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Paradisiacal beaches and tropical landscapes are not the only dream destinations that we keep in our minds for years before we can make our dream come true, as Norway by motorhome tops many lists for its spectacular natural attractions. The geographical situation of Norway, which gives it natural phenomena of incalculable beauty, its culture and its people place it in the ranking of the most beautiful and happiest countries in the world.

Next, in this guide we will transfer all our knowledge of Norway in a motorhome or campervan, after 2 great trips through this impressive country. We describe some of the essential places that you cannot ignore on your route, although without first giving you our most valuable advice for your visit to Norway. And, it is that all that glitters is not gold! Do you know what we are referring to? Keep reading and find out!

And if you want more detail about a route, we leave you this post that we wrote with the summary of our route to Nordkapp by motorhome, our second trip through Norwegian lands that also touched Sweden and Finland.

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Norway campervan rental

If you do not have a motorhome and you are looking to rent a motorhome in Norway, our advice, so that you get a much higher price, is to rent it in Germany or France, where there is a much greater range of motorhomes and you will find them much cheaper. In addition, we advise you to do it through Yescapa, a collaborative platform between individuals such as AirB&B, which we know and from our own experience we know is reliable and safe.

TIP: If you don't have a motorhome or camper but want to rent one and try this type of trip, remember that the cheapest way and with the best experiences is to rent between individuals for a AirB&B type platform but for motorhomes and campers.

We set up your tailored and personalized route through Norway in a motorhome: save time and headaches

Basic guide for traveling to Norway by motorhome

Driving in Norway by motorhome

The rules of the road are practically the same as the European ones. Respect the signs, and arm yourself with patience to drive very slowly. The best thing about Norway is not precisely the roads.

On the other hand, he says that there are many tolls and ferries on the main routes. So add money to this game.

Tolls in Norway

To pay the tolls is not like here. They go with cameras. You have to do it with the Autopass (https://www.autopass.no/en/ ) that you have to request it in advance so that it arrives at your home or you do not need to do anything and the payment arrives at home later if you want.

Camping in Norway in a motorhome

Wild camping is allowed unless explicitly prohibited.

You will find many prohibited, especially in the south and more touristy places. With the cold it is also true that camping does not become a necessity either.

Overnight on trips to Norway in a motorhome

The free overnight stay is allowed if it is not explicitly prohibited in the parking lot or place where you are.

The reality is that you will see many prohibited from spending the night in many car parks and tourist or places of interest. What will almost force you to go to road parking lots or areas or campsites.

And remember one thing if you are not prohibited from spending the night in that parking lot, you will surely have to pay, yes or yes, in Norway you pay for almost everything if it is a tourist and vehicle issue.

Some interesting places to spend the night are also farms, although they have few services for motorhomes.

Motorhome services in Norway

Most of the services for emptying and filling water for motorhomes are in the campsites and in some motorhome areas that are mostly private and paid.

There are very few free and public points with services in Norway.

 

10 tips that you should know before your trip to Norway by motorhome or camper

Arm yourself with patience on the Norwegian roads: we will be slow and with long distances

It is a country with very few roads and consequently they have a lot of traffic. These are roads with curves, without lighting in some sections and on which all kinds of motorized and non-motorized vehicles and even people and animals usually circulate. Be patient, as the speed limit is set at 50 km/h in towns and 80 km/h on interurban roads. There are few sections with a speed limit of 90 km/h, for the moment we only know of a section of 8 km where driving at 100 km/h is allowed.

In addition, Norway has a coastline of 25.148 km and a total area of ​​323.802 km. If we transfer these figures to Google, you will see how it disproportions them so that the overall appearance of Norway is smaller and misleading. Don't be disappointed if you discover that the distances between your destinations are greater than you expected.

Currency exchanges that can be very expensive

Investigate the commissions and conditions of your card well. Very bad commissions and conditions are applied to currency exchange in most banks that make you pay more for your money.

It is best to pay whenever you can by card directly and with the Norwegian currency so that the change can be more beneficial.

From our experience there are two cards that are the best without commissions and with the best favorable exchange: The Evo smart account card, the old Caixagalicia, without exchange commissions, good exchange and without commissions when withdrawing from ATMs around the world And the one from Rovolut is the same without commissions, as the withdrawals at ATMs do have much more limitations. On the contrary, you do the revolut in a minute and with 0 cost and easy. Evo's you must make the smart account that is only done by putting the payroll or with fixed monthly income.

