Hi fellow fodorites

Hoping that i could get some help here.

Planning a trip actually next month (Mid june) and wondering how i should plan my itinerary out of oslo. Essentially, i have 9 nights.

Question 1:
As a newbie to Norway, should i head for Northcape to see the midnight sun, or should i head for the Norway in a nutshell + Stavenger (pulpit's rock)?

I have looked at the norway in a nutshell itinerary from the fjordtours website and the timetable seems pretty fixed in terms of timings. And from what i have read so far, the prices do not differ much for buying on my own separately. In that case, it would probably be better to book on my own.

Question 2:
Which is a convenient way to move around the Norway in a nutshell+Stavenger route? Car or train? And i also noticed that some routes are via cruises/ferry. Are cars allowed on these routes?
I want to cover (1) flam railway (2) balestrand or some nice town around (3) Fjord cruise (not sure which is the best and which company is recommended to book the cruise from) (4) Bergen (5) Lysefjord to see pulpit's rock.
Generally, my hubby is not a fan of moving luggage in and out of buses and trains and ferries. However, if driving is too expensive and inconvenient, we probably have to drop the idea.

Question 3:
We are nature lovers and would love to do some day hikes. Any beautiful out of the world scenery around that area worth going?

Question 4:
Any recommended towns in my itinerary that are worth staying? We prefer boutique hotels or B&Bs in small cute towns.

Question 5:
Read that some places have glacier tours or walks?Are they worth going this time of the year?

Would be really grateful if someone could point me in the right direction. I know there's a lot of good information in the threads around, but it's hard to find precisely what i am looking for

Thanks guys!

i was asking the same question last year and we are very glad to have hired a car

the freedom is something you will appreciate
the roads are great
the scenery beyond beautiful
and you will get some great suggestions from locals or the info bureaus as to what route to take

if you go to balestrand be sure to opt for the more scenic but longer route...it is amazing
around oslo i really recommend that you get a navigator...we thought it would come with the car...but not so...you have to order one before you go

oslo is kinda hard to figure and you can lose a lot of time trying

apart from that...having your luggage with you is great
you will still need to use car ferries so you need to get the timetables right but it is so worth it

i couldnt have imagined doing norway any other way

we stayed in flam ...at the marina apartments right on the fjord...amazing
place is owned by the same guy who owns the heimly pension and several other things in flam...

as for balestrand...we were very happy with the beautiful balestrand hotel...very comfortable...ask for a view room
i go to sleep every night now with that vision of balestrand and the fjord...the light blue light...is fairyland itself...
i wish we arranged to stay there an extra night
we did loads of driving
we based ourselves in geirganger at the camp site...got a beautiful spacious cabin and stayed three nights doing lots of driving...even as far as allesund and the atlantic road

we did lom...too...what an amazing road that was...grotli is lovely...you have to check out the amazing hotel there

be sure to check out hotels as you drive...find out in advance...cos theyre gorgeous...unbelievable.. you can stop for a coffee and have a look round

beautiful one at oye too...thats not too far from balestrand actually


went to vik too...daytrip from flam...we stayed in flam for three days...was lovely at night when all the tourists went home...good food to be had at the all you can eat buffet
had a look at voss the same day as well as a few places on the way ...it is possible to do lots with a car

good luck...you will love norway and its handsome handsome people!
\oh and do check out the war resistance museum on the bigdoy island in oslo...reallly well done...

oh
we did want to go to bergen
everyone goes to bergen
but we were stretched for time
we couldve done it from balestrand by ferry but we had done so much driving by then we opted just to got to faerland and then get the ferry to flam...the narrowfjord is amazing...

the narrow fjords are spectacular cos they twist and turn more

having seen allesund and molde up north we figured bergen might be a bit of the same so we stuck to the fjords round geiranger and then balestrand and flam

you can hire boats and take them out yourself on the fjords...we did that geirganger...the water is so deep and eerie and still...

from balestrand you can get to fjaerland and there are glaciers in that area...the lady who owns balestrand hotel was very very helpful\
i emailed her and she gave us so many ideas on how to spend the time there..and what route to take...she told us about the ferry timetables and helped us plan our daytrip

the guy at the geiranger campsite...was also very helpful with suggestions..and the information bureau at geiranger was also of tremendous use

we missed out on pulpit rock but be warned
it can fog up suddenly and that whole long walk can be for nothing if that happens so be sure to check in the morning for the weather and be prepared
i hope you do get to see it ...it looks fantastic in pics doesnt it!
we chose to forego that southern part of norway once we knew that bergen was off the list but of course youre not sorry...nothing in norway is a waste...
mind you we did book at geilo and that is bit of ski town really...not much to see in summer so im glad we cancelled it last minute and opted for one more night in flam...we then drove through geilo on to oslo

if you like a walk...then take the flam train up to myrdal and walk down
it is 11km and an easy walk
you can hire bikes too
after seeing geiranger and balestrand and all the other places further north...the trip from flam to myrdal wasnt as spectacular...but if we hadnt already been north then i guess it wouldve been...certainly not a must see in hindsight but thats what you do when in flam

Dear Lanejohann,

Really appreciate you taking the time to tell me about your Norwegian trip. It sounds so wonderful!!

I am still a little lost though. What was your routing starting from oslo in sequence?

Did you drive from Oslo to Flam,stay there and secondly to Balestrand to stay there and finally to Geiranger to stay? And basically taking day trips to the surrounding areas?

Which car ferry did you take to view the fjords? If so, which company did u go to, and from which location to which?

Just curious too, how many nights did u have?

Many thanks

I am also planning a trip to Norway. I have been to Europe a couple times, but never to Scandinavia. I am taking 15 days to visit Norway. We are planning on starting in Oslo, training to Myrdal - Flam - ferry to Bergen. AFter a couple nights there, we are hiring a car to drive to the southern fjords.

LaneJohann, I was wondering about how long that might take from Bergen to, say, Pulpit Rock? Also, was the Atlantic road as pretty as it looks in pictures? We are planning on driving that road.

Should we book everything in advance (not usually our traveling style), or will we be able to find reasonable BNB's or cabins upon arrival? We are looking at traveling in mid August, so nearing the end of main tourist season I have read. Again, any info from personal experiences is greatly appreciated!

Thanks