Norway - a summary including costs

[VXman]

So I didn't do a blog for this trip. Far too busy! I did do a polar steps so if anyone wants a little more detail I'll put the link at the end of the post.

We spent 8 weeks on this trip. Just over 6 weeks of those in Norway.

Basic route was:
Dover - Calais, Tecklenburg, Flensburg, Ribe, Hitshals
Ferry to Norway (Kristiansand)
Toures the south west (Vestland) and up to Trondhiem including the Alantic Way.
Hotfooted it up to Tromso
Down through Lofoton Islands
Ferry to Bodo
Route 17 coastal road to Steinkjer
Across to Oslo
Down to Malmo and the Bridge across to Copenhagen.
West to Denmark and back down through Germany and the Netherlands to Calais.

Total Distance 6000 miles.

Costs:
Fuel £1500
Ferries Dover to Calais/Denmark to Norway £500
Ferries in Norway £230 (set up an AutoFerje account. Prepay - 50% discount on all crossings)
Tolls in Norway £63 (signed up with FLYT)
Other tolls £178 (including £106 for the Malmo-Copenhagen Bridge)
Camping/overnight parking £388 (16 nights)
Eating out £578 (8 meals - 2 at £100 plus)
Groceies (inc. Alcohol) £1100
Visits to attractions £252 (Just 6 paid outings)
Cash - £40 but not really needed. Everything paid by phone except fuel where a card was often needed.
Custom charges for importing beer, wine and a bottle of whisky -£60. Given the prices over there worth it!

Total - under £5000. Not bad for 2 months and 6000 miles.

A few general random thoughts.

One of my favorite trips ever even though the weather wasn't great a lot of the time.
Norway driving standards and road are fantastic.
Didn't need to spend much money visiting places. So much scenery that is free, Walks, fjords, waterfalls, mountains.
Norweigans are big motorhomers too. Never seen so many parked outside their houses as well as on the road.
Yes, it's popular for motorhomers but it's easy to feel that there is no one around too.
Off Grid camping it plentiful and fabulous. Motorhome parking in the cities/towns is expensive and often just a car park.
Norway was cheap for Diesel. Germany was expensive!!!
We did the longest tunnel in the world, one of the deepest undersea tunnels.
An undersea tunnel that was positively leaking!

Link to my polarsteps

 

[Barryh]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Thanks. We came in around £4800 for six weeks, but didn't wild camp as much as you after the mechanical problems. We also liked using the marinas which were relatively cheap. I guess that's almost double what we spend for six weeks in France and Spain where we do use free aires a lot more. Nonetheless we felt it was less expensive than many suggest, especially when you allow for two ferries, or a ferry and an expensive bridge to get there.

It's really what works for individuals isn't it? We probably wouldn't go back in the motorhome. Norway is wonderful and a great example of what a country could be, but for us it was too much driving, average food, not enough history or culture and although beautiful we feel we have seen enough of the scenery and it's not worth the effort to drive there for more. In a few years we would however take the boat up the coast or fly to Tromso and hire a car. The trouble is there are so many countries to see.

Next year backpacking in Japan for us. In the meantime we plan to go to France for all of September, maybe Spain if the weather doesn't play ball. Nice and easy and we shan't bother with a blog.

 

[Mikemfg]

As above a good source of info...

Thanks for sharing..

 

[rolosroller]

Great info .
Eating out £578 (8 meals - 2 at £100 plus)
Groceries' (inc. Alcohol) £1100
You would of probably spent that in the uk anyway.
So all in a great price .

 

[VXman]

Great info .
Eating out £578 (8 meals - 2 at £100 plus)
Groceries' (inc. Alcohol) £1100
You would of probably spent that in the uk anyway.
So all in a great price .

Exactly. I actually find we spend more money when at home than when away.

Certainly that trip didn't really 'cost' us anything. It was paid easily out of our income for those two months. (As well as paying out home expenses - water, gas, electric, council tax, car insurance X2 etc etc)

 

[VXman]

Thanks. We came in around £4800 for six weeks, but didn't wild camp as much as you after the mechanical problems. We also liked using the marinas which were relatively cheap. I guess that's almost double what we spend for six weeks in France and Spain where we do use free aires a lot more. Nonetheless we felt it was less expensive than many suggest, especially when you allow for two ferries, or a ferry and an expensive bridge to get there.

