Norway '24.

[Curlynot]

That’s a great video thanks Curly. We are hoping to do the worlds longest tunnel on out way south.

It gives you some idea why the road is closed until summer!!

We were there in July 2022 and the visitors centre was still shut as an avalanche earlier in the year had gone right through it. There were photos on display of it and you could see the inside of the building was full of snow nearly to the ceilings.

I think this might be the same glacier as your photo, taken in July 2022, not far from Loen. A stunning place

 

[Ricardo T]

Penultimate night here in this amazing amazing country!! The scenery here is truly staggering at every corner and it is such a great country for travelling in as the infrastructure is second to none and you feel very safe and looked after. They’ve nailed it for sure, jus5 a shame some of the prices are a bit on the steep side and eating out is expensive but it’s all relative in the end.
You don’t get the vibe they are trying to stitch you up,unlike the uk!!
We’ve covered just over 4.2k miles so. Will be around 5.5 by the time w e gent home. Van has been faultless apart from the tyre pressure light coming on early doors.

 

[Pedro20001]

Absolutely amazing, your pictures and descriptions are fantastic. . Safe travels home and keep the pictures coming.

 

[ALFIrE]

Maybe a dumb question:
Heard that there are public toilets everywhere, even in more deserted areas?

We are planning our trip this summer, but don't want to take the porta-potti in the van.
Would mostly stay at camping sites, but with occasional wild camping. Our only issue is use of toilets (and maybe showers).

 

[DXX]

Take a spade.
Embrace Friluftsliv, plenty of lakes and rivers.

https://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/friluftsliv/

 

[AeonMach]

Take a spade.
Embrace Friluftsliv, plenty of lakes and rivers.

https://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/friluftsliv/

Or I have one of these: a military entrenching tool!

Mil-Tec Small Folding Shovel with Pouch Olive

Small shovel with hoe and shovel blade Serrated edge on left side Rubber handle Extra strong and stable Comes with protective cover with hook and l

www.military1st.co.uk

It’s cheap as chips, really neat and comes in its own wee pouch.
(Currently out of stock but will come back in I would think.)

 

[DXX]

Or I have one of these: a military entrenching tool!

Mil-Tec Small Folding Shovel with Pouch Olive

Small shovel with hoe and shovel blade Serrated edge on left side Rubber handle Extra strong and stable Comes with protective cover with hook and l

www.military1st.co.uk

It’s cheap as chips, really neat and comes in its own wee pouch.
(Currently out of stock but will come back in I would think.)

What I was thinking of. There are many Norwegians who go a bit ‘wild’ in the summer months.

 

[T6ChrisO]

Some absolutely amazing photos. Looks like you've had an amazing time

 

[Ricardo T]

Maybe a dumb question:
Heard that there are public toilets everywhere, even in more deserted areas?

We are planning our trip this summer, but don't want to take the porta-potti in the van.
Would mostly stay at camping sites, but with occasional wild camping. Our only issue is use of toilets (and maybe showers).

There are lots of toilets around but in some areas they may be more sparse, we noticed especially around the ski resort areas and areas like Flam where a lot seem to be closed. The more rural ones are just ‘pit’ loos in a shed with a turf roof but perfectly adequate and most cleaned daily.The lager towns where the fuel stations also have a shop they all seem to have toilets and some have showers too and all in good order. Some you can park for the night for a small fee.
The small ferry terminals we went to/from all had loos at either side.
One loo in north Sweden we remember as it had a mural of trees and birds inside as well as piped bird song!! All made for quite a nice experience!
Mrs RT said it’s a bit more tricky to nature wee in Norway as it doesn’t get dark, although she has been known to go during the day too!

 

[Ricardo T]

After a little wet spell we held off doing the popular hike up Preikstolen (Pulpit Rock) for the day before we left Norway..glad we did!
Pulpit Rock is a very popular hike up a rough rock path to a large flat section of rock at 650m high with astounding views over Lysefjord and beyond…well worth the trip and hike…the earlier you get there the better as it does get very busy.
From there we headed down to Mandal for the night, not far from Kristiansand for the ferry to Hirtshalls, Denmark the following morning. A lovely drive, as ALL of Norway is.
Ferry not too busy…..cost £161 one way for a last minute booking.
The drive through Denmark was unremarkable and the drive through Germany was quite horrendous….theyre service areas are verging on disgusting!!
We were greeted back in the uk by wind, rain , potholes, long long roadworks on the M20 northbound, and don’t mention the M25!!




