Hi, a Finn here! (first time in Norway)
We are going on a one month roadtrip this summer with my friend, with a car and a tent.
Do you have any suggestions for must visit places along our way?
The path what you see in the picture is just a rough estimate made by google and only for visual purposes.
Hiking to places is not a problem, we are prepared to do so.
Also is there anything worth while at the very north of Norway?
You can suggest places from anywhere in Norway!
(I know this might break one rule but I would appreciate for you to leave it be since other people can also get inspired from this post)
https://i.redd.it/jcjsp36ddtsg1.png
Posted by Grankas
38 Comments
I would strongly (as in either do or just don’t go on this trip) suggest re routing so you drive up the Norwegian coast instead. With the current route you are exchanging one of the best/most scenic drives in the world for more of the north Swedish/Finnish forest roads you probably already love all too much.
That’s one helluva trip, i’d love to do something similar one day! Is the finish part forested the whole way?
I would skip Skibotn and drive into Sweden at Karesuando and head for Kiruna and Narvik. That route is way more scenic and Bjørnefjell is packed with WW2 history.
The drive from Skibotn to Narvik quite boring.
Visit Ålesund!
Interesting choice of picking the least scenic route in Norway
Take a detour through Lofoten and take the ferry from Moskenes (optional: via Værøy) to Bodø to get back to the mainland.
Visit Ålesund on the west coast and add Nordkapp in Finmark if you have time
I would suggest driving through Lofoten and take the ferry from Å to Bodø and then checkout Saltstraumen on your way.
I would recommend Lofoten in North Norway, you could take the ferry from Bodø. I would also have taken the coastal route from Bergen.
Reine, Lofoten Islands.
If you take the detour to Bodø you have the National Aviation Museum. It’s one of the best aviation museums in the world, and they offer free guided tours with every entry ticket during summer. In Bodø there’s also Jektefartsmuseet, or the Jekt museum, that houses one of the last ships that transported stockfish to Bergen along the coast. Really important part of Norwegian history.
Depending on the time of day you might also br able to see the worlds strongest maelstrom, Saltstraumen.
Bodø can be a short short detour that I absolutely recommend
you’re missing the best parts of Norway on this route. Either go even more north and visit Senja and Andøya. Both are stunning!
or cross the border north of Narvik instead of Skibotn.
You absolutely have to visit the Lofoten Islands. Most beautiful place in all of Norway.
further south I recommend going more to the west. Drive through Hardanger and visit Loen/Olden on the way north
Looks really expensive
I suggest getting a dumb-phone and a digital camera and turn off your smart phone for your trip. Bring it with you for emergency situations and bank transfers etc, but by having it turned off and packed away you will experience so – much – more.
It amazes me when I see all these asian tourists travelling half the globe just to stare into their phone all day on holiday like why the hell do you even come here if all you are looking at and engaging with is a 5x2inch device..
I would make sure to reroute via the scenic roads instead. For instance, do not skip Atlanterhavsveien!
I’d suggest driving down Helgelandskysten. Then keep going to Ålesund, Kristiansund and mainly just follow the coast down to Bergen.
The norwegian coastal road is worth every single hour more in travel time. Stay as close to the coast as possible.
Yea, take the costal route from Oslo to Bergen. The route you have here between the two sucks.
enjoy your trip 😁
From local guy
Since you’re from Finland, a coastal route, some fjords, mountain passes etc are things that are different from the trees and lakes you’re used to.
A few suggestions of the top of my head (don’t pick them all):
Hardangervidda
Hardanger
Sognefjorden
Sognefjellet
Loen/Olden
Find some nice beaches in Bremanger, Kinn or Stad kommune
Lom (close to Lom you can hike the 2 highest mountains in Norway)
Romsdalen from Åndalsnes to Dombås
Dombås to Røros
(Røros is quite unique along with Lom)
From Røros you go North through Stugudal/Tydal
There are a lot of nice hikes along the way, check out Ut.no.
