5 days in Norway

I'm working on a route now, trying to put many must-see-places in it.
If you want to get up to Geiranger I'm afraid it can be many kilometres pr. day.
I'm making a route, including Geiranger and Dalsnibba, passing Lysebotten, Suleskar, Strynefjellet, Sognefjellet, Årdal, Haukeli, Stalheim, - and a lot of thunnels - and ending up at Tyrigrava wednesday evening.
And you better wake up in the morning on Saturday - I'm sending you to Lysebotten the first day! (Lysebotten are sooooooo great!)

This route is only in the west, and I do not guarantee for the weather...
But you can get over to the east, if you don't want to follow the route - there are many roads.
Details is coming!

Get a god map, Cappelen 1:325 000 is good, and I'm sure you get it at 50% of the gasstations here. Or ask at J.W.Cappelen Forlag, Oslo. You need two maps to cover this area.

I'll be back with more info!

Liv.

Thanks Liv

Liv

I'm looking forward to your route as well. I've convinced my friend we should go to Norway this year, and will have 6 days of riding. However, we are making sure we stay over for the night os June 21st - so I doubt we'll be riding much (if at all) on June 22nd!

We are also arriving / departing from Kristiansand, so the whole tourist economy of Norway is resting on your shoulders!

cheers

Mark

PS looking forward to revisiting Harry Peppers in Stavanger if I can possible work it

Stalheim and the funny road Stalheimskleivene are special.
Click at ''highlight'' and se the road http://www.stalheim.com/engelsk/index.htm
If you ever go there; make sure you do not ride the thunnel, but find this hairpin road!
It's not many kilometres, so you can go up and down many times!
It's fun!
I meet a bus there on my way up, and I had to go back a little. The same bus met my boyfriend in the next turn, and they figured it was better to meet on the wrong side of the road - the side you Brits like!
First or second gear is best for going up.

The hotel Stalheim is expensive, but you don't have to stay there.
But walk inside and out in the back, and see a really great wiev!
If I made this ride ypu can see the wiev here: http://www.norwaymyway.com/photo/naeroeyfjord_2.html
If you are too sissy to ride the hairpins, you can ride the back road - that is safe. Or just drop it and ride the thunnel, but please please please do not do that!!!!

Stalheim is not far from Voss, Gudvangen, the long thunnel on my picture, and Sognefjorden - it's a must-see-place in a must-go-to-area!

Places to stay close to Voss, if you do not camp:
http://www.visitvoss.no/hotelogpensjonat.htm
I have been at Nøring Pensjonat in Voss twice, and I brought friends - we all liked it! Not luxerious, but good! And not that expencive.

...and there was vikings at Gudvangen when I was there!

Liv.

maps

Thanks again Liv for some great links.
I look forward to the final route, but not looking forward to getting up early on the Saturday morning
Can you, or anyone tell me where I can get the 2 maps that I require over the net. I dont want to wait till I get to Norway to buy the maps, there must be a web dealer out there!!

got some maps

Cancel my last.
Just ordered 3 maps from Stanfords (Cappelen 1:325,000) over the net.

Should be here in a couple of days, although just cost me £50 for the 3 including p & p to Germany

maps

Sorry £39.95

I am also seriously considering touring Norway and/or Sweden in September.

Would it be possible at that time - and I have no skills for riding in snow - to head north and camp on the Artic Circle on September 22nd

If I lose my job this year that would be one of the things i would like to do.

TIA

Arctic Extreme!

Hi Grandad, I went at the other extreme, late May for the circle and 1st June for the Nordkapp!(took 4 days) My memories of this ride were good, apart from the cold which was always a constant companion and more than made up for by the locals friendliness! Liv will be here shortly!

If you do manage to get as far as Geiranger, take the ferry to Hellesylt. It is the best view you'll get of the fjord. When we did it some years ago (also in June) they only had the small ferry on and we were the only people on it for the return leg. We were just there for the ride, so didn't get off. Nice people didn't charge us on the way back!!

First time we went we did it in an Austin Metro - the look on the faces of Norwegian Customs Officers as we rolled off the ferry was priceless...

Personally, I really enjoyed the coast roads and the many ferries - more the merrier - north from Bergen to Molde.