It's really what works for individuals isn't it? We probably wouldn't go back in the motorhome. Norway is wonderful and a great example of what a country could be, but for us it was too much driving, average food, not enough history or culture and although beautiful we feel we have seen enough of the scenery and it's not worth the effort to drive there for more. In a few years we would however take the boat up the coast or fly to Tromso and hire a car. The trouble is there are so many countries to see.

Next year backpacking in Japan for us. In the meantime we plan to go to France for all of September, maybe Spain if the weather doesn't play ball. Nice and easy and we shan't bother with a blog.

There certainly is history and culture in Norway - more in the cities and towns and then stuff like Stave churches and historic fishing villages. As a nerd about big infrastructure projects I enjoyed the hydro electric stations and dams too.

However, I was happy to steer clear of lot of this on this trip as on this trip it was mostly about landscapes, mountains, hiking and cold water swimming for the wife!

We did 3 weeks in Japan last November. Loved it and would definitely go back to do more one day.

Next trip in the motorhome is Morocco in October/November for a little more chilled time. My wife missed the sun and the relaxing in Norway.!

 

[Wanders from Glos]

There certainly is history and culture in Norway - more in the cities and towns and then stuff like Stave churches and historic fishing villages. As a nerd about big infrastructure projects I enjoyed the hydro electric stations and dams too.

However, I was happy to steer clear of lot of this on this trip as on this trip it was mostly about landscapes, mountains, hiking and cold water swimming for the wife!

We did 3 weeks in Japan last November. Loved it and would definitely go back to do more one day.

Next trip in the motorhome is Morocco in October/November for a little more chilled time. My wife missed the sun and the relaxing in Norway.!

Ha ha we are with your wife in this.

History used to create an income for me so I’m fairly well read up on it. There is history everywhere obviously, but it feels less complex and varied than other parts of Europe. That of course makes sense since it is more remote and has a comparatively smaller population.

 

[Saucer]

Thank you VXman. We’re looking at a possible late spring trip next year. We need to stick to 50 days because of insurance. It looks like we could get around a lot of it.

 

[bobnick]

Still on my list of places to go in a van.
Concur about prices for diesel in Germany. I paid €2.65 at one point earlier in the month.

 

[grasscutter]

Thankyou. Really hoping to head that way next May allowing around 90 days.

 

[Saucer]

Thankyou. Really hoping to head that way next May allowing around 90 days.

Do you mind me asking how you cover the travel insurance? It seems prohibitively expensive to me.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

If it helps ours is through our Nationwide Flexiplus bank account. I think we may have paid a small fee for medical issues and to extend it to 60 days.

The account costs £18 per month but includes mobile phone and breakdown cover in addition to health cover. When we broke down earlier this month just south of the Norwegian Arctic Circle the cover worked perfectly.

 

[grasscutter]

Do you mind me asking how you cover the travel insurance? It seems prohibitively expensive to me.

We get insurance for single trips of 90 days. Latest one is for 90 days in Europe. I list three medical conditions and three for my wife and the cost is £325 with insure with ease.com.

 

[Jewellbags]

So I didn't do a blog for this trip. Far too busy! I did do a polar steps so if anyone wants a little more detail I'll put the link at the end of the post.

We spent 8 weeks on this trip. Just over 6 weeks of those in Norway.

Basic route was:
Dover - Calais, Tecklenburg, Flensburg, Ribe, Hitshals
Ferry to Norway (Kristiansand)
Toures the south west (Vestland) and up to Trondhiem including the Alantic Way.
Hotfooted it up to Tromso
Down through Lofoton Islands
Ferry to Bodo
Route 17 coastal road to Steinkjer
Across to Oslo
Down to Malmo and the Bridge across to Copenhagen.
West to Denmark and back down through Germany and the Netherlands to Calais.

Total Distance 6000 miles.

Costs:
Fuel £1500
Ferries Dover to Calais/Denmark to Norway £500
Ferries in Norway £230 (set up an AutoFerje account. Prepay - 50% discount on all crossings)
Tolls in Norway £63 (signed up with FLYT)
Other tolls £178 (including £106 for the Malmo-Copenhagen Bridge)
Camping/overnight parking £388 (16 nights)
Eating out £578 (8 meals - 2 at £100 plus)
Groceies (inc. Alcohol) £1100
Visits to attractions £252 (Just 6 paid outings)
Cash - £40 but not really needed. Everything paid by phone except fuel where a card was often needed.
Custom charges for importing beer, wine and a bottle of whisky -£60. Given the prices over there worth it!

