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Advice regarding driving and distances in Norway

Posted by on

Hello everyone,

I’m planing a road trip in Norway and would love to hear your thoughts on the following 2 points:

I) Does it seem reasonable to you that during a 16-day trip in Norway, I’ll have 4 days where I’m expected to drive around 4–5 hours per day?

I should mention that I’ve never planned a trip anywhere in the world where I had to drive more than 3 hours in a single day—usually just once or twice at most. But no matter how I try to tweak the itinerary, it seems like in Norway I’ll end up spending long hours driving.

Is this considered normal when traveling in Norway? Or am I just trying to squeeze in too many far-apart destinations?

II) I’d love to get your advice on choosing the best route to take from Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) to Bergen - E39 vs. E13.

After finishing the Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) hike (which will likely be around 2 PM), I’m planning to start driving toward Bergen, with an overnight stop somewhere along the way.

It seems that the faster and more convenient route is via Road 39. However, the more scenic option appears to be Road 13, which is also more winding and significantly longer.

Given that the day before I’ll already be driving south along Road 13 toward Preikestolen, does it make sense to take Road 13 again toward Bergen, even though it adds a major detour to the trip? I’m happy to go the longer, more beautiful way if there are worthwhile stops along the route—but I’m not sure if that would be a bit of a silly decision considering the significant detour.

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
3906 posts

I) Possible yes - reasonable is more personally up to the traveler. In West fjords driving can be sometimes an intense activity, in the rest of Norway it is more or less relaxed. I did 3 trips of 2-4 weeks up to North Cape. Normally I recommend to use also Hurtigruten port-to-port with car on board but you are too late for this year. Likely all capacities booked out. In this case I recommend my own article about how to use Hurtigruten for car round-trip.

II) I recommend the inner country route with scenic routes Ryfylke (via 520) and partly Hardanger. Overnight can be in Odda, Utne or Norheimsund - depending on how early you want to reach Bergen. if you have enough time consider also Eidfjord.

Have a good journey.

Posted by
7569 posts

  1. In the end it's up to you how long you are willing to drive. But driving in Norway is often slow and distances can be long. And if you're looking up driving times on Google maps, keep in mind that they are on the optimistic side. It's hard to know if you're trying to squeeze in too many far-apart destinations if don't mention your planned itinerary.

  2. Both E39 and 13 are scenic options, which one is the best is very much a matter of personal preference. Where are you planning to spend the night? But if you've already driven the 13, maybe the E39 is a better choice?

Posted by
273 posts

I have a Norway trip coming up.. my first leg of the trip will be from Bergen Airport to Pulpit Rock..4-5 hours driving..
I was at Norway before, and the driving is so majestic... you'll never get tired of it..
I know there will be 4-5 hour driving days.. but that's ok.. just pack lunch and snacks, and the views are just amazing.
I am looking forward to it..
Pro Tip.. rent an EV.. electric is so much cheaper than gas.. and charging stations are everywhere in Norway..

Posted by
3906 posts

I would be careful regarding the pro tip in western fjord regions because this is driving that is not wanted / supported by the car batteries. So they can get empty faster than expected. On top you can have people at sights' parking who are not familiar with the sound of e-cars, so they just run into your car because they do not hear it as a vehicle.

Nothing against e-cars in general. Read a road trip report with an EV.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you all for your replies, and sorry for not replying sooner !

Mark - Thank you for recommending the Ryfylke route. However, getting to Odda, Utne, or Norheimsund would require quite a long drive. Google shows 4.5 hours, but that would likely be 5.5-6 hours in reality. Since I won't be starting until around 2 PM, I'm afraid it just won't be doable.

Badger - If I take Route 13, I'll stay overnight in Nesflaten since I couldn't find available accommodations elsewhere that are reasonably close to Pulpit Rock. If I choose the E39 route instead, I'll probably stay in Haugesund, as there weren't any available options in Aksdal. You're probably right that E39 would be the better choice for me.

Gene - Thank you. I agree that an EV would be cheaper than a gas car, but it would require very precise planning and strict adherence to that plan... something I can't guarantee on my first visit to Norway :)

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