Norway - Again.

Mornin'

I'm trying to decide what to do with my annual holiday. For once I'm in a position to consider Norway, something I've always wanted to do. Thing is, the cost represents an awful lot of time [overtime actually - alot] and money to me and I can't really afford to be disappointed.

I know no one can give me guarantees [especially on weather] but I'd like to hear from anyone who's actually been. If anyone could answer the following I'd appreciate it.

1. Weather:
How does it compare to the UK - end of July, early August. Especially southern Norway.
Spending £3k to ride through a rain cloud for 3 weeks would be just abit disappointing. Particularly so when the Spain'll cost half that.

Is the weather in Norway at that time of year generally better or worse than the UK?

2. Can rooms for the night be found as you ride, like it's possible in Germany and France - end of July, early August.

3. Cost of a room that'll sleep two with shower.

4. How many days to travel from top to bottom - without going mad.

5. Is it any point in going to the far north other than to say you've been there?

6. Can I expect the traffic to be bad, don't really fancy driving in queues like when the alps get busy.

Thanks.

Russ.

1. Weather:
How does it compare to the UK - end of July, early August. Especially southern Norway.
Spending £3k to ride through a rain cloud for 3 weeks would be just abit disappointing. Particularly so when the Spain'll cost half that.

Is the weather in Norway at that time of year generally better or worse than the UK?

Hard to say... All 6 times I had good weather in Norway, even
on the Lofoten and the Cape we could walk around in shorts and t-shirts, and went for a swim in the morning...
But perhaps I'm just lucky; even on the outer Hebrides and Iceland I had sun for 3 weeks...
But even when the weather is rainy or cold, camping is not
as troublesome as in other countries; most camping places,
even the small ones, have an inside cooking/rest room, and when renting a hut for a night there's always a place to dry your clothing and other gear...

2. Can rooms for the night be found as you ride, like it's possible in Germany and France - end of July, early August.

3. Cost of a room that'll sleep two with shower.

Not a clue! I've only camped, or rented huts; a 4 person cabin
varied in price between NOK 250 and 400. In mid season you have to start looking for a hut earlier in the afternoon, say before
16:00 if you are in the more touristic regions; more and more
motorcyclists do not even bother to bring a tent anymore when going to Norway..

4. How many days to travel from top to bottom - without going mad.

Depends... I've "done" the trip to the north 3 times, once to the cape, and twice to the Lofoten, taking 3 weeks per trip.
You could do it in two weeks or even less, if you like to be on your bike all the time. On all 3 trips we chose to spend as much time as possible in the north, so we didnot see much of the southern parts, except for the mainroads E6, RV17 and 45 ...

5. Is it any point in going to the far north other than to say you've been there?

As I said in another thread, Nordcap or not, I wouldnot recommend it to go all the way north during your first visit to Norway; the south has a lot to offer; I've spent 3 summer hollidays there and still there are a lot of roads to ride and places to discover south of Trondheim...
If you get addicted to Norway like me, you'll certainly go back another year, and perhaps then go up north a bit further...

6. Can I expect the traffic to be bad, don't really fancy driving in queues like when the alps get busy.

Yes the traffic can be bad... But you really have to find a place where that happens. Last year we arrived by ferry in Oslo on monday-morning at 9.00, and I warned my girlfriend that we
could encounter some busy traffic, but that it would only be the first few miles... It took us 10 minutes to leave the capital, seeing some cars.. so I would not worry too much...
Just if you go in midseason, places like the Trollstigen, the Geirangerfljord ect will be morecrowded, but they are still
quiet compared to the Alps...


On my picture page you'll find some pics; perhaps these are more convincing then any answer I can give...

Zwerver,

Really enjoyed those piccies of Norway - it looks stunning!

Boxer:

Zwerver's the expert, but I'll just add that you can have a great Norway experience in the area between Bergen, Trondheim, and Lillehammer (inland). You do not need to go up to the Arctic Circle first time around and, yes, it's one of those "must do" kinda things. But, you could just as easily get the "land of the midnight sun" experience in the Orkneys, northern Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, etc. It's not exclusively Norwegian. Ever been to Land's End or to John O'Groats? Get the picture?

As for costs, hotels and food can be very expensive and your chances of finding relatively cheap places to stay whilst on the move (without spending most of your time searching) are slim. Book ahead or camp.

I've never been to Norway without it raining some of the time, but then I've always been in September/October or at Easter. Expect the climate to be like that of the Hebrides in the summer. You can get miserable weather but you can also get long spells of glorious sunshine. It all depends on the Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Drift, blah blah blah. But, if you wait until somebody can guarantee you dry sunny weather you'll never go.

