Touring in Norway

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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cycletourer
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by cycletourer »

Vorpal wrote:
As cycletourer said, main roads in Norway often use tunnels where cyclists are not allowed. In addition to the site linked above, it may be worth checking this one http://www.vegdata.no/2014/06/17/cyclin ... n-tunnels/ This one is off the highways department database, so it doesn't depend on people updating it; information about new tunnels is always good here, but information about older ones is not always available, so check both the site that cycletourer linked, and this one.


I concur with Vorpal that is good to check both the vegkart and our tunnel map as the Statens vegvesen (the Norwegian road authority) do occasionally change whether tunnels are banned to cyclists. We have to rely on cyclists and local Norwegians keeping us informed of any changes. Unfortunately the Vegkart isn't that intuitive to use. To find the tunnel information type 'tunnel' in the search box in the top right and then click tunnel in the search list. This will then bring up the tunnels on the map. By zooming in to the area that you will be travelling through you will see that the tunnels are marked as a green dot on the road. If you click on the dot it will give you a list of the information on the tunnel. In the list look for 'Sykkelforbud:' if it says 'Ja' it is forbidden to cycle through. The advantage to our map is that for planning purposes it is visually easier to see the banned sites as they are marked in red.

beardy wrote:Asking from the viewpoint of somebody who has never flown with a bike, do the luggage weight limits allow you to carry enough kit (including the bike) for four weeks of wild camping?


To add to this. A lot of airlines do charge per item of baggage, for us that would be 4 panniers and a racpac each. We get around this by putting the panniers in a couple of large tote bags which are light enough that we could carry them but we tend to do circular tours so we tend to leave these at an hotel or campsite for pick up on our return.

jakobpoffley wrote:Thank you cycletourer for your reply,

I'd actually already found your website and it has been very helpful. The lofoten isles do look amazing but i'm not sure how i would combine them into the trip. I'd like to think that i'm good at reading maps and i prefer to stick to proper roads than tracks and cycle routes because they always take so much longer. I'm glad the touring can be quite tough becuase i want it to be challenging. Thanks for showing me your tunnel map. I'm sure it will be extremely useful in choosing a more specific route when the time comes. What i'm thinking of maybe doing is starting in oslo then cycling west to Bergen maybe go a bit south. Then cycle up to Tronheim which when looking at flights it seems you can get direct flights to england to get home. Please let me know what you think. Also is it worth trying to visit pulpit rock?

Thanks once again :)


Oslo through to Bergen and then on to Trondheim is approximately 750 miles. Remember on the mountainous roads in Norway you may not be able to do the same speeds or distance that you may normally do. You may have to use the old roads that go around the banned tunnels these are often a longer distance than the tunnel or they may go over the mountain passes that the tunnels now avoid. There is also the good old Norwegian weather to consider, which is akin to Scottish weather. Therefore have some contingencies planned where you could shorten your route or the potential to get on a bus, train or ferry (the hurtigruten ferry runs the length of the west coast of Norway) to complete your route or else assist you along the way if you look like running out of time.

As far as going along the Ralarvegen you may have to do that or take a southern route as RV7 is currently effectively closed to cyclists due to the Måbøtunnelen being closed to cyclists and the alternative route for cyclists closed due to rockfall. When I recently contacted the Statens Vegvesen they were unclear as to when the rockfall would get cleared and the alternative route opened to cyclists.

The Rallarvegen is certainly OK to do on most touring bikes including a Dawes Galaxy, but there are a couple of sections after Finse where you might have to get off and walk for a short way, but it is certainly worth that for the scenery.

As far as Pulpit Rock is concerned, personally I haven't been there but from all accounts if the weather is good the views are spectacular.
Last edited by cycletourer on 21 Jan 2015, 11:00pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

cycletourer wrote:
Vorpal wrote:
As cycletourer said, main roads in Norway often use tunnels where cyclists are not allowed. In addition to the site linked above, it may be worth checking this one http://www.vegdata.no/2014/06/17/cyclin ... n-tunnels/ This one is off the highways department database, so it doesn't depend on people updating it; information about new tunnels is always good here, but information about older ones is not always available, so check both the site that cycletourer linked, and this one.


I concur with Vorpal that is good to check both the vegkart and our tunnel map as the Statens vegvesen (the Norwegian road authority) do occasionally change whether tunnels are banned to cyclists. We have to rely on cyclists and local Norwegians keeping us informed of any changes. Unfortunately the Vegkart isn't that intuitive to use. To find the tunnel information type 'tunnel' in the search box in the top right and then click tunnel in the search list. This will then bring up the tunnels on the map. By zooming in to the area that you will be travelling through you will see that the tunnels are marked as a green dot on the road. If you click on the dot it will give you a list of the information on the tunnel. In the list look for 'Sykkelforbud:' if it says 'Ja' it is forbidden to cycle through. The advantage to our map is that for planning purposes it is visually easier to see the banned sites as they are marked in red.

The vegvesen map is easier to use if you scroll down the page I linked to 'vegkart-query' and click that. I've tried linking the actual query, it doesn't seem to work. But if you click 'vegkart-query' on the vegvesen page, you get a similar map of Norway that allows you to zoom in and out, and has all tunnels marked with colour codes. If the little circle in the middle of the tunnel is red, it is closed to cyclists. You can also click on the little circle and get all of the information about the tunnel (as described in cycletourer's post).
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cycletourer
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by cycletourer »

Vorpal wrote:
cycletourer wrote:
Vorpal wrote:
As cycletourer said, main roads in Norway often use tunnels where cyclists are not allowed. In addition to the site linked above, it may be worth checking this one http://www.vegdata.no/2014/06/17/cyclin ... n-tunnels/ This one is off the highways department database, so it doesn't depend on people updating it; information about new tunnels is always good here, but information about older ones is not always available, so check both the site that cycletourer linked, and this one.


I concur with Vorpal that is good to check both the vegkart and our tunnel map as the Statens vegvesen (the Norwegian road authority) do occasionally change whether tunnels are banned to cyclists. We have to rely on cyclists and local Norwegians keeping us informed of any changes. Unfortunately the Vegkart isn't that intuitive to use. To find the tunnel information type 'tunnel' in the search box in the top right and then click tunnel in the search list. This will then bring up the tunnels on the map. By zooming in to the area that you will be travelling through you will see that the tunnels are marked as a green dot on the road. If you click on the dot it will give you a list of the information on the tunnel. In the list look for 'Sykkelforbud:' if it says 'Ja' it is forbidden to cycle through. The advantage to our map is that for planning purposes it is visually easier to see the banned sites as they are marked in red.

The vegvesen map is easier to use if you scroll down the page I linked to 'vegkart-query' and click that. I've tried linking the actual query, it doesn't seem to work. But if you click 'vegkart-query' on the vegvesen page, you get a similar map of Norway that allows you to zoom in and out, and has all tunnels marked with colour codes. If the little circle in the middle of the tunnel is red, it is closed to cyclists. You can also click on the little circle and get all of the information about the tunnel (as described in cycletourer's post).


Thanks vorpal for that information :) . I have always wondered why the tunnels didn't come out with their colours. It is a shame that when you go direct into the 'vegkart' there isn't a link to the 'vegkart-query' or perhaps I'm I missing something.
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by iviehoff »

jakobpoffley wrote:
Vorpal wrote:A Dawes Galaxy can almost certainly do the job, but there are some rough sections. If you don't like that sort of thing, it's probably better avoided. If you get to Flåm, take the Flåmsbana train up to see the view, have a picnic lunch, and ride the train back down again :)

Okay thats good to know. I'll think about it. How long is the route? That train looks incredible!

