Wonderful nature that's also really accessible, not much to see or do in the cities, the people are cold and introverted. What's your main interests/reason for visiting?
This OP gets it. Outstanding, world class nature and outdoor activities, boring cities and towns. Cuisine is bland and functional. Nightlife is poor.
Not OP but interested, what are the best hikes? Planning on going this summer
Where are you going? The classic hikes like Preikstolen and Reinebringen are excellent despite being crammed with normies. These are also at opposite ends of the country. However Norway is so mountainous literally everywhere offers excellent hikes. There is a network of mountain huts you can use for free if you want longer hikes. Any other outdoor stuff you like doing?
I thought of basically doing 2 weeks, and to skip preikstolen because as you implied, short and filled with people.
I did though thought of going to fjordland area - kjerabolten, bergen, geirangerfjord and trolltunga for example. I just started planning so not sure about anything t b h.
What places have you been to in Norway? Any recommendations for this area?
Been to Norway a few times (eurofag). Favourite place was Lofoten up in the north but it has been wrecked by Instagram and that Top Gear programme. Absolutely packed with selfie takers already and not even peak season yet. Paradoxically found this out on Insta as I made a fren out there who was posting about it. Fjordland is wonderful and not as cramped with motor homes.
Preikstolen is actually fine if you go very very early. We started from the presumptuous base camp area at dawn and it was nice and quiet all the way up. The view at the top is phenomenal. On the way back down must have passed almost a thousand people. Think a cruise ship did it as an excursion as a lot of fat boomers were huffing and puffing their way up.
While you are there you can pay a fortune for a tourist boat that goes up Lysefjord. Or you can pay about 10% of that to get the public ferry. Same experience, just a bit slower.
Spending a fortnight in fjordland is great if you want to do lots of hikes. As another anon said the Norwegian hiking bros have an excellent website; find some hikes you like the look of and organise an itinerary around those. It is in theory possible to use buses to get around but really hire a car. If you like paddle sports the fjords offer crystal clear sheltered waters you’ll love.
Been to norway a bit, going again this summer including Slavbard.
It's good if
-nature is your thing
-people generally give no fucks about you/safety is nice there
-some cool history(more to the south though)
-long days of outside due to long summers
-need a foreign country where you can get by on english alone
It's bad if
-you want a cheap vacation
-want something that isn't 'the out doors' limiting you essentially to Oslo and Bergen
-going during winter short days+meh weather
-plan on using the rail to get around(VR is kinda shite)
-want to go for the people
Depends where you are from, if the US just go to Montana or Alaska, it will be far cheaper than Norway even though I like visiting.
You don't need a car but this does restrict you to where the train and bus timetables allow you to go. Bergen is best as baby's first norwegian destination for hiking as it is a stunning area littered with huts and little towns you can get supplies from. Tromsø is a bit too remote for you imo (although excellent) and Oslo is just a boring city for tourists.
Try putting an itinerary together based on the public transport timetable. Are you happy with it? Great!
If you're interested in hiking, you should check out the website of the Norwegian trekking association:
ut.no/kart
It doesn't have an English website, but you can browse the map and see every cabin and trip suggestion in the entire country. The blue lines are ski tracks and the red lines are hiking trails. Click on the symbol and click "mer om hytta/stedet/turen" ("more about the cabin/place/trip") and just translate that page. It's a bit overwhelming if you don't speak the language, but you won't find more information about trekking in Norway in a single place anywhere else.
Went there two weeks last summer and had a great time. Outdoors is stunning ofc but if you're a weirdo who enjoys aimlessly wandering around cities for hours you'll also have a good time. Probably one of the most expensive solo travelling countries though.
You can hike where ever the fuck you want, especially on the west coast. Norwegians are cold and reserved, except for when they are hiking, then they are really talkative. If you want to visit cities go to Bergen simply because it is close to fjords and is surrounded by mountains. Oslo is nice to live in but boring to visit. Everybody speaks English so there is no need in learning Norwegian phrases. Bring some warm clothes and a jacket when jiking even during the summer, because the weather here can be unpredictable. It is also expensive, and selection in food (although it has gotten better over the years) is still limited. Norwegians are also easy to hook up with when drunk so if partying is your thing, getting laid is easy
Yep, went Oslo back in Sept. The gallery was ok and so was the Fram museum, the viking one was shut.
Food was nothing special at all and the beer was same price as im guessing London is.
Would a roadtrip along the Helgeland coast via the Kystriksveien be worth it? It looks really beautiful and like a nice way to spend a week long holiday.
Thinking of Norway as my first solo travel destination. I’d be flying in to Oslo (though I could do Bergen or Tromso) and I can’t drive. I’m not much interested in cities, how accessible would hiking and nature be from Oslo?
If you go in summer, just jump on the train to bergen. Leave at station called finse. Walk north or south as far as you like. There are open cabins for hikers in both directions, and you can buy food there as well. Check dnt.no for trails and cabins
Go to Oslo and immediately take the first train towards Bergen. Going to Norway to hike in Oslo is like going to Italy and only eating the shittiest McDonalds
Hiking in Eastern Norway is just as fun and accessible as the rest of the country, but the landscapes might not be what you expect. It will be mostly flat woodland. The mountains and fjords are to the west and north, so head that way if you want to do that. If the woods of Eastern Norway sounds fun though, and if you want a proper long walk, then check out the Pilgrim's Route (Pilegrimsleden). 30 days from Oslo to Trondheim.
Wonderful nature that's also really accessible, not much to see or do in the cities, the people are cold and introverted. What's your main interests/reason for visiting?
