Driving in Norway
Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Driving around Norway takes you to places outside the cities and where public transport is limited or infrequent. This is a good way to travel if you are interested in seeing Norway's natural scenery. Traffic is safe, speed is modest and most roads have little traffic. Drivers should allow plenty of time for the drive and for frequent sightseeing stops. Long distances, particularly in the south-north direction and through the complicated fjord landscape, means that driving takes time. A drive for instance along the full extent of road E6, Norway's main road, takes about a full week. Visitors should not underestimate the difficulties of driving in Norway during the winter.
Norway offers a range of scenic drives and the road authorities have selected a number of national tourist routes that are particularly recommended. Along these routes facilities are installed to make the trip more enjoyable and practical for visitors.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen are mainly roadless, and are not included in this article.
UnderstandIn the cities there is generally no need for a car, due to the robust public transit network. Also, parking is a challenge in the larger cities, and can be expensive.
Road networkNorway's road numbering system (road designations):
Scenic drivesNorway offers a large number of scenic drives and virtually every road (particularly in West Norway, in the mountains and in North Norway) is scenic.
Road conditionsAll public roads have asphalt and are generally well maintained, but some popular roads are narrow, with many curves and steep hills.
Vehicle and gearIn winter, Norwegian cars use Nordic quality winter tyres (studded tyres are permitted from November 1).
Traffic rulesRules and road signs are generally the same as in the rest of Europe. As in most of Europe, Norway has right hand driving and uses the metric system.
ParkingParking is generally forbidden if speed limit is over 60 km/h. Parking in inner city is often difficult and usually strictly regulated or expensive.
TollsThere are toll roads in Norway; most of these are part of AutoPass (automatic number plate recognition). Visitors in their own car can register their numberplate for the duration of their visit only, pre-buy kr.
Glossary
Itineraries
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Driving in Norway" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons