# What food should we take to Norway?



## leedsalix (Sep 15, 2008)

Hi

I know Scandinavia is very expensive so I want to stock up in France when we're on our way up there later this year. 

Can anyone who's up there now or who's been recently advise on what we should take with us to save a little bit of money please.

The list obviously starts with alcohol, but what else needs to be on it?

Ta

Alex


----------



## Patty123 (Oct 4, 2010)

We are going in May and there is a limit on Alcohol you can take, also you can not take potatoes or carrots over the border, and there is a limit on meat or meat products, hubby wrote to Norwegian Customs as we were unsure of the dog food we could take,( the Norwegian Embassy in London could not help us) there is lots of small print and some contradictury information.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

I found this link, which seems to confirm all of the above and gives some more detail;

http://goscandinavia.about.com/od/norwa1/a/customsnorway.htm

Hope that helps you decide,

Dave


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Take as much food as you can manage !!! EVERYTHING is eye wateringly expensive (except fuel and campsites which are about on par with the UK) Like £3.50 for a small loaf   

Dont forget wild camping is allowed just about anywhere thats not in close proximity of habitation.

Dont underestimate the time factor when travelling, its a fabulously scenic country but the distances are vast and the roads, though pretty good, do not allow for high average speeds.

Look out for some of the toll roads, some are VERY expensive (Google search will find the exact details and costs) In Bergen the tolls are low and they dont bother to chase foreigners for them. 

There is an Aire in Bergen thats a reasonable walk from the city centre. Its in an industrial area (not easy to find) but its right on the waters edge. We parked with the back of our van (bed!!) OVER the water, brilliant.

If you would like any more info PM me with a phone number!


----------



## leedsalix (Sep 15, 2008)

Thanks, that's really helpful.

We have limited storage space in our van so I'm keen to understand what items we should stock up on because they're that much more expensive up there - pasta and rice, or tinned veg, or toiletries for example. 

Anyone any ideas?


----------



## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

We take our refrigerator freezer compartment full of meat plus many tins and all other none perishable foods.

On a day to day basis we only purchase bread, milk and vegetables/potatoes etc.
The choice of the above is often poor but it's not really a problem :wink:


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

What ever you like to eat in quantity!! Meat of all types is REALLY expensive everything else is just VERY expensive. Fish and chips on the sea front in Bergen cost us £18 for 2 two years ago.

All of the fish stalls on the sea front take Amex !!!! (which should tell you something)

If space is an issue you will need to work out what you are going to use the most of and take that!! Rice and pasta are always a good idea, spuds are weight and space hungry! Packet stuff rather than tinned as it weighs less and takes up less space. 

Dont even THINK about eating out! You will need a mortgage  

If alcohol is important to you then stock up !!


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

The only thing we found reasonably priced in Norway were prawns, salmon, meatballs and ryvita! So stock up on virtually anything else!

As mentioned, fuel price was on a par with UK prices (2008) and you can offset your costs by wildcamping.

If wildcamping loads of garages have motorhome servicing facilities either for free or a small charge, look for 'Bobil service' or 'Bobilstasion'.

Ferry costs spiral over 6mtr so you should be ok, they can cut journey times but the costs soon mount up.

Check out the campsite database for some wonderful wildcamping spots.

If you use lpg/gaslow this link should handy for you...

http://www.gjelstenli.no/lpg/FyllestasjonerNorge-filer/Engelsk.htm

Pete


----------



## Christine600 (Jan 20, 2011)

If you want to cut costs shop groceries whenever you find a REMA 1000. They usually win our national price reviews.

Whenever I visit your country I buy tea, jam, cheese and candy. 

Alcohol is expensive in bars and restaurants but not always at the public run vinmonopolet which is the only place to get wine and stronger drinks. They add a tax based on alcohol content only and this favours the more expensive products which may end up cheaper than abroad. This is their home page: 
http://www.vinmonopolet.no/

On this AGA page you can find where to get propane:
http://www.aga.no/international/web/lg/no/like35agano.nsf/docbyalias/nav_locations
Also I belive you may need some adapter for the bottles but I'm a newbie so I'm not sure what exactly.


----------



## Christine600 (Jan 20, 2011)

peejay said:


> The only thing we found reasonably priced in Norway were prawns, salmon, meatballs and ryvita!


If you want to sample our specialities you should try brown cheese - which get a caramel-ish taste. The strong tasting ones from goat milk or the mild ones from cows.

Also our ice cream is made from cream not milk and have a rich and full taste. The same for our chocolate made with real milk - like *melkesjokolade*.


----------



## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi.

