Norway info

On request of some members, I've tried to compile some info
about travelling and camping in Norway...
Because it's become a quite long story, I'm not sure if it should be placed in this forum, or just e-mailed to ppl interested in it...

Zwervers' Norway Information.

It would be nice if the information could be shared with all of us. Might not be going this year, but it could help with future planning.

Peter.

why not and how long???

I've e-mailed you anyway, but you cant beat a good story involving motorbikes. People can choose not to read it?

If nothing else, post some more photo's.

Zwerver you know you want to.

Big Gordy

and another thing

I've just checked, this is the first posting this month, so we are not exactly rushed off our feet on this section are we!!!

Big Gordy

Zwervers' Norway Information....

Hi Zwerver,

I'm going to Bergen, Flam and Oslo in a couple of weeks... accomodation there seems quite pricey, so any advice you could offer would be appreciated....

Cheers,

Paul.

1. Some general info....

GENERAL

ROADS/PETROL
The Norwegian mainroads are a motorcyclistst dream! Good surface, uncountable curves and bends!
The gravelroads through the mountains shouldn't be missed; although they ask a bit more concentration,
they lead to the most interesting places! Until now I haven't been on a gravelroad which wasn't doable for someone without off-road experience!
Except for the northern parts petrol is never a problem if you have a raduis of 200 km. Only when driving
from Alta into Finnland we had a 300 km trip without finding a place to fill-up.

CAMPINGS/CABINS
Camping in Norway is great, almost every camping is prepared for bad weather camping;
has a place dry and warm where you can cook, has decent hot showers ect.
2/3/4 person cabins (Hytter ledig = cabin free) can be found all over the country, and can be rented per night for about the same price as two tents would cost on a camping. In highseason you should be aware that you should find a place in time, for there are a lot of ppl travelling without a tent!
In all the years I've been there, bad weather made us hide in a hut to dry up only once or twice
every 3-week holliday...
Don't forget that free camping is allowed in Scandinavia, as long as you don't put your tent in somebody's
front garden! And if it's obvious who's the owner, ask them!
When camping in the mountainns, be aware to replace your tent every 24 hours, to spare the vegetation!

LANGUAGE
Only on a few occasions I came to a campingplace where the owner didnot speak English!

WEATHER
In midsummer in can be freezing; 3 years ago my sister drove over the Gammle Strynveijen in a snow blizzard; one week later we drove that route together with clear blue sky and 25 degrees celc.!
Near the Polarcircle we had our tents (and other parts) frozen on july 1st! 4 day's later we could wear our shorts on the NorthCape in the sun!
So bring warm and waterproof clothing, but don't forget some shorts and t-shirts as well!

FOOD
Norway is an expensive country to buy meet and fresh vegetables; But in summer there are a lot of
places along the road where you can buy strawberries, cherries ect. for more normal prices.
In supermarkets, look for the sticker "tilbut" which means special offer!
If you like to play around with a fishing-rod, the whole coast of Norway offers great opportunities
to extent your diet. But bring along heavier line then you use at home!!!!

2 (SOUTHERN NORWAY) INTERESTING ROADS/MUST SEE/MUST DO PLACES

I've tried to tell something about the more interesting things I've seen in 5 hollidays in Norway,
but it doesnot mean these are the only interesting places. These are just some places which
made a deep inpression on me when travelling through this great country
The names in capitals are not more important then the others, just a bit easier to find on a large-scale map!


STAVANGER region:


Prekestolen

Europe's highest vertical cliff. From the parking place it's a 1½ to 2 hour walk up, but a must see!!!
There's a good campingplace (with free boats to go fishing) in Jørpeland, a few miles north of the cliff.


Lysebotn

A small vilage at the end of the Lysefjord. An amazing road in / out of the Fjord. The camping is used as a basecamp for base-jumpers, who try to land again on the campingground!
Either take the 45 over Svartevatn, or a ferry over the Lysefjord from Lauvvik

BERGEN region:

Bergen:

Fish market, old city. The campingplaces around Bergen I cannot recommend to anybody!
Go to the city for a day trip!

