NORWAY - any driving advice?
Discussion
Tolls, ferry crossings, ULEZ/congestion charges are automatic (no toll booths) and all under the same system across Norway. Every time I have hired a car in Norway the hire company just charge me after I return but maybe worth double checking your hire company does this.
If you are driving your own car to Norway then I think you need to register. Haven't done this myself but have a look at https://www.autopass.no/en/
Don't underestimate the time to drive places when planning your route. Single carriageway roads that twist around the landscape, ferry waiting, lower speed limits and photo stops all add time. Depending on where you are going you may never see a motorway.
Norway is a great country to drive in with some beautiful roads and scenery.
If you are driving your own car to Norway then I think you need to register. Haven't done this myself but have a look at https://www.autopass.no/en/
Don't underestimate the time to drive places when planning your route. Single carriageway roads that twist around the landscape, ferry waiting, lower speed limits and photo stops all add time. Depending on where you are going you may never see a motorway.
Norway is a great country to drive in with some beautiful roads and scenery.
This can be downloaded as an app and you enter your car details to see if you can drive in these areas
https://www.green-zones.eu/en/low-emission-zones/n...
https://www.green-zones.eu/en/low-emission-zones/n...
Did Oslo to Atlantic highway last year in our own car. I've been lucky enough to drive the entire length of New Zealand north and south islands, Swiss alps, Highway 1, Algarve etc. Norway trumps them all, the roads around Milford Sounds in New Zealand and Umbrail Pass come close behind but I give me the choice I would go back to Trollstigen first.
Official government website give you the tag/toll options. There are no toll booths any where and even the ferry ticketing personnel don't want to handle cash/payments, so if you are taking your own car register beforehand otherwise expect some fines when you come back home.
https://www.autopass.no/en/user/foreign-vehicles/
Forget Oslo, just head north towards the coast ASAP, we didn't spend more than 1hr in total over a 10 day road trip, its just another city, you need to head out west or north to see Norway properly. Essentially bypass Oslo and keep going North or West till you run out time, and have to return
Official government website give you the tag/toll options. There are no toll booths any where and even the ferry ticketing personnel don't want to handle cash/payments, so if you are taking your own car register beforehand otherwise expect some fines when you come back home.
https://www.autopass.no/en/user/foreign-vehicles/
Forget Oslo, just head north towards the coast ASAP, we didn't spend more than 1hr in total over a 10 day road trip, its just another city, you need to head out west or north to see Norway properly. Essentially bypass Oslo and keep going North or West till you run out time, and have to return
Edited by gangzoom on Monday 28th August 20:41
NordicCrankShaft said:
Trollstigen is incredible, definitely worth a few blasts up and down!
Given the sun literally doesn't set at times, 5am not a single other soul in sight, spent about 60 minutes just going up and down, some memories in life you really just cannot buy. The cloud cover rolling in half way up, and reaching the top with literally sub 20 meters of visibility, its a memory I will never forget . 
We spent 8 weeks there in our motorhome in 2018. Driving in Norway is fantastic. As everyone has said, don't speed. Also, don't let anyone out of junctions. They follow the rues so rigidly that it just isn't a thing over there. It's your right of way, so you go, why wouldn't you, those are the rules.
Zero tailgating, zero road rage, just one of the best driving experiences I've ever had.
It's not quick getting anywhere, speed limits are max 90kph and there are zero motorways outside of the far south. Dual carriageways pretty scarce. If you're after a trip to the far north, it's quicker to go up through Sweden and then back down through Norway.
Look up the hurtigruten boats. They run a ferry line up the coast which is a very easy way of putting in some miles while you're asleep if you're pushed for time or want to miss out the atcually quite nice bit in between the Fjords and Lofoten.
Zero tailgating, zero road rage, just one of the best driving experiences I've ever had.
It's not quick getting anywhere, speed limits are max 90kph and there are zero motorways outside of the far south. Dual carriageways pretty scarce. If you're after a trip to the far north, it's quicker to go up through Sweden and then back down through Norway.