Total - under £5000. Not bad for 2 months and 6000 miles.

A few general random thoughts.

One of my favorite trips ever even though the weather wasn't great a lot of the time.
Norway driving standards and road are fantastic.
Didn't need to spend much money visiting places. So much scenery that is free, Walks, fjords, waterfalls, mountains.
Norweigans are big motorhomers too. Never seen so many parked outside their houses as well as on the road.
Yes, it's popular for motorhomers but it's easy to feel that there is no one around too.
Off Grid camping it plentiful and fabulous. Motorhome parking in the cities/towns is expensive and often just a car park.
Norway was cheap for Diesel. Germany was expensive!!!
We did the longest tunnel in the world, one of the deepest undersea tunnels.
An undersea tunnel that was positively leaking!

Link to my polarsteps

View attachment 1243116View attachment 1243119View attachment 1243121View attachment 1243122View attachment 1243127View attachment 1243128

How far in advance did you book the two main ferries in Denmark and Norway ?

 

[VXman]

How far in advance did you book the two main ferries in Denmark and Norway ?

I just booked the one ferry - from Hirtshals to Kristiansand. I booked it mid February for 5th June sailing.

I came back over the bridge from Malmö Sweden to Copenhagen Denmark. Boooked that just the day before.

 

[VXman]

Do you mind me asking how you cover the travel insurance? It seems prohibitively expensive to me.

Nationwide here too. It's £18 a month and then cost £97 to upgrade to a 60 day trip and £60 for the year for 3 medical conditions between the 2 of us.

p.s. The £18 per month includes breakdown cover for the motorhome and our 2 cars breakdown in UK and Europe also.

I think it's good value.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

How far in advance did you book the two main ferries in Denmark and Norway ?

For comparison we booked our ferry to Kristiansand from Hirtshals the day before. Booking further ahead might be cheaper though?

 

[Gary S]

So I didn't do a blog for this trip. Far too busy! I did do a polar steps so if anyone wants a little more detail I'll put the link at the end of the post.

We spent 8 weeks on this trip. Just over 6 weeks of those in Norway.

Basic route was:
Dover - Calais, Tecklenburg, Flensburg, Ribe, Hitshals
Ferry to Norway (Kristiansand)
Toures the south west (Vestland) and up to Trondhiem including the Alantic Way.
Hotfooted it up to Tromso
Down through Lofoton Islands
Ferry to Bodo
Route 17 coastal road to Steinkjer
Across to Oslo
Down to Malmo and the Bridge across to Copenhagen.
West to Denmark and back down through Germany and the Netherlands to Calais.

Total Distance 6000 miles.

Costs:
Fuel £1500
Ferries Dover to Calais/Denmark to Norway £500
Ferries in Norway £230 (set up an AutoFerje account. Prepay - 50% discount on all crossings)
Tolls in Norway £63 (signed up with FLYT)
Other tolls £178 (including £106 for the Malmo-Copenhagen Bridge)
Camping/overnight parking £388 (16 nights)
Eating out £578 (8 meals - 2 at £100 plus)
Groceies (inc. Alcohol) £1100
Visits to attractions £252 (Just 6 paid outings)
Cash - £40 but not really needed. Everything paid by phone except fuel where a card was often needed.
Custom charges for importing beer, wine and a bottle of whisky -£60. Given the prices over there worth it!

Total - under £5000. Not bad for 2 months and 6000 miles.

A few general random thoughts.

One of my favorite trips ever even though the weather wasn't great a lot of the time.
Norway driving standards and road are fantastic.
Didn't need to spend much money visiting places. So much scenery that is free, Walks, fjords, waterfalls, mountains.
Norweigans are big motorhomers too. Never seen so many parked outside their houses as well as on the road.
Yes, it's popular for motorhomers but it's easy to feel that there is no one around too.
Off Grid camping it plentiful and fabulous. Motorhome parking in the cities/towns is expensive and often just a car park.
Norway was cheap for Diesel. Germany was expensive!!!
We did the longest tunnel in the world, one of the deepest undersea tunnels.
An undersea tunnel that was positively leaking!

Link to my polarsteps

View attachment 1243116View attachment 1243119View attachment 1243121View attachment 1243122View attachment 1243127View attachment 1243128

Planning on visiting Norway next year, so this is very useful.

Can't get your Polar Steps link to work though