Utne

Ancient rock drawings, very good fishing!
From Odda take the 550; between Utne and Jondal there's a great camping.

Eidfjord

Near Eidfjord there are some nice things to see: the Vøringvossen, the highest waterfall in Europe;
a small gravel road (with hairpins) road up the Hardangervida, with an amazing view over this national park.
A lot off elder ppl go up by buss and walk down for this region is famous for its healthy air!
A good camping place is in Ovre-Eidfjord where you can camp at a river where it ends in a lake!

.
SETESDALEN region (road 9 north of Kristiansand)

Along the 9 from Christiansand to the north near Evje there's a great picknick place at some waterfalls
where you can see ppl rafting down the falls. For me better to look at then to do!

Last year, on our way back to Christiansand, we camped on a place between Dalen and Åmot, on a camping next to a brigde; Great walk down a dried-up waterfall, and at night a moose 5 meters
from our tent in a swampy grassland at the lake!
From road 9 through the Setesdalen, at Valle, take the 45 to Dalen and from there the 37 to Åmot.

If you follow the 37 form Åmot to Rukjan, you can take very nice gravel road (easy to do even when fully packed pasenger) just after Rukjan over Austbygd to the Numedal.

NUMEDAL region

Geilo
Some great gravel roads through the mountaind to the Hallingdal.
If you follow road 40 north through the Numedal you arrive in Geilo, famous for it's hand-made knives, real wannahaves! A skilift brings yu up the mountains for a great wlk, with great views over Geilo and the Hardangervida. A trip along the northside of the national park over road 7 offers real good views.

Flåm
From Geilo, there's a great road to Flåm, where you should not miss a trip with the Flåmbanen, a very! steep railway into the mountains. Take a one way trip and walk back down, it's great!
From Geilo : 7 east to Gol, at Hol go right to Aurland (Auerlandsveijen). In Aurland go left to Flåm.
At the other side of the tunnel from Flam, in Gudvangen you find some not to spectacular campings,
but situated in for me one of the nicest fjords in Norway!

SOGNEFJORD region

If you plan to go more inland to the Jotunheimen (must see!!) there are more options:
Make an extra roundtrip : From Gudvangen follow road 13 to Hella and take a ferry to Dragsvik, and follow road 13. This road through the mountains is great! Follow the 5 back to Sogndal.
Or take the more quiet road to Øvre Årdal and from there the gravel road to the 55.

Near the highest point of the 55, there a small campingplace.

JOTUNHEIMEN region

Bøvredal
THe bøvredalen is famous for it's dry climate, annually the have the same amount af rain as the sahara!

Raubergstolen
Along the 55 there's a gravel road to the Raubergstolen, and just over tree-level there a great camping, from where you can take a toll-road to a summerski area.

In this area there are a lot of toll-roads where you can leave your money in a wooden box at the gate.
These are all gravelroads, but doable on every bike, and worthwhile!

BRIKSDALSBREEN region

Olden
At the end of the 55 in Lom, you go left to Geiranger by road 15.
But before reaching Geiranger, take the 258 to Stryn, the Gammle Strynveijen, a gravel road which you shouldnot miss!
From Stryn go to Olden, where you can find some great campings on the raod to the Briksdalsbreen glacier! Just after a the brigde between the two lakes there's a nice one.
From the last parking place it's a half an hour walk to the ice!


GEIRANGER region

Geiranger

From Olden go back to Stryn, and from there to Hellesylt. In Hellesylt you can take a ferry over the Geirangerfjord to Geiranger, passing some great waterfals, f.e. the Seven Sisters.
This ferry takes the same route over the fjord as the touristic tour over the fjord which starts in Geiranger, just there's a little less
comment on what you see!
In Geiranger you can camp directy at the waterside.

Dalsnibba
Some miles up the road from Geirager you can take a toll/gravelroad up the Dalsnibba, from where you have an unforgettable view over the fjord! The first time we tried to go up we drove between 4 - 5 meter high snowwalls, the second time there was no snow at all!

Eagle Road

Leaving Geiranger over the Golden Road 63 north to Andelsness, you climb up the Eagle-road; no other road in Europe you has this altitude-difference in such a short mileage!

