Travelogue Norway 2021

July 2021, one month time. Do what? Long distance travel is not possible due to COVID. In Southern Europe it is rather too hot for us in July. What else? Scandinavia? As late as the beginning of June, Sweden, probably the most relaxed country in the EU in terms of COVID, still has open borders. Norway, on the other hand, which we are more interested in because of the mountains, has almost completely closed the borders, although the case numbers are now very low. So Sweden?

One week before our departure Norway announces to open the borders. So Norway (and maybe some Sweden)!

Here are a few quick tips on traveling in a very laid back country:

• You don’t need cash. Almost none. The only thing we would have missed would have been the most delicious strawberries of our lives, bought on the side of the road. The sellers were kind enough to accept Euros.
• You’ll need a filled bank account. Or the willingness to almost always sleep in a tent / camper and never go out to eat.
• Don’t think that two points that are close together on the map are only a short distance apart. Mountains, fjords and ferries will quickly throw a spanner in the works. By the way, on most roads in Norway there is a speed limit of 80 km/h and even that is often impossible to drive on curvy roads.
• Get information about the ferries! Whether you need them (even on day trips). When they leave. How often they go. When the last one leaves. Whether it’s possible to book online … Unfortunately, it is not always easy to find the information, especially since each route is usually served by only one company, but there are many such companies. If you do not pay attention to this, then a journey can either be delayed for a very long time or you will not reach your destination at all on that day.
• In most cases (as of 2021!) fees for road tolls and ferries are recorded via your license plate and then billed to you. If you are travelling for a long time, please inform yourself in good time (approx. 2 months before the start of your journey) whether you want to register your vehicle in advance. This can lead to reduced costs.
• Refuel your car on time. It can happen that the next petrol station along your route is 50 or perhaps 100 kilometres away.

Let’s go.