I leave you here so that you can do the Revolut for free, for me the great option for a trip like this:

Infallible tolls on highways and ferries

In Norway the toll system is fully automated. Most of the stations are equipped with a camera that takes a photo of each passing car and payment is made afterwards. One piece of advice is to register your vehicle at Epass24.com so that you can calculate the toll rate (it will depend on whether your vehicle is less than or greater than 3,5t in weight and its emission class) and also at EPC so that have access to communications, invoices and payments, since if the vehicle is not registered you will receive an invoice at your address.

Overnight “free” in a motorhome or camper?

In Norway, places where camping or staying overnight are not allowed, usually near campsites and protected areas, are marked. As a rule, it is established that you cannot camp or spend the night when you are less than 100m from a house and that if you do it in free camping and want to stay 2 or more nights in the same place, you must ask the owner of the land for permission, good luck!

Take bottled mineral water with you or find natural drinking water without gas can be an odyssey

With the winter frosts, the Nordic countries have almost no sources, so if you are not going to go to many campsites or motorhome areas, finding water and more drinking water can be an odyssey.

Above all, load up on bottles of mineral water, because in no Nordic country will you find natural bottled water outside of gas. For us this was an anecdote that we still keep sparkling water that we bought thinking it was natural.

Roadtour for your motorhome

Norway's complex geography has required true architectural creativity in building tunnels and bridges to make this rugged and irregular country passable. Norway has an incredible network of tunnels with a total of 650 of various sizes, each with its particularity and its characteristic slope. In the north, narrow and dark tunnels predominate, while in the south, there are kilometer-long tunnels equipped with rooms with lights and parking lots so you don't fall asleep.

If you are a tourist, surely you will not be able to recycle

Surely this point will surprise you because Norway boasts of being an eco-sustainable country, with green energy. Although it is true that they give many advantages to citizens who choose an electric vehicle and have a good infrastructure for it, it is intuited that the selective waste collection network is designed only for Norwegians and not for tourists, since it does not exist the possibility of recycling in any inn, service area or tourist attraction.

Looking for WiFi and the absence of digital solutions

Don't be surprised when you can't access WiFi in stores, restaurants or parking lots, because you won't find it.

On the other hand, if you want to pay with a card for any tourist activity, you may not be able to do so, since you will not have been able to register in the app because you do not have a national ID and, therefore, you will have to resort to paying in cash.

Travel insurance yes or no?

In Norway, the European health card is used for emergencies and they will surely take good care of you in their hospitals. Now, you should know that in the Nordic countries foreigners have a co-payment and then they will not pay us 100% social security. For this reason, we recommend the Iati Escapadas insurance that includes Covid, which is what we take out on long trips, which includes theft inside the motorhome, accidents involving your pet, hotels and replacement vehicle if necessary, etc... Yes You contract it from here below at the end of all requesting the budget they will apply a 5% discount and incidentally you help this blog, free for you, stay alive:

Take a sleep mask

If you are one of those who is bothered by light, remember that in summer the Nordic countries have sun and light until late at night. The midnight sun is beautiful, but if you want to sleep you will need an eye mask, remember.

Map of the best places of interest and overnight in Norway in a motorhome

The 10 essential plans in Norway in a motorhome, camper or whatever

Norway is a country of incalculable beauty, where nature leaves you speechless and challenges your mind with corners and landscapes that overcome the imaginary. It is a place on our beloved planet that you cannot leave undiscovered, even if it presents some obstacles for tourists and you must accept that a trip to Norway entails a guaranteed adventure.

Now that we have alerted you to some of the disadvantages of traveling to Norway, we want to delight you with a few essential places that you must include in your trip and that, without a doubt, will compensate for all the rest because, after all, it is well worth the trip! shame to go!

1 Bergen by motorhome

This is the second largest city in Norway (after Oslo) and is the gateway to the fjords. Bergen is a truly special city, set in a valley and surrounded by 7 mountains, which has always been linked to fishing and trade. It is a city that, although urban in character, enjoys a charming village atmosphere. Today, it is one of the most touristic places in Norway given its proximity to Sognefjord, one of the most famous fjords on the planet for being the longest in the world at 204 km in length.

At the Bergen Tourist Office you can purchase the Bergen Card, with a validity of up to 24, 47, 72 or 96 hours, which includes access to almost all tourist attractions in the city, the light rail to the airport, as well as free use of local and regional buses.

