3 weeks driving trip in May end in Scandinavia (mainly Norway)
 

Background - I and my wife along with my 10 year old daughter would be travelling to Scandinavia (mainly Norway). We plan to drive most of the time - except fro catching a flight from Stockholm to Tromso and from Tromso to Alesund. On the ground we will always have a car.

We love natural scenery, I love photography, old buildings, lighthouses etc. A bit of interesting museums but not that much into big city scene and nightlife. We like short easy hikes - 1 to 3 hours, nothing very difficult.

The tentative itinerary is given below followed by a list of questions.

> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Date ... ... ... NightStay ... ... Routes
> ----------- ------------------ -----------------------------------------------------
> 16-May Wed ... Copenhagen ... ... Land at 8:30 AM, Hire Car, Local Sights
> 17-May Thu ... Copenhagen ... ... Local Sights
> 18-May Fri ... Stockholm ... ... Drive over Oresund bridge to Stockholm - long drive.
> 19-May Sat ... Stockholm ... ... Local Sights
> 20-May Sun ... Stockholm ... ... Local Sights, Archipalego trip
> 21-May Mon ... Tromso ... ... Fly to Tromso, Norway, Hire Car
> 22-May Tue ... Tromso ... ... Tromso and Around, Midnight Sun
> 23-May Wed ... Tromso ... ... Senja?
> 24-May Thu ... Alesund ... ... Mng Fly to Alesund, Hire Car, see Alesund, Runde, Lighthouse
> 25-May Fri ... Alesund ... ... Around Alesund - Atlantic Road (Fv 64)
> 26-May Sat ... Geiranger ... ... Drive to Trollstigen (Route63), Gieranger-Hellesylt Ferry
> 27-May Sun ... Sogndal (?) ... ... Drive over 15 and Sognefjellet Route Fv55
> 28-May Mon ... Flam ... ... ... Do Glacier Walk, to Flam over Fv243 - Lærdal to Aurland
> 29-May Tue ... Flam ... ... ... Do a round trip on Flamsbana train, Around Flam
> 30-May Wed ... Bergen ... ... ... Drive to Bergen, Bergen Sights
> 31-May Thu ... Bergen ... ... ... Funicular to Foebian, Bryggen etc
> 01-Jun Fri ... Lofthus/Eidfjord(?) ... Drive via 550 and 13 (Hardanger)
> 02-Jun Sat ... Oslo ... ... ... Drive via Hardangervidda to Oslo via on 7
> 03-Jun Sun ... Oslo ... ... ... Oslo Surronds
> 04-Jun Mon ... Oslo ... ... ... Catch Flight Back
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have tried to cover many "national Tourist routes in Norway.

So - please tear away at this itinerary and please offer suggestions:

1. Interesting routes to take
2. Interesting detours for viewpoints, farms, lighthouses etc
3. Suggestions for short walks/hikes
4. Suggestions for hotels (mid to high end) and restaurants/stopover points

Thank you very much for your time and help!

A car is useless in Copenhagen and you wil have no place to put it. Wait until you leve to pick up the car.

Separately I wold add 1 or 2 days to Copenhagen - it;s a great city and you are giving it really short shrift.

Thanks nytraveler. I have dropped the car in Copenhagen and Stockholm. Will fly on 18th evening from CPH to STO. That gives me roughly 3 days each in Copenhagen.

Actually my focus was mainly on Norway. So now I will take a car in Tromso and then from Alesund to Oslo. Please offer suggestions!

No comments on your route really as I haven't driven in Norway but from others who have, and from observation as a pedestrian there and reading up on driving there, for a future visit, I will make the following comments:

I hope you have allowed plenty of time for getting to your destinations as driving in Norway is slow - roads are winding and maximum speed is only 90km/h on motorways and 80 km/h on other roads. Speeding is subject to heavy on the spot fines, or the loss of your licence.

Do check when you pick up your hire cars about paying road tolls - do you have to register the vehicle or does the hire company take the tolls from your credit card?

Parking a car in Bergen is a pain and expensive. Ditto Oslo only more so. You have to pay a toll to enter both cities by car.

Don't drink and drive - not even a single drink - Norway has really strict drink/driving rules.

Do make sure you stop at crossings for pedestrians, and be aware that Norwegians always do this. Also give way to the right unless the priority of the road is clearly given.

have you given thought to ending your car rental in Bergen, and using the "norway in a nutshell" train to return to Oslo? The day trip involves a ride on the Fjords, the Tram railway, and all the connections. That would put you into Oslo without your car.

Good idea to add a day in Copenhagen. We went with our 8&10 year old daughters last summer to all three countries but I can't help with the driving because we did public transport. Check out the To Sostre Guesthouse in Bergen. It was our favorite accommodation of the trip. We had their loft room that fit the 4 of us. That said, it was expensive as is everything in Norway. It seemed much more expensive than Sweden and Denmark. We stayed at the Kong Arthur in Copenhagen. If it is warm, ask for fans. We learned that a/c in now banned in that country. Have a great trip!

You might want to take a look at my trip report; click on my name to find it.