Trolstigen
After crossing the Storfjorden at Eidsdal, the road climbs to the Trollstigen, a pass which you want to go up and down more then once!!!
A few miles north of the Trollstigen the 63 ends. Don't go left to Andelsness for a camping , but go right for there's a real good campingplace a few miles down the road, just at the smallest part of the valley.
This camping is amazing! Fireplace, BBQ, Washing machines, well-equiped cooking place ect.


TRONDHEIM region

For me personally, the region around Troundheim was disappointing; low hills, crowded, and compared to other regions nothing spectacular.
The only thing interesting was the old city and the fishing harbour.


If you by now haven't spent all of your holliday, the real travel up-north starts by following the E6 towards Mo I Rana !!!!

cheers zwerver

I'll have to get my map out now and have a look how some of that fits into my plans.

thanks again

Big Gordy

3. South East

Gordon, glad you like it so far!

If you want to spent some more time exploring the south, and see some of the famous mountainroads in the south-east, you can opt to follow the E6 from Tromheim back south to Ulsberg and from there take the 3 to Alvdal (good campingplace). You enter a less spectacular part of the country, lower mountains, a highland-like region. Not as spectacular as the fjords-region, but also interesting to see and fun to ride over these small, sometimes unsurfaced roads. Be aware that the Norwegian traffic sign "Bomb" has a bit different meaning then the English word: its means toll-road!

Friisveijen
Follow the 3 south until you reach the 219 to Ringebu. After a few miles you can enter the Friisveijen (mountainroad, surfaced) to Ringebu. Good, but bumpy road with great views over the surrounding "hills"!

Peer Gyntveijen

From Ringebu, follow the E6 north to Hundorp, and from there the 256 to the start of the famous Peer Gyntveijen (mountainroad, unsurfaced, toll) This road is, although unsurfaced, easy to do on an fully packed bike with passenger, and lead over some nice tops with a great view of the surronding country, including
to further away snowy tops of the Jotunheimen.

Fagerness
At the southside of this veijen you can either go back to the E6 in the Gudbrandsdalen north of Lillehammer by following the 254 to Tretten or the 255 to Faberg, or go for another mountainroadride to Fagerness.
Because the Gudbrandsdalen is a quite touristic region, most campingplaces are big and crowded, so not the nicest places to camp... Generally I would say that camping along the E6 mainroad should be avoided as much as possible, except if you really miss the traffic!
I would recommend to leavy the Gudbrandsdalen and go to Fagerness by following the 254? over Leira.
A few miles north of Fagerness along the E16 there's a good and small campingplace at the lake. Fagerness is a touristic centre, so in summer in can get crowded, but in this region there are some more interesting gravel roads. Just visit the lokal tourist office for more details!

Røros

An interesting alternative for the E6 and E3 to travel between Lillehamar and Trondheim is the route east over Roros; Small roads, good free camping sites, some nice unsurfaced roads, and quiet!!!
From Lillehammer take the Birkebeinvijer over Nordeter to the Østredalen (3)
Follow the 3 south to Rena and take the 215 north to Akkrestrømmen. This is a great road!
From here follow the 217 until you reach the 26 Kopperveijen which you can follow to Røros, the old copperminecity.
From Røros take the 31 to Brekken and then the 705 over Tyndal and Selbu to Stjørdal / Trondheim. Along this quiet road there are very good sites to put up a tent for a night. Just take enough food and water for this part!

4. Up north

When going up north from Trondheim, there arent much alternatives for the E6. I mostly planned a longer riding day in this part of the trip, following the E6 north with just a stop at the last railwaystation before the village of Hell to buy a oneway trainticket for my photoalbum, to Mosjøen from where you can either follow
the E6 or leave it for the much more interesting coastalroad RV17. I recommend to go onto the 17 here and not earlier in the south near Grong, because it can get quite time and money consuming with all the ferries!