Tea ,Coffee, Packet soup, Pasta, Dried Milk, Noodles, Tin Veg, Corned-beef, Pork Luncheon Meat, and any other packet stuff you like. Also take any medical supplies you may need.

steve & ann.


----------



## Christine600 (Jan 20, 2011)

The Europris chain have some food at reasonable prices - but mostly dry food or canned.


----------



## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Hi
See http://www.doyourdream.co.uk/country-facts/denmark/ for our tips for Denmark.

Yeah - its expensive - but really thats life and it won't bankrupt you. We didn't stay on any campsites there which saved money (see above link - perfectly LEGIT if you only PARK overnight).

Just take stock you'd normally use and accept the fact it isn't bargain basement. Remember as well you can take cans back to the supermarket for a refund (auto recycling unit)


----------



## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

I agree with the previous post. In a panel van we didn't have the room to take loads of food and one of the main joys of travel for us is to get to know the local cuisine.

Yes it was expensive, but not so much above any other north European country (including the UK) to price it out of our pockets. Think Waitrose prices rather than Lidl. However, it wasn't Waitrose choice!

Have a look at our blog for some of the stuff we liked there. One thing you should take though is a fishing rod. Something cheap and simple. We bought one out there for £20. On the coast the fish were just throwing themselves onto our lures. We'd never fished before and having fresh cod, which we cooked in batter, along with ling and coley, helped out with the budget. It doesn't need skill. Indeed, we only caught one fish after Norway - a belt fish in Greece!

Fantastic scenery though - have a great time!

Lesley


----------



## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

Currently in Norway as we speak, 2x 1L Milk, 1KG Sugar & a Loaf of Bread at Rema 1000 cost me £8 today!

Prices from Rema 1000 - judge for yourself if these are expensive, but traveling through Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden nor Norway) prices have progressively got more expensive.

Can Tuna - 90p
Loaf of Sliced Bread - £2
200g Pack of Ham - £4
200g Mince Beef - £5
2x Chicken Breasts - £8
1L of Milk - £1.70
Tin of Princes Ham - £4

However, on the flip side, we stocked up on the following in Sweden:

1Kg of Meatballs - £1.90
3Kg of Dried Pasta - £2.50
MASSIVE pack of Riveta - £1.60


The main things seems to be meat either in whatever form and bread. Its a bit like shopping in Netto (in the UK) but paying Waitrose prices! Not totally out of the way, but if you are a tight arse like me you'll have packed up that store cupboard and are only shopping for essentials. 

Totally forget any type of Beer/Alcohol that isn't remaining from Germany.


----------



## Christine600 (Jan 20, 2011)

Addie said:


> but traveling through Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden nor Norway) prices have progressively got more expensive.


This is currently beeing discussed in the Norwegian media. And part of the problem is the small national market. With the whole country having half the population of London - but spread thin over a large area.

Just be glad you did not shop at Ica or Ultra


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Norway*

We have been to Norway many times. We did take some food and a fair amount of Alcohol.

But we have never found Norway that expensive, Thing we have found is the limited range of fresh foods. Salads, fresh fruit and Vegetables for example. Though in restaurants seem to have these?.

We have always high quality food at reasonable prices when we eat out.

To give you an example:

Beitostolen: We had a Sirloin Steak with the usual trimmings for £12 in Norway washed down with a 1/2 litre of beer, £3.50 or Red Wine for the same price as most of Europe (though very expensive to buy from the Vinmonopolets compared to say ASDA or Bargain Booze).

My Niece was in Chamonix. They were paying £7 per 1/2 litre!

We paid around the same for diesel as we did in the UK, sometimes a little higher.

Campsites were around the same as the UK similar facilities if not better than UK norm.

I still don't understand why Norway has such a reputation for being so expensive. But then I guess those that suggest so may be more accustomed to "all Inclusive" Ship Cruises or Possibly Benidorm.

I am comparing it with the South of England and St. Tropez !

TM


----------



## busterbears (Sep 4, 2010)

Hi - as all posts yes it is more expensive than here, but if I could afford to do my food shopping in M & S then I wouldn't find Norway as expensive. When we go to visit our family there they like us to bring crisps which are particularly expensive, they are lightweight to store in the MH so you'll have room for a few tubes of pringles. They have their own version of a Kitkat biscuit which is lovely and reasonably priced (can't remember what its called). Things like coleslaw, potato salad etc are ok priced and fresh unsliced loaves can often be cheaper than prepacked sliced ones. If you like beetroot they have a lovely beetroot mayo/salad in with all the coleslaws that we all like, but can't bring back with us. When the family visited us last year they were horrified to find Tesco stocking some norwegian cheese half the price it is in Norway.


