UKC

Has anyone taken van to norway? Im trying to come up with ideas for a summer trip in the camper with the family.  And i thought about norway for a change from the alps.

Anyone been? Best way to get there ferry to holland then ferry to norway or did you drive? 

In reply to Ffati1:

Mate of mine did it for the ice season just gone. They took the ferry from Hull and went up via a crossing from Denmark to Sweden. The tolls and fuel was quite pricey, we caught the flight but our trip reasons were very different to yours. Border crossings were easy. If you want more specific info I can get him to contact you.

In reply to Ffati1:

2014 we had a August touring Norway in a camper van, it was fantastic. We left booking ferries too late so ended up with Harwich to Hook of Holland and then drove through Holland, Germany and Denmark. This was around 12 to 14 hours each way. We stayed at Hirtshals before getting the ferry to Kristiansand.

We did a clockwise loop over the next 4 weeks taking each day as it came, we had our 9 month old daughter with us so had lovely walks and exploring the areas close to the road.

Kristiansand was where we turned south again taking in Lillehammer and Rjukan. Campsites were abundant and travel was easy with lots of small car ferries linking across fjords etc.

We found fuel and campsites to be a similar price to UK but food was expensive and we avoided alcohol as it was eye-wateringly priced!

It was a great experience and we saw some stunning locations. Enjoy! 

In reply to Ffati1:

We've done a few Norway / Scandic van trips - it's absolutely brilliant for #vanlife, though sadly the ferry options have gradually diminished over time.

One slightly crazy but highly recommended option if you have the time is to go for a Baltic loop through Eastern Europe, over to Helsinki and right the way round https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2020/06/22/rockaroundtheworld-retrospectiv...

The other option is to take say the Hull Rotterdam ferry then a hop from Denmark into Sweden, which means you can drop in at Bohuslan and the cragging around Stockholm. 

https://doughton.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/scandi-rock-climbing-in-norway...

Either way, be sure to time your arrival in the far north to catch some midnight sun! 

Cheers, Dom 

In reply to Ian Hinkins:

One bonus of the "Baltic Loop" itinerary (see previous post) is that you get to stock up on excellent 50p/pint beer in Poland which then tastes extra awesome when enjoyed in the company of your mates sipping their £10 Norwegian pint! 

In reply to Ffati1:

Drove to Lofoten in 2016, ferry to Calais, bridges from Denmark to Sweden. A great trip. About 5 days leisurely driving each way. Came back via Bohoslan. No problem finding places to park up for the night on the way. 

In reply to Ffati1:

We had a 6 week van tour of Norway and Sweden in 2012 which included a nephew’s midsummer wedding in Sundsvall. We took ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg and return then another ferry from N Jutland to Goteborg (avoiding horrendous bridge tolls). After the. wedding we drove north and crossed the mountains via Kiruna to Narvik which we enjoyed greatly. After some time spent in Lofoten (it snowed at sea level in June) and seeing the midnight sunset/sunrise we headed south and spent time in the fjord country. Romsdal was memorable despite aborting our planned ascent of Romsdalhorn due to unseasonal snow. Alesund is a fascinating place. Bergen is interesting with cable car. Walk up, get the telepherique down. We didn’t do much climbing but this was nice Gjokeredet. Crossing high passes was dramatic with cuttings through enormous snow drifts. Don’t miss the crossing of the Hardangervidda.

There was a rumour there are cargo boats going from Immingham to Southern Norway (Christiansand?) which will take a few vans, but can’t tell you any more.

The best thing was we only spent about 3 nights on campsites in 6 weeks. You can park up and be alone in some fabulous spots. Be prepared for the distances - we clocked up about 5,500 miles, front door to front door. And around Oslo and perhaps elsewhere there are traffic tolls but nowhere to pay. You have to set up an online account. The almost universal 80 kph speed limit often seems a bit slow but it is enforced and makes for a leisurely holiday.

In reply to Ffati1:

Agree with most that's been said previously.

One thing that did happen was at the border from Sweden into Norway on the E12 we were stopped by the police who breathalysed me at 0800 in the morning and the customs searched the van for contraband. Fortunately, our alcohol supply was just over that allowed but some was opened so the officer accepted it was for personal consumption and let us go. So, while this is relatively rare, checks can happen.