Something highly recommended is to take a guided tour of the city that you can book here.

Some of the activities and things to see in Bergen

• Visit the historic and colorful neighborhood of Bryggen.
• Discover the church of Santa María from the year 1140, the oldest monument in the city.
• Go up to the Bergenhus fortress, the most important viewpoint and Renaissance monument in Norway.
• Take a cruise on the Mostraumen fjord.
• Enjoy the fish Fish Market , a fish market that has been active since the XNUMXth century.
• Bathe in the hot pool of Nordnes, outdoors.
• Ascend Mount Floyen by funicular and visit the fjords and Mount Ulriken, the highest of the 7 mountains. The Floibanen funicular goes up from almost the port to Mount Floyen, 300 meters high. The views of the city of Bergen are incredible and during the summer, a zip line is also installed.

Also, there is a funicular with which you can reach the highest mountain in Bergen, Mount Ulriken, if you do not prefer to reach the top through a path called Oppstemten, made up of stone stairs made by Sherpas, spectacular!

• Fantoft Stave Church. It is a reproduction of the original that dated from the 1992th century and was destroyed by a fire in XNUMX. It is well worth a visit and you can get there by taking the light rail, the same one that goes to the airport.
• Norway's Best Excursion: The Norway in a Nutshell tour. It can be done starting from Bergen or Oslo and allows you to discover some of the most emblematic landscapes of the country in a day or more (depending on your choice) using all kinds of transport.

https://www.norwaynutshell.com/es/#redirected

2 See the best waterfalls in Norway by motorhome

vettisfossen

This is the highest free-falling waterfall in Norway, with a single drop of 275 metres. It is located near the village Øvre Årdal and is part of the Utdalen landscape protection area, near the Jotunheimen National Park. The waterfall is best reached via a 90-minute hike from the Hjelle farm, near the small town of Øvre Årdal.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/norway/vestland/vettisfossen–2

https://www.alltrails.com/es/norway/vestland/ovre-ardal

Vøringsfossen

It is located at the top of the Måbødalen in the municipality of eidfjord (province of Hordaland), in the vicinity of the Norwegian national route 7¹which connects Oslo with Bergen. It has a maximum height of 182m2.

Currently, it can be visited from a bird's eye perspective on the bridge, the work of the architect Carl-Viggo Hølmebakk, which rises above the impressive waterfall and allows the visitor to feel like they are floating and immersed in the nature of the idyllic Måbødalen valley. It is suitable for the elderly and children, but not for wheelchairs.

https://www.visitnorway.es/que-hacer-en-noruega/atractivos-naturales/cascadas/

3 Visit the beautiful Stavanger and the famous Pulpit in a motorhome

This is the fourth largest city in Norway and is known for being the starting point for excursions to go up to the Preikestolen, one of the most impressive viewpoints in the world. It is a city full of museums, restaurants and neighborhoods with street art.

What to do and what to see in Stavanager in a motorhome essential

• Make a Free Tour or guided tour or excursion to Preikestolen through the fjord by reserving here
• Gamle Stavangler: this is the name of the old part of the city. It is made up of 173 wooden houses that were built at the end of the XNUMXth century and the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Most of the houses are small and white and the neighborhood has several galleries and craft sales, apart from the canning museum, almost the only one of its kind.
• The port: it is the epicenter of day and night tourist activity in the city. With good weather, the bars and restaurants open their terraces to the street, calling on the population and tourists to sunbathe with their eyes lost in the Gamle Stavanger. At night, the port does not lose activity and becomes a lively meeting place to have a drink with friends.
• Light fjord: Lysefjord. From the port of Stavanger you have the opportunity to embark to discover one of the largest fjords in Norway. Its 42 km length and the verticality of its walls are impressive, reaching 1000 m in height at some points. From this cruise, you have an amazing view of the Norwegian pulpit Pulpit Rock.

