Norway 2025

[Hartley]

Im in the early stages of planning a trip Norway next year. 2 up with the boss on the back so camping and no en-suite is not an option. Its going to be hotels.
I cheat a bit when planning tours and check out the tour companies and see what they do and tweak to suit our preferences.
I watched TMFs tour to the Arctic Circle with Motorrad and its seems pretty good though id rather a not have some of the very long days so will add a couple of days to the tour.
Idea is to go mid August about 17-19 days.
Their route goes from Hook of Holland to Kiel for the ferry to Oslo. Then up inland Norway to Lillehammer, Trondhiem, Mo I Rana. Then South on the west coast to Namsos, Alesund, Bergen, then heading easterly back to Oslo.

I have a couple of questions for anyone that has knowledge of this area.
Anyone see anything i should definitely add in or not bother with?
Should i carry on south from Bergen and get the ferry from Kritiansand to Denmark ?

Also any tip on anything would be appreciated.


Thanks
Hartley

 

[Wapping]

I cheat a bit when planning tours and check out the tour companies and see what they do and tweak to suit our preferences.

It matters not one jot, where you get ideas and suggestions from.

 

[Davey B]

A good 'cheat' imho. Doing the same next year...well, in our moho in May and June. I've watched a few youtube videos and the usual things that recur are Lofoten Islands, Atlantic Road, Tromso, Stave Churches, Nigardsbreen Glacier.... will watch this thread with interest from those who've been and alter plans accordingly (bearing in mind our mode of travel...plan to do it by bike, solo in 2026)

 

[leadfarmer]

Yep

Norway here we come - July 2024

Again, thanks all for the help and advice - tis greatly appreciated. I've yet to sit down and get stuck into the planning for the trip. Half of me is saying plan nothing and just follow the nice weather (if there is any!). But it's definitely good to have a few pointers on what to see and...

www.ukgser.com

 

[Pukmeister]

Should be much easier once they finish the Fehmart belt tunnel in a few years time.

 

[snelly]

Im in the early stages of planning a trip Norway next year. 2 up with the boss on the back so camping and no en-suite is not an option. Its going to be hotels.
I cheat a bit when planning tours and check out the tour companies and see what they do and tweak to suit our preferences.
I watched TMFs tour to the Arctic Circle with Motorrad and its seems pretty good though id rather a not have some of the very long days so will add a couple of days to the tour.
Idea is to go mid August about 17-19 days.
Their route goes from Hook of Holland to Kiel for the ferry to Oslo. Then up inland Norway to Lillehammer, Trondhiem, Mo I Rana. Then South on the west coast to Namsos, Alesund, Bergen, then heading easterly back to Oslo.

I have a couple of questions for anyone that has knowledge of this area.
Anyone see anything i should definitely add in or not bother with?
Should i carry on south from Bergen and get the ferry from Kritiansand to Denmark ?

Also any tip on anything would be appreciated.


Thanks
Hartley

Try having a look at this guy's posts; although i'am presuming you wont be going in winter; or camping; i'm afraid i can't get it to the screen for you;

 

[Hartley]

Should be much easier once they finish the Fehmart belt tunnel in a few years time.

Some clever buggers about eh.

 

[glenn2926]

We did a very similar route last year. We also looked at the Motorrad tour. I would certainly recommend the Lofoton islands. The Atlantic road was a bit meh really. Trollstigen was ok ish.
Mo I Rana was an interesting little place. Trondhiem was a lovely little city with some great brew pubs. We finished with a night in Oslo using an air b&b. Again a nice city with good bars and restaurants.
The Kiel-Oslo ferry is like a cruise liner really with very good cabins and numerous eating places.
We stayed in Hamburg the night before the ferry.
I registered both bikes to ferry pay from my bank account and this made boarding and using the very numerous ferries much easier. We got a ferry from Bodo to the Lofoton islands but came back off the islands further north.
Alesund was an interesting place on our way South.

 

[Daffy]

We’ve just come back in the van and talking to a local in Tromso we were told that if they want to get anywhere quickly then go over into Sweden as it’s always quicker (we were talking about covering distance.

We went up the Baltic coast of Sweden and it was beautiful although the views when travelling weren’t as good as the west coast of Norway.

Gothenburg is a beautiful city as is delft if you want a stop over.

We left in the middle of August which almost everyone said was too late in the year, the one person that didn’t was a work college that did his National service in the Norwegian army in the far north, he said August and September was the time to go and as things worked out that was the only time we could go - I think I had shorts on every day although it did get chilly when the sun set.

We did just over 6,000 miles straight up the Baltic coast to Nordkapp and back down the west coast of Norway, it really was stunning.

Happy to help if I can.

 

[Hatcho]

Meself and the boss did a wee bit of touring around Norway in July. I put together a trip report which might be of use to you...
Linky

Pop me a message if you want more detail, happy to help out. We're also planning to return next summer, there's so much more to see and do, t'would be rude not to.

 

[Hartley]

Thanks all for the replies:
Glenn2926:
Ive looked at doing the same thing to the Lofoton Islands but for us it just adds to much time to the trip, i already want to add a couple of days to the Motorrad schedule to keep the days a little more relaxed. That said, if i win euro millions tomorrow.....
Hamburg a good shout, never been there.

Daffy:
Some trip that! Weve done a fair bit of looking into when to go and it seems mid August maybe just after the Norweigen holidays so possibly a bit quieter.

Hatcho,
I was reading your tales yesterday, what an incredible trip. Some of the digs looked fabulous too. Thanks for tips on Bergen, for some reason my misses is bonkers about funicular railways so she'll be made up. Personally id like to wing it a bit on accomadation but the boss prefers to know wheres shes heading and staying.

 

[boatman]

Lot of good advice on there
Mine would be Do NOT miss the Lofoten isles ,,, as it is stunningly beautiful !

 

[dub 24]

Im in the early stages of planning a trip Norway next year. 2 up with the boss on the back so camping and no en-suite is not an option. Its going to be hotels.
I cheat a bit when planning tours and check out the tour companies and see what they do and tweak to suit our preferences.
I watched TMFs tour to the Arctic Circle with Motorrad and its seems pretty good though id rather a not have some of the very long days so will add a couple of days to the tour.
Idea is to go mid August about 17-19 days.
Their route goes from Hook of Holland to Kiel for the ferry to Oslo. Then up inland Norway to Lillehammer, Trondhiem, Mo I Rana. Then South on the west coast to Namsos, Alesund, Bergen, then heading easterly back to Oslo.

I have a couple of questions for anyone that has knowledge of this area.
Anyone see anything i should definitely add in or not bother with?
Should i carry on south from Bergen and get the ferry from Kritiansand to Denmark ?

Also any tip on anything would be appreciated.


Thanks
Hartley

Have a chat with Hatcho here. He done it this year 2 up and loved it so much he is heading back next year

 

[ATT]

According to my German friends, the Lofoten place is amazing and there is an abundance of large cod and halibut to be caught, they used to go there to fish.

The way they spoke of Norway makes me want to go....I don`t do cold though.

 

[glenn2926]

According to my German friends, the Lofoten place is amazing and there is an abundance of large cod and halibut to be caught, they used to go there to fish.

The way they spoke of Norway makes me want to go....I don`t do cold though.

We were in shorts and tee shirts every day last August. A very small amount of rain but still warm though. It did seem very strange to be wearing shorts way above the Arctic Circle.
Sat outside drinking beers above the Arctic Circle. Great trip.

 

[Hartley]

Its very much looking like Lofoton is not to be missed. Its probably going to be the only trip we do to Norway so id rather do it properly. Ill just have to see if i can make it work time wise.

 

[Bem]

Its very much looking like Lofoton is not to be missed. Its probably going to be the only trip we do to Norway so id rather do it properly. Ill just have to see if i can make it work time wise.

If I went again I would want to see the Lofotens.
Cruisng up from Kiel was great, but for the return I would now come back via Denmark, just to ring the changes and avoid the roadworks of Northern Gernamy.
We went all the way there just to catch covid........

 

[Hartley]

If I went again I would want to see the Lofotens.
Cruisng up from Kiel was great, but for the return I would now come back via Denmark, just to ring the changes and avoid the roadworks of Northern Gernamy.
We went all the way there just to catch covid........

oh bugger. Hope you’re better soon.
That is a consideration, maybe kiel ferry one way and Denmark ferry the other.

 

[Hartley]

Been continuing my research and think I’ve just about sorted. Very similar to the Motorrad one with a couple of mods.
Ferry to Hook of Holland.
Bremen 1 night
Kiel to Olso ferry.
Lillehammer 1 night
Trondheim. 1 night
Mo I Rana. 1 night
Bognes 1 night. ( for ferry to Lofoton)
Lofoton islands 2 nights
Ferry to Bodo and Mo I Rana 1 night.
Namsos 1 night
Kristensund 1 night
Alesund 2 nights
Bergen 1 night
Kongsberg 1 night
Oslo ferry back to Kiel and dash to the ferry back to Blighty.

I did consider getting the ferry to Denmark and seeing more of the south of Norway but time constraints and the fact that that’s relatively easy to get to i figured I’d maybe leave that for another trip.

 

[glenn2926]

Been continuing my research and think I’ve just about sorted. Very similar to the Motorrad one with a couple of mods.
Ferry to Hook of Holland.
Bremen 1 night
Kiel to Olso ferry.
Lillehammer 1 night
Trondheim. 1 night
Mo I Rana. 1 night
Bognes 1 night. ( for ferry to Lofoton)
Lofoton islands 2 nights
Ferry to Bodo and Mo I Rana 1 night.
Namsos 1 night
Kristensund 1 night
Alesund 2 nights
Bergen 1 night
Kongsberg 1 night
Oslo ferry back to Kiel and dash to the ferry back to Blighty.

I did consider getting the ferry to Denmark and seeing more of the south of Norway but time constraints and the fact that that’s relatively easy to get to i figured I’d maybe leave that for another trip.

Very similar to our trip last year. I had a night between getting off the Oslo ferry and catching the Hull ferry. With hindsight I think I would have been ok getting from kiel to Rotterdam in the day.