Travelling To Norway By Car

    Overview

    There are two main routes with ferries to South Norway (map, infos and tipps for the southern region [Link zu Süd-Norwegen]). Alternatively, there is a route without ferry service:

    The fastest access to the North of Norway by car is via European route 4 alongside the swedisch Baltic Sea Coastline.

     

    The danish, swedish and norwegian traffic rules [Link zu In Norwegen Auto fahren/#Verkehrsregeln] should not only be known for safety reasons but also to spare the finances/wallet. Infringements/Violations may not only be expensive but in harder cases will be punished with prison sentence.

     

    Tip 1: There are other combinations of travelling  with ferries. For simlicity reasons not all options are listed.

    Tip 2: The photo above shows the hybrid-drive ferry "Berlin" on the route between Rostock and Gedser. It was put into service only in 2016.

    Travelling To South Norway Via Denmark With Ferry

    Map with the four main ferry routes from Hirtshals (Denkmark) to Norway
    Map with the four main ferry routes from Hirtshals (Denkmark) to Norway

    The biggest advantage of the Denmark-route via Hirtshals is the variety of starting points to the region South Norway [Link Süd-Norwegen] to explore South or West Norway (e.g. the worth-seeing region Telemark or the diversified tourist route Ryfylke). Another advantage of this route is bypassing two cost-intensive toll bridges (e.g. Oresund Bridge) in Denmark.

     

    From the danish ferry port Hirtshals in North-Jutland the following norwegian ports are touched at:

    The shortest passage (to Kristiansand) takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.

     

    Starting from these ferry ports you can easily reach the attractive Scenic Route Skien - Rjukan.

     

    Some photo impressions of the route via Hirtshals:

    Tip: Fast & Comfortable To the Lofoten with car ferry & Hurtigruten ship

    A relatively fast und very relaxed way to reach the very worth seeing island group Lofoten by car is a combination of car ferry and coastal vessel. A good many things to know about travelling with your car on a Hurtigrouten coastal vessel you can find here [Link zu Deiner Hurtigruten-Seite].

    • Car ferry from Hirtshals to Bergen (incl. 1 overnight stay on board): Arrival at Bergen at noon (link here)
    • In the afternoon in Bergen, e.g. visit of the Hanseatic League quarter Bryggen and rail ride with Floibanen to the backyard mountain of Bergen
    • Optional: Side trip to Fjordland [ggf. Link zu Deiner Fjordlandseite? Fehlt auf der deutschen Seite auch noch], e.g. Hardangerfjord
    • In the evening check in on a Hurtigruten coast vessel with three overnight stay on board (reservation needed), arrival at Svolvær in the evening
    • Comparison: After arriving with a ferry in Larvik you need to drive about 1.000 miles (approx. 20 hours) plus 3 hours ferry ride from Skutvik.
    p" in front of the mountain backdrop of the island of Langøya
    Hurtigruten coastal vessel "MS Nordkapp" in front of the mountain backdrop of the island of Langøya

    Travelling To South Norway Via Sweden With Ferry

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    Travelling the swedish route you might start in Malmö and drive up the European route E6 to Norwegian Oslo: https://www.visitoslo.com/en/. Malmö itself is worth a visit and sightseeing.

     

    From Oslo you can explore either the south, the west or the middle of Norway. Who wants to proceed quickly to Trondheim area or further north could be fastest with this route.

     

    Following you find details how this route can be reached starting in Germany und which destinations you can reach within Norway with ferries from Oslo.

     

    Important: Due to own negative experiences I suggest to read and follow the travel and security information for Sweden issued by the Federal Foreign Office before your journey. Link (German): https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Laenderinformationen/00-SiHi/SchwedenSicherheit.html


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    Detail: Possible destinations in Norway

     

    The route via Malmö allows for taking a ferry to South-Norway [Link zu Deiner Süd-Norwegen-Seite] in the upper part before reaching Oslo:

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    Detail: Routes from Germany to Malmö

     

    The swedish route can be reached via European route E47 / E20 (toll bridge: Oresund Bridge).

    • A1 from Hamburg to Lübeck and ferry Puttgarden - Rødby
    • Via ferry from Rostock to Gedser (Denmark)

    Alternatively there are direct ferries to Sweden (see right).

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    Detail: Direct Ferries from Germany

     

    For everybody with more time who wants to use just one ferry and avoid the toll bridge Oresund Bridge, can choose from one of the following options to Trellebeorg:

    Travelling time is usually longer than the route via Eurpean route E47 / E20 (see middle).


    Travelling Without Ferry Route Via Denmark And Sweden

    Map with route from Germany to Norway without ferry
    To reach Norway without ferries you drive across Denmark passing two toll bridges

    The good news for everybody who is concerned over ferry rides or crossing the sea: There is a possibility to get to Norway without ferry - even though the way is longer. Link to Google Maps. [Link zu Deiner Google Maps Karte, die nebendran angezeigt ist (hier)].

     

    Costs: Please keep in mind that there are toll charges for the Storebælt Bridge (prices) as well as for the Oresund Bridge (prices).

     

    It is also important to know that in Norway you might need to take ferries to follow the street across fjords. These connections are usually short and you will always see land.


    Tip for a stopover is the beautiful swedish city of Malmö. Tourist information you find here. [Der Text wirkt für meinen Geschmack etwas verloren. Liegt vielleicht an dem 40px Spacing? Wie wäre es mit 10-20px?]

    Traffic Rules, Travel And Security Information

    If you are on holiday you do not necessarily want to think about rules and security. However, it is recommended to learn about the traffic rules of Norway and transit countries.

     

    The traffic rules basically deal with:

    • Minimum requirements of vehicle and material (e.g.  tyres)
    • Validity of driving licence
    • Speed limits (also note terms of trailers)
    • Driving with daytime running lights
    • Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol
    • Special traffic signs
    • Behaviour in the case of accidents and animal-vehicle crashs

    Traffic rules and informations of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration you find here.

    The German ADAC (General German Automobile Association) offers summaries for various countries in German:

    With Scandinavia you not necessarily associate crime. Only where tourists are crime is more likely. This is why it is higly recommended to know the latest travel and security information of your destination as well as the countries you travel trough:

    Travelling To Norway By Plane

    For the sake of completeness it should be mentioned that you certainly can travel to Norway by plane. This even works very vell since a lot of the smaller cities do have an airport und a daily connections to Oslo.

     

    The entry to Norway by plane is almost only possible to Oslo due to custom and Grenzbestimmungen. Information if baggage can be checked trough to the destination airport can be obtained by the airline.

    The following airlines offer flights from Germany to Norway (as of summer 2017):


    Links

    (c) author: Mark König; with special thanks to Julia Weihe for wonderful photos and translation support

    Would you like to share your own experiences with others? You are welcome to leave a comment that is valuable for others.

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