Before visiting, I knew 5 things about Norway:

The roads are really, really steep.

Everything is crazy expensive.

Vicious mosquitoes and midges attack any unprotected flesh.

The weather is stormy and unsettled all year long.

The wild camping is wonderful.

Bike touring in the Senja region of Northern Norway.

Flying past the jagged peaks of the Senja region of Northern Norway .

A link

My ancestors had left Norway and immigrated to America several generations back. Maybe they’d had enough of the weather. More likely they were just escaping poverty. Norway hadn’t yet discovered oil and become one of the richest countries on earth. My great-great grandparents probably hailed from some ramshackle fishing village and eeked out a living catching herring.

I’d always been curious about the country. We’d grown up eating lefse for Christmas, but that was about the only link I had to my Scandinavian heritage. Finally I’d have a chance to return to my roots.

Lofoten, Norway

Typical Norway. This shot is from Lofoten, one of Norway's most popular tourist destinations.

Steep, yes! Impossible, no!

We’ve now spent more than a month biking in Norway. The roads are steep. But not near  as steep as I expected. They’re not ‘get off and push steep.’ I might actually be faster if I pushed, but pedaling is definitely possible.

The scenery is stunning, and that takes your mind off burning calves and throbbing thighs. Norway is a popular destination and we share many roads with a steady stream of RVS piloted by retirees from throughout Europe. Most are courteous, but a few could do with an eye exam.

Bicycle touring Northern Norway.

The far north, way above the Arctic Circle. It's often a cold, harsh environment but lovely when the sun comes out.

Hammerfest, Norway

Hammerfest, the most northerly city in Europe.

Camping in northern Norway

Exquisite camping spots nearly every night.

Lighthouse in Northern Norwyáy

Lots of spots to stop for sightseeing along the way

$285 Total Monthly Spending

Lots of things are crazy expensive. For obvious reasons, we’ve not been dining out. Or paying for campsites. That leaves food and ferries.

In Finland, we met an EXTREME budget cyclist. We’re pretty frugal, but this dude is hardcore. He spends around $2,500 per year bike touring in Europe. And he let us in on his secret: Dumpster Diving.

Food salvaged via dumpster diving

A typical find from one of our daily dumpster dives.

bridge in Norway

Some stunning infrastructure in Norway. These bridges are much more fun than the tunnels.

cycling through tunnel in Norway

Tunnels in Norway are actually less scary than in most places. The longest one is a whopping 7 kilometers.

North Cape, Norway by bicycle

A classic shot from our arrival at North Cape, the northernmost point on the European continent. At 71.1710° N, 25.7837° E, it's far above the Arctic Circle.

Ride to North Cape, Norway by bicycle

It's a long, windy slog to the top of the continent, but well worth the suffering. Views like this are what it's all about.

Mosquitoes, midges and everything not nice.

Almost everyone we spoke to about cycling in Scandinavia complained about the bugs. We came prepared with headnets, expecting the worst. Except for three or four occasions, it really wasn’t that bad.

I’m not sure if we just got off easy this year, or people were exaggerating about the annoyances of flying creatures. I’d advise you to pack some hefty repellent and a headnet, just to be safe.

Bicycle Touring in Northern Norway

Weather worries

Summer in northern Scandinavia can feel like winter in the rest of the world. That said, southern Norway has been basking in a heat wave for the last month. We came prepared with thick down sleeping bags (thanks Pyrenex), high-tech rain gear from Showers Pass and little extras like shoe covers, leg warmers and windproof gloves from the cold weather experts, Grip Grab. (Grip Grab’s a Danish company and they know a thing or two about harsh weather conditions. Showers Pass is based in Portland—rain capital of the USA. And Pyrenex has been around since 1859.)

One night near North Cape the winds were so strong I feared the tent might blow away into the fjord. The next night we got wise and strapped down the tent using our new WrapTies. In case you’re wondering, we’ve still got the tent.

North Cape, Norway by bicycle

One night near North Cape, the wind blew so hard I thought the tent would fly into a fjord. Then I remembered our WrapTies and used them to secure the tent.

Ride to North Cape, Norway by bicycle

Gone are the bungee cords. Now WrapTies secure that big bundle on the back of my bike.

pyrenex sleeping bag

Morning coffee with a view!

One of our less glamorous camping spots! It's somebody's shed but it kept us dry for the night.

Camping doesn’t get any better

Norway has catapulted to my new #1 wild camping destination. Just like in Finland and Sweden, Norway allows free movement and camping under their Right to Roam law.

As long as you’re 150 meters from an inhabited structure and not on cultivated land, you can pitch your tent pretty much anywhere for up to two nights.

This freedom to camp really makes life easy. I never have to worry about some grumpy person trying to kick us out of our spot. (To be fair, this hardly ever happens anywhere in the world.)

The camping spots in Norway are truly exceptional. Fabulous views everywhere you look. And with a population of just 5 million people, there’s room for everybody.

I truly love Norway. I feel at home here. The people are kind, crime is low, and everyone seems to get along. People don’t appear to be too stressed out about their jobs. They take time for their families and friends. Norway always ranks high it global happiness and quality of life.

Sometimes I think I’d like to settle here. Go back to the country from which my ancestors came. Of course, I haven’t yet experienced Norway in winter. That might change my mind.

Wild camping in Norway

Hard to imagine many places in the world where you can have this view all to yourself.

pyrenex sleeping bag

Once we asked to camp next to a farm and the kind property owner pulled out all the stops to make us comfortable.

Wild camping in Norway

Pretty nice spot to pitch the tent.

Bicycle touring in Northern Norway

Ride late, and there's hardly a soul on the road.

Lofoten, Norway
Lofoten, Norway
bike touring Northern Norway
bike touring Northern Norway
amaya and Eric bicycle touring around the world

Still lots more to see in Norway! We've got to keep pedaling south.

bike touring in Norway
bike touring in Norway
Bicycle Touring Norway

2 thoughts on “Bicycle Touring Norway

  • August 6, 2018 at 1:55 PM
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    Wonderful! I can almost feel those trees surrounding Eric starting to think about autumn. Beautiful pictures, as always, thanks!

    Reply
  • August 30, 2018 at 3:37 PM
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    Ahhh – Norway. Our very first cycle touring destination, way back in 1981. On 10-speed road bikes (pretty much all you could get then – mountain bikes hadn’t reached the UK yet), so I remember pushing quite a lot. Very basic, non-waterproof kit (we really knew nothing about cycle touring at that stage), so I remember being wet a lot, too. We ate whatever was subsidised – bread, yogurt and other dairy stuff, plus packet soups & pasta. But what a phenomenal 6 weeks it was! A beautiful, peaceful, laid-back country. Thanks for your great article, and stunning photos. It must be time to go back…

    Reply

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