Norway Trip Advise - Driving, Places etc

[anat1]

<p>Dear PNers,<br>

I come back to you for more expert travel advise (esp. from a photog perspective).</p>

<p>My wife and I will be visiting Norway for about 10 days between last week of May and 1st week of June. As we are more of nature lovers rather than city type people, we are planning to spend a large part of the trip in the outdoors (rather than in Oslo or the other cities). While we would have also liked to spend quality time in the city, the 10 day travel time requires we make compromises.</p>

<p>We would like to see (in no particular order) 1) Jotunheimen, 2) Naeroyfjord & Hardangerfjord, 3) Stavanger's Pulpit Rock & Lysefjord, and lastly 4) the Lofoten Islands. On the way we will go through Bergen (either to get to Stavanger or to get to Lofoten, through a flight to Bodo).</p>

<p>With just 10 days, it isn't clear if we can fit these in and still get a reasonable sense of the places (obviously, many months maybe ideally required). Also, we will be driving most of the route - except we will fly to Bodo and then drive to Lofoten Islands from there. So driving time will also need to be considered.</p>

<p>Questions:<br>

a. Are we being too ambitious for a 10 day trip? Should we instead just trim the places to 3 (that will give approx 3 days per area) - if so which place of the 4 would you recommend we drop?</p>

<p>b. What are the driving, road conditions to / between these places? Specifically: from Oslo to Jotunheimen, from Jotunheimen to Bergen (via Naeroyfjor, Hardangerfjord) and from Bergen to Stavanger. Some people have told me that on the west side of the country (where the fjords are), driving can be tricky. How would the roads be late May/early June?</p>

<p>c. Would you instead recommend some other place(s) over the 4 listed above?</p>

<p>Many thanks in advance for your expert opinions!</p>

<p> </p>

[pcnilssen]

<p>Hi a n,<br>

I'll come back to you on a) and c)<br>

Roads are quite good in May/June with most of the snow on the high passes gone. The "best" (to be read "where you can have the highest speeds) roads are the one nearest Oslo. When not driving on the highways (where the speed limit is 90/100 km/hour), I would plan on travelling approx 60 km/hour, especially on the western roads, where the roads are quite narrow and with lots of curves. Several minor roads have parts where there is room for only one vehicle at a time, so you might have to wait for oncoming traffic in small waiting pockets along the road. Adding to the fact that many of the locals know every inch of the road, they drive a bit too fast...... <br>

However, with a bit of caution, the roads are not tricky, unless you travel with a caravan. I would not recommend that if you are not used to it. (But then again, I don't know whether you will arrive in Norway by car or by plane and rent a car here)<br>

Plan lots of photo stops en route - especially at jotunheimen and at the Hardanger Fjord, you will, from a photog's standpoint, want to stop often..... :)</p>

<p> </p>

[anat1]

<p>Thank you for the very useful information, Per-Christian.</p>

<p>We will be flying into Norway and then renting a car. We are not sure whether to fly into Oslo and then drive from there trough Jotunheimen to the west side or whether to fly into Bergen and jsut stick to the west side and drive to Jotunheimen (not going to Oslo).</p>

<p>I'm glad to know the roads will be decent. 60 km/hr should be fine - provides more opportunity to see the sights. The single-car roads and the needing to backup in reverse are what worries me. Hopefully we will get through it. Are there many instances where the roads only handle single cars near the fjords, or is this a rare occurence?</p>

<p>Are there any specific scenic drives / routes you would recommend along these routes?</p>

<p>Hoping to hear back regarding the other questions too.</p>

<p>Thank you again!</p>

<p>Other PNers also please do pitch in.</p>

<p> </p>

[pcnilssen]

<p>Please do not be afraid of the roads. Even if some are narrow, you will not experience any problems driving an ordinary car. If some parts should be somewhat narrow ( older roads) there are lots of waiting zones a few hundred meters apart, so if you drive with a bit of caution, you will not experience any problems. Remember, these roads are used by many hundreds of cars every day. You have probably heard of those "tricky roads" by some tourist who has heard of someone pulling a caravan - and not all roads on the western part are made for novice caravaners.</p>

<p>Even though I was born and raised in Oslo, I do not think you should start you holiday there, since you state that are not the city type... (OK - I expect some flak from other Norwegians and Oslo-patriots here.. ;) ) One option is to go by plane to Stavanger (on the south-western part), rent a car there, and go to Bergen via Pulpit Rock/Lysefjord and Rosendal. The Hardanger Fjord is a must, with possibilities of fruit tree blossoming, The fjords meeting the steep mountain sides, and the Glacier Folgefonna.</p>

