Norway...May/June 25. North or South?

[DandJ]

Hopefully some of the knowledgeable ones on here may help us decide....
We have 6-8 weeks from early May to the end of June to 'do Norway'. It will be a Calais start (having visited family in the UK in late April) and finish back home in SW France...so we know it will likely be 6000 miles +
We can't decide whether to drive up the East coast of Sweden, pop into northern Finland, up to Nordkapp and then travel South along Norways west coast, travel across thru Germany, Poland etc and catch the Tallin ferry to Helsinki and drive North thru Finland and then Norndkapp and Norway.....OR to do the drive North up the Norwegian coast and tavel back South (by now mid to late June) thru Sweden or Finland. Are there any blindingly obvious pros/cons to either ?
Thank you.

 

[Poutie57]

We did Norway up the E6 via the Lofoten islands on upto nordkapp then down through Finland over 12 weeks, midnight sun is from 18/05 above the artic circle. I must say it’s the best trip we’ve ever done and did Sweden/ Norway again 2yrs later also going next year. Costs are reasonable because you can wild camp practically anywhere and virtually every petrol station above trondheim has fresh water and dump point

 

[DandJ]

Thanks
What months did you travel? I presume you were happy with the Norway then Finland route choice? Ferry from Finland across to N Germany or did you drive thru the Baltic states/Poland?

 

[Poutie57]

Late April but maybe that was a bit early through to July, went up through Denmark caught the Grenaa/Halmstad upto lillehammer followed the E6 to bognes ferry to lofoten rejoined E6 at bjerkvik onto nordkapp back down through Finland via Rovaniemi to Helsinki then ferry from mariehamm or Turku to kapellskar onto Stockholm then Copenhagen via ferry at Helsingborg to helsinger
Hope that’s not to long winded

 

[DandJ]

Not at all...perfect, many thanks.
We aren't necessarily fixed on early May...just that it would seem a shame to be at Calais, drive 450 miles SW...then return 2 or 3 weeks later...mid to late May. I suppose we will have to look at how sever a winter they (and we) have and maybe do a lst minute choice. Thanks again

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[frwjd]

May and June are good months, good weather and not too busy.

 

[frwjd]

May and June are good months, good weather and not too busy.

 

[Linda B]

We did Norway up the E6 via the Lofoten islands on upto nordkapp then down through Finland over 12 weeks, midnight sun is from 18/05 above the artic circle. I must say it’s the best trip we’ve ever done and did Sweden/ Norway again 2yrs later also going next year. Costs are reasonable because you can wild camp practically anywhere and virtually every petrol station above trondheim has fresh water and dump point

We left UK Apr 3rd 2023 travelled around the coast of Denmark crossed the Oresund into Sweden. Toured Sweden, Norway including Lofoten and Finland, then back same route. Had lots of snow it was incredible. Went again this year leaving Aug 21st and reached Nordkap this time had no snow but saw northern lights so many times. This time travelled home via Finland Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland Germany etc. Another fantastic trip. Guess what think we shall go again 2025 as no place like it for motorhoming in our opinion. We usually take about 9 or 10 weeks. We also did Spain last year and really did not enjoy it at all.

 

[Markman]

We went to Norway last year (July- August '23), Hull-Rotterdam then through Germany, Denmark to Denmark- Norway ferry up E6 to Lofoten (great golf course there, highly recommended). Weather inversion so sunny and almost 30°C, about 10°C higher than normal, in Lofoten, inside the Arctic circle, while there were floods in southern Norway. We got lucky for a change!

 

[Barti Ddu]

We had 12 weeks in Scandinavia this year, July, August, September.

Went up through Denmark and crossed to Norway via the Hirtshals to Kristiansand ferry.

Returned via Copenhagen and the Oresund bridge from Malmö.

Norway is stunning. Absolutely breathtaking. Sweden and Denmark, significantly less so. I'd recommend spending the majority of your trip exploring Norway. As mentioned above, the E6 gets you quickly up the west coast of Norway, but it misses out a lot of the best bits. Instead, you need to use some of the smaller routes up through the fjords and coastline, and through some of the mountains.

My top tip is to download the various Tourist Route guides published by the Norwegian Highway Authority. Then link as many of them together to work your way North, zig zagging, and doubling back as necessary to catch all the good stuff.

The Scenic Routes

www.nasjonaleturistveger.no

Senja is a good alternative (or addition) to the Lofortens. Just as dramatic, but a lot less crowded, and much easier for parking and overnighting in a motorhome.

When you get to Tromsø, I'd call it a day and head south on the E6. I'd forgo Nordkapp as other than bragging rights there's nothing on the coast between Tromsø and Nordkapp that's really worth seeing.

We returned via Sweden and the east coast. Pleasent enough, but a bit of an anticlimax after Norway. Miles and miles of forests. Stockholm is however a first class city. One of our favourites in Europe.

We're intending to visit Norway again in 2026. We feel that we've barely scratched the surface. The exchange rate is currently very favourable against Sterling so its not as expensive as you might fear.

A few pictures to whet your appetite!

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[NorthernSoul]

We had 12 weeks in Scandinavia this year, July, August, September.

Went up through Denmark and crossed to Norway via the Hirtshals to Kristiansand ferry.

Returned via Copenhagen and the Oresund bridge from Malmö.

Norway is stunning. Absolutely breathtaking. Sweden and Denmark, significantly less so. I'd recommend spending the majority of your trip exploring Norway. As mentioned above, the E6 gets you quickly up the west coast of Norway, but it misses out a lot of the best bits. Instead, you need to use some of the smaller routes up through the fjords and coastline, and through some of the mountains.

My top tip is to download the various Tourist Route guides published by the Norwegian Highway Authority. Then link as many of them together to work your way North, zig zagging, and doubling back as necessary to catch all the good stuff.

The Scenic Routes

www.nasjonaleturistveger.no

Senja is a good alternative (or addition) to the Lofortens. Just as dramatic, but a lot less crowded, and much easier for parking and overnighting in a motorhome.

When you get to Tromsø, I'd call it a day and head south on the E6. I'd forgo Nordkapp as other than bragging rights there's nothing on the coast between Tromsø and Nordkapp that's really worth seeing.

We returned via Sweden and the east coast. Pleasent enough, but a bit of an anticlimax after Norway. Miles and miles of forests. Stockholm is however a first class city. One of our favourites in Europe.

We're intending to visit Norway again in 2026. We feel that we've barely scratched the surface. The exchange rate is currently very favourable against Sterling so its not as expensive as you might fear.

A few pictures to whet your appetite!

We did pretty much the same route as you, but over 6 weeks, and I share your views on many of the areas. We were in Norway from 23 May and travelled South to North along the West Coast and then back South through Finland and Sweden.

A couple of mountain roads had only been opened in mid May, so that's something to look out for if you are there earlier in May or April.

Coastal Route 17 with half a dozen ferry crossings, is a great, but slower, alternative to the E6. There's some spectacular scenery and you get a different perspective from the ferries. It's an area we would go back to to explore some of the areas off that route.

Lofoten was spectacular, but gets busy around the tourist hotspots. Vesteralen is much quieter, but just as stunning. The coastal road through Andoya is worth doing as well.

By the second week in June the ferries were getting very busy, particularly those coming south. You could easily have to wait in the queue for a day or two if you get your timing wrong!

Tromso was a little disappointing, partly because the cable car station viewpoint was in mist at the time and so not worth visiting.

We didn't go to Nordkapp - it would have been 3 or 4 days extra driving and we decided it wasn't worth it this time.

There wasn't much in Finland to see before we passed into Sweden. It's a long drive back south through some pleasant forest scenery and on good roads, but not very memorable. Umeå on the East Coast had a bit of interest, before we crossed over to the West Coast and headed for Gothenburg. That was well worth visiting as is the coast of Sweden to the North around Smogen.

We then headed south to Malmo and crossed over the Oresund Bridge to Denmark and a visit to Copenhagen. Interesting campsite in an old fort, but need to book as its very popular.

Photos here: https://www.keithd.photo/scand2024

 

[vzac]

Have you looked at our Norway vids a couple of yes ago. You might get some ideas, we went up Norway via the back rds then down through Finland and Sweden back through Denmark.
Yt wend yer way

 

[Markman]

And the Nortrip app (France Passion for Norway) is well worth it. And the associated dump app ;-)

 

[haganap]

Weirdly, we have decided to take 3 months off and do similar.
We are looking go August September October with the latter month being back in Poland.
We aim to go via Oslo and do the west coastal road all the way round to Nordkapp.

From there we will continue across the top, in to Finland, then down to Helsinki in to Poland and back.

The only thing i have to do is fly home every 4th week. We can take longer if needed, but I'm keen for ideas of places I absolutely must see.

As a keen triathlete,. I'm also looking for must bikes or must runs. We aim to keep fit by doing Yoga every morning and taking our time.

I hope your thread will also help us.

I should add that i have. Portuguese passport and am aware of any restrictions

 

[Brize]

My advice is: be flexible and don't plan it all.

We went last June/July for 7 weeks. We crossed to Kristiansand and skirted round the coast past Stravangar, and went island hopping up the coast to Bodo, crossed to the Lofotens, went all the way up Andoya to Andennes, crossed to Senja (most beautiful area), and on to Tromso.

We had thought that we would come back through Sweden, but in the event we loved Norway so much that we decided to come back down the inland route mostly along the E6. So, go up Norway, and decide then what you want to do - that's the marvelous flexibility of the motorhome.

We saw no point in going up to nordcap - other than to say that you had been there - Tromso is lovely and a good turning point.

Some of the posts above show some wonderful places to stop off. I would add that we stopped at Norheimsund on Hardangarfjord and took a military rib boat out. It was a brilliant experience for an hour - expensive but worth every kroner.

If you don't know about them already, you should be aware of the national scenic routes:

Norwegian Scenic Routes

Norwegian Scenic Routes are 18 selected roads that run through landscapes with unique natural qualities, along coasts and fjords, mountains and waterfalls. The routes are intended as alternatives to the main roads, and the drive itself sh …

www.nasjonaleturistveger.no

You dont have to do them all, we did about 10 - 11, and most of them are worth it. I can give you more detail if interested.

You will need a toll tag, and probably a ferry extension agreement - we were taking between 1 and 3 ferries every day.

Good luck, let us know if you want anything more.

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[Barti Ddu]

My advice is: be flexible and don't plan it all.

We went last June/July for 7 weeks. We crossed to Kristiansand and skirted round the coast past Stravangar, and went island hopping up the coast to Bodo, crossed to the Lofotens, went all the way up Andoya to Andennes, crossed to Senja (most beautiful area), and on to Tromso.

We had thought that we would come back through Sweden, but in the event we loved Norway so much that we decided to come back down the inland route mostly along the E6. So, go up Norway, and decide then what you want to do - that's the marvelous flexibility of the motorhome.

We saw no point in going up to nordcap - other than to say that you had been there - Tromso is lovely and a good turning point.

Some of the posts above show some wonderful places to stop off. I would add that we stopped at Norheimsund on Hardangarfjord and took a military rib boat out. It was a brilliant experience for an hour - expensive but worth every kroner.

If you don't know about them already, you should be aware of the national scenic routes:

Norwegian Scenic Routes

Norwegian Scenic Routes are 18 selected roads that run through landscapes with unique natural qualities, along coasts and fjords, mountains and waterfalls. The routes are intended as alternatives to the main roads, and the drive itself sh …

www.nasjonaleturistveger.no

You dont have to do them all, we did about 10 - 11, and most of them are worth it. I can give you more detail if interested.

You will need a toll tag, and probably a ferry extension agreement - we were taking between 1 and 3 ferries every day.

Good luck, let us know if you want anything more.

Yes. Exactly this.

Your route north from Kristiansand to Tromsø is pretty much what we did, linking as many of the Norwegian Tourist Routes together as possible, backtracking a bit here and there as necessary.

Like you, we used dozens of ferries, sometimes as many as three a day.

Rather than take the E6 back south from Tromsø we crossed across to the Swedish east coast and worked out way south to Stockholm, and then back west to Norway and Denmark. In retrospect we wouldn't bother spending so much time in Sweden again.

haganap - can't help with running or biking, but there's some spectacular day hikes in Norway to keep you fit. Google "Norway Sherpa Steps", to find loads of steep vertical ascents up stone or wooden steps or staircases to some spectacular views. Some have in excess of 2,000 steps. Built by Nepalese Sherpas. They're quite challenging!