Norway - early summer cycle tour for 2008

cycladelic

I'm planning ahead....

Has anyone here been down the Norwegian coast?

I would love some info about the best starting point and good places to visit, probable costs, general tips, suggested routes, camping vs. B&B, useful Websites, etc.

I'm thinking of 3 weeks or so - starting in early June - but am flexible.

TIA

cycladelic

I've just found this useful site...

http://www.bike-norway.com/engelsk.asp

Has anyone bought/used the route maps on sale from this site?

Bigtallfatbloke

I just got back from a short trip to sweeden...it's a NICE place and I'm told it's cheaper than Norway by quite a bit...my Norwegian friend drives to Sweeden to buy beer because of this!

Ryedaleman

I'm sure Norway is the best place for cycling. Because of the mountains and fjords there are not many roads, so they can be busy, though nothing like the UK. Another problem is there are many tunnels, long and unlit.
The scenery however is awesome.

It is very expensive and campsites are few and far between.

The Bergan Voss area is nice but also has very high rain fall.

Inland around Lillihammer is better but it's not on the coast!

I would suggest Sweden and Denmark with perhaps an excusion into Norway.

mnbvcxzcp

Norway's a brilliant place to tour. The roads are pretty quiet although you do have to use the ferries to cross the fjords quite often. Most of the tunnels I encountered had a cycle diversion which was often the old road around the edge of the mountain. There were plenty of campsites which were reasonably priced and wild camping is always an option. The only downside was the lack / expence of alcohol and restauants but I was quite happy to buy a few bottles from a supermarket and sit with my toes in a fjord.

I went from Bergen over to Hardangerfjord (sp?) and a few hundred miles north of there before getting a ferry back to Bergen. Remarkably, it only rained once in two weeks!

cycladelic

Many thanks for the feedback.

Quite a few years ago I went across to Denmark, cycled around and then went up the Swedish coast and across to Norway - but ran out to time to see the fjords: I had to get back to catch the ferry. This time I'll focus on Norway.

There's some more useful info on this thread:

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/messa ... d=0&from=2

nick hanson

Just been back a couple of weeks from our family camping holiday.we sailed to Bergen & camped at a little place called Flam.
Excellent scenery,'specially over the mountain passes (Vic was a nice route)
In supermarkets,food about 40% more than here,but,hey...how much do you eat?
Restaurants pricey..œ18 for a steak meal,œ20...yes,œ20 for a pizza!
(ate at the tent[:D])
Awesome place with friendly people,but as others say,the tunnels can be a bit of a problem if bike touring,as they DON'T all have alternative routes for bikes

so many cols,so little time!

Andy Edwardscp

I got a ferry fro Newcastel to Bergen a few years ago, went inland towards Hardanger Vidda then Flam and round and about. Was a student at the time and managed 10 days touring only spending around œ100 this was about 5 years ago. You will need the tounnel guide for cycliste booklet. Camping wild kept the cost down but when I used campsites they were generally good and not that expensive. Food is bloody horrible, didnt eat out but the shops didnt seem to stock much nice stuff. Great scenary and friendly people. There was still a fair amount of snow up high in late may/june but the roads were all clear.

Crispin Bennett

I've done a couple of CTC tours to Norway.
Superb !

An account is here: http://www.crispinbennett.freedomnames.co.uk/Norway.htm
Should give you an idea of what can be done in two weeks.
Photos from 2004 are here:
http://www.crispinbennett.freedomnames. ... ay2004.htm

Enjoy!

www.stirlingcycling.org.uk

Hairy Jock

The inner part of Hardanger in May when the cherries are in blossom is spectacular. There is a good camp site in Ringøy. You can wild camp anywhere in Norway, provided you are more than 50m from a building, it is called everymans law (I just can't remember what that is in Norwegian). Your best chance of getting good weather is generally late May to early June, but that is not guaranteed.

psmiffy

I cycled form Bodo to Stavanger in September 2005 camping all the way

There are a good number of campsites – shown on the older versions of the Michelin

Food shops can be a little bit far apart, not open when you get to them and not selling an awful lot – gets better as you go south

Tunnels are the most difficult bit – lots prohibit bikes – there is a guide tunnel guide for cyclists you need a reasonable map so that you can match up the tunnels to where you are going – and to be quite honest when they get over 3km long not a good place to be – I used ferries a lot along some of the little islands to miss the tunnels – good idea to collect timetables so you are not waiting for the ferry a long while

Crossing the fjords on the high bridges is generally easy there is almost always a cycle path – but can be a little interesting if there is a gale blowing

Can be very wet and around the big glacier at the north quite cold – so a good varied selection of clothing is a good idea even for June

Well worth doing the scenery is mega – can be a little bit of climbing here and there


I would not recommend my method of getting to my start point in Bodo – Ferry to Bergen overnight 12hrs – train to Oslo overnight 11hrs (worth doing track rises to 1500m) train to Trondheim 13hrs – half a day in Trondheim and then overnight train to Bodo – Cycle to Stavanger – ferry Stavanger – a bit gruelling but in a funny sort of way set me up properly for the cycling


be good