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From Berlin to the North Cape – The Best of 3 Weeks Camping Road Trip through Norway

Guest article by Dana Schmelzer

In the summer it was time: the adventure “Camping Norway” was on. Our tour led from Berlin to the North Cape and back again. Four people, a motorhome and three weeks in which we traveled about 7,000 kilometers. It started directly in Berlin. We rented a campervan at a small rental in Tiergarten one day before the trip began. So we had enough time to tidy up all things big and small. Since Norway is a rather expensive country, we bought a lot of non-perishable food and drinks in Berlin.

tip: Alcohol may be imported only in limited quantities to Norway. The exact liter can be easily found on the Homepage of the Foreign Office.

Driving camper for the first time

Then finally it started. On the first section from Berlin to Hirtshals in Denmark we were able to familiarize ourselves with the very wide and long motorhome. If you have any concerns, I can confidently take you. Sitting in a camper provides a great overview and so much different than driving a normal car it is not.

After a long drive, we had the first surprise at the end of the day. Our destination was a campsite in the immediate vicinity of the Colorline, which should bring us to Norway the next day. Arrived we were amazed, the campsite was right on the cliffs by the sea. In the background a lonely lighthouse on a small hill. An incredibly beautiful sight and a good compensation for the long drive and the rather expensive night.

The next morning we arrived full of anticipation, the ferry, which we had already booked from home. This put us in a rush over to Kristiansand.

Tip: To all with a nervous stomach: think of travel tablets. There was a bad sea swell on the North Sea.

Norway Roadtrip: what a view

The next stop on our route was Preikestolen, a spectacular rock platform overlooking the Lysefjord. A campsite was right on the trail to the plateau. The ascent was quite beautiful and so we needed, with smaller breaks, well twice as long as stated. Our luck: in the summer the sun sets very late and so we did not have to rush.

At the end of the climb we were rewarded with a great view.

Tip: The giddiness among you can definitely shoot some spectacular photos here.

Norway Roadtrip: Stop in the beautiful mountains

From Preikestolen we drove on to Bergen. Here we looked for a campsite near the city with bus shuttle to Bergen. There it is worthwhile to drive with the Floybahn. So you get a great view of the city and the sea.

Unfortunately we had to realize that the motorhome was unfortunately not so suitable because of its size for city trips. This messed up our further planning. Except for Oslo, we drove past the big cities mostly and focused on the scenic highlights.

Tip: For the cities one should plan in advance at least one, to avoid stress better two, overnights, with public binding.

From Bergen the journey continued to the next tourist attraction, the Geirangerfjord. As far as possible, we drove along the coast. Because the landscape is really unique. If you want to avoid ferry connections for cost reasons, you will often have to follow a fjord for several hours, as we do. Since roads in Norway are rather rare, you can rarely drive the maximum speed allowed. So we had to pack on each planned route easily an hour’s drive on it. It was not that problematic on the way there. The return trip, however, consisted of fairly long sections. Looking back, three weeks were very athletic for this track.

Tip: Plan a buffer time for your road trip through Norway. You will seldom be able to drive at the specified maximum speed and will often be more than your intended travel time.

Camping Norway: perhaps the most beautiful pitch

After a spectacular drive over the Trollstigen, which has bravely mastered the camper, we landed on a campsite directly on the Geirangerfjord. Once there, it becomes clear why this fjord is a tourist attraction: surrounded by mountains all around, with a huge waterfall in the background and our campsite right in the middle. The weather was also weighed. On the two days there, the thermometer climbed to 28 degrees with bright sunshine.

Camping Norway: off to Trondheim

On the day of departure, I looked out of the window of the camper in the morning and got a huge shock. Directly in front of us in the fjord, relatively close to the shore, lay the huge MeinSchiff 2 at anchor. The cruise ship had to have put on at night. If you wanted out of the valley, the path inevitably led over quite steep and narrow serpentine. Unfortunately the excursion buses from the ship also wanted to go in our direction. I will spare you the details of this trip. Let’s say it was exciting!

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For me decided fan of ski jumping, the day still held a special surprise: Trondheim. The city is one of the stations of the “Raw Air”, something like the Four Hills Tour of the North, which takes place in March at the end of the World Cup winter. We stopped at the local ski jumps. The grounds were freely accessible and from the landing we had a great view of Trondheim.

Camping Norway: from Trondheim to Lofoten

On the way from Trondheim to the Lofoten we visited friends who emigrated to Norway a few years ago. All sorts of specialties were served, from fish to Norwegian strawberries, which were especially sweet due to the long hours of sunshine. What a nice change to our own care in the camper.

At this point in our journey, it did not get dark for over a week at night. So we use the bright hours for long hikes (until 2 o’clock in the morning) or for night driving. During this time you could observe a lot of animals, i.a. Moose and lots of reindeer. So it happened that we crossed the Arctic Circle around 3 o’clock in the morning.

After a long night drive we spent several days on the Lofoten, a scenic highlight. Partly one had the impression of being somewhere in the south of Europe due to the weather conditions caused by the golf course and the turquoise of glowing water.

We use this for hiking. The were a bit difficult due to bad or not signposted trails, but were definitely worth it thanks to the views from the mountain peaks. We stayed quite cheap on a campsite right in a small bay on the water near Svolvear.

Tip: In the Lofoten one can observe the auroras particularly well in the winter.

Norway Roadtrip: Once to the North Cape please

The next leg of our journey took us over Alta through a mousy, barren rocky landscape. Gradually we approached the North Cape. This is located on an offshore island, which can be reached via the huge Nordkaptunnel (6.8 km). So it went under the sea once. Destination: the northernmost campsite in Europe (in Skarsvag). One night we stayed there, before we finally reached our destination the next day: the North Cape.

Even the sun was afraid this morning. To get to the viewpoint, you pay admission. The ticket is valid for 24 hours and also includes the parking for car or RV. In the attached information center there are several exhibitions to see and the attached gift shop invited to shop.

Tip: If you bring your time, you can hike on the plateau and enjoy the barren, wide landscape and the great view of the sea.

Camping Norway: Time to drive home

Unfortunately, every trip comes to an end. We had reached our destination and so we made our way back. In order to see as much as possible, we had picked out another route for the drive home. The way back led us a bit through the much flatter interior of Norway as well as through Finland and Sweden. Finally there were roads, although not always well developed, where you could get on faster. And also the wilderness was on our side. So we made some encounters with reindeer on the way, who liked to run for a while in front of the motorhome.

Before our tour finally came to an end, we spent two more days in Oslo. We rented a parking space on the Ekeberg campsite. This was nice and spacious and attracted with a great view of Norway’s capital.

Of course, I had to go to Holmenkollen (-bakken) in Oslo and discovered that it is one of Oslo’s biggest attractions due to its architecture alone. From the hill you had, as in Trondheim, a nice view of the city. The Oslo Opera House is also worth a visit. From the roof of the house you can view the city for free again from a different angle.

The stopover in Oslo was a nice finish before we took the ferry from Trelleborg to Sassnitz. Fortunately, the Baltic Sea was much quieter than the North Sea and we could even admire the chalk cliffs of Rügen from the water.

Satisfied, but also sad that the adventure was over, we arrived back in Berlin after more than 7,000 kilometers of road trip. The heads full of new impressions.

Camping Norway – Information & Tips for planning your trip

Camper: Ferries and pitches are paid according to the length of the motorhome, with a length over 6 meters you often pay two parking spaces. In addition, you should pay attention to the existing equipment or even what book: cable drum, ramps, camping table and harness package are essential. Our motorhome was a Sunlight T 65 from Neels Rent GmbH. Cheap rental cars you get basically great by comparing at Check24 *.

Toll: In Norway many roads have to be tolled. No problem with the “BroBizz”! The device can be rented via the Internet, the fee is automatically deducted when passing the toll booths from the credit card.

Ferries: Look in advance for routes where you have to use as no ferries. These are quite expensive and also pay for the length of the motorhome and people. Pay attention to the departure times, because some ferries only travel twice a day. As well as that you should book all main ferries in advance.

Campgrounds: Norway is a camping country, there are places everywhere, their receptions in the summer months partly open until 24 clock. See in advance if showers and Wi-Fi are free, that’s not always the case. Small places are usually cheaper. It is also worthwhile to buy a Campingcard. We profited from the discount advantages in almost all places. Valid for many European countries (providers eg ADAC, CampingKey, CCI).

Camping equipment: If you rent a set of dishes, pack enough towels, rags and especially one Dishwashing bowl * on the campsites, otherwise you have to be inventive, how to keep the water in the sink. With several people, there are small ones Extension cable * for the interior. For everyone with light sleep – a high OHROPAX *!

Our route: From Berlin to Nordkapp and back it was exactly. 7,180 kilometers, which we covered in three weeks (June / July).

Travel Guide: You want to read a bit before planning your trip? Then Norway will help you with the motorhome guide * (23 euros) and for the journey itself, the Norway map is helpful (10.90 euros). If you also want to include a few cities, take a look at the MARCO POLO travel guide (12,99 Euro).

Fancy even more road trips? How about the US, Canada or Southern Europe?

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