So our Norway trip is over, the unpacking, washing, cleaning and checking over stuff is well under way.
In total we covered just shy of 5200 mls with an average of around 35 mpg and no oil used and with no issues…the van performed flawlessly to our relief. The map above shows our route up Sweden and then across and back down Norway.

After doing some rough calculations we spentI may of misplaced a few receipts)
Fuel £865 at around £1.50 ltr
Shopping £250
Eating out a couple of times and a few coffees and the lovely cinnamon buns £100
Camping sites etc around £100
Trips, car parking and major ferry crossings and le shuttle return £630
Road, ferry, bridge and tunnels tolls £115 ( 35 tolls)
I reckon we took around £150 worth of food with us stuffed in every nook ( Snacks/pasta/rice/tea and coffee/jams/curry mixes/tinned items/ biscuits/all toiletries/porridge/granola/cereal/eggs/ etc etc.

I would definitely recommend Norway to anyone thinking about it…it is a long way, but the reward is absolutely astonishing!

Hope this info is useful to anyone thinking of making this trip….if I think of anything else I’ll add it at a later date…happy travels!!

 

[JamesD]

After a little wet spell we held off doing the popular hike up Preikstolen (Pulpit Rock) for the day before we left Norway..glad we did!
Pulpit Rock is a very popular hike up a rough rock path to a large flat section of rock at 650m high with astounding views over Lysefjord and beyond…well worth the trip and hike…the earlier you get there the better as it does get very busy.
From there we headed down to Mandal for the night, not far from Kristiansand for the ferry to Hirtshalls, Denmark the following morning. A lovely drive, as ALL of Norway is.
Ferry not too busy…..cost £161 one way for a last minute booking.
The drive through Denmark was unremarkable and the drive through Germany was quite horrendous….theyre service areas are verging on disgusting!!
We were greeted back in the uk by wind, rain , potholes, long long roadworks on the M20 northbound, and don’t mention the M25!!

View attachment 243686View attachment 243687View attachment 243688View attachment 243689View attachment 243690View attachment 243691View attachment 243692View attachment 243693


So our Norway trip is over, the unpacking, washing, cleaning and checking over stuff is well under way.
In total we covered just shy of 5200 mls with an average of around 35 mpg and no oil used and with no issues…the van performed flawlessly to our relief. The map above shows our route up Sweden and then across and back down Norway.

After doing some rough calculations we spentI may of misplaced a few receipts)
Fuel £865 at around £1.50 ltr
Shopping £250
Eating out a couple of times and a few coffees and the lovely cinnamon buns £100
Camping sites etc around £100
Trips, car parking and major ferry crossings and le shuttle return £630
Road, ferry, bridge and tunnels tolls £115 ( 35 tolls)
I reckon we took around £150 worth of food with us stuffed in every nook ( Snacks/pasta/rice/tea and coffee/jams/curry mixes/tinned items/ biscuits/all toiletries/porridge/granola/cereal/eggs/ etc etc.

I would definitely recommend Norway to anyone thinking about it…it is a long way, but the reward is absolutely astonishing!

Hope this info is useful to anyone thinking of making this trip….if I think of anything else I’ll add it at a later date…happy travels!!

Thank you so much for your notes and pictures has inspired our plans for retirement next year.

 

[n10n]

Epic road trip, thanks for sharing!

 

[Green Giant]

Been following your trip, great pics, can i ask a couple of questions, as, hopefully we are going out for 4 weeks in September.
How did you get by, with showering etc, as looked like you mainly wild camped, are there public shower facilities dotted around?
We are hoping to do about 50/50 campsites / park ups, but we won’t have any facilities onboard, apart from the tiny sink
I’m sure toilets are fairly easy to locate, but not sure on showers?
Also,how much cooking gas did you burn through, as I’m wondering if a full 907 bottle would last 30 days for cooking for two, I think you have a under slung tank though, (our hob is not installed yet so no experience with the 907 bottle)
Ps, I think the M20 is permanently covered in cones, and always will be..

 

[Ricardo T]

Been following your trip, great pics, can i ask a couple of questions, as, hopefully we are going out for 4 weeks in September.
How did you get by, with showering etc, as looked like you mainly wild camped, are there public shower facilities dotted around?
We are hoping to do about 50/50 campsites / park ups, but we won’t have any facilities onboard, apart from the tiny sink
I’m sure toilets are fairly easy to locate, but not sure on showers?
Also,how much cooking gas did you burn through, as I’m wondering if a full 907 bottle would last 30 days for cooking for two, I think you have a under slung tank though, (our hob is not installed yet so no experience with the 907 bottle)
Ps, I think the M20 is permanently covered in cones, and always will be..