The hytte are great - massive variety and in some stunning locations.

And I agree about needing good maps, because some of the best roads are the unpaved stuff.

Chisurz said:

The hytte are great - massive variety and in some stunning locations.

Click to expand...

Hi tickets are booked for June but what's the deal with these?

do you need a sleeping bag? Are there showers? Costs? how do you find them etc etc

Looking to keep the cost downa bit, and this might help.

tak

Mark

I'm working on the route!
It's coming!
About 300 kilometres a day.

Well; hytter and campingplasser (huts and campsites):
There are symbols like triangles or houses on a good map, like those from Cappelen.
Some are members of N.A.F. (Norges Automobil Forbund), some not.
Most hytter are perfect for two persons, and some have a refridgerator. They have beds, but often not bed linnen, but often you can rent that.
Bring your sleeping bag!
Most campsites have a convenient store, with bread and spread and milk/juice.

Some huts are cheap, and some are expencive as a cheap hotel.

''ROM''
That is a room for rent, often with breakfast, at an old lady.

''Ledig''
It's free.

''Opptatt''
It's rented.

Wery often there are hytter where there are a camp site.

I'll be back with the route - hang on!
Liv.

Liv

you are a star - thank you!

This will be my first trip to Norway for pleasure (probably my 20th actual trip) and I just can't wait.

Never used the huts, since I always seemed to end up in SAS hotels, but this time it's my own money!!!

Cheers

Mark

I haven't got time to read all the posts on this so far - so apologies if its already been said, but one of the interesting things I read in MCN this week (pg 3 from memory) was that you need to double-check the smallprint on your insurance policy - as Norway is usually exluded.

Taff said:

I haven't got time to read all the posts on this so far - so apologies if its already been said, but one of the interesting things I read in MCN this week (pg 3 from memory) was that you need to double-check the smallprint on your insurance policy - as Norway is usually exluded.

Click to expand...

Taff

I had the same thought since the policy document said "EU countries and countries that blah-blah-blah", so gave them a call. So my Bennetts policy DOES cover Norway, but I agree with you Taff, get it checked out well in advance. My policy document basically said that if a country was not covered that was it, you couldn't pay extra to cover it.

Cheers

Mark

The route!

:helmet
Welcome to this 5 days tour from Kristiansand to Oslo!
We are going to sleep at a campsite in Lysebotten, a cheap hotel in Voss; Nøring (or where you want to sleep!), somewhere in the area Stryn - Geiranger, and somewhere in the area Tyin - Vangsmjøsa - Fagernes, and at FjordCamp in Oslo - wery close to Tyrigrava.
Bring your sleepingbag!


Day 1, Saturday, from Kristainsand to Lysebotten:
Rv.9 from Kristiansand, go up Setesdalen, we pass Evje, go further north, and turn west from Rv.9 after Rysstad.
This is a narrow road.
After about 38km you are passing Suleskar, and then you follow signs to Lysebotten (not the road to Rv.45!), a narrow road. After about 26km you are in Lysebotten.
Put up your tent here.
And bring food for the evening, and breakfast, as I don't think there are a Mc Donald down there! Perhaps they have food at the campsite, I don't know. (Most campsites have.)

The last part of this day is the best; the last kilomtres down to Lysebotten;
a wery fynny road, many hairpin turns, steep, and a korkscrew thunnel, and a cafè called Ørneredet / The Eagles Nest right before you start the funniest part!
This is absolutely a ''must-ride-road'' in a ''must-see-area''!

The road from Rv.9 to Lysebotten is closed in the winter, so you better find out if it is open before you leave Kristiansand that after noon. And call the campsite and ask if they are open for the summer - if not, you better find a place to sleep at Rv.9, close to Rysstad.

Total from Kristiansand to Lysebotten; 210km.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That road to Lysebotten is not wery old; they build it because of the electrisity company, the power station, needed a road.
Before the road they had to go to Lysebotten with a boat, and there is a tourist boat from Stavanger, if you want to spend the morning on a boat at Lysefjorden, or go from Lysebotten to Stavanger in the afternoon, with your bike (or car!). I don't know the time table for the boat in June, but in July it are leaving Stavanger early, and are in Lysebotten at kl.02.00 pm, and it goes back to Stavanger after a short stop.
You do not have to go all the way from Stavanger to Lysebotten with the boat; you can get off at Songesand and ride R.13 to Tau or Hjelmeland.
From the boat you can see Prekestolen (Preikestolen) and Kjæragbolten, and sometimes some B.A.S.E. -jumpers are jumping when the boat are passing.
It is often fog and rain in this area, I'm afraid.
Make reservations for the boat.
But this is not in my 5-days-tour this time - I just wanted to tell you about it!

Liv.

Day 2, Sunday, from Lysebotten to Voss.
Go from Lysebotten back to Rv.9, and go north at Rv.9;
we pass Valle, Bykle and Hovden in Setesdalen, and go up to Haukeli.
Turn west at Haukeli and ride E134, pass Haukeliseter and Haukelitunnelen 5682 metres (or do not ride the thunnel; you can ride the old road!), and there are Røldalstunnelen 4656 metres, and Seljestadtunnelen 1273 metres, and about 10 kilomtres after Seljestad tunnelen, just before E134 meets Rv.13; find the old & steep & narrow GS-road over the mountain! It's funny!
Only about 2 kilomtres, but really funny! Do not miss it!!!!!!
Then go north at Rv.13, and stop and take picture of Låtefossen (you can do that while you are on the bike!) and go up to Odda.

(If you do not like my route, you can go west just after Odda; Folgefonntunnelen 11 100 metres, take a ferry just before Rosendal, to Gjerdmundshavn, and ride Rv.49 to Norheimsund - a beatiful area, Hardanger, and you have just crossed Folgefonna, a glacier! And then ride to Voss or Bergen.)

From Odda we go Rv.13 to Fresviktunnelen 2160 metres, pass Lofthus and Kinsarvik, and take the ferry from Brimnes to Bruravik.
After the ferry you can go to Ulvik on Rv.572, only because it is beatiful, or after the ferry you can follow Rv.13 and go Vallaviktunnelen 7511 metres, and then meet the Rv.572, and then follow Rv.13 to Voss.

Total from Lysebotten to Voss; I'm not sure, but about 320km.
320km = 32 mil, and thet is not far. But have in mind you do not ride fast! And I guess you are going to stop and take pictures, and have a meal or two.

Hardanger and Odda:
They cultivate fruit, like apples and cherry / morello.
It is beatiful in the flowering time, and later you can buy morellos from every bus stop, from a table and a note with the prize, and there is no salesperson in sight - help your selfes!

Liv.

Day 3, from Voss to Geiranger.
Or sleep in Stryn, Strynefjellet or Grotli, if Geiranger is too far for one day. But do not miss Geiranger, Ørnesvingen and Dalsnibba!!!!! This is a must-see-area!
I bet you have seen pictures from Geiranger and Dalsnibba, with a large tourist boat on the fjord!


From Voss, E16 to Stalheim and Gudvangen.
Do not miss Stalheimskleivene and Stalheim Hotel 23 kilometres after Voss!
Do not ride the thunnel, but find the road up to Stalheim Hotel, and go inside the hotel and out at the back, and see the funny road you are going to ride down after the short stop!
Find your bike, and ride the hairpins & steep down to the E16, and stop at the bottom and take a picture.
Follow E16 to Gudvangen; there may be vikings here, living close to the hotel, and close your jacket and get ready for some long thunnels;
first Gudvangentunnelen 11 428 metres, then Flenjatunnelen 5 053 metres, pass Flåm and Aurland, and now you have to make a choise; the longest thunnel or the best GS-road!
A: The thunnel:
E16 Lærdalstunnelen 24 505 metres (the picture of me in this thread) and go to Lærdalsøyri.
B: The GS-road; leave E16 before you can see the thunnel, and follow the old road over the mountain - this old road is a ''must-ride-road''!!!! After the old road, go to Lærdalsøyri, and you are back on track.
But if there is rain and fog, you can ride the thunnel; it is long, but not that boring, because there are a place to stop, and some special lights some places inside it. But it is loooong, I believe it took me about 20 minutes!

