The best campervan trips in Norway – 5 routes for a road trip
One of the best things about travelling through Norway by campervan is that the road itself becomes part of the experience. You are not only thinking about where you are going, but also about all the stops along the way: the viewpoint you had not planned for, the beach that suddenly makes you want to swim, or the small detour that turns out to be the highlight of the trip. Here are five routes that work especially well when you want to travel at your own pace.
1. Lofoten
Lofoten is the most obvious choice, and it lives up to it. Steep mountains straight out of the sea, white beaches, small fishing villages and a drive that constantly tempts you to stop a little longer.
Follow the E10 from Svolvær towards Reine and Å, and take your time with the detours. Hamnøy, Haukland Beach, Uttakleiv and Nusfjord are on everyone's list, and they earn the place. The distances are short, so you cover a lot in a few days.
June to September is the season. In high summer it pays to reach the busiest stops early in the day.
Photo: Simo Räsänen / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
2. The Atlantic Road and North-Western Norway
The Atlantic Road is not long, but it stays with you. The bridges stretching between islets and skerries make the road itself an attraction.
You can combine it with Kristiansund, Bud, Molde or continue towards Trollstigen and Romsdalen. A long weekend is enough, and the stretch works just as well as one leg of a bigger round trip.
May to September. Make time for the area around the road, not just the road itself.
Photo: Lukas Beck / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0
3. Hardanger and Hardangervidda
Hardanger suits you if you want variety. Here you move between fjords, orchards, waterfalls and mountain plateaus without the distances getting big.
A good route takes you via Odda, Låtefoss and Eidfjord, with room for both short stops and longer outings along the way.
Best time: May and June, if you want blossom season and powerful waterfalls. The rest of the summer works well too.
Photo: Svein-Magne Tunli / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
4. Senja
Senja has much of the same grand scenery as Lofoten, but quieter. You have more space around you, both on the road and at the stops.
Tungeneset, Bergsbotn and Husøy are the places most people want to include.
June to September. Give the island enough time – Senja deserves more than a quick drive-through.
Photo: Simo Räsänen / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
5. Jæren
Jæren is the alternative if you want something other than fjords and high mountains. Here the trip is about open landscapes, beaches, lighthouses and long horizons.
Bore Beach, Orre and Kvassheim Lighthouse are lovely stops, especially if you enjoy the sea, surfing or quiet summer evenings.
June to August for swimming weather, though surfing works most of the year. More coastline, less climbing.
Photo: Gunleiv Hadland / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Which route is best for you?
Want the great Norwegian classic? Lofoten is the easy choice. Want more peace and quiet? Take Senja. Hardanger is for people who like variety, the Atlantic Road for a shorter trip, and Jæren if you feel most at home near the sea.
Do not try to do everything. Choose one route and you will have time to actually be in it.
Pick one route
Five routes, and none of them has to be the whole holiday. Choose the one that matches your pace and you will actually have time to be there.
Our campervan suits a long weekend on the Atlantic Road as well as a week in Lofoten.
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