From Bergen to Lofoten, you want to stick to the coastal roads as much as possible. Especially, Atlanterhavsvegen is a must-see. As well as all of Lofoten, make sure to explore it to the fullest – you should stay there for several days longer than anywhere else.
No need to veer inland. Some nice things there, but outweighed tenfold by the fjords and coastline.
If you visit ålesund you also must see Geiranger, thats very close by and is a Unesco World Heritage place.
You should definately visit Vardetangen
Like, you need to go along the coast.
Google ‘Kystriksveien’ 👌
I’d recommend visiting some mountains along this particular route. /s
Visit Harstad, it has the 1100 year old church and just down the road, the Adolf Kannon…just look it up, trust me, it is about the coolest thing you’ll see for 1000km on any direction 🙂
Anything but Halden
You are mainly doing transport legs here, not so much exploring. My recommendation is stay more in western Norway, take time to see the fjords, the glaciers and the waterfalls. Visit Stavanger, Hardanger, Vøringsfossen, Voss, Olden, Geiranger, Kristiansund then Trondheim. In my opinion E6 between Trondheim and Tromsø is really boring, pure transport. Not sure how exiting the leg Tromsø to Helsinki is either. But that’s where most of your kms come from, so consider the route here. It’s a lot faster to drive via Sweden.
Some places I think is worth it:
– Måløy and the surroundings. Few tourists, beautiful nature. Hornelen is absolutely breathtaking to hike up, but it’s a heavy one. It takes 3-4 hours each way. You can also book a Via Ferrata-trip up.
– Lofoten. It’s super-touristy during peak summer season, but can be worth it. Try to book a Trollfjord-cruise of some sort, from either Stokmarknes or Svolvær.
– Polar Park north of Narvik. Very interesting if you’re into animals and want to see them up close.
– Edit: Bjørneparken (Bear park) in Flå, between Bergen and Oslo, is very similar and can be just as interesting
– Trondheim and Nidaros Cathedral is stunning.
– Træna is very special and beautiful during summer. You can take a ferry out there and stay overnight.
– Ålesund is beautiful and a good place to stay overnight.
As other’s have said, follow the coast and expect to pay for ferries, so it’s a trade-off compared to travelling further inland.
Stop in Tromsø it’s very close to Skibotn on your route and has bridges so is easy to drive. I was just out there in Tromsø last month along with Sweden and Finland too and it’s super gorgeous and worth a stop. Go to a nice sauna or find an air BNB with one in Helsinki, that city and Stockholm were really pretty. The royal palace in Stockholm on Gamla Stan island was impressive and so many museums too! Definitely give Gamla Stan a solid day if you like to walk around and shop too.
as a dane that dreams of driving to Nordkap and down through Finland this summer, is there a road number or 3-4 town names to put into the GPS, to be certain to drive the scenic route up alongside Norway’s coast?
I would recommend a ferry from Finland to Denmark and then Denmark-Norway, so you can avoid Sweden completely.
Norwegian Industrial workers museum. Sleep at the DNT Krokan cabin with the rats and hike there
See a stave church!!!
Looks like you might be driving through Årdal?
Yes better to go moss/horten ferry and then kristansand and Along the Coast, The views are fantasti c
I’ll personally choose to recommend “Vøringsfossen” whcich is about 172 km straight east from Bergen along highway number 7. That valley is truely a jewel of southern Norway, and the distance between the lowest and highest point within that view frankly boggles the mind.
I was lucky enough to visit it on a clear sunny day, and it made me think: Man do I love this f***** country.
When you are close to Bodø you should see Saltstraumen. One of the worlds strongest tidal currents. Be sure to be there at the right time when the current is flowing in or out https://kartverket.no/en/at-sea/se-havniva/result?id=623012&location=Saltstraumen
If it’s good weather when you are there, you should consider visiting Sandhornøya and especially Langsanden. A 2 km long 300m wide beach with pure white sand. There are some toilet facilities there too. Last time I was there you could put up tents