<p>When at the Hardangerfjord, I would also take a small detour to Bergen. Even though you are not "city folks", Bergen is very small, and has a lot of pittoresque buildings and areas. I do not think you would regret that - lots of photo ops.</p>

<p>From there I would travel to the Jotunheimen mountains, and if you have the time to do so, take the "Atlantic Road" before you head on to Trondheim. I'd leave the car there, and take a plane (or night train) to Bodø, before you start your Lofoten experience. From Bodø you can fly directly to Oslo, and take your international flight from there.</p>

<p>You can also find some information on tourist roads in Norway here: <a href="http://www.turistveg.no/en">http://www.turistveg.no/en</a></p>

<p>As you say yourself, many months would be ideally required, and you only have 10 days. It all depends on how much time you want to spend each place. If you find yourself short of time, I'd prefer flying directly to Bergen and skip the Lysefjorden/Rosendal part, but that's me .... YMMV.</p>

<p>Please don't hesitiate to contact me if you have any questions. If you don't want to post them - you can contact me by mail via the photo.net mailsystem.</p>

<p>Have a nice stay in Norway - and please, post pictures here on PN when you return home after your holiday.</p>

[pcnilssen]

<p>Other interesting places you might want to see (google them! ) are:<br>

Vøringsfossen water fall<br>

the city of Ålesund<br>

Geiranger<br>

Sognefjord<br>

Bud<br>

and a lot of other places I don't remember now (posting this at work ;) )</p>

 

[kevin_chow1]

<p>Keep in mind that if you fly from Trondheim to Bodø, depending on the booking you might have to do it via Oslo. I know that SAS use Oslo as a common hub for pretty much everything, so unless you can get on a smaller aircraft that "hops" between cities, or fly with the other airline (Norwegian), you might end up going via Oslo, which means a change and an extra leg. Per Christian might have more experience of inter-city flying, as I've never done Trondheim to Bodø - I only fly from London to Narvik via Oslo and back... a lot.</p>

<p>The Lofotens are a very stunning place in good weather, although whether you'd have gotten bored of the chiseled fjords by the time you get there, I don't know. There are a few touristy things that you can do in the summer around Svolvaer, like taking a short trip on a boat around some of the fjords and chucking fish to sea eagles that frequent those places, and if you're able to it might be worth getting a boat out to some of the outlying islands.</p>

<p>Have you thought about splitting your journey in half, doing Southern Norway in this 10 days, then coming back and doing the northern half in another 10 some other time? It's a very big country.</p>

[pcnilssen]

<p>After I wrote my last reply, I started thinking of what Kevin later said in his post. I also fear that you may be bored of too many fjords, mountains and car travelling. </p>

<p>I have checked with the airline SAS, and there are a few daily Non-stop flights between Trondheim and Bodø, so you don't neccessarily have to go to Oslo first.</p>

<p>However, If you fear that there may be too many fjords and mountains, I have another suggestion for you, which really should trigger the photographer in you: Split the holiday in 2: The first part you take either Southern (read Western) or Northern Norway (read: Lofoten). For the remaining days you could take a plane to Svalbard/Spitzbergen/Longyearbyen, where you also can take guided tours around. The snow is probably gone then, and if you are very lucky, you might see and photograph some animals: polar bears, reindeer, ......</p>

<p>How about that?</p>

 

[anat1]

<p>Per-Christian and Kevin, Thank you for your insightful suggestions and all the useful information.</p>

<p>I have also had some of these doubts - a) about whether we should just cover the south-west and b) wanting to go to Svalbard to see Polar bears :).</p>

<p>I thought Lofoten maybe a good compromise as its above the Artic Circle, would allow us to experience the midnight sun and maybe a change from the scenery of southern Norway. I didn't know that the scenery/landscapes in Lofoten would be very similar to the fjorden in Southern Norway. I was initially planning to fly to Lofoten from Bergen. Now I have second thoughts, if the scenery will be similar and as you say we may get bored of too many fjords :) (I know that is a touristy thing to say, but we would enjoy a diversity of landscapes if possible).</p>

<p>Svalbard is very intriguing and in fact we gravitated to Norway after reading about it. But I was not sure if we are going in a "window" season (end of May), where winter activites have stopped and summer activites have not yet begun. If that were the case, then we wouldn't have much to do in Svalbard as guided tours etc may not be available or there maybe very few of them. For instance, Hurtigruten seems to only offer week-long (or longer) cruises and mostly in the summer.</p>

<p>If you have any more information on Svalbard, we would be very much obliged. Per-Christian, You have already helped so much! Thank you so much.</p>

<p> </p>

[pcnilssen]

<p>I have never been to Lofoten (shame on me! ;) ) but I have seen different pictures in books and on web, and there are certain differences. While the fjords in western Norway are quite steep and narrow, the fjords are wider, and the nature consists more of islands and lots of fresh water. So if you should decide to do both Western Norway and Lofoten, I believe that you would find the landscapes so different that you as a photographer would appreciate visiting both parts. And of course, both the Western Norway and Lofoten has more to offer than just fjords and mountains ;) I can see from your member page here on PN that you like to take flower pictures, and I guess there are lots of possibilities there. Since I here on PN cannot link to images that are not mine, I would suggest that you google images from Lofoten, Sognefjord, Hardangerfjord and Geiranger, and you will probably see what I am thinking of.<br>

I hope that I have not confused you even further now... I just thought that I should moderate my previous thoughts of mountains and fjords and boredom. <br>

Regarding Svalbard, I suggest you visit this link: <a href="http://www.svalbard.net//index.php?c=1&kat=Home">http://www.svalbard.net//index.php?c=1&kat=Home</a> I am sure that the employees will help you with tour suggestions and what you can do in the end of May.</p>

<p> </p>

[pcnilssen]

<p>By the way, Hurtigruten is a very fine company, but if I were you, I would take a plane to Svalbard and sign up for local guiding there (ask the tourist board in the link above)</p>

[ingemar_lampa1]

<p>Although I'm Swedish, I always enjoy visiting Norway and actually recommend it over Sweden when people ask which Scandinavian country to visit, thanks to the stunning scenery.</p>

<p>I think that trying to do the west AND the north in 10 days may prove overambitious. Especially by car. To give an idea: I did Lofoten by car last autumn, drove from Sweden via Kiruna and Narvik. From Narvik to the end, Å, took just about exactly 12 hours of constant driving...only stopping for lunch, a few photo-stops and other pit-stops. I am not very used to Norwegian twisty roads either, so this should give you an idea of how long things take. And this was with perfect road and weather conditions. If I were to do it again, I would give it 3 days return trip, for sure.</p>

<p>Hurtigrutten is very nice and you don't have to do the whole thing in one go. You can hop on and off at various places along the way.</p>

<p>I would certainly take the opportunity to see (and take pictures) the midnight sun if you haven't seen or experienced it before and so just do the north. The further north, the nicer the light becomes. Lofoten then Tromsö and fly from there to Svalbard, why not? Or just drive all the way to North Cape? That would in my view take care of 10 days easily.</p>

<p>Here is a god website: <a href="http://www.visitnorway.com/">http://www.visitnorway.com/</a> (Although it is Northern Sweden which is known as "land of the midnight sun"...sorry Norwegian brothers! :)</p>

<p>Some pics I took during last years trip: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ingemarlampa/sets/72157625681344101/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/ingemarlampa/sets/72157625681344101/</a></p>

[ingemar_lampa1]

<p>This promo vide of Lofoten is quite nice:</p>

<p>Oh yes, National Geographic traveller guide has this road on the world top-five list...<br /></p>

<p><a href="http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Articles/Theme/What-to-do/Tour-suggestions/Follow-a-National-Tourist-Route/Lofoten-National-Tourist-Route/">http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Articles/Theme/What-to-do/Tour-suggestions/Follow-a-National-Tourist-Route/Lofoten-National-Tourist-Route/</a></p>

[pcnilssen]

<blockquote>

<p>Although it is Northern Sweden which is known as "land of the midnight sun"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Hah! ;) ;)</p>

[pasi_h_gg]

Do try to include Lofoten in your trip, it's quite an extraordinary place. It'll save you a good bit of driving and give glimpse of local living

if you take a ferry from Bodö to the southern tip of the lofoten and then drive up from there. Don't miss the stockfish and fishing

museum in Å village.

 

Driving in Norway is safe and the roads are good but progress can be kind of slow, as you've been warned above. Norway is also

ridiculously expensive even compared to my country Finland, but the scenery is truly out of this world.

 

Have a great trip, you made a very good choice of destination.

 

Pasi

[ingemar_lampa1]

<p>Pasi, kyllä sinun sanoissä on kaikkeä mitä lomalainen tarvitsee.</p>

[pcnilssen]

<p>And for those of you guys who wonders what Ingemar here says in Finnish, I'll translate: "Pasi, you are right. Norway is fantastic, and is certainly the land of the midnight sun, and is also the home of Santa Claus"</p>

<p>Just kidding. ;) <br>

Swedes and Norwegians always fight these small battles :) :)</p>

[pasi_h_gg]

Well everyone knows where those come from so the swedes and the norsemen might as well concentrate fighting over some of their

original attractions, like sour herring or who has the most angry mosquitoes...:-P

 

Take the ferry !

[anat1]

<p>Dear Per-Christian, Ingemar and Pasi,</p>

<p>Thank you very much for your thoughts and advise!! I'm very sorry for the late reply as I was away and wasn't able to login and reply on PN. But I did get all your very helpful replies through email.</p>

<p>Per-Christian, I did Google the images for the various places and they are truly breath-taking as well as being different. Apart from flowers, I also like taking landscape pics so all these places would be ideal. We have decided not to pursue Svalbard for now, as making a short visit to that area seems like it does not do justice. Plus, given its probably rare to see Polar bears, we may need to stay there for several days to actually see them.</p>

<p>Ingemar and Pasi, thank you for your recommendations regarding the Lofotens and your advise about driving. I too would very much like to visit the Lofotens and had the same idea of flying to Bodo, renting a car, taking the Bodo-Moskenes car ferry and then driving the National Tourist route starting from A (in the south) upto the Melbu ferry. Is it worth driving all the way upto Svolvaer in terms of better scenery / activities?</p>

<p>We have kind of settled on one of the three following itineraries:<br>

Trip 1. Fjord Norway (Bergen, Geirangerfjord, Jotunheimen, Sognedal, Naeroyfjord areas) + Lofoten Islands.<br>

or<br>

Trip 2. Fjord Norway (same as above) + Stavanger's Pulpit Rock hike and surrounding area including Lysefjord.<br>

or<br>

Trip 3. Fjord Norway (Same as above) + Hardangerfjord area.</p>

<p>In case of Trip 2, I am aware that Stavanger is again part of Fjord Norway area. But Pulpit Rock seems to be such an iconic natural attraction that I am finding it difficult to forgo hiking and seeing it :). Trip 3, is not so important unless you folks think Hardanfjord area should not be missed in Spring because of all the blooms.</p>

<p>So my dilemma comes down to choosing one of the following:<br>

- Lofotens<br>

- Pulpit Rock (and Lysefjord)<br>

- Hardangerfjord region</p>

<p>It may sound silly, but unfortunately there is only limited time. I'm also not sure if I will come back to Norway in the near future as there are other places to go to as well (plus who knows how circumstances will change). So if I had to pick one of these (in addition to the other places I wrote), which one should I not miss?</p>

<p>Again thank you for your patience, thoughtfulness and help. Much appreciated.</p>

<p> </p>

[pasi_h_gg]

I pretty much did your trip I a few years ago. I agree that 10 days is too little time for everything in Norway so you'll just have to

choose. I don't think you can really go wrong anywhere along the west coast. The drive from Trondheim to Bodö is a bit boring

although less difficult and slow than in the fjords.

 

The southern less inhabited and "more original" part of Lofoten is more to my taste. It could be worthwhile to save some time for

nature walks/tidepool watching/ maybe a boat trip depending the weather and your interests. The distances within the islands are not

that great. If You are interested in WWII history, Narvik is not that far away either...:-)

[anat1]

<p>Thanks Pasi. If we do Lofoten, we will spend more time in the southern areas as you suggest.</p>

<p>Could one of you tell me how rough the seas generally are during the Bodo-Lofoten(Moskenes) car-ferry crossing in May-June? We are slightly prone to getting sea-sick.</p>

<p>Also, how calm/rough are the waters within the fjords in the south - such as in Sognefjord, Geirangerfjord etc? We have some plans to go kayaking in one of the fjords - but aren't sure how choppy the waters will be. also is there a lot of boat / larger vessel traffic in the fjords?</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

<p> </p>