Norway and looking ahead

[CamperManLez]

I sure all are planning there post lock-down trips, I am including a plan for Norway. Is there any pointers to good websites or guides that show the must see / do things and maybe info on campsites etc? I do walking / photography and some cycling as my pastime so some focus on that.
I am thinking the lower half of Norway for this first trip, any recommendations on the best time of year for a lengthy visit.
?
Cheers

 

[Andy1954]

I have 2 years to freedom and Norway is on my list so will look forward to the replies you receive

 

[PJGWiltshire]

Norway is such a long way to travel. We went in 2015 (Two months) and still look back with fond memories. There are so many areas to concentrate on. The question I would ask is how long do you intend to be in Norway for. It takes around 5 days each way to get there. Come back with that info and many who have been will respond.
Just for info, although the roads in the main are good they are not high speed expressways so getting from A to B takes a bit more time. ie 50 miles is not 50 minutes. Add an extra hour and that is without stopping all the time. So if it is your intention to go to the top end that again takes a great deal of time..

 

[nicholsong]

I sure all are planning there post lock-down trips, I am including a plan for Norway. Is there any pointers to good websites or guides that show the must see / do things and maybe info on campsites etc? I do walking / photography and some cycling as my pastime so some focus on that.
I am thinking the lower half of Norway for this first trip, any recommendations on the best time of year for a lengthy visit.
?
Cheers

Depends what you mean by a lenthy visit and how you intend getting there.

Remember Norway, although not EU, is in Schengen and you will be limited after the Transition Period to whatever rules for stays exist then, and from the time you enter the first Schengen country till the time you leave Schenge. You may have to wait till later this year to know the rules.

Geoff

 

[DBK]

If you rummage about on this site there is some useful stuff. It's written in Troll-speak but some browsers should translate it.

Bobilverden

En nettavis for deg i bobil. Redaksjonelle artikler med nyheter fra og om bransjen. Om reiser med bobil, reisemål, bobilparkering, bobilplass, tømmestasjon og camping.

bobilverden.no

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[pandas]

On the Norwegian Tourist web site there are some great road tours - around 10 I believe.

 

[CamperManLez]

Thanks to all for the replies and good info, I will be filing all away in the reference file.
I am retired now so trips can be as open ended as I like, Norway via Denmark could last two months, then I can allow for any weather issues , I am thinking I just have to keep the return ferry bookings flexible.
And yes I understand the new visa-less visit regs will come into the picture next year but I think the Brit's will get 90 days at least. We give 6 months to anyone applying and getting a passport issued visit visa so that could be sorted as well.
Cheers

 

[Interceptor]

Hi I did a Scandinavian in 2006 and loved it although I have to say it was in a classic car.
Now this is where you will have to forgive my spelling as it's not my strong point.
We got the ferry DFDS Harwich to Esjberg in Denmark and drove and stayed in Copenhagen then drove over the bridge ( storsbelt ) to Sweden and stayed in Goteburg in a floating hotel go into the town and eat at the Jensen stakehouse.
Then up to Oslo stayed out of season in a sking hotel over looking the town.
The following day the bomb went off in the square we had been so the plan changed.
We headed across county to Bergin and this is were my memory not that good.
We called a the port of flam but if you want to go on the railway up the hill avoid the cruse ships.
At breakfast all we could see is the pointy bit of the ship.
We called at water plant that you access via a wooden serpention bridge (only with special permit ) that we bombed to stop the Germans getting hold of it Kirk Douglas made a film it was all over the walls
And we crossed a fyrod on a ferry I only remember that as I lifted the bonnet to check the gearbox and engine while on the dock and could next get it down for folk asking questions.
In Bergin get the tram to the top the veins are to die for and on the same side of the harbour are all them wonky shops with very small ally ways.
We also drove up a mountain with loads of switch back great fun in a tall happy car.
You got a cable car inside the mountain to the top of Gaustabannen.
And Volvo museam is a must.
If your interested I can dig out some pics but offspring number two has got my mac again
I'm sure I have forgot loads but do it you will love and the people are ever so friendly.
Due to the long dark winters and long daylight summers.
The only word of caution I would give is make sure you have good headlamps you will have to drive with on all the time.
And if your not in a tunnel your on a road canterlevered off the hillside.

 

[TerryL]

We travelled right up to Nordkapp couple of years ago, May-June time, routing France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland (to visit Father Christmas!) then Norway. We returned south through Norway but due to a problem with the van cut it a bit short so missed out the SW corner, which is supposed to be the most scenic. Had planned to return (this week was the planned date) but obviously circumstances put the kybosh on that. Still on our radar though. Were away for 6 weeks and it was a lot of driving. Norways roads are not very good and definitely slow so for a quick transit north or south head into Sweden where it's much faster - and cheaper too!

Have a look at the Scandinavia section in the Touring threads, lots of info there.

 

[jumartoo]

I did some threads in the Scandi section. They are long and covered other countries as well, but skip through to the Norway bit.

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[bladerunner]

What is your MH? Ive been Norway twice. Once in 8m MH and once on bike tour.
bike was fantastic and 26’c above the arctic circle.
IMO;
Norway is all about the fantastic scenery. So if weather v poor (we had snow high in July) there is less to do.
food booze and lodgings v expensive so MH makes sense.
Many great bridges and tunnels - but: expensive tolls and of course in a long tunnel (some are 40km+) you don’t see the scenery.

Would I go again - definite - 3 weeks min now as no direct ferry to Norway or Denmark. So harwich to hook of holland. Then a few days to Kiel and HUGE ferry to OSLO. Most roads good for MH but a couple needed care around corners.

 

[pandas]

We travelled right up to Nordkapp couple of years ago, May-June time, routing France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland (to visit Father Christmas!) then Norway. We returned south through Norway but due to a problem with the van cut it a bit short so missed out the SW corner, which is supposed to be the most scenic. Had planned to return (this week was the planned date) but obviously circumstances put the kybosh on that. Still on our radar though. Were away for 6 weeks and it was a lot of driving. Norways roads are not very good and definitely slow so for a quick transit north or south head into Sweden where it's much faster - and cheaper too!

Have a look at the Scandinavia section in the Touring threads, lots of info there.

Yes we understand most Norwegian’s travel into Sweden to head to the far north. Our experience, after counting over 3million trees the journey north was a tad dull, not like say Canada where the scenery is more dramatic. Don’t get me wrong Sweden is beautiful but we found the long haul to the very north had finishing returns.

 

[CamperManLez]

All great points and advice, thanks again. The headlights, I did not think about that and will need to make sure I have spare bulbs if it’s the law over there. My van is a PVC / Boxer / XLWB. It’s comes in at 6.8m with the scooter carrier on the back, I see replies from those with longer vans having done ok so I should be fine. Interesting comments about the standard of roads, I thought Norway would have done better with all the money they have? I am thinking my first trip will take me no father up than say a horizontal line across from Alesund, the maps show a lot of National parks below the area. I will check out the Scandinavian section on the forum.
Thanks to all, appreciated.

 

[Interceptor]

Forgot to mention all countries use the kronor but not all the same but are all different rates too.
Driving from Denmark you can head up and get the ferry or down for the bridge orssand it's on stilts either side with a Humber bit in the middle.
On the way back we did Kristansand to hirsstalls.
Also check the time of year because it law to have winter tyres on until quite late.
The harwich ferry is not on all year round.
And the price of beer is horrendous more expensive than petrol.
I removed the rear seat swobs and one side was full of cans
There is off license but state run.

 

[lorger]

We did a 4 week trip about 5 years ago as our last family holiday before our daughter went off to uni and loved it, we went via Newcastle to Amsterdam then drove to Travmunde (spelling might be wrong). We spent the night there before getting the ferry to a place just along from Malmo, we stayed in Malmo two nights and got the train to Copenhagen for a day out. We then went up the west coast of Sweden for a few days before heading in to Norway where we drove to Flam before heading back to Oslo then ferry to Denmark.

We bought a book called Nordic camper which give you a loads of Aire's and CL type sites, we stayed in harbours, private airport, shipyard and village halls which where all lovely.

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[jumartoo]

Look on the internet for Our Bumble. They did a blog including Scandinavia (they were members on here for a time also). I'll have to search and see what's happening with them now .

 

[DDJC]

Been looking at the travel aspect of this for a while now as we really want to see the Aurora in Norway.

Of course the golden fleece is the reinstatement of the Newcastle to Stavanger, Bergen, and Haugesund ferry. This ceased in 2008, and despite a couple of attempts to restart it, it isn't looking likely any time soon. But maybe post-Brexit?

Scotland is also looking at it as recently as 2018 and also here.

So for most, it's the long drag through Belgium, Holland and Denmark to Hirtshals. From Hirtshals you can get to Brevik, Kristiansand or can get as far north as Bergen. You could even take your motorhome to the Faroe Islands or even Iceland, but it is incredibly expensive. Two people and a motorhome would cost the thick end of four grand.

BUT, and this is not well known, how about looking at the Ghent (Belgium) to Brevik service? Two hours from Calais and has limited space for passengers, but no pets and no children under 14 years. We can't go for two years as one of mine is 12

Anyway, I wrote to DFDS a few months ago and asked them why their Immingham to Brevik roll-on roll-off ferry wouldn't take motorhomes.

I received a surprising reply which I will paraphrase.

They will take your motorhome to Brevik and they will bring it back. But they won't take people unless they are freight drivers, i.e. no leisure passengers. So they will bring your motorhome over, but you need to fly back and forth, which defeats the object somewhat, but I guess, you only need hand luggage

They said that although limited, their on-board accommodation is completely suitable for leisure passengers and they would like to be able to offer the service to UK motorhomers and caravanners. But they can't.

The reason DFDS can't? It is ridiculous, but our Government in the person of the UK Border Force, refuses to allow Immingham to accept leisure passengers. That is the only reason. Sure there would be a cost to build a new terminal, but so what? Everyone now seems to hate polluting, cramped, coronavirus petri-dish planes and airports, so why not have more ferries? It's got to be safer, easier to social distance and more eco-friendly to go by ship? The Immingham to Gothenburg, Sweden, service can also no longer accept leisure passengers for the same reason.

The fact that it is do-able is exemplified by the Ghent service.

So I wrote to my MP and the Transport Secretary a few weeks before Coronavirus became big news, so understandably haven't had a response yet.

So it can be done, but could be so much easier if the government thought a little bit more out of the box. Maybe if more of us wrote to our MPs? I'm attaching my letter if you fancy it, and currently, they probably have the time to do something about it.

 

[CamperManLez]

Again thanks to all for the useful info, plenty to think through over this summer
cheers

 

[Terry Sweet]

motorroaming.com has a lot of info brocken into sections well worth a read