----------



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Its now five years since I was last in Norway

So first of all a comment about Christine's brown cheese from my 2006 blog

In Tromso I tried Geitost a popular Norwegian cheese. If you stick to cheddar there are three things wrong with the three-word description of this cheese: Sweet, Brown and Goat's. Actually if you don't think of it as cheese its quite passable. Michael Palin had a similar problem in the Himalayas when offered tea made with rancid Yak's butter, okay as long as you thought of it as soup not tea.

As to the cost I liked Addie's comparison "Its a bit like shopping in Netto (in the UK) but paying Waitrose prices!" Or always buying your groceries in M&S.

So yes it is expensive but don't let the prices get in the way of your enjoyment. For some it's the holiday of a lifetime so don't spoil it by penny pinching or by converting every spend from Krona to GBP it is as it is and overall it won't be tremendously expensive.

You will of course take some food and drink

I would take some good Belgium beer (in cans) wine and whisky, some very good quality steak and kidney in tins (think M&S) Dried pulses (water and time are cheap) and a few tins of prepared food like curries. Homemade cake and your favourite biscuits. Make sure your store cupboard is full of the little things that are essential but you wouldn't want to restock in the middle of a holiday

We were there for 31 days and spent about the same as we would do in two normal months apart from the ferry. Now the extra miles getting there would be a significant cost factor.

I would avoid eating out apart from a special occasion perhaps .

For a taste of the thing try my blog (its in 4 parts all linked) >Part 1<


----------



## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Mrplodd said:


> Take as much food as you can manage !!! EVERYTHING is eye wateringly expensive (except fuel and campsites which are about on par with the UK) Like £3.50 for a small loaf
> 
> Dont forget wild camping is allowed just about anywhere thats not in close proximity of habitation.
> 
> ...


We toured Norway up to Lofoten Islands and back through Sweden Denmark Germany and Holland.
Beware the Toll Roads many now automatic especially around Trondheim and Oslo visitors pass available
Norway Toll Roads
Even with this I received a fine via a UK agent for not paying the Toll when crossing from Norway to Sweden, the autosystem had read the registration number and the photo was with the invoice to pay. I appealed the fine showing I had an autopass agreement and was able to send evidence of the transactions. I offered to pay the toll charge which hadn't appeared on the list of toll roads I'd used but was listed as one you could drive through. In the end the UK agent took my case to the Norway company who waived the fine and didn't ask for the toll fee which I did actually owe them. I never found out what I'd done wrong but I may have gone through a wrong booth that required the electronic gizmo (TAG?) that you get as a resident.

Rema 1000 is a good chain to use. Meat is expensive. Fuel can be cheaper outside the main town unlike the UK and cheaper on Sundays. Autogas was no problem - Alan Rogers campsite in Mosjoen a significant halfway point on the E6, has a good gas filling station next door. Norway is the place to catch your own fish, invaded by fishermen who fill the freezers, we followed one M/H with a freezer strapped to the back on the cycle rack! Relatively few from the UK and the roads, especially the E6 are fine. We are 6.68 metres long and the guys that collect the ferry tolls know exactly the length and the fare often doubles! Our best story is turning the SATNAV on one morning to be told, in 207 kilometres, at the roundabout, take the third exit!

you can PM if you need any specific detail


----------



## KiwiRob (May 24, 2012)

Christine600 said:


> Addie said:
> 
> 
> > but traveling through Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden nor Norway) prices have progressively got more expensive.
> ...


Hi Christine, sorry but I have to disagree with you here, the size of the market has nothing to do with the high prices of food in Norway, or the high prices for everything else for that matter. The high prices are caused by several factors:

- only a few companies control the distribution and retail of food, i.e. limited competition in the market.

- govt policy driven by the farmers party (Center Party) which has successfully kept imported foodstuffs out of the market through high import duties.

- farming is also highly subsidised in Norway and this is passed on to the consumer.

- ignorant Norwegians who allow this to continue, the smart ones vote with there wallets and if they live close enough to Sweden do all there shopping in Sweden, where you can save an easy 50%.

Just for kicks the average checkout person in a Norwegian supermarket will make 35,000 pounds per year.

So if you're traveling into Norway via Denmark or Sweden buy everything you think you will eat there, only buy milk, bread and veges in Norway. The best deal you will find in a Norwegian supermarket will be precooked chicken, a hot whole chicken will set you back approx 4 pounds, an uncooked chicken will cost 10 pounds or more, go figure!


----------



## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

A year old conversation!

But, regarding the restriction on importing potatoes.....

Buy many, many potatoes.

Make vodka from them.

Take vodka into Norway.

Evaporate the alcohol off, compress the residue into chips!

Voila. Cook and enjoy!


----------