I seem to recall it took about 30-40 mins to cycle down the road/cycle path parallel to Flambana. The road/cycle path was unpaved at the top, but beautifully smooth, maybe its paved all the way these days. The Flambana costs an arm and a leg to travel on. We got to the top another way entirely, by taking the mainline train to Myrdal from the next station west ('cos there isn't even a footpath connecting these stations), wheeled the bikes about 500-1000m down a footpath to get onto the Rallarvegen cycle track, which involved 1 tricky stile, and then cycled down, which soon becomes a vehicular road.

Norway has the smoothest untarred roads on the planet (though some are bumpier than others, obvs) and cycling them on 32mm tyres is a very reasonable tactic, it's what I did the first time I went there, in fact I was in a group and most of us were on 32mm. More recently I have used 37mm for a little greater comfort, but mainly because that was on the bike that had also been used in some other countries with much worse roads. There aren't very many untarred roads left in Norway.
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

Yes, it's possible to use the train for some parts. There are actually 4 stations on or near the upper part of Rallavegen. The steepest part of the path is on switchbacks, and it gets re-gravelled every couple of years. Last autumn it was in good condition, but the year before it was quite rough, and I ended up walking a couple of the switchbacks.

There are plenty of roads in Norway that aren't tarmacked, even in the south of Norway, which is more densely populated (and tends to have better infrastructure) than the north.
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by jakobpoffley »

botty wrote:I've never cycled in Norway but I have motorcycled. If you are camping note that it can get COLD, even in Summer. On our trip at the end of June it was falling to 3C some nights. However all/most campsites have huts of various levels of luxury that you can hire if you need a rest from the wild camping.

The huts are also useful to allow a bit of drying out. Good/excellent waterproofs, even in the height of summer are a must.

Oh, yes, must add, really good insect repellent would be another must. At least full motorcycle leathers, helmet and gloves keep the midges off and you wont be wearing those on your bike.

The fjord are around Bergen would be an excellent, if hilly, place to explore. Can you still get to Bergen from Newcastle by ferry? That might avoid aeroplane hassles.

Thanks for the advice :) I've done some research into ferries and it seems you can't get a direct ferry to norway anymore.
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Re: Touring in Norway

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cycletourer wrote:Thanks vorpal for that information :) . I have always wondered why the tunnels didn't come out with their colours. It is a shame that when you go direct into the 'vegkart' there isn't a link to the 'vegkart-query' or perhaps I'm I missing something.

No. Once you're in the vegkart, you can only search on one criteria at a time (e.g. sykkelforbud = ja)
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by syklist »

jakobpoffley wrote:
Vorpal wrote:The only faster way over the central mountains is by other means of transport.

Couldn't I go further south? My bike doesn't have very wide tires so i don't think the Rallarvegen would work.


1) I am not sure how narrow your tyres are but we've done it three times twice on touring bikes with 38mm wide tyres and once on our Bromptons with 38mm tyres. There are a few sections that are always rough, but the condition of the track varies from year to year and which part of the season you cycle the route. In my opinion well worth doing :) Then again it is local route for me.

2) Look at joining WarmShowers. We're hosts, there was another one near us in Hemsedal. There are not that many in the interior of Norway but a few round the coast.

3) If you want to avoid planes then probably the easiest is to take Harwich Esbjerg and local trains to Hirtshals then take the Colorline boat to either Kristansand (start of the Setesdal route) or Larvik (start of the Numedal route, which joins up nicely with the Rallarvegen) or the Fjordline boat to Bergen.

The other option is a freight ferry that runs between Breivik (Sandefjord/Larvik area) and Immingham. I believe it is possible to book this as a non-commercial traveller although children are not allowed on board). A couple of people I know have used this ferry. From Breivik it would make sense to cycle to Larvik and go north up the Numedal route.

4) alternatively take the Harwich boat to Esbjerg, trains to Copenhagen and then the night boat to Oslo (DFDS or Colorline?), or trains to Frederikshavn and day boat to Oslo (Stena this is a night boat in the other direction). Only useful if you want to visit Oslo.

5) http://mistymornings.net/travel for some trips we took before and after we moved to Norway.

