surfmom

We will be in Norway in mid-April and need help planning the Bergen to Oslo portion. I've allotted 2 days to make the trip. We are a family of 5 peeps (with a 11yo, 9yo, and 7yo who are very excited) - we are driving since it is more cost effective that way.

Would like to:
- stay overnight somewhere with a view or on the fjord (my first choice isn't open until May)
- do some activity outdoors if weather permits - ice caves ? glacier walks? I assume its still too cold/snowy to hike ?
- figure out a reasonable drive with a few stops but not all day in the car.

Any and all advice is appreciated (and bonus points for alliteration!)

surfmom

oh yeah, another question.

My GPS has died and I'm in the market for a new one. When I get it, am I better off just paying for and buying the Europe maps and taking the GPS or should I just rent it with the car rental ?

DebitNM

We are driving from Sweden to Oslo, staying overnight in Oslo. We are then driving to Voss. We will follow Norway in Nutshell's suggested route.

We are staying at Fleischer's Hotel in Voss. The next day, we will do a one Day Nutshell tour, starting and returning to Voss. We will spend that night in Voss as well. The next day,we will drive back to Oslo.

We will not be renting a car, but rather our new Volvo that we are picking up at the factory - the reason for the trip! We hope to be able to borrow a GPS from the factory.

I understand the the road is pretty straightforward, but the signs are difficult to understand.

We will be in Voss 19 April to 21 April.

surfmom

Debit, thanks for the hotel idea - we toyed with the idea of staying in Voss, but I was afraid it was too close to Bergen, leaving too much driving the next day. It seems like that is one of the few towns around the fjords where there will be activity in April - seems like much is still shut down until May.

What Volvo did you get ? We have a S40 that we love!

We will miss you by a few days - we arrive in Bergen the 14th.


any more thoughts from anyone else ?

DebitNM

S 40!

surfmom

enjoy. it really is a fun car! I always wish they could close the roads sometime (like they do for commercials) and I could just let it run.


Will a midsize car be the right size ? (we have 5 people)
Audi A3 too small ?
Passat ?
Volvo V50 wagon ?

We don't have a ton of luggage, I'm more worried about the comfort factor in the back seat.

surfmom

oooh - another question if any experts pop up.

Should I load my GPS with European maps or should I just rent one with the car ? Any advantages or disadvantages to either option ?