Folks
I am flying into Oslo on 10th September 2024 and planning to create a driving route that will cover at least some of the highlights of coast line of Norway and finally after reaching the North Eastern coast of Norway head down into Sweden and arrive back in Oslo after 18 days. To keep it crisp, I will list out in bullet points of how I intend to do it along with a very tentative route map. I will also list out some questions and if anyone can help answer them, it will be much appreciated.
My plan
• Start date is 12th September and end date will be 29th Of September
• I will be self driving and will rent a Toyota Yaris from the Oslo Airport. It is a petrol vehicle.
• I have 18 days.
• I will be driving alone.
• This is a purely driving exploration and I won’t be doing any day hikes or interested in exploring big cities.
• I am ok with driving each day at a slow and steady pace and just soak in the sights.
•
• Tentative Route map is : Oslo > Head South To Kristiansand > Head North West to Stavanger > Head North to Bergen > Head North to Kristiansund > Head North to Tromso > Head Far North to Knivskjellodden > Head East to Vardo > Enter Sweden and head South to Lulea > Go further South to Oslo
Attaching a tentative link of the route that I have created on google maps
https://maps.app.goo.gl/X12nsb27DjUFTcrWA?g_st=ic
My Questions and Information That I Am requesting For are listed below.
• I want to avoid going to big cities and stay in small lodges outside in smaller villages. Is it possible? Are small lodges and inns plenty available along the route ?
• How much per night should I budget for the small lodges per night on single occupancy?
• How much toll tax should I budget for while driving this route in Norway? I will be driving for 4500 km in Norway and 1500 km in Sweden. I understand that there is no toll in Sweden.
• I will have filters placed in my Google maps to avoid toll roads and bigger highways. Do these filters work in Norway ?
• I have a rough understanding of the per Km cost of driving a Toyota Yaris. I will be driving close to 6000 Km and the Yaris gives an average of 17 km to 1 Litre of petrol. Which means I will need 353 liters of petrol at a cost of 21 NOK per litre. Is my assumption correct ?
Please do help out.
by Goadventuresports
3 comments
This is one hell of a drive, with a lot of small and winding roads. You are going to be cooked by the end of it. And some of these streches will feel more like transport than exploration and sightseeing. But you already seem prepared for that. Just thought it was worth mentioning (again).
I can understand why you have mapped your trip like this, as then you will feel that you have “done” both Norway and Sweden. But I just wanted to point out that you will be missing out on some of the most spectacular sights in both Lofoten, and the national parks in the middle of Norway (e.g. Jotunheimen). I am sure the Swedes would have similar comments to your plan.
I realize I am not answering any of your questions, so maybe a comment on lodgings: Yes, there are a fair amount of hotels/motels/lodges etc. along that route, but it might be more practical to also pop into the cities and sleep at hotel chains if you are on a budget and don’t want to spend too much time researching/finding small lodges.
Apart from Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, and Trondheim all the “Cities” are actually just small villages, by international standards. It will take just 10 minutes to drive through those other cities, so they are not urban, busy or more expensive than the (even) more rural destinations.
The cheapest and most available for overnight stays will be camping sites. They are everywhere, and almost all of them have smaller cabins or rooms available. Tourist and camping season is over by the time you get here, so I would think they have a lot of rooms available. Most of them are listed in google maps. Maybe 5-800 nok per night?
Just a note on the route. You have indicated the main roads. For the roads I know which is from Oslo through Kristiansand, Stavanger to Bergen, the main road is pretty boring, in addition to them being toll roads. The problem is that to see more scenic routes, you will either add to the distance to drive, or change the route more drastically.
As you have not indicated what you may be interested in, further advice is difficult.