In contrast to Spain, Norway is quiet, less congested, better scenery everywhere (Spain has great scenery in parts), and more civilised. Spain has cheaper everything, especially beer and wine, but you'll sweat likle a pig in your leathers.

Well, what can I say?
It's all correct!

Boxer;
Take a look at ''Over seas'' - ''Going to Norway...''.
Don't miss Tyrigrava if you are in Oslo a sunny wednesday evening.



Liv.

... I'll just add that you can have a great Norway experience in the area
between Bergen, Trondheim, and Lillehammer (inland).


Right! Most of the great fjords,glaciers and mountain tracks are found in this region...
Simon, as you have been there several times mountain-biking and hiking, do you have
more info on routes you took? Some weeks ago you wrote about a valley you did on a mountainbike,
and I'm always looking for new routes to ride and walk...


You do not need to go up to the Arctic Circle first time around and,
yes, it's one of those "must do" kinda things.
But, you could just as easily get the "land of the midnight sun" experience in the Orkneys,
northern Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, etc. It's not exclusively Norwegian.
Ever been to Land's End or to John O'Groats? Get the picture?


Except for Iceland, all the other countries you mention are still on my want-to-see list!
A cheaper alternative to visit the "land of the midnight sun" is Sweden; in the last
years they had great summers, and the costs are about the same as here in the Netherlands.
You could think about a trip north through Sweden, with some 1 ore more day detours across
the border into Norway to the coast. From mid-Sweden there are some great,partly untarmacked
roads across the border, f.e. the Saga-Vegen, Blå-Vegen, Silver-Vegen ect.
That way you could take advantage of the cheaper petrol and food in Sweden, and still
see the Arctic-circle and some of northern-Norway...


I've never been to Norway without it raining some of the time,
but then I've always been in September/October or at Easter.
Expect the climate to be like that of the Hebrides in the summer.
You can get miserable weather but you can also get long spells of glorious sunshine.


But compared to the Hebrides (which I can recommend to everybody) Scandinavia is
quite large; rain in Bergen doesn't mean bad weather in the Jotunheimen.
Two years ago, when we went to the Lofoten, we drove north towards a high pressure
area near the arctic-circle, which normally means sunny weather in the north...
After 10 sunny days we came south, driving with a lot of rain for 2 days towards
Mo I Rana, where the weather improved again; The highpressure front had come to
the south, and stayed there for the rest of our holliday.
One week after we started this trip, a friend of mine started his holliday in
southern Norway, and after a week of rain he came north, following the rain....
In 3 weeks he only had one dry day....


In contrast to Spain, Norway is quiet, less congested, better scenery everywhere
(Spain has great scenery in parts), and more civilised. Spain has cheaper everything,
especially beer and wine, but you'll sweat likle a pig in your leathers.

Some friends of mine, from the Dutch GS-club, just came back from a weeks off-road
adventure in southern Spain. Seeing their pics, and reading their stories, I think
Spain is a good place to go to with a GS... In spring...
I went there in august '97, first to the Picos, and from the Picos through the inlands
staying 50 - 100km south of the Pyrenees to Andorra, and it was HOT !
Great scenery, very friendly people, quiet, but most of the time too hot to do anything
else then stay in the shade or the water...

Thanks for all your replies.

An uncharacteristic attack of fear, uncertainty and doubt has passed and has been replaced with a more normal state of reckless stupidity.

Ferry tickets booked @ £595 for 2 people.

Thanks again.

Russ

Hope you have a good time!

Which ferry do you take?

Thanks.

Newcastle/Kristiansand

Russ.

Russ,

Kristiansand is a good place to start your trip through Norway;
you can be out of the city within 10 minutes.
If you go north through the Setesdalen, you'll be surprised how the scenery changes within a few minutes from urban to Alpine,
the road following a wide river with steelgrey rocks at both sides of the valley, and in the background snowtopped mountains which get higher and higher...
A few years ago when I took that route with a friend of mine who came to Norway for the first time, he could hardly believe me when I told him that , if we wanted, we could ride like this to the north for the next 2500km...
About 50km? north of Kristiansand you'll pass Evje, and some km north of this town there's a picknickplace next to a very wide
waterfall. A good place to stop a have a look at the rafters which come down the river...

If you like I could give you some nice routes to take for a more week trip through the south and middle; if you decide to go all-the-way north the route is easy, just stick to the main E-roads...

Zwerver wrote:

If you like I could give you some nice routes to take for a more week trip through the south and middle;

Click to expand...

That'd be really helpful.

Thanks alot.

Russ.

Russ,

to give you some nice routes, incuding so must-see places, a few questions...

1. How many days do you have to spend in Norway?
2. Are you in to riding some gravel routes?
3. Do you want to see Norway by bike only, or do you like to
explore some of it walking?


Greetings,

Zwerver.

