Going to Norway in a couple of weeks

[DaveTDM]

We're off to Norway in a couple of weeks ::015::

Any advice would be very welcome ;D

Cheers

 

[Checkswrecks]

On your own bike or a rental?


I'm looking forward to going back at some point. We rode a rented BMW RT from Gotheburg to Alesund 4 years ago and had a blast. Karen's Mom is a Norwegian immigrant and they just got back last week from visiting family.


The biggest thing is to be ready for the high prices on everything and a beer can run $18. Being from the UK, you're probably used to being hit hard regularly. Your weather can turn from excellent to wet and back a couple times a day, and so can theirs. While Norwegians are not known for joke-sters or being super warm to strangers, they are very conscientious and everybody speaks English. They've taken in a LOT of very grateful refugees from the middle east so don't be surprised by encountering them.


The sights in the country are spectacular. It's more a matter of picking your priority targets and seeing what incredible scenes are between them.


I generally try to stay somewhat legal in other countries, but am not sure we saw a single police car while riding and there were a few times we were well faster than the posted limit.

 

[Nikolajsen]

We're off to Norway in a couple of weeks ::015::

Any advice would be very welcome ;D

Cheers

Perfect country to ride in ::012::
But as Checkswrecks write, you have to be prepared for bad and good weather. And prices, both food and speeding tickets

If you mean where to go?, well, almost all of Norway have pretty good motorcycle roads. But especially one road comes to mind, and this is road 520 from Håre in north to Ropeid in south.
And then of course down to Lysebotten.
But almost all the costal line with all the fjords (is Fjord correct english?), is very spectacular.

Have a nive trip

 

[Squibb]

It's a long way, now the Newcastle ferry has shut down! What route are you using?

Anyway, here goes: -

Beautiful scenery & some impressive infrastructure.
Speed limits/slow traffic, pretty heavily policed when we were there. Progress can be slower than you might expect.
Weather - 4 seasons in one day, including snow in August for us. Make sure you take all-seasons gear.
Prices - alcohol is strictly controlled & taxed heavily. Best to abstain IMHO. Take plenty of NK.
Ferries - all part of the road network, but sometimes don't run if low demand, which can add 2/3 hours to a ride.

Sadly snow/ice rather spoilt our trip, so we had to come south to seek out better weather, with a few nice days in Stavanger. Eventually though, when we got to Kristiansand, we decided to take the Ferry to Denmark as the bad weather caught up with us. By contrast, my neighbour & his classic car buddies went the previous year, on similar dates, & had 14 days of perfect driving, even running the gaunlet of LEZ charging (cars) for all their group - they wondered what the toll plazas were all about.

Enjoy the trip; whatever the weather it's a great experience & it's interesting to see the way things work in a high pay high tax economy so close but so very different to the UK. a brief ride report would be good, when you return.................. KEN

 

[DaveTDM]

Thanks for the info.

we're shipping our super10 to Oslo and flying over to save some time getting there. (EuroBikeTrans)

we live in the pennines so used to the weather, but didn't realise we might get snow ???

intend to ride in Norway for a week then spend a week riding back down through Sweden,Denmark,Germany and back into Rotterdam for the ferry home.

probably gonna stay in south / west Bergen area for our first visit

will definitely get some pics etc and a ride report ::006::

again thanks for the info , much appreciated.

 

[DaveTDM]

Intended route attached (hopefully) ;D

 

[Nikolajsen]

A little hard to see, but it seems like Lysebotn is on the route, perfect.
From Lysebotn, I would serius consider going to Sand, and take the road 520 to Håra, and from Håre, the old road over "Røldalsfjellet" (NOT E134 through the tunnel), you will then meet E134 later when the old road ends.

 

[Checkswrecks]

We did the 3/4 of that which excludes the northeast connection back to Oslo. It's beautiful!

Abandoned movie prop now used to draw folks into a restaurant

 

[Tangedal]

From my neck of the woods (Bergen) my suggestion is you forgo the E39 and take the long way around the fjords instead. These roads are about 50/50 two-lane and single carriage. You'll have enough turns to satisfy your needs for half a year or more, you'll see all sorts of little places, so-called "quaint" villages etc., and you will see hardly any traffic. The E39 in comparison is really nothing more than a nondescript two-lane highway which is the only north/south route to go if you need to "get there"; with few if any highlights or sights to see.

I'm attaching a pic of my suggested route; here's a link to video of part of the northern half of the route: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sxoo7atEew&t=156s (music provided by Mr. A. Krapovic).

Welcome to Norway -- hope you have a great time!

[Edit: Pic of suggested route corrected]

 

[Banzai600]

Always wanted to go, beautiful country no doubt !!

but seems too much of a nanny state with the way the cops are so strict, no room to sneeze out of place.

 

[Nikolajsen]

but seems too much of a nanny state with the way the cops are so strict, no room to sneeze out of place.

No, this is not correct, after my opinion.
They are strict about rules/law, that is correct.
But other than that, is more like "Use your common sense, or die"
People die every year on the mountain side, because they did not prepare properly, and get caught in bad wether, or no water, or killed by bear.

 

[dcstrom]

We're off to Norway in a couple of weeks ::015::

Any advice would be very welcome ;D

Cheers

I'll be there soon too! Denmark next week, and probably Norway by the following weekend. Let's get a beer! (oh hang on, somebody mentioned $18 beers...) anyway, maybe camp somewhere and drink some water?

 

[Tangedal]

Always wanted to go, beautiful country no doubt !!

but seems too much of a nanny state with the way the cops are so strict, no room to sneeze out of place.

I can ride for weeks without seeing a single cop. Not kidding. In the city or out in the boonies, same thing. We hardly have a functioning police force at all.

 

[DaveTDM]

Thanks for the heads up on the route Tangedal ::008::

Bike shipped today ::013::

 

[Tangedal]

Ride safe and enjoy. You'll be talking about it for years to come

Any trouble in my neck of the woods my cell # is +47 921 36 000. Or if you just want company for a ride or a beer ::003::

 

[Willie_S]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4I7xKQsKluwNUxzU000UjFaOUE?usp=gmail&ts=598776e7

Some snaps and vids from my trip - last 2 weeks of July 2017

 

[Nikolajsen]

Åh, you went all the way to Nordkapp ???
And get to see "Trollstien" in clear weather, I never experinced that
Looks like a great trip ::008:: (with some rain and expensive food )

 

[Checkswrecks]

Thanks for sharing!
I'm really looking forward to going back.

 

[DaveTDM]

Thanks for the advise on Norway

amazing place - beautiful scenery - expensive yes - but worth it.

Tangedal ---- Thanks for the route to Bergen -- amazing ::008::

Definitely be going back

we spent a week in Norway then a week riding home through Sweden, Denmark,Germany and finished with 2 days in Amsterdam.

we were lucky and had really nice weather for most of the trip (Holland was wettest and windy).

once i figure out how to upload some pics i will do.

cheers
dave

 

[Nikolajsen]

we spent a week in Norway then a week riding home through Sweden, Denmark,Germany and finished with 2 days in Amsterdam.

??? Must be some long days in the saddle. Or also some days on the BIG roads?
Hos many KM in total for these 2 weeks?