In reply to Ffati1:

Your cheapest way is Dover-Calais and then across the bridge from Denmark to Sweden and then in to Norway. I've done this and it was fine though a lot of driving.

In reply to Rog Wilko:

Likewise we saw signs about tolls but it wasn't obvious which were, and which weren't tolled sections and there was no apparent way to pay so we just ignored them.

A few weeks after we got home a letter arrived with a photo of our car on a road somewhere in Norway and a bill for the toll roads.

I don't know how enforceable it was, or whether it would still be enforceable post brexit if indeed it ever was, but it was only £35 for hundreds of miles so we just paid it anyway.

I found the long days driving at 50mph a bit soul destroying but its strictly enforced with BIG fines for even a couple of kph over the limit. They don't have nice hi viz vans to look out for either, just a bloke with a radar gun standing by the side of the road so you need to keep a close eye on your speed. Cruise control would make it all rather more relaxing.

A few people in Lofoten said they had driven most of the way up through Sweden as the higher speed limits made it quicker.

In reply to pec:

in addition the fjords in Norway make for slow and circuitous travel while the main road north in Sweden has nono of that.

In reply to pec:

Not just that, but further. I drove up the straighter, quiet inland road through Sweden (fast road with scenic forests and lakes), then cut across to Lofoten. Faster still on the way back going across to the Baltic coast.

In reply to Ffati1:

How long did it take you to drive up from calais. We would not be in a massive rush we will have 6 weeks in total and will have a 3 and 1 year old with us. 

Just done a bit of quick Google search and the ferry from Denmark seems to be mega expensive, but maybe just need to suck it up if im heading over there? 

In reply to Ffati1:

We went for all of the summer 2017 and loved it. Headed to Lofoton via Sweden, much easier to drive that way. Stopped at Bahoslan for a few nights on both journeys.

Also visited Are in Sweden for mountain biking and Andalsnes see Troll Wall and climb in area.

Amazing trip can be very cheap of you are sensible buying food/beer in Norway. Best to stock up in Sweden. We never needed to pay for accommodation but situation around Henningsvaer may have changed. Plenty of other areas are less popular. 

Take a fishing rod if you like mackerel! Check out our old Instagram #one_year_just_adventure for a flavour. 

Enjoy 

In reply to Ffati1: I'd update the warning via speeding fines as they've been increased a lot this year and for some driving offences have doubled (up to 10K NOK on the spot for mobile phone use).  

I'd agree with driving up via Sweden if you want a faster journey, then pop in to whereever you want to go.

In reply to Ffati1:

There are 2 or 3 routes from Hirtshals to Norway and they did differ in price quite a bit when we went. If I recall we took the one to Kristiansand as that was cheaper and I think shorter.

Alternatively go via Copenhagen (worth a day visit anyway) and drive over the bridge to Sweden, 122 euros for a camper (and a bit more fuel of course). Possibly only 61 euros if your van is less than 6m long.

https://easygo.com/en/location/sweden/oresund-bridge

In reply to pec:

How much is the Helsingborg ferry now?  I had a holiday in Skåne in 2017 and that was the preferred route by the locals (we went across the bridge on the train).

In reply to Ffati1:

I've done much of this drive a few times now (although we only had to get to Stockholm to get the ferry to Finland) with originally 2 young children and more recently with 2 teenagers and one 1 year old. You'll have to get the feel of what your kids are like for long car journeys but remember it's probably more boring for them than for you. When my older kids were young we broke the drive up by going to Legoland in Bilund. We camped in the town for two nights so we could have a full day there. Swedish campsites tend to be great - all seem to have great playgrounds which may well interest your 3 year old!

At least a few years ago they stopped it completely. My parents used it a few times when they drove to Finland to visit us, but the prices and time always stopped us from using it. Don't underestimate how far it is through Belgium Holland and Germany to get up to the Danish border either at Flensburg or further east where the ferry goes direct to islands south of Copenhagen - shorter drive but more expensive than the Danish internal bridges. 

And in my experience don't go Dover Calais go Dover Dunkirk - it's in the right direction so less driving, cheaper, and you get to learn Polish on the ferry as that's the second language after English, not French! 😀

In reply to TobyA:

If you’re starting from North Wales you might think it worthwhile taking an overnight ferry to somewhere like Hook of Holland (if they still exist). Reduces the driving and you pass a night while travelling.