1. How many days do you have to spend in Norway?

Click to expand...

29th of July to 17 August - Approx 18 days.

2. Are you in to riding some gravel routes?

Click to expand...

As long as they can be riden two up on a GS 11 - very much so.

3. Do you want to see Norway by bike only, or do you like to
explore some of it walking?

Click to expand...

By bike mainly, but I've nothing against a mile or two to see something worth while.

I'll be taking a GPS with me. I don't think we'll be traveling any further north than Trondheim.

Thanks for your advice.

Russ.

Russ,

I toke a brief loook at my maps, but haven't had the time yesterdayevening to compile a bit of a comprehensive story...
I'll try again tonight!

Zwerver said:

Russ,

I toke a brief loook at my maps,

Click to expand...

...well, I suppose it's legal in your country....

Zorrie!

A 2500/3000 km route through southern Norway

Russ,

the route I discribe in these posts is a compilation of routes I've taken
through southern Norway in 3 more-week hollidays in the country;
With some exceptions it is the route I did last year, but I started in Oslo.
I've tried to leave out the less interesting routes, but I'm sure there are
other interesting routes and places I haven't seen yet, so look at this route
as a series of tips, not as the ultimate route to take..
Depending on how much you like to ride per day, the weather conditions and
the amount of time you like to spend walking / fishing / doing nothing,
you can see all of these places I discribe, or only a part of it.
In the 18 days you've got it is doable to ride this route,
clockwise along the fjords to the north, and back south through the inlands;
it is some 2500 km, so even when you spend half your days in country doing
other things then riding to the next must-see-place, you would not have to do more
then 300 km per riding day... And 300km per day, with all the photostops you will
have to make, and the slower gravel roads you could take, is more then enough!!!


If you take a look at my online photo-albums, you'll see some pictures taken last year on this route...

Apologies for my incorrect English, but I hope it is readable ...

Kristiansand -Setesdalen

If you go to the north, taking route 9, you'll enter the Setesdalen,
starting as a wide valley, with the road following and crossing the river.
Going north, the mountains are getting higher and the valley smaller,
a very nice entrance to Norway!

Lysebotn
A few miles south of Valle, you can take the 45 west to Svartevatn,
and a few miles before Svartevatn there's a road to Lysebotn.
The road down to this small village is amazing, complete with one-car
wide tunnel with hairpin!
But before going down all the hairpins, you could take a walk from the
restaurant to the Kjeragbolten, a big stone stucjk in a gap (chasm?)
in the rocks. Real braveharts dare to take the jump onto the stone...
I didnot!
Lysebotn camping is used as a basecamp for base-jumpers, so it is
possible to see them jump, and then land next to or on your tent.
Form Lysebotn you can take a ferry across the Lysefjord, and take a look up
at the Preikestolen.

Preikestolen
At the west-side of the Lysefjord ther eare several campingplaces, the one in
Jorpeland oddering free boats to go fishing at the fjord.
If you camp here, or at the foot of the path to the Preikestolen, take a few hours
to go up; it's a two to three hour walk up, but its worthwhile... Looking down at
the sea from this 600m high, straight cliff is amazing...

Utne - Røldal

Form the Preikestolen, I would go north a bit more inland, leaving the busy
coast from Stavanger to Bergen west of you. Take the 13 to Sand, and then the
ferry across the fjord, and go north-east over the 520 to Sauda.
At the end of this road you reach the E136. If you go east for a few miles,
there's a nice campingplace near Røldal, and along the road are some great
waterfalls. If you plan to drive on a bit further, go west to Odda,
and take the small road at the westside of the fjord, the 550, to Udne.
A few miles after the town there another good and well equiped campingplace,
with a small harbour and a sandy beach. Waking up and jump into the sea directly
in front of your tent always gives me a real holliday feeling!
At this camping you can rent small motorboatst to go out fishing, and the camping
owner can show you were to catch some good codfish...
Near Utne you can find some ancient rockdrawings...

Hardangervida - Vøringfossen

From Utne you can either take a ferry to Kvandal, to go north to the Sognefjord,
or take a detour to see some of the Hardangervida and Norways highest waterfall,
the Vøringfossen. To go to this waterfall take the ferry to Kinsarvik, and follow
the road to Eidfjord (which also has some good campingplaces, at the borders of a small lake)
A few miles east of Eidfjord to road goes up to the Hardangervide highlands, passing the
waterfall. The best view on this waterfall is from the Hotel and the northside...
From Eidfjord there's another interesting road leading up to the highlands, a gravel
road with some hairpins, which ends at the start of a footpath across the Hardangervida.
Last time we went up, we came across busloads of elderly people.
They went up by bus, and walked down to the valey; apparently this place is
wellknown for its clean air!