Not OP but interested, what are the best hikes? Planning on going this summer
This OP gets it. Outstanding, world class nature and outdoor activities, boring cities and towns. Cuisine is bland and functional. Nightlife is poor.
Where are you going? The classic hikes like Preikstolen and Reinebringen are excellent despite being crammed with normies. These are also at opposite ends of the country. However Norway is so mountainous literally everywhere offers excellent hikes. There is a network of mountain huts you can use for free if you want longer hikes. Any other outdoor stuff you like doing?
I thought of basically doing 2 weeks, and to skip preikstolen because as you implied, short and filled with people.
I did though thought of going to fjordland area - kjerabolten, bergen, geirangerfjord and trolltunga for example. I just started planning so not sure about anything t b h.
What places have you been to in Norway? Any recommendations for this area?
Been to Norway a few times (eurofag). Favourite place was Lofoten up in the north but it has been wrecked by Instagram and that Top Gear programme. Absolutely packed with selfie takers already and not even peak season yet. Paradoxically found this out on Insta as I made a fren out there who was posting about it. Fjordland is wonderful and not as cramped with motor homes.
Preikstolen is actually fine if you go very very early. We started from the presumptuous base camp area at dawn and it was nice and quiet all the way up. The view at the top is phenomenal. On the way back down must have passed almost a thousand people. Think a cruise ship did it as an excursion as a lot of fat boomers were huffing and puffing their way up.
While you are there you can pay a fortune for a tourist boat that goes up Lysefjord. Or you can pay about 10% of that to get the public ferry. Same experience, just a bit slower.
Spending a fortnight in fjordland is great if you want to do lots of hikes. As another anon said the Norwegian hiking bros have an excellent website; find some hikes you like the look of and organise an itinerary around those. It is in theory possible to use buses to get around but really hire a car. If you like paddle sports the fjords offer crystal clear sheltered waters you’ll love.
Their staples are generally of superior quality though, especially breads and cheeses at affordable rates.
Op tell me what you would like to do or see. If you just want to go to cities go somewhere else.
t. Norwegian
Been to norway a bit, going again this summer including Slavbard.
It's good if
-nature is your thing
-people generally give no fucks about you/safety is nice there
-some cool history(more to the south though)
-long days of outside due to long summers
-need a foreign country where you can get by on english alone
It's bad if
-you want a cheap vacation
-want something that isn't 'the out doors' limiting you essentially to Oslo and Bergen
-going during winter short days+meh weather
-plan on using the rail to get around(VR is kinda shite)
-want to go for the people
Depends where you are from, if the US just go to Montana or Alaska, it will be far cheaper than Norway even though I like visiting.
do I need a car or can I go there and travel to places by train and still experience hiking/camping? I don't mind long walks.
You don't need a car but this does restrict you to where the train and bus timetables allow you to go. Bergen is best as baby's first norwegian destination for hiking as it is a stunning area littered with huts and little towns you can get supplies from. Tromsø is a bit too remote for you imo (although excellent) and Oslo is just a boring city for tourists.
Try putting an itinerary together based on the public transport timetable. Are you happy with it? Great!
Sounds good to me. Start in Bergen then go from there. thank you Anon.
If you're interested in hiking, you should check out the website of the Norwegian trekking association:
ut.no/kart
It doesn't have an English website, but you can browse the map and see every cabin and trip suggestion in the entire country. The blue lines are ski tracks and the red lines are hiking trails. Click on the symbol and click "mer om hytta/stedet/turen" ("more about the cabin/place/trip") and just translate that page. It's a bit overwhelming if you don't speak the language, but you won't find more information about trekking in Norway in a single place anywhere else.
Went there two weeks last summer and had a great time. Outdoors is stunning ofc but if you're a weirdo who enjoys aimlessly wandering around cities for hours you'll also have a good time. Probably one of the most expensive solo travelling countries though.
You can hike where ever the fuck you want, especially on the west coast. Norwegians are cold and reserved, except for when they are hiking, then they are really talkative. If you want to visit cities go to Bergen simply because it is close to fjords and is surrounded by mountains. Oslo is nice to live in but boring to visit. Everybody speaks English so there is no need in learning Norwegian phrases. Bring some warm clothes and a jacket when jiking even during the summer, because the weather here can be unpredictable. It is also expensive, and selection in food (although it has gotten better over the years) is still limited. Norwegians are also easy to hook up with when drunk so if partying is your thing, getting laid is easy
Yep, went Oslo back in Sept. The gallery was ok and so was the Fram museum, the viking one was shut.
Food was nothing special at all and the beer was same price as im guessing London is.
Would a roadtrip along the Helgeland coast via the Kystriksveien be worth it? It looks really beautiful and like a nice way to spend a week long holiday.
Thinking of Norway as my first solo travel destination. I’d be flying in to Oslo (though I could do Bergen or Tromso) and I can’t drive. I’m not much interested in cities, how accessible would hiking and nature be from Oslo?
If you go in summer, just jump on the train to bergen. Leave at station called finse. Walk north or south as far as you like. There are open cabins for hikers in both directions, and you can buy food there as well. Check dnt.no for trails and cabins
Go to Oslo and immediately take the first train towards Bergen. Going to Norway to hike in Oslo is like going to Italy and only eating the shittiest McDonalds
Hiking in Eastern Norway is just as fun and accessible as the rest of the country, but the landscapes might not be what you expect. It will be mostly flat woodland. The mountains and fjords are to the west and north, so head that way if you want to do that. If the woods of Eastern Norway sounds fun though, and if you want a proper long walk, then check out the Pilgrim's Route (Pilegrimsleden). 30 days from Oslo to Trondheim.