Hey mate, I’m not really sure if there is such a thing as public showers tbh. You may find them in some garages (20-40 Nok for 6 minutes) but not all. We found a campsite every 4 days or so and flannel washed in between ( excuse the pun!!)With out going into detail my wife found these ‘wash mits’ which came in useful and did the job required We also had a couple of air b and b’s booked.
I’m sure campsites wouldn’t mind if you just showered as this cost was always on top of the overnight cost. Some use their own specially made tokens which you have to buy at reception and some use 10 or 20 nok coins. Definitely take some cash with you and get some coins at a supermarket at the earliest opportunity as the campsite receptions are not always manned( gender neutral)
Our underslung tank is 16 Ltrs and we did top up once but it would have lasted tbh. Didn’t see and Camping gaz logos anywhere, not to say there isn’t any though…All the gas was locked up in AGA lockers at garages.
I think you may be pushing it for a 907 to last a month, two might cover it but I have no experience of the longevity of these bottles, nor the availability in Norway, soz.

 

[Green Giant]

Ok that’s great, thanks for all the info you shared along the way, yes I heard camping Gaz not really available in Norway as doesn’t work well in the colder times of the year, I guess I’ll take two as you say

 

[boxer750]

Hopefully I will be going to Norway at the end of August for 4 weeks. I'm planning to go via the tunnel through Belgium.Germany,Denmark,Sweden. In order to cross from Denmark to Sweden I am planning to go via the Øresund bridge for which I have ordered a tag to pay for the crossing automatically. You can also use this tag to cross the Storebelt bridge although you have to activate it first in your account. You can also use the tag to pay for the toll roads in Norway. Cost to order the tag and for the shipping to the UK was FREE.

The Øresund Bridge: Fastest Way Over Øresund

Welcome to the Øresund Bridge – the fastest way between Denmark and Sweden. Here you will find prices, discount contracts and traffic information.

www.oresundsbron.com

ØresundPay

oresundpay.com

If you want to order a tag from Øresund Pay it is called a Bizz.

As usual, my trip ideas and research come a little late ?)

I am off to Norway (I hope) in the 2nd week of September. I registered with Epass, and was about to register with a ferry pass too, when i saw this which seems to be combined? Also then I saw someone saying about linking road tolls and ferry passes. Is that straightforward? If I was to register with the Oresund Pay tag I guess I would need to cancel Epass?
I am probably overthinking it, but I sense the possibility of an expensive mistake

Last time i travelled in europe (road trip) was pre Brexit and was on motorbikes

 

[Bigsidavies]

I did mine with Flyt but I think they are all the same. If you create a ferry pass you can then link your Epass to it. If you prepay the ferry account (minimum is about £300) then you get ferry journeys at half price and it’s all usually done on the toll tag.

About AutoPASS for ferry - AutoPASS-ferje

COVID-19: See updates on ticketing methods and prices here. For more information on the AutoPASS for ferry prepayment agreement, see our FAQ or contact us Save money on your ferry journeys. Click here to create an agreement

autopassferje.no

Some small ferries use a hand held number plate scanner.

Edit:- looks like Epass is not on the list.

Tag issuers - AutoPASS-ferje

Where can I order a tag? Below is a list of AutoPASS-approved tag issuers. It does not matter who you order your tag from. With a valid agreement and tag, you will receive the same discounts on toll roads and ferries no matter which tag issuer you choose. Companies with permission to issue...

autopassferje.no

 

[boxer750]

Thanks for that info..
Anyone know how long it takes to get a tag.. if I need one?

 

[Ricardo T]

I got mine in about a week.

You may have to send your Epass back to cancel that contract.

 

[Bigsidavies]

One caveat is that the savings on the ferry aren’t so substantial if you are just going down the west coast. Many of the little ferries you encounter (4 in a day sometimes) are between £5 and £10 and some are free so the savings v hassle is not really worth it.
However, if you are going to and from the Lofotens via Bodo and Moskenes then that ferry was about £90 so substantial savings to be made.
There’s no cost to create the ferry account and no cost to add it to your tag account. You just prepay the minimum and you get a daily email with your use and remaining balance.
Cancel at the end of the holiday and the balance goes back into your bank account.