Road Trips

The National Scenic Routes

Norway designates eighteen Nasjonale turistveger — stretches of road selected for their landscape and fitted with architect-designed viewpoints, rest areas and, occasionally, remarkable public toilets. They total about 2,150 kilometres. These are the five we would prioritise:

• Geiranger–Trollstigen (104 km). The headline route: eleven hairpins with a 9% gradient, the Ørnevegen descent and Dalsnibba's 1,476-metre viewpoint. Open roughly late May to October.
• Atlanterhavsvegen / Atlantic Road (36 km). Eight bridges hopping between skerries between Kristiansund and Molde, best in an autumn storm. Open year-round.
• Aurlandsfjellet (47 km). The "snow road" between Aurland and Lærdal, with the Stegastein platform at its western end. Snow-free June to October only.
• Senja (102 km). Arctic coastline with the Bergsbotn and Tungeneset platforms; quieter than Lofoten and, some argue, better.
• Lofoten / E10 (230 km). Not a designated route for its whole length, but the Å–Fiskebøl run is the classic Arctic island drive.

The real cost of driving

Nine rules for driving here

• Halve your expected speed. A 300 km day on western fjord roads is a full day, not a morning.
• Headlights on at all times, day and night, all year. It is the law.
• Speed limits are enforced hard — 80 km/h on most rural roads, 90–110 on motorways, with automatic cameras and heavy fines.
• Blood alcohol limit is 0.02%. Effectively zero.
• Winter tyres are mandatory in winter conditions; studded or friction tyres from roughly November to April depending on region.
• Tunnels are everywhere — over 1,100 of them, including the 24.5 km Lærdal Tunnel. Some are single-lane with passing bays.
• Passing places on single-track roads: the vehicle nearest the bay reverses, regardless of who arrived first.
• Sheep have absolute priority. They will be on the road, especially in Rogaland and Sunnmøre.
• Fuel up before mountain crossings. Stations can be 100 km apart on the Hardangervidda and in Finnmark.

Electric vehicles

Norway has the densest EV charging network in Europe and roughly four out of five new cars sold are electric. Fast chargers (Ionity, Recharge, Mer, Kople) are available at most major junctions and ferry terminals. Bring or download the relevant apps before arriving, carry a Type 2 cable, and note that some remote Finnmark and inner-fjord stretches still have gaps of 100 km or more. EVs also get reduced ferry and toll rates.

Ferries

You cannot drive western Norway without ferries. Most run every 20–40 minutes in summer, take cars on a first-come basis, and are billed automatically through AutoPASS if your vehicle is registered. A handful of long crossings require booking. The full mechanics are covered in our dispatch, How Norwegian car ferries actually work.

FAQ