Look up the hurtigruten boats. They run a ferry line up the coast which is a very easy way of putting in some miles while you're asleep if you're pushed for time or want to miss out the atcually quite nice bit in between the Fjords and Lofoten.
The more rural you get in Norway, the less variety of food there is generally and the roadside Kros (cafes) and petrol stations tend to serve a rather monotonous litany of hamburgers, processed chicken and varieties of white fish.
I write as someone with Norwegian relations but, with the best will in the world, Norwegian cuisine cannot generally held to be amongst the pearls of world gastronomy. That said, if dining out matters, there are now many more decent restaurants than twenty years ago, if you go looking. But, then, I’d do some research and plan your itinerary accordingly.
A tip: cheap(er) lodgings than normal hotels can be found at the bondehjem in market towns, (although the agritourism route is also often good value). These are a type of hostel where Norwegian farmers stay when they have to come to town. They are simple, clean and fairly basic but good value (have a look in Booking.com). I cannot recall chapter and verse but ISTR that they might have some residual temperance values and be dry.
And, as said above, don’t even think about speeding or drink driving. Given the cost of booze in Norway, that might be a blessing, as a too enthusiastic session at dinner the night before could be a painful experience the next morning. I had a breathalyser test at seven in the morning after a light prang the last time I was there.
I write as someone with Norwegian relations but, with the best will in the world, Norwegian cuisine cannot generally held to be amongst the pearls of world gastronomy. That said, if dining out matters, there are now many more decent restaurants than twenty years ago, if you go looking. But, then, I’d do some research and plan your itinerary accordingly.
A tip: cheap(er) lodgings than normal hotels can be found at the bondehjem in market towns, (although the agritourism route is also often good value). These are a type of hostel where Norwegian farmers stay when they have to come to town. They are simple, clean and fairly basic but good value (have a look in Booking.com). I cannot recall chapter and verse but ISTR that they might have some residual temperance values and be dry.
And, as said above, don’t even think about speeding or drink driving. Given the cost of booze in Norway, that might be a blessing, as a too enthusiastic session at dinner the night before could be a painful experience the next morning. I had a breathalyser test at seven in the morning after a light prang the last time I was there.
I just got back from Norway. It is like walking on to the set of a fantasy film. But, in our planning we ended up concluding we could not make it a road trip. We were limited by time and the only way to make all the stops connect was to mix with trains and planes. You may have more time to make it work..
As others have said, Oslo isn't worth visiting unless it is a must. We had to fly in to Oslo due to coming in from the US. We stayed one night and got out of there. A friend grew up in Oslo and looked concerned when I said I was going.
One thing that struck us in Flam was it is a nice quiet 400 person village until a cruise ship turns up and 4000 people flood the place and brings down the experience. For us, they arrived late on morning we left. I was very relived they did not arrive sooner.
We did this over a period of a couple of days. Was the highlight of our trip and you could miss it in a car if you do not plan it in to your iteniary.
A previous poster shared a picture of Geiringer at the end of Geiringerfjord. This was parked there last week.
Had a local beer on our return journey.
As others have said, Oslo isn't worth visiting unless it is a must. We had to fly in to Oslo due to coming in from the US. We stayed one night and got out of there. A friend grew up in Oslo and looked concerned when I said I was going.
One thing that struck us in Flam was it is a nice quiet 400 person village until a cruise ship turns up and 4000 people flood the place and brings down the experience. For us, they arrived late on morning we left. I was very relived they did not arrive sooner.
We did this over a period of a couple of days. Was the highlight of our trip and you could miss it in a car if you do not plan it in to your iteniary.
A previous poster shared a picture of Geiringer at the end of Geiringerfjord. This was parked there last week.
Had a local beer on our return journey.
gangzoom said:
Given the sun literally doesn't set at times, 5am not a single other soul in sight, spent about 60 minutes just going up and down, some memories in life you really just cannot buy. The cloud cover rolling in half way up, and reaching the top with literally sub 20 meters of visibility, its a memory I will never forget .