What to see in Stavanger too

• Cathedral: Domkirken. It is the oldest building in Stavanger and its construction date coincides with the founding of the city, in the XNUMXth century. It combines the Norman Romanesque and Gothic styles and from there, you can stroll through a park that includes a small lake or enter the pedestrian streets of the center.
• Fargegaten: the street of colors. Take a walk in the pedestrian zone of Ovre Holmegate street. In the 90s, a part of downtown had become a succession of shuttered businesses and empty streets. It was in 2005 that a neighborhood hairdresser had the idea of ​​hiring an artist to give life to so many forgotten buildings by painting them with colours. This act encouraged new entrepreneurs to reopen their businesses there. Today, it is the most picturesque area of ​​the center and one of the most visited by tourists.
• The Petroleum Museum: Norsk Oljemuseum. In 1969, exploration platforms found oil in the North Sea and since then, Stavanger, which has always lived off what the sea has given it, has become one of the richest cities in Europe, being one of the bases of operations of the oil companies.

The museum houses the world's largest drilling crown and a truly unique collection of model offshore oil rigs. The museum building represents an oil rig and the children's playground that surrounds it, called Geoparking, consists of attractions made from pieces and objects related to the oil industry. If you go with children, you will have a great time!

The Preikestolen or pulpit

The Norwegian pulpit Pulpit Rock. Its name means pulpit in Norwegian and it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country. It is a huge square rock, 25 x 25 meters at the top, located more than 600 m above the fjord Lysefjord.

To reach the viewpoint, you have to follow a route of approximately 2 hours and it is possible to do it with children. The ascent consists of 3,8 km with a drop of 300 meters and is very well signposted. The round trip with children can be done in 4-5 hours without much difficulty through paths and some wooden walkways or stairs made of rocks and stones.

The visit to the pulpit can also be done by boat through the cruise through the fjord of light, Lysefjord.

4 Oslo by motorhome, the Norwegian capital and its essential places

The Norwegian capital is a city of dimensions that will surprise you for its seclusion and, therefore, it is very manageable when it comes to visiting it. At the beginning of the 30.000th century it was just a town with just 1905 inhabitants and it was called Christiania, in homage to King Christian IV of Denmark. It was in XNUMX, with the dissolution of the union with Sweden, that Norway gained independence and Oslo regained its original name.

Oslo is an orderly and beautiful city. Its downtown area was rebuilt after a fire in 1624 and was reborn next to the Akershus Fortress, a XNUMXth century fortified complex that incorporates a castle, rebuilt in the XNUMXth century, on the shores of the fjord and next to the city's port.

In Oslo there are countless places and monuments to visit, so I recommend you get the Oslo Pass here

What to do and what to see in Oslo

• Take one of the many guided tours of the city where they will explain everything and you will not miss a thing. you can book it here
• Oslo Cathedral. The Cathedral of Our Savior is a Baroque temple built in the 1718th century to replace the Cathedral of the Trinity, destroyed by fire, and from which it acquired the five bells that shine in its tower. This cathedral has the oldest clock in Norway, dating back to XNUMX.
• National theater. It is one of the five most important theaters in Norway and a great reference for the dramatic arts. It has an excellent location in the center of the city, near the Royal Castle and the old university. The building is neoclassical in style from 1899 with art nouveau inside.
• peninsula of Bygdøy. Located to the east of Oslo, it is home to some of the most precious museums in the city, linked to Norwegian maritime culture. Despite being a basically residential area, its museums make it a tourist attraction and, in addition, it is very popular in summer for its beaches and beach volleyball. Also, it has excellent trails, both for cyclists and pedestrians. The best way to get there To Bygdøy is to take the boat that leaves from Rådhusbrygge 3, with a 15-minute journey. The boat runs from mid-March to mid-October, so during the rest of the year, you can hop on the 30 bus at Nationaltheatret, about a 20-minute ride. 

• Vigeland Park. It is an amazing park of sculptures created during the first half of the XNUMXth century by the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland, commissioned by the city council.

• Bjorvika port area. This represents the most avant-garde Norway. It is a new urban development next to the port and to the east of the historic center of Oslo, next to the railway station. The area is full of modern buildings, including the spectacular Oslo Opera building, the Munch Museum and the Public Library.

• Oslo fjord cruise. It is a wonderful opportunity to discover where the city of Oslo is located, its waterfront, its islands and the surrounding hills.

5 Passage through the Nigardsbreen glacier

It is said to be the most accessible glacier in Norway. It is reached by taking a detour from the quiet town of Gaupne and you reach it in about 30 km. When you arrive, you find The Breheimsenteret, a museum and one of the three visitor centers of the Jostedalsbreen National Park. If you continue towards the glacier, you will find a paid car park and from there, if the weather is good and you have enough time, the excursion to the glacier is worth it as long as you are careful.

It is possible to hire a guided excursion to visit it or reach it in a boat that leaves from the car park.