6) In support of the comment made by botty about the climate. Not only can it be cold during the summer the weather can also turn unpredictably. Especially on the coast. We've had sunshine on the Rallarvegen at Finse (1222m above sea level) which turned into a gale five minutes after we'd finished our lunch (2007 travelogue). The missus and I generally use 3 season sleeping bags with liners at night and take plenty of thin woollen layers for use in the daytime. On a bad weather day you have to know when you are getting too cold. It is not always obvious. It is easier if you are travelling with other people. When you notice someone else is not responding to banter as usual then maybe it is time to stop and get warmed up. We now take a storm shelter on our tours for such eventualities.
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by iviehoff »

syklist wrote:3) If you want to avoid planes then probably the easiest is to take Harwich Esbjerg

Harwich-Esbjerg has now ceased, so you can't do that any more.
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by syklist »

iviehoff wrote:
syklist wrote:3) If you want to avoid planes then probably the easiest is to take Harwich Esbjerg

Harwich-Esbjerg has now ceased, so you can't do that any more.


I am obviously not keeping up. :( When I lived in Utrecht we used the night train service to Copenhagen to start/finish tours in Norway and Scandinavia. I have not been able to find that service on db.de today.

An alternative would be to get to Amsterdam (Harwich - Hoek van Holland or Hull - Rotterdam or Newcastle - Ijmuiden let me know if any of these no longer run) take trains to Denmark... or Germany. It looks like there is a 09:01 from Amsterdam with two changes to the ferry Puttgarden - Rødby Havn where the train takes the ferry with you and end up in Copenhagen. Night boat to Oslo.

I think I'd still be more inclined to go from Amsterdam to Hirtshals by train. Would a bike be covered by an Interrail ticket?

Try the DB website for planning such trips http://www.bahn.de/p_en/view/index.shtml
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by syklist »

iviehoff wrote:
syklist wrote:3) If you want to avoid planes then probably the easiest is to take Harwich Esbjerg

Harwich-Esbjerg has now ceased, so you can't do that any more.


It looks like another operator is going to run a similar service. Has anyone else heard about this?

http://www.reginaline.dk/index-uk.htm

There is the story about Norwegian Seaways starting up a Newcastle - Bergen service. They are still trying to raise capital to get going. One of the main sources of capital was the Offshore Oil industry particularly in Stavanger which is now cutting back a lot due to the low oil prices.

Here is the story in Norgleeze courtesy of our favourite auto translation service.
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

syklist wrote:It looks like another operator is going to run a similar service. Has anyone else heard about this?

http://www.reginaline.dk/index-uk.htm

They are still looking for investors. Also viewtopic.php?f=16&t=93173&hilit=+ferry
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

syklist wrote: ... and local trains to Hirtshals then take the Colorline boat to either Kristansand (start of the Setesdal route) or Larvik (start of the Numedal route, which joins up nicely with the Rallarvegen) or the Fjordline boat to Bergen.


There is a fast ferry (4 hours) from Hirtshals to Larvik, and it is quite reasonably priced (£50 ish) if you can be a little flexible about time and day.

I'll second the suggestion of the Numedal route to Rallarvegen, though there is also at least one reasonable alternative to Numedal, mostly on secondary roads ('B' road equivalents).
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by foxyrider »

Vorpal wrote:
syklist wrote:It looks like another operator is going to run a similar service. Has anyone else heard about this?

http://www.reginaline.dk/index-uk.htm

They are still looking for investors. Also viewtopic.php?f=16&t=93173&hilit=+ferry


tried contacting them last week - no reply :(
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by hufty »

Just a quick note re the wild camping thing:

Especially in the fjords it can be tricky to find a flat bit near the road to camp on - when they cut the road into the hillside they thoughtlessly didn't put in facilities for cycle tourists. The other thing is you're meant to camp 100m iirc from the nearest building, but there are usually holiday cottages strung out along the road every 190m or so.

Upshot - be prepared for some less than perfect pitches, and there may be times when you have to camp a bit closer to buildings than you might want.
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