In reply to pec/Ffati - any ferry to/from Hirtshals is expensive at that time of year as it's super popular with Norwegians going to/from Denmark as well as foreigners going the other way.  The road from Kristiansand to Oslo is much improved in the last few years although it adds a few hours driving.  E39 N out of Kristiansand is pretty, but if you're heading a long way north, it will be pretty slow

In reply to Rog Wilko:

I live a couple of hours from Hull so we've looked at crossing from there but they go to Rotterdam/Hook of Holland which is really far south (level with places just north of London like Luton) and in summer holiday times are eye wateringly expensive.

I'm pretty certain that we worked out it was both more expensive and slower than driving down to Dover and then driving round.

Was just idly googling and saw this https://www.dfds.com/en-gb/passenger-ferries/ferry-crossings/gateway-to-sca... so this are no UK - Nordic ferries any more, closed in 2014. It looks like Hook of Holland is most northerly place you can now get a ferry to from the UK. It's really annoying the Hull and Newcastle ferries take you that far south.

edit: a friend in Norway did tell me recently via Facebook (so it has to be true) there are rumours of a ferry service being launched from Norway to Scotland again, although I can't remember if Max said to the Shetlands or to Aberdeen. He did tell me that the last service from Norway to Scotland that closed about 20 years ago did so after a storm had damaged most of the vehicles on board and the insurance costs closed them down!

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

The Denmark-Sweden crossing is probably not the optimal way to get to Norway. First it means you have to a) drive further, b) pay for Storbælt and c) pay for Øresundbroen or its equivalent and only slightly cheaper ferry. Best bet is to get the ferry from Jutland (I can't recall the town name) to Kristiansand. 

In reply to Rog Wilko:

This sadly no longer exists.

In reply to Ffati1:

Kids travel pretty well have do e a few trips with them, but obviously we do tend to now do it in a slightly slower fashion these days.

Maybe the drive is the option and take in the views of denmark, only ever been there to work before 

In reply to Ffati1:

Agree with a lot of the comments about Sweden route and then cutting across which is a bit boring but a lot easier and I believe cheaper than tolls and ferries. There is a Fjallraven outlet store that way which is surprisingly reasonable.

Don't be too tempted to stock up on alcohol as if they find it at the border (and they certainly check further North) they will take it off you and fine you. On balance Norwegian prisons might be better than Norwegian fines.

Inland there are loads of mosquitoes and particularly in the northern boggy areas around and above the Artic Circle but the first cold spell, late July or early August usually gets them and you can still have nice weather after that. In the far North, you can usually wild camp although I have noticed the opportunities to and tolerance of it declines the further south you go.

Finally, no one seems to have mentioned Senja as a destination. It doesn't get the hype of Lofoten and possibly isn't as spectacular. I have only been there and not Lofoten so I can't offer a comparison but it is pretty amazing with everything from sport, mountain to big walls. 

In reply to DD72:

Really? I've crossed the border from Sweden into Norway at Kiruna maybe 6 or 7 times and from Finland into Norway at Kilpisjärvi maybe a dozen times, and have never been stopped. I remember one time forgetting to bring my passport and not realising until 500 kms north of home, and being nervous for the next 500 kms to the border, despite the Nordic passport union. But of course, there was no one there at all and we drove straight over.

In reply to DD72:

Senja's rubbish - nothing to see there. Move on.

(Once turned up at a car park on a poor day to do one of the hills there. Turned out that the local walking club were there too. So ended up crashing a meet, which was helpful as the hill has a bit of a bite to it - anyway if anyone from Senja's reading... many thanks.

In reply to Ffati1:

I drove with a friend to Norway this year, for some ice & snow fun.

Hull to Rotterdam ferry, a long drive into Denmark, a visit to Roskilde for the Viking boat museum, then the Copenhagen to Oslo ferry.

Using the ferries is very relaxing (cabins & 'all you can eat' buffet), but it was still a lot of boring driving.

The ferries alone were £1,100!

Fuel was some £300 & tolls £320.

It was a great trip, but clearly very expensive for the travel.