6 The Lofoten Islands by motorhome

They are an archipelago of hundreds of islands and islets located above the Arctic Circle. The four main islands of the Lofoten are Austvågøy, Vestvågøy, Flakstadøy and Moskenesøy, rugged islands dotted with fishing villages linked together by bridges and tunnels. The surrounding waters are rich in herring and cod and are a meeting point for thousands of seabirds. You can reach the islands by road; the E10 connects the mainland with the last town of the Lofoten.

The Lofoten Islands are one of the best destinations to see the Northern Lights, since there is very little light pollution due to the spread of population centers. The high season for the Northern Lights runs from September to March, with the months of October and March being the busiest. The basic ingredients to see the Northern Lights are: a clear sky without clouds, a dark sky (if there is a new moon, better) and good luck!

7 Visit the famous Gudvangen Viking Village by motorhome

Gudvangen is located in the inner part of the narrow Nærøyfjord, protected by UNESCO. It is a place that will please fjord and mountain enthusiasts with its numerous hiking possibilities and waterfalls. It is a place where you can practice kayaking or reach the Bakkanosi peak, obtaining bird's-eye views of the fjord.

And, of course, you can't miss the Viking village of Njardarheim, a fun and educational journey back in time to understand Viking culture, who they were and where they came from.

https://www.fjordtours.com/es/actividades-en-noruega/museos-y-atracciones/aldea-vikinga-de-njardarheimr-en-gudvangen-7sw/

8 Motorhome mecca: Nordkapp and the midnight sun

North Cape is the northernmost point of Europe, a place far enough from the Arctic Circle where the sun never sets. From here, you can take a walk to the natural arch Kirkeporten ("the church gate") for a breathtaking view of the North Cape Plateau, or reach Cape Knivskjellodden, technically the northernmost point in Europe, from where you can admire the dimensions of the North Cape cliff. Also, you can go to Skarsvag, which claims to be the northernmost fishing village in the world.

North Cape is a 3,5-hour drive from Alta, the largest town in Norway's northernmost province and from where you can experience Sami culture up close and admire World Heritage-listed rock carvings. by UNESCO.

9 Boarding Flam's Train

We will arrive in Flam by motorhome and we will find a mini town that will envelop us in magic.

To park we will do it in a car park only allowed during the day in Flam:

GPS coordinates: N60°51'54.3″E 7°07'01.4″/ 60.865080, 7.117050

If you wanted to stay overnight, you have to go to the campsite you have in Flam.

The proposal is to visit Flam and see its famous historical train.

The Flåm Railway has been described as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world and is one of Norway's top tourist attractions because of the scenery it displays.

The trip takes about an hour to get to the top with a stop at a waterfall that sings opera and another hour down. Trains run every hour and the last train from Myrdal to Flam in summer is at 19pm.

Remarks:

– Flam train price: 1462 NOK (2 adults and one child) under 6 free.

10 Make the most beautiful scenic roads in Norway: road of the Trolls and the Atlantic

If you go to Norway, you may realize that the roads are the worst but some, despite being slow and heavy, offer you landscapes that transform your route.

In particular there are two. First of all, the road of the Trolls Stairs, the Trollstigen road, also known as Route 63. The idea that I propose is to see it from the most interesting part, the part above where we have the viewpoints, and not access her to avoid the curves if you don't feel like it.

Although if you feel like going through it and taking the curves of this spectacular road staircase you can do it without problem, buses access every day, so for the motorhome it will not be a problem.

You can park at the visitor reception center with a huge car park and which has the highlight of this road: two viewpoints: one more focused on nature (let's not forget that the Stigfossen waterfall is here) and another that puts the road in foreground.

GPS coordinates: N62°27'12.6″E 7°39'50.3″/62.453490, 7.663960

To sleep we suggest a car park in the middle of nature, much quieter:

GPS coordinates: N 62°24'54.0″E 7°39'05.3″/62.415001, 7.651460

The second road is the most beautiful scenic road in Norway: the Atlantic Coat Road that runs between up and down bridges along an impressive broken coastline. The Atlantic Highway (Atlanterhavsveien, in Norwegian) is a spectacular route that jumps from island to island until it reaches Averøy, in a fantastic journey through bridges that twist over the sea.

To travel the road, it is best to get to Molde and from there take highway 64, which is precisely the Atlanterhavsveien, an incredible 'road trip'.

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