norway self-drive itinerary
 

Hello,
I am planning to be in Norway the first of July. I will be in Oslo one day and then plan to rent a car to explore the fjord region from July 2nd to July 6th. It seems from looking at some of the other postings that driving is a feasible alternative to the public transport route. My questions are:
1. What part of the Norway in a Nutshell route are the most important and can I do them by driving?
2. I hear a lot about Balestrand, Stallheim, Voss, Flam etc. What are some non-touristy fjord towns that are "must-sees"?
3. Any other "off the beaten path" advice around the fjords? I've heard Geirangerfjord is one of the best....true?

Thanks for any help you can give!
Catherine

Catherine,
I have a prepared "advise sheet" I wrote for a friend dealing with self driving suggestions for Norway. If you are interested in it, leave your e-mail, and I will gladly mail it to you.
It is VERY easy to drive in Norway and you get to see so much more. I highly recommend it.

eri... I'm new to this chat-room format, but I, too, am headed for Norway (Denmark, Sweden & possibly Finland) in July (8th thru the 24th, to be exact). Will be driving, as well, and would certainly appreciate a peek at the "advise sheet." Plan is to start the journey in Copenhagen, probably head toward/to Stockholm, across to Helsinki (if time permits), onto Oslo/Bergen and back through Kristiansand. Will camp in the countryside, and hopefully, find "reasonable" lodging while visiting Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Oslo. Sooooo.... how does one secure a copy of your "Driving the Backroads of Norway" 1st edition? Thanks in advance... Terry

Terry,
I am more than willing to share my Norwegian experiences with you or anyone else. I admit that I love this country. Last summer was my 8th trip to Norway: on that trip we traveled through the far north (Finnmark) for 13 days.But this part of Norway is really only for "experienced" Noray lovers... My report, however, covers the more touristy and popular parts. But I think it is too long for posting it here (4 Word pages). Therefore, I suggested mailing it via e-mail.
Some comments concerning your plans:
I feel that you want to grab too much in one trip. I have been in Helsinki. I highly recommend that you skip Finland on this trip. The trip to Finland is time consuming and I really feel that "investing" this time in Norway is wiser. Helsinki is a pretty dull place (sorry, if I am insulting any Finlandians).
We did start one of our trips in Copenhagen, rented a car there, and drove to Hirstal (in the far north), took an overnight ferry to Stavanger (has to be reserved in advance!), and from there started our Norway trip for 10 days. We ended it in Denmark - driving from Oslo to Copenhagen, with a short ferry crossing from Helsinborg Sweden to Elsinore Denmark.
This is a marvelous trip. But it leaves you no time for Sweden or Finland. I feel that this is the way to do it. Norway is by far the most beautiful and breath taking country of Scandinavia. This way you see most of Denmark and a nice chunck of Norway.
Let me know if you want me to mail you my "adise sheet".

eri... Thanks so much for the reply. This will be my first sojourn to Scandinavia, so the advice of a "seasoned" visitor to the land of the midnight sun is most appreciated. As I mentioned earlier... will begin this "self-guided" auto adventure in Copenhagen on July 9th, and will need to return to Denmark by the 23rd. I think you're right about adding Finland to this trip.... too big a bite for two weeks. Will stick to Denmark, Norway, and perhaps a bit of Sweden. Plan on camping whenever possible--keeps the search for lodging to a minimum, while transferring more funds to the gastronomic side of the budget. Speaking of food... any thoughts about not-to-be-missed culinary experiences would be most welcomed. Always willing to deviate a bit to satisfy the tastebuds you know. Thanks again, and the address is: [email protected]

Thanks so much eri. I'm off to find a good road map of Norway. Will keep you posted as "the planning" continues.

Hi

I think that the Suleskar road from Oslo to Stavanger is quite nice (check out http://www.suleskarvegen.no/, only in Norwegian it looks like but press "Kart" to see a map). This is the mountain route and it is more scenic than the coastal route in my opinion. If you come to the Stavanger area I would recommend that you can check out places like Kjerag (http://gardkarlsen.com/kjerag.htm) and Preikestolen (the Pulpit rock, http://gardkarlsen.com/preikestolen.htm). Get in touch if you have any questions :-)

Regards
Gard

Terry,
Listen to gard's advise. He is from Stavanger!

Hi

I went to Kjerag yesterday by the way and it was great :-) The weather was good and there is still quite a lot of snow left...so if anyone is going there now remember to bring boots so you don't get soaked :-)

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com

Eri, et.al. -- I am also heading to Scandinavia this summer for two weeks and are planning 6 days in Norway. We know for sure that we want to visit Oslo and Bergen. Would you be so kind to please e-mail me the "Advise Sheet for Norway drives"? My e-mail is [email protected]. Many anticipated thanks!!

Catcan-- your questions are right on. BTW, we will be in Norway from 7/2-7/9. Feel free to e-mail me if you want to bounce stuff. Have a fabulous trip!!:-D

Gard... Got the map, and just finished reading your "Trip to Kjerag - 2003." The area looks fantastic! What a great Saturday you must have had. According to my trusty road atlas, there appear to be hyttes in the area (one near Ortevatn, and another near/in Kvaeven) Also, as I've mentioned before, we will have a tent, and I'd love to hear your thoughts about camping in the Kjerag area.

Also, on the grander scale... I'm wondering how you would approach a journey from Oslo to the west coast.... one that would allow a visit to the Flam area,.. Bergen,.. and still catch the Suleskar road to Kjerag and ultimately Stavanger.

And, while I think of it.... when traveling to Flam, is the train ride through Finse, Hallingskeid, Myrdal, etc. not to be missed, or does one capture the grandeur of the area by car on the road from Hagafoss, Skoro, Storestolen, Osterbo, etc.

Sorry if this sounds a little to detailed. Normally, I travel without a lot of direction, BUT this "Norway Adventure" has me torn between those places that I have heard about since I was young, ie. Oslo, Bergen, Flam, etc..... AND the Norway that the "locals" relish.

Any thoughts you may have would be most appreciated. Hope your week is off to great start. Tschus
PS. What is the "Norwegian" beer of choice..... just in case I develop a thirst while roaming the fiords.

Viajero,
I e-mailed you my notes but my mail was rejected by yours. Let me know if you have received it.

eri--- you are right, my husband tells me that the installed Norton Utilities program settings we have will not allow e-mail with attachments. Do you know what is the size of the file?

Either way, thank you so much for the kind offer and response.

Viajero,
4 pages, 31KB.

Hi,

I am also thinking of visiting Norway next year and either drive or take one of the ships up the coast. Could you send me a copy of your Norway self-drive itinerary. too? It will get me started, anyway.
[email protected]

Thanks.

Hi TerryGon

You can go camping in the Kjerag area...check out http://www.lysebotn-touristcamp.com/. Apart from that there are many cabins in the area operated by Den Norske Turistforening...this map will give you an idea: http://www.turistforeningen.no/turpl...lo_id=NO_ryfyl

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com

Eri,
Thanks for the response. I would love your advice sheet. My email is [email protected]

Catherine

Hello all,
Since my first post, I have come up with the following loose itinerary...any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

day 1 - Oslo to Roros
day 2 - Roros to Alesund
day 3 - Alesund to Balestrand
day 4 - Balestrand to Bergen
day 5 - Bergen to Oslo

Thanks,
Catherine

Cat-- why are you heading to Roros instead of choosing a more northwesternly route towards Bergen (i.e. Oslo-Voss) and then head north to tour the more spectacular western fjord area around Sognefjorden?

V-
We are exploring the Sognefjord region when we hit Balestrand. Roros is a Unesco world heritage site.
Catherine