After Lærdalsøyri; find the ferry Fodnes - Mannheller, and E5.
Pass Kaupanger and Sogndal, follow E5 noth, ride Frudalstunnelen 6 745 metres, and Bergstunnelen 2 591 metres, and now there is a tollroad, but I think motorbikes is free.
And now you are going under a glacier; Fjærlandstunnelen 6 385 metres, and the glacier is a part of Jostedalsbreen.
At Skei you go north on E39, to Byrkjelo, and then find Rv.60, pass Olden and Loen, and in Stryn you will find E15 again, (a lot of campsites in this area) and ride E15 to where the old road starts; Rv.258 Strynefjellsveien / Strynefjellet. (The thunnels, E15 is a short cut, but not funny, but if you are getting tired and it is late, then the new road and those thunnels are OK. The thunnels are 2 549, 3 720, and 4 537 metres.)
After the thunnels / Strynefjellet; go west on Rv.63, and go the hairpins up to Dalsnibba; the view is sooooooo god! And go down to Rv.63 and go to Geiranger, stop and take pictures where a sign are telling you the old road was a cork-screw, go to Geiranger and pass Geiranger and go up Ørnesvingen - a great view; from here you can se Dalsnibba with a good pair of binoculars! And the fjord.


Total from Voss to Geiranger; I'm not sure, but I think this is 300 km.
There are short-cuts, and there are funny roads - it's your choise!
If you are tired or the weather is not good, then you can ride Geiranger and Dalsnibba the next day, but try hard not to miss it!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If you do not like my route from Geiranger to Oslo, then you can follow Rv.63 and ride down Trollstigen, and go to Åndalsnes, and follow E136 south from Åndalsnes, passing Dombås, and ride E5, passing Otta, Vinstra, and go to Oslo.
Ask me for help, if you need it!

Liv.

Day 4, Tuesday; from Geiranger to Tyin, Vangsmjøsa or Fagernes.

As I said; you can play a little in Geiranger and Dalsnibba today before you go south.

Start from Geiranger, follow Rv.63 back to Grotli, find E15, pass Pollfoss and Bismo, and in Lom you turn south; find Rv.55, ride Sognefjellet! Ride Sognefjellet from Lom to Turtagrø (about 10 km before Skjolden), and find the narrow road over the mountain to Øvre Årdal.
Lom - Turtagrø - Øvre Årdal; on your laft hand you can see the highest mountains in Norway; Galdhøpiggen, Glittertind, Fannaråki, Hurrungane and small glaciers. And there is a summer-ski-centre; here you can go skiing in the summer! Galdhøpiggen Sommerskisenter is the name.
Sognefjellet is closed in the winter, so you better find out if it are open or not!
And the road from Turtagrø to Øvre Årdal:
It's an open landscape, but the last part down to Øvre Årdal is ah, ehm, special; there is tarmac, and hairpins, and because of the bushes there is not easy to see if you meet a car. But it is only for one or two kilometres, if I recall it correcly.

Ride Rv.53 from Øvre Årdal to Tyin and Tyinkrysset. And follow E16 to Vangsmjøsa and to Fagernes.
Find a place to sleep between Tyin and Fagernes.

Total Geiranger to Fagernes: 300 kilometres, I think. And no long thunnels!

Liv.

Roll on June

Liv,
Thanks very much, what a top looking route!
I can't believe the time and effort you have put into this for Macca and myself. I am still waiting for my maps to arrive, and can then start plotting the route. Obviously we will be very flexible and will change things if/when required.
We have started to get bits and pieces together, and the only thing I need now is a tent. I nearly bought one yesterday in Louis here in Germany. It was cheap as chips (€30) and looked the biz in the catalogue, but when I took it out the bag it was really cheap and nasty. Lucky if I got a couple of nights out of it before it fell to bits.
I know there will be loads of threads on tents, but anyone reading this who can recommend a cheap, good one man tent (2 man, but fits 1 nicely) please reply.
Macca bought a nice folding stool/chair thing and now spends his evenings in his garage sitting on it with a brew admiring his new GSA(SE) even though it's not as fast as my black one

Glad you like the route!
But there are missing one day; from Fagernes to Oslo/Tyrigrava/Fjordcamp - I'll write it for you soon!

And I can see if I find a list of places to sleep.

(Oooh, bad morning... -I felt to sleep in front of the TV, and woke up in the middle of the night. Bjuesch.... )

Liv.