Absolutely, felt the same, I went by myself and it still took me 16hrs round trip from where I lived in Bergen, but I managed to drive and sleep in the cat so that I arrived first thing in the morning, was a beautiful morning and the campers must've hated me as I blasted up and down in my stage 2 mk6 golf gti with turbo back exhaust . 
psi310398 said:
The more rural you get in Norway, the less variety of food there is generally and the roadside Kros (cafes) and petrol stations tend to serve a rather monotonous litany of hamburgers, processed chicken and varieties of white fish.
Still better(and cheaper) than Switzerland!!I've just driven to Norway and back, for the fourth time. (Car pics on Insta here). We got the ferry to Bergen, up through Flåm to Lærdal, and then back south to stay with family on the coast near Risør. Ferry home from Kristiansand.
You do not have to register for tolls in advance, but you get a small discount if you do. It is done on ANPR and they will just send you a bill afterwards if you're not registered. You don't get a fine, just a bill. The tag pays for tolls, ferries and the odd bridge. In a modern car a few years ago the bill came very quickly, with white on black plates in 2019 it took a few months. I got a tag this time, but I haven't bothered on previous trips.
Speed limit is 80kph on most rural roads, but I found Norwegians often sat at 90-odd so I did the same. I didn't get caught, but definitely was not speeding on the busier main roads or toll roads.
Beware if you want low ethanol E5 fuel - my car needs it but it is definitely not available everywhere. Most places had both 95 and 98 octane, but rarely any E5. We had to seek out larger Shell or Esso stations to be sure of finding E5. Fuel varied from £1.66/litre to £2/litre, but still generally cheaper than Denmark.
You do not have to register for tolls in advance, but you get a small discount if you do. It is done on ANPR and they will just send you a bill afterwards if you're not registered. You don't get a fine, just a bill. The tag pays for tolls, ferries and the odd bridge. In a modern car a few years ago the bill came very quickly, with white on black plates in 2019 it took a few months. I got a tag this time, but I haven't bothered on previous trips.
Speed limit is 80kph on most rural roads, but I found Norwegians often sat at 90-odd so I did the same. I didn't get caught, but definitely was not speeding on the busier main roads or toll roads.
Beware if you want low ethanol E5 fuel - my car needs it but it is definitely not available everywhere. Most places had both 95 and 98 octane, but rarely any E5. We had to seek out larger Shell or Esso stations to be sure of finding E5. Fuel varied from £1.66/litre to £2/litre, but still generally cheaper than Denmark.
Am I right in thinking there are no UK ferries to Norway? Hence options to get there would.be flying and hiring a car once there or going by ferry to France and then a long drive up through Netherlands etc.
As a child I went on a Newcastle to Bergen ferry which I dont think runs anymore.
As a child I went on a Newcastle to Bergen ferry which I dont think runs anymore.
We have a trip to Norway and Sweden & Denmark planned in a few weeks time.
Is there anything interesting to see in Norway without heading out to the West Coast?
Thinking North of Oslo but without heading too far North as we then want to cross over into Sweden - thinking of up towards Lillehammer and in that direction?
Is there anything interesting to see in Norway without heading out to the West Coast?
Thinking North of Oslo but without heading too far North as we then want to cross over into Sweden - thinking of up towards Lillehammer and in that direction?
Last Visit said:
Am I right in thinking there are no UK ferries to Norway? Hence options to get there would.be flying and hiring a car once there or going by ferry to France and then a long drive up through Netherlands etc.
As a child I went on a Newcastle to Bergen ferry which I dont think runs anymore.
That’s correct. It’s been about twenty years. As a child I went on a Newcastle to Bergen ferry which I dont think runs anymore.
I last went from Harwich to Hook, up to Denmark, and over to Sweden (somewhere south of Gothenburg).
Before that from Hook to the northern tip of Denmark to Oslo.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff