Need help with driving route from Oslo to Bergen via Morgedal

With 11 days you will have a lot of days in tital, so enough time and fortunately Norway is very beautiful at many locations.

Keep Morgedal for the bucket list in the journey because also Telemark is a very beautiful state (fylke) and A134 is also very nice. Then parts of Hardanger scenic route. The drive from Odda along the Sørfjord is very scenic on both sides. Utne Hotel is a beautiful overnight possibility directly at the fjord. After the ferry to Kvanndal you can get to Flåm by car and then back to Bergen. It does not matter if you drive this beautiful part two times because you will not perceive it as the same route.

There are several options along the total route. Timing plays a role, so at which time of day you see things.

There is also a fully alternative route after Morgedal which is a little more adventurous. Also another one which uses more time around beautiful Lysefjord.

I have so many options in my head that I first want to wait for feedback, e. g. first thoughts on this and few more interests what you look for, e.g. hiking, waterfalls, or ...

Mardee, it looks like you're planning a great adventure with your daughter.

Can you be persuaded into kayaking somewhere other than Gudvangen ? There are several opportunities to kayak on the Hardangerfjord which you will already be driving along on your way to Gudvangen as Mark has shown you. Hardanger is known for its beautiful fjord, the Folgefonna glaciers, stunning waterfalls and the famous Trolltunga. You'll be driving through fruit orchards and small towns.

If you do decide on Gudvangen, try to squeeze in the spectacular Naeyorfjord cruise to Flåm. And try to find a time when the cruise ships aren't overtaking everything. You could overnight in Voss, Stalheim or Gudvangen depending on availability and budget.

I'm concerned about your fear of heights. Are you okay when you're a passenger? Any problems with tunnels? You should probably get some input from those who have driven in the Hardanger area so you'll know what to expect.

We did not drive in Norway, but did take several trips by bus, minivan and mini coach. While some of the roads we were on had switchbacks and were tight when meeting a bus, I did not feel that the road between Voss and Gudvangen was scary or too twisty.

Don't forget that your drive times will take longer than Google Maps shows. There is always a spectacular waterfall or a breathtaking vista or a beautiful fjord or an ice cream shop to stop at along

I had forgotten that the tunnels are really, really, really long. A couple of our passengers were claustrophobic. Just something to consider when planning.

Mark, that's good to know about keeping Morgedal, which I would anyway, but it's nice to know that it will be a nice drive. I know my daughter is very interested, especially in Telemark since she is a Nordic skier. But I'm a little confused about what you mean by "the ferry to Kvanndal." Will I need to take a ferry with the car? And I guess that's another question. You mention going to Flåm by car and then back to Bergen. I wasn't sure if I should be going to Flåm, is there a reason? I'm a little confused by each place, and I keep getting Voss and Flåm mixed up.

There is also a fully alternative route after Morgedal which is a little more adventurous. Also another one which uses more time around beautiful Lysefjord.

Those both sound interesting, although I am curious to know what your definition of "adventurous" is. 😂 Just keep in mind that I am really afraid of heights, so I'm really hoping to avoid driving switchback roads with steep drop offs on the mountains. I know my daughter can drive, and that makes it easier, but it's still kind of scary for me. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts, Mark. And I guess I'm not sure what we're looking for. My daughter really likes to hike. And I do too, although I'm not nearly as athletic as she is. I guess I'm open to anything. And I'm sure she would be too.

Can you be persuaded into kayaking somewhere other than Gudvangen ? There are several opportunities to kayak on the Hardangerfjord which you will already be driving along on your way to Gudvangen as Mark has shown you. Hardanger is known for its beautiful fjord, the Folgefonna glaciers, stunning waterfalls and the famous Trolltunga. You'll be driving through fruit orchards and small towns.

Jean, sure, we could kayak someplace else. I just chose that one because that's the one my son-in-law and grandson did last year, and they enjoyed it. He actually may have tried the Hardanger one first. In fact, now that I think about it, Mark was the one who told him about it, and he got very excited, but the Hardanger kayak tour was sold out by the time he was ready to book it. And I'm okay with switchbacks if I'm not driving. I just keep my head down and don't look. I did just go over the the Transfagarison Road in Romania, which was lots of switchbacