I just came back from a month-long road trip around Norway and Sweden. It was spectacular!
I’ve had so many questions about my route and itinerary and things I’d recommend along the way. So in this post I’ll be sharing some details of where I went, where I stayed and some of the moments that made my trip so special. My route took 31 days and starts in Bergen, travelling up Norway’s West Coast through the fjords, then along the world-famous Bergen-Oslo railway before crossing the border into Sweden. I travelled mostly by car, although I did take two train journeys between Norway and Sweden.
Day 1-3 : Bergen
I kicked off my travels in the city of Bergen, in the Southern part of Norway. It’s a 2-hour flight from the UK and we found flights with Jet2 for around £100 return. We stayed in a fabulous house through Home Exchange, which made our trip super affordable. Hiring an electric car also reduced our fuel costs, so we were able to enjoy our trip on a reasonable budget.
On our first day, we explored Bryggen, the heart of Bergen’s old town. This part of the city has beautiful old wooden buildings that are home to small artists. You’ll find everything from local painters to pottery, small cafes and leather workshops. There are also some fun tourist shops, and coffee shops galore.
Once you’ve explored the waterfront and old town, I recommend taking the funicular up to Floibanen Park, which sits above the city. The funicular station is just up the street from Bryggen and you should book tickets ahead of time during busy periods.
On our final day in Bergen we drove the hour’s journey to Steinsdalsfossen, a huge waterfall in the countryside that you can walk in front of, and then climb up the path to stand behind the water. You’re then just a really short drive from the fjord at Hardangerfjord, which offers lots of places to walk and some spectacular scenery. If you visit at the right time of year (June) there are lots of apple orchards in this part of Norway where you can pick fruit and sample local ciders.
Day 4-7 Ulsteinvik
The drive from Bergen to Ulsteinvik took me almost seven hours, and it felt long, but the views along the roadside were worth it.
The drive takes you up the E39 highway, so it’s easy to navigate and there are plenty of fuel stops. Allow yourself plenty of time to stop and admire views like this:
You’ll also get to experience a very unique part of a road trip in Norway, where the highway turns into a fjord, and you’ll drive onto the ferry to make the crossing. Each ferry crossing is short – taking between 5 and 20 minutes – and is a chance to stretch your legs and enjoy some incredible views.
Once in Ulsteinvik, there’s a small beach and a town that hugs the coastline. Head up above hte houses into acres of parkland where you can hike in almost any direction and get amazing views over the water. Here’s one of my sunset walks, which was definitely worth the slog up through the trees!
I would also recommend a visit to Runde Island which is home to rare puffin colonies. If you go through a site like Viator you can book on a tour that includes kayaking or sailing, and a guide who will help you find the best viewpoints to see the wildlife.
Day 8-12 Aukrasanden
After a few days, I continued my journey North up the E39 on more roads and ferries for another six hours (did I mention Norway is huge?) before arriving on the tiny island of Aukra and my new home in Aukrasanden. I really lucked out with a waterfront house that came complete with its own dock, sauna and boat house, not to mention some spectacular views!
I spent a lovely few days exploring the island itself – the North East coast has a trail that is only a little over two miles long. Park up in Årgårdsvika and the trail leads through heather fields down to a pretty little beach where you can swim in the freezing cold water, and enjoy a picnic. I spotted several friendly deer on this trail, and it was really peaceful – I think I only saw one other person the whole walk out and back!
Aukra has regular ferries to the surrounding area, though, so it’s a great spot to explore from. My highlights were heading to the Midsund Steps, where Sherpas were hired to build stone steps up the mountains offering incredible views over the coastline. The steps are hard work but there are 5 different routes with relatively easy options for those of us who are scared of heights and/or unfit!
Midsund is very close to the famous coastal town of Alesund and also the Atlantic Ocean Road, a short drive that connects tiny islands via seemingly impossible bridges that curve high over the water. It’s a proper bucket list drive and you cannot miss it!
Day 13-14 Valldall and Geirangerfjord
I’m not saying you CAN’T go to Norway and not visit Geirangerfjord but why would you? It’s a World Heritage Site and a true natural wonder. It’s a treat just to drive down the valley into the tiny town, but you can also take tours, hike up the hills, or get on the water with a range of kayak, canoe and rafting tours.
My top tip is to book ahead of time on the Geirangerfjord ferry, as a car or foot passenger. The journey takes you from one end of the fjord to the other, past the famous Seven Sisters waterfalls – and it’s a FRACTION of the cost of the tourist tours. A regular car with a driver and up to 3 passengers costs just over £100 for a return trip, or £50 to go one way.
My other tip is to avoid Geirangerfjord on days that a ferry ship is in port – the village is tiny and the ships are HUGE, and their visitors easily overwhelm the entire area, spoiling the atmosphere completely.
My last tip is related – Geirangerfjord is small with limited accommodation. I found a great hotel on booking.com called the Valldall Fjord Hotel which is a short drive from Geirangerfjord and offers the most incredible rooms where you walk out to the edge of the fjord. It’s truly spectacular and much more affordable than the more famous town just down the road.
Day 15-18 Bergen, Oslo, Gothenburg
After splurging on a hotel in Valldall, it was time to depart Norway. Taking my Norwegian car rental into Sweden would have been very expensive, so I drove back to Bergen to return the car, and then travelled to Sweden using the famous Bergen-Oslo railway, and then a second train from Oslo to Gothenburg, where I could collect a car from a Swedish rental company.
Booking the train was easy using the Vy.no website, and my ticket for the 7 hour journey cost around £90. You’ll find prices vary depending on which seat you choose – you can pay a little more for seats that have a table and a bigger window but all the seats are comfortable and the train has dedicated family carriages, a decent on-board restaurant, questionable WiFi and good toilets. BE SURE to reserve well in advance though, as seats regularly sell out on this route.
The views from the train are really magical, but I will be honest and say that if you’ve spent 20+ hours driving through the fjords, the train doesn’t add a HUGE amount to the experience (but that might just be me!)
Day 19 -22 Tradet
After spending a day exploring the wonderful city of Gothenburg (wonderful in every respect apart from chaotic traffic due to huge construction in the city centre) I headed East into Sweden.
My first stop was a home exchange in the tiny village of Tradet, and a small waterfront cabin with its own sauna. Built out of simple wood, it was a rustic home with everything I needed.
My wonderful hosts, Pia and Jesper, were next door and hosted me for a welcome dinner of local wild boar cheeseburgers using their own home-smoked cheese and fresh baked bread. It was such a treat to eat together and drink their home-made cider. Pia was also excited to show me the local area and we took a couple of hikes and kayak rides through this pretty part of Sweden.
I hadn’t expected how FLAT Sweden would feel (topographically speaking) after the mighty cliffs of Norway, but it was an interesting change. I loved walking around Lake Hornborgasjön which is home to a huge nature and bird reserve, and I also took a trip to Alphems Aboretum, which has miles of woodland paths and the prettiest cafe to enjoy a book and a cold drink on a sunny afternoon.
I rounded out my trip with another family meal with my hosts (meatballs and mashed potatoes, of course, followed by fresh rhubarb crumble) and then a shared sauna, which felt like a very authentic Swedish evening indeed!
Day 23-25 Nyköpings Kommun
Another couple of hours east, I found myself in a huge, rambling farmhouse in the “blink and you’d miss it” village of Nykopings. My host had advised me to look for the red and white wooden building – without realising that every home in the area is red and white, thanks to the tradition of using local minerals to die the paint in this part of Sweden.
However, a few phone calls and I found myself with my own farmhouse, complete with a beautiful cat, a dozen chickens and two very enthusiastic roosters! It was a cool experience to fetch my own eggs each morning, and I loved being able to walk across the fields to the local organic cheese fridge, which is stocked each morning by a neighbouring farmer.
This part of the trip was really a chance to relax and reset. I caught up with some work, I read some books and I watched a bunch of TV. It was perfect!
Day 26 – 31 Stockholm
The end of our trip was a few days in a city apartment in Stockholm, which was also a home exchange. Our top experience in the city was exploring the old neighbourhood of Gamla Stan. This part of the city can get hectic, but if you walk a few blocks further into the neighbourhood of Södermalm you’ll find dozens of pavement cafes, bars, and street art. We spent a great day window shopping, enjoying live music and riding rented electric scooters just for the fun of it!
Stockholm also has amazing galleries to explore and our very favourite was the Fotografiska, a photography museum set over four floors. When we visited there was a pop art exhibition on the ground floor, with international photography and a great interactive video collage exhibit upstairs. On the top floor of the museum there is a great little cafe/bar that serves cakes and drinks with gorgeous views of the city across the river. This is very important as you will want to observe the Swedish tradition of fika, which means stopping in the afternoon for a hot drink and a sweet treat.
Day 32 – Gothenburg
After a spectacular month, we returned to Gothenburg to return our hire car and headed for our flight back to the UK. What an amazing, magical and memorable adventure!
