How do tolls work in Norway?

Fully automatically, by number plate recognition. There are no booths to stop at. Register with an AutoPASS operator in advance, or order a tag, and you pay less and get a proper statement. Without registering, the bill arrives months later with an administration surcharge.

Can you wild camp anywhere in Norway?

The right to roam allows camping in open country for a maximum of two nights, at least 150 metres from inhabited houses. It does not automatically extend to motorhomes: staying overnight in car parks and at the roadside is separately regulated or prohibited in many places.

How cold does it get in a Norwegian summer?

By day, 15 to 20 degrees is usual on the coast and considerably less in the fjell, and at night the temperature regularly drops into single figures. A sleeping bag with a comfort rating below five degrees and a well-insulated mat are not over-cautious.

How bad are the mosquitoes in Norway?

In July and August, inland and north of the Arctic Circle, very persistent indeed. Only the combination works: a repellent with a high concentration of active ingredient, long pale clothing, a mosquito net over the bed, and a head net in the fjell. On the windy coast it is far more relaxed.

Is it worth taking food to Norway?

Yes, particularly basics, coffee, tinned food and sweets. Over a fortnight the difference adds up noticeably. Alcohol is subject to tight import limits, and meat and dairy products have quantity restrictions of their own.

How should you plan the legs in Norway?

Considerably shorter than you are used to. Two hundred kilometres on winding fjord roads with ferries and tunnels take longer than four hundred on a motorway. Check ferry times in advance, because on remote routes the last crossing goes earlier than the plan suggests.

Send it to the app — then tick it off and keep planning

Norway Packing List

Fjords, ferries and four seasons in a day: the Norway packing list for motorhome and camping thinks of layered clothing, insect protection, tolls and the particulars of the far north — including the things that are expensive or hard to find once you are there.

Open in the app

101 items · 10 categories

Documents, tolls and ferries

Norway settles almost everything automatically. Set that up in advance and you pay less and queue nowhere.

Passport or national ID cardNorway sits outside the EU but inside the Schengen area. Check which document your nationality needs and how much validity is left on it.
Registration document and driving licenceAt a roadside check the registration document is asked for regularly, particularly with a motorhome or a towed outfit.
AutoPASS tag or registrationNorway has no toll booths to stop at. Without registering, the bill arrives months later with a surcharge.
Credit card for tolls and ferriesFerry tickets and tolls run almost entirely cashless, and some machines take credit cards only.
Ferry routes and times written downOn remote routes the ferry runs a handful of times a day, and the last one is earlier than you think.
Travel health insuranceA GHIC or EHIC goes some way, but covers neither repatriation nor the high Norwegian patient contributions.
Breakdown cover valid for ScandinaviaRecovery distances in the north are long and priced accordingly.
Green Card insurance certificateRecommended for Norway, because the country is outside the EU.
A small amount of cashNorway is largely cashless, but the occasional honesty box at the roadside takes coins and nothing else.
Camping Card ScandinaviaRequired or discounted on many sites, and usable as a document to leave at reception.

Weather and layered clothing

There is no bad weather in Norway, only the wrong clothing — and that is not a saying, it is a packing instruction.

Merino base layersThey keep you warm even when damp and still do not smell after several days. The single most worthwhile purchase for the north.
A second set of merino to change intoOne on you, one drying: no more than that is needed.
Fleece jacket or wool jumperThe mid layer that is in constant use in the north, not just in the evening.
Waterproof, breathable jacketHydrostatic head and ventilation matter more than the brand. A jacket without pit zips gets wet from the inside.
Waterproof trousersIn Norway these are not a reserve, they are everyday clothing.
Warm hat and glovesEven in July: on the coast and in the fjell the temperature drops the moment the wind gets up.
Scarf or buffIt closes the gap at the neck through which most warmth is lost.
Wool walking socksCotton socks get wet and stay wet. That is the most common cause of blisters.
Long trousers in quick-drying fabricJeans in Norway are a mistake you make exactly once.
Down or synthetic insulated jacketFor breaks and for the evening. Synthetic forgives damp, down does not.
Spare clothing in a dry bagThe reserve is only any use while it stays dry.
SwimwearThe fjords and lakes are cold, but the sauna on site is not.

Rain and wet

In the north, wet is not an event but a condition. How you handle it decides the trip.

Waterproof walking bootsWorn in, not new. Wet feet on the second day end every walk.
A second pair of shoesOne pair dries while the other walks. Without a change, nothing dries at all.
GaitersThey keep water and mud out of the boot where the path becomes a stream.
Dry bags or waterproof stuff sacksIn the tent and in the rucksack, staying dry is a question of packaging.
Rain cover for the rucksackEven coated rucksacks soak up water at the seams.
Microfibre towelsThey still dry in damp air. Terry towelling does not.
Washing line with tensionersStrung across the awning it is in use every day.
Newspaper or boot dryersCrumpled paper left in a boot overnight draws out a surprising amount of moisture.
Reproofing sprayAfter a few days of rain the coating gives up, and then the best jacket wets out.

Sleeping in cold and daylight

In the northern summer it never gets dark, and it still gets cold at night. Both problems need solving at once.

Sleeping bag with a comfort rating below five degreesDo not buy on the extreme rating: that one describes survival, not sleep.
Sleeping mat with a high insulation valueThe ground in the north is cold even in July. The insulation counts for more than the thickness.
Eye maskIn summer, north of the Arctic Circle it never gets dark at all.
Blackout for windows and roof ventsIn a motorhome or caravan, more effective than any mask.
Warm bed socksCold feet are the most common reason for a bad night.
A hat to sleep inMost warmth is lost through the head at night.
Hot water bottleFilled in the evening it keeps the foot of the bed warm for half the night.
Fleece sleeping bag linerIt adds several degrees and is easier to wash than the bag itself.
Anti-condensation matting or ventilationDamp nights and warm people produce condensation that otherwise soaks into the cushions.
Heating or night heater testedIn the north the heating runs regularly even in summer.

Driving in Norway

The distances drive longer than they look on the map. Pace and refuelling follow their own rules here.

Offline maps downloadedBetween the fjords the signal drops out reliably.
Navigation with a vehicle profileNorwegian minor roads and tunnels have restrictions an ordinary car sat nav ignores.
Fuel card and a credit card with a PINUnmanned pumps in the north often want a PIN, not a signature.
Fill up early rather than lateNorth of Trondheim, a hundred kilometres between filling stations is easily done.
Charging cards and app for electric carsNorway has a dense charging network, but many operators with access schemes of their own.
Spare fuel can, where permittedFor routes in the fjell with long stretches and nothing on them.
Speed limits observedNorway enforces closely, and the fines run to several times what you are used to.
Headlights on at all timesDaytime running lights are compulsory year-round, including under a midnight sun.
Warning triangle and hi-vis vestRequired by law, and genuinely useful on single-track roads with passing places.
Realistic breaks planned inTwo hundred kilometres in the fjell take longer than four hundred on a motorway.
Tow rope and glovesOn gravel tracks and soft pitches, needed more often than for an actual breakdown.

Food and stores

Norway is expensive. What comes out of your own boot saves a three-figure sum over a fortnight.

A base stock of pasta and riceThe price difference from home is greatest on basic foodstuffs.
Plenty of coffeeOne of the items where the difference is particularly noticeable.
Tins and ready mealsFor legs where the next shop is over a hundred kilometres away.
Oil, spices, saltSmall tins, large effect, and disproportionately expensive locally.
Alcohol within the duty-free allowanceIn Norway it is sold only through the Vinmonopolet and heavily taxed. The import limits are tight, though.
Sweets and snacksThe classic price shock in a Norwegian supermarket.
Vacuum flaskOn long legs and on walks in the fjell it is in use every day.
Refillable water bottleThe tap water is excellent, while bottled water is expensive.
Cool box or fridgeThe gaps between shopping trips are longer than at home.
Fishing kit with the right permitSea fishing is free; fresh water needs a licence.
Bin bags and separate wasteOn remote pitches you take the rubbish with you rather than handing it in.

Wild camping and the right to roam

The right to roam is generous and tied to conditions. Know them and you stand in places others pay for.

The rules of the right to roam read throughIt applies to tents in open country, not automatically to motorhomes in car parks.
A distance of 150 metres from housesThe specific figure the right turns on.
No more than two nights in the same spotAfter that you need the landowner’s permission.
No open fire between 15 April and 15 SeptemberIn and near woodland it is banned outright, whatever the weather is doing.
Camping stove instead of a campfireThe workable answer to the fire ban through the summer half of the year.
Trowel or folding spadeWhere there is no toilet, what results gets buried, well away from water.
Bin bags to carry outThe basic rule in the north: whatever comes in goes out again.
Biodegradable soapWith no drain, everything goes straight into the ground or the stream.
Pitch-finder app with offline dataThe search for somewhere to stop usually begins where the reception ends.

Insects and wildlife

The Norwegian mosquito in July and August is not a side issue. North of the Arctic Circle it decides the evening.

Repellent with a high concentration of active ingredientThe Scandinavian mosquito is more persistent than the ones at home, and weak products barely register.
Head net for face and hoodIn the fjell and in Lapland it looks ridiculous and is the only thing that works.
Mosquito net for the sleeping areaThe one measure that works all night without being reapplied.
Long, pale clothingMore effective than any product, and it never needs reapplying.
Antihistamine gelFor the bites that happen anyway.
Electric bite healerIt works immediately after the bite and needs no chemicals.
Tick protection for coastal regionsThere are ticks in southern Norway, and practically none in the fjell.
Binoculars for wildlifeElk, reindeer and sea eagles are spotted too late with the naked eye.

Walking and equipment

In the fjell the weather changes faster than anywhere else. The kit therefore always comes along, even on short walks.

Paper walking mapNo battery, no signal — and in the fjell both of those are normal.
Compass, and the basics of using oneIn fog in the fjell it is the only thing that works reliably.
Walking polesOn wet rock and steep descents they save your knees and prevent falls.
Daypack with a rain coverBig enough for the layers, small enough to carry all day.
Water bottle and foodThere are no huts or kiosks out in the fjell.
Head torch, even in summerIn tunnels, in caves, and through the shoulder months, indispensable.
Emergency whistleIt carries further than shouting and takes no strength.
Survival blanketIt weighs nothing and is the first response to hypothermia in the fjell.
First-aid kit in the rucksackNot in the vehicle: it is needed out on the route.
Route and return time left with someoneAt reception or with friends at home, because there is usually no signal on the way.

Technology, power and medicines

In the north the power is scarce, the signal patchy and the nearest pharmacy far away. All three are solved beforehand.

High-capacity power bankIn the north, two days between campsites is easily done.
Solar panel or a charger for the carOn long legs, the most reliable source of power there is.
Adapter for Norwegian socketsNorway uses the same round-pin socket as much of the continent, while campsites work on CEE.
CEE cable with adapterOn Norwegian sites just as standard as in the south.
Offline maps and offline musicStreaming does not work between the fjords.
Camera with a spare batteryCold halves the battery life, and the light in the north is the reason for the trip.
A complete first-aid kitIn the north the nearest surgery can be an hour away.
Painkillers and something for feverIn Norway these are sold in pharmacies only, not in supermarkets.
Something for travel sicknessWinding fjord roads and ferry crossings arrive together.
Blister plastersLong walks on wet ground are the most common cause.
Personal medication in its original packagingWith the leaflet, so that nobody abroad has to guess at the active ingredient.

Common questions

How do tolls work in Norway?: Fully automatically, by number plate recognition. There are no booths to stop at. Register with an AutoPASS operator in advance, or order a tag, and you pay less and get a proper statement. Without registering, the bill arrives months later with an administration surcharge.
Can you wild camp anywhere in Norway?: The right to roam allows camping in open country for a maximum of two nights, at least 150 metres from inhabited houses. It does not automatically extend to motorhomes: staying overnight in car parks and at the roadside is separately regulated or prohibited in many places.
How cold does it get in a Norwegian summer?: By day, 15 to 20 degrees is usual on the coast and considerably less in the fjell, and at night the temperature regularly drops into single figures. A sleeping bag with a comfort rating below five degrees and a well-insulated mat are not over-cautious.
How bad are the mosquitoes in Norway?: In July and August, inland and north of the Arctic Circle, very persistent indeed. Only the combination works: a repellent with a high concentration of active ingredient, long pale clothing, a mosquito net over the bed, and a head net in the fjell. On the windy coast it is far more relaxed.
Is it worth taking food to Norway?: Yes, particularly basics, coffee, tinned food and sweets. Over a fortnight the difference adds up noticeably. Alcohol is subject to tight import limits, and meat and dairy products have quantity restrictions of their own.
How should you plan the legs in Norway?: Considerably shorter than you are used to. Two hundred kilometres on winding fjord roads with ferries and tunnels take longer than four hundred on a motorway. Check ferry times in advance, because on remote routes the last crossing goes earlier than the plan suggests.

Diese Liste auf Deutsch