferry back to Newcastle, sadly now not running..

Lots to see in fact too much to mention...

ray.


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Gaslow
Pretty sure it is the French/Italian adapter
http://www.gaslowdirect.com/French/Italian-Fill-Adapte

Norway, Sweden both covered. Incidentally fuel prices are often cheaper outside the cities and also prices can be cheaper on Sundays!


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Norway Aires Coordinates are incorrectly entered latitude and longitude reversed, gets you in Indian Ocean.... Just rename the column headings or use this version


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## Narla (Jun 8, 2010)

By 'engine braking' do you mean changing down gears?


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Narla said:


> By 'engine braking' do you mean changing down gears?


This is correct, get is a lower gear as you descend a fjord side or series of zig zag hairpin roads


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