Just before Mosjøen, in Trofors, the Sagaveijen joins the E6. Just like the Blåvegen, which ends on the E6
further north near Mo I Rana, this is a very nice, partly unsurfaced road deep into Sweden! (And a good way
when coming up Sweden over the Inlandvegen 45 to cross over to Norway over a beautifull route!)



RV17- ROUTE
From Mosjøen, take the 78 to Sandnessjøen and leave this road for the RV 17 after some miles. You can follow this road all the way up to the Saltstraumen, crossing the polarcircle by ferry. This is, I think the only reason I can think of not to take this road; you can't stop for a picture of your bike at the circle!
On this road you pass the Svartisen-glacier, which is amazing! There are some small, deadend roads towards this mass of ice, which are worthwhile! Along the 17 there are a lot of smaller campingsites, and enough places to rent a hut !

Saltstraumen

Just before the end of the RV17 (on the 80 from Fauske to Bodø) you cross the Saltstraumen, worlds largest tidal stream.
I can recommend everybody to take some time here (at least a day) and watch the current go in and out the fjord through a 300 x150 meter gap, creating wolrds largest jacuzi. The noise can be heard for miles!
When coming from the south, take the last road before the brigde across the flord to the to the left. After a 500 meters there's a camping place with good showers, inside cooking area, fish-cleaning fac. ect.
And bring a fishing rod; the Saltstraumen offers great (free) fishing water! Just walk down the camping to
the water and get yourself your evening meal of fish.


E6 ROUTE
The alternative to reach Fauske and or Bodø is following the E6 over Mo I Rana.
This road gets more and more interesting north of Mo I Rana where the E6 follows the Dunderlandsdalen.
The road gradually climbs up to the bare mountain landscape near the polarcircle. The first time When I went up to the Cape, I was here that I started wondering if there would be anything alive 1000 km more to the north, seeing the emptyness here at the circle. It's almost a shame that the road is rebuilt to a wide
two lane road through the valley instead of the old single lane road along the hillside. Worthwhile is visiting
the visitorcentre at the PolarCircle, for a photo at the monument....

Along this route, north of Lønsdal, the Silvervegen ends. This is a very beautifull road from Swedish Lappland to Norway, and when travelling up north the fast way over the 45, I think the best alternative to reach the Lofoten.

Just before Fauske, there's a sideroad which leaves the E6 just between two tunnels, the 830 to Sulitjelma. This is a dead end road through a valley with a beautifull situated campingplace at the and of the valley at the foot of two waterfalls. From there you can make some great (more hour) walks through the mountains park, where there's a beaver colony in one of the rivers, and occasionally bears illegally cross the border here!

5. Lofoten

Lofoten

These Islands are one of the highlights of a trip to Norway, and shouldnot be missed! Seeing the black mountains reaching up from the sea is a sight never to forget!
I've been up to the Lofoten twice, the first time we had very cloudy weather, so last year I've been back there and was rewarded for the long trip with 72 hours of sun!
One way to reach the Lofoten is the 4 hour ferry form Bodø to Moskenes, on which you can, if lucky, spot some whales and or dolphins. The other options are either the ferry from Skutvik to Svolvear, or from Bognes to Lødingen on the Vesterålen-islands.

If you are travelling up north, I would recommend the long ferry to Moskenes; You arrive on the (al)most southern point reachale by road and thus have a logical route north over the Islands missing nothing without doing the same route twice! For leaving the Lofoten, I would recommend the short ferry from Fiskebol to Melbu on the Vesterålen. Å to Fiskebol = 170 km


Å i Lofoten

A few miles south of Moskenes is the village of Å, with beautifully situated huts for rent, some built above the water, others, on the camping place built on a hill overlooking the ocean! In summertime the nearby
colony of seabirds can be a bit noisy, for those animals seem never to sleep as long as it's light!
On this camping you have to leave your bike at the parkingplace and carry your gear up the hill to the campsite... Tip: take a deep breath and walk a 100 meters further then the huts; there you have some great spots to camp!

Ramsberg
Leaving Å you have to go north over the E10 Kong Olavs Veijen, passing some very nice fishingvillages.
A nice road, but unfortunately crowded with coaches in summer.
A good place to enjoy the midnight sun is the campingplace in Ramsberg, situated at a white sandy beach bay between some great peaks, overlooking the ocean in the west.After midnight the beach gets "crowded"
with ppl coming out to see the "sunset", which is amazing! Btw this camping has a good restaurant, which lookes very expensive, but was almost normally (Dutch) priced...

NussFjord
Going further, don't miss the side (deadend) road to the right to NussFjord, a tiny but beautifull fishing village with a natural harbour between steep rocks. Entering this village you pass the fishdrying racks, which when full can smell quite unnatural!

Borg
Near the village of Borg you come across the Viking museum, which you shoud see!! It's a reconstruction
of an old viking long-house which was excavated there, and completely build (and filled) with products and artefacs of allday viking life, occording to the archeological findings all over Scandinavia.
It contains everything from a woodcarving section to an animal stable.
It is possible to go for a tour with a drakar-replica on the nearby fjord!

Laukvik
On the northernmost Island of the Lofoten, Austvågøy, there's another interesting deadend sideroad from the E10, to Laukvik. On this raod there are some campingplaces with huts, but the camping in Laukvik itself
is another good place to see the midnight sun. In 1995, on a midnight walk, we met a busload of elderly Germans here who where visiting the harbour of Laukvik, at 1.30!

Handy Links:

www.lofoten-info.no www.lofoten-tourist.no

Finnmark

Vesterålen

Andelsness
The trip up to Andelsness is worthwhile if you want to try your luck on one of the whalewatching tours,
or see "Adolf", an old German railway gun which was placed there to control the entrance to the harbour of Narvik.

If you want to visit Narvik (where there are no really interesting places to camp) you have to go south again over the E6 at the end of the E10.

But more interesting is going north, where you now really enter Finnmark, one of the most interesting wildernesses of Europe.
Thinly populated, with people used to live in the dark for quite some time of the year, you can imagine the few motorcyclists up there are always in for a chat and are very friendly.
Even the E6 is a nice road here, although everybody going to or coming from the NorthCape is travelling over this road. Bring a good map, and try as much as possible to take the smaller roads along the coast.
For example, at Fossbakken, take the 84 over Lavangen to Sørelsa, and then the 86 back to Andselv at the E6

Alta
Because others warned us for the overcrowded camping places on Magerøya, we camped at Alta and made a daytrip to the NorthCape, wich by now will be easier because of the tunnel.
In Alta there are some campsites at the Altaalva, and for ppl who like to fish the camping at the fjordside is great! With the tide the seatrout swims into the river and gets no further then the first small waterfall. A good place to try your luck!

Into Finland
From Alta I went back south into Finland over the 93 to Kautokeino and then to Enontekio, a partly unsurfaced road which was great fun! Miles and miles of forest, some rivers, lakes, a lot of reindeer,
but no villages at all, so but look after your petrol on these roads, there arent't much filling stations!
Some people working in their garden olong this road where more amazed about our GS'es driving along then about the fleeing reindeer which went through their garden!

On my first trip to the North, I travelled south through Sweden, along the coast; On my trips to the Lofoten I took the Inlandsvegen 45 to the North, once crossing into Norway over the Silvervegen, the other time north of Narvik over Gallivare.
From my home in Tilburg it took me 7 days to the Lofoten over the
45, without making too long riding days...


I know there's a lot more to tell about Scandinavia, and some hundreds of pictures to show, give details about some other great camping sites and routes to take, but busy as I am with planning further routes for this and next year, time is always the
problem...
But is anyone wants more info about some specific region, just ask!


For next year I'm planning a trip to Kirkenes, so if anybody is interested in joining.....

Norway Sagas.

Zwerver - you should write a book on your Norwegian travels. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your comprehensive accounts. They have certainly wetted my appetite for a trip to Norway, which in all honesty I had not really considered before. Bearing in mind your comments on summer temperature fluctuations I might have to invest £200 in a BMW heated vest first!

Many thanks for an interesting and informative read.

Peter Mellor.

Peter,

thanks for the compliment!

But a heated vest?

Some alternatives:

- Take a walk before going to sleep.
- Use a (coke)bottle with hot water to pre-heat your sleeping
bag!
- A small flowerpot (not plastic) upsidedown on a camping stove
makes a great heater!
- Find a local butcher who's prepared to put your 10 yrs single
malt in beef / soup cans. btw don't drink it on the rocks, it can
slippery at the fjordcoast!

Just want to reiterate the thanks to Zwerver for all the info....

I'm heading for Norway on Sunday evening... looking forward to it... just wish I was going for longer... I'm not going to be able to fit it all in!!!

Thanks again for all the tips!

Cheers,

Paul.

M/C MEETING 24 - 26 JUNE NORWAY

Dear Zwerver

Again many thanks for the info ref Norway, I have heard there is anouther bike meeting 24 - 26 May 2002. Do you know anything about this, I received the dates via text today.

Me, Monika and Richard are looking forward to meeting you Sunday night, we will try and be there as soon as possible.

Please have a nice route from Southern Norway to Arctic Circle ready for us

see you soon

Simon and Monika

Hi Simon,

looking forward to meet you to!

About the rallies in the weekend of the 26th, this is what the NMCU has to tell about it on their page :

24-26:
Fødding Treffet: ny dato
Gauldalstreffet, Støren i Sør-Trøndelag
Hardangertreffet, Vikøy i Hordaland
Larvikstreffet, Roppestad i Vestfold
Larvikstreffet, Roppestad i Vestfold
Vesterålstreffet, Hognfjorden i Nordland
MC-Sikkerhet på høyt nivå, Beitostølen i Oppland
S.U.B. Treffet, Olden i Sogn og Fjordane
Tronås Treffet, Moi i Rogaland

25-25: Motorsykkelens Dag 2002, over hele landet
31-2: Beitstadfjord-Treffet, Sprova i Nord-Trøndelag
Blues Bikers Treff 2002, Kristiansand i Vest-Agder
Kongetreffet 2002, Sola Strand i Rogaland
NAF MC Treff, Isefjær i Vest-Agder
Pocket Eagles Treff, Røssholmstranda i Buskerud
Romsdalstreffet, Trollveggen i Møre og Romsdal
Stord Treffet, Stord i Hordaland
Vestalp 2002, Ørsta i Møre og Romsdal

I haven't visited these rallies , except the Hardangertreff, but I
know some of the clubs, and the region they have their rallies in...


So a lot to talk about on sunday, I just hope you don't have to take a fourth year for your trip!

Greetings,

Because of too much work I can't take any holiday in june,
(yep even programmers have bosses outside their virtual world)
so my plans for a trip to Turkey have to wait until another year...

After the Stelvio-rally I'll be off to Norway for some weeks, and was wondering if any Gs'ers are in the south of Norway (Jotunheimen/Sognefjord region) in july, to do some
off-roading (1), fishing, walkin' and/or whisk(e)y drinkin' ....

(1) if the weather allows, there are some great dirt/gravel roads in the Jotunheimen, waiting to be explored....

July in Norway

I will be arriving back in the South about the 12th (ish), and am currently planning to spend 2/3 days camping in Hellesylt, I should then have 4/5 days left to travel across to Oslo to catch the evening ferry on the 19th.

I should say however that these last few days have been left empty to allow for lost days earlier in the trip, so I almost expect to be late.

However, I will be carrying my fishing rod (although the last time I went fishing was 1986, and before that 1976), I will have my hip flask, (although it will undoubtedly be empty of Whisky after 3 weeks in Norway) and dirt riding will probably be out due to the fact I have some serious luggage and (an even more serious) pillion.

So if you are going to be around and about during that period, then drop me a line.

Sorry I cannot offer something more definite, but I cant, so I wont pretend that I can.

Cheers

Hello David,

I arrive in Kristiansand on tuesday 9th, and from there I want to go to Lysebotn first, and from there travel up in a few days to the Bovredalen in the Jotunheimen, where I want to spent some days on the campsite near the Raubergstulen.
So somewhere around the 14th I'll be camping on your route from Hellesylt to Oslo!

Perhaps next weekend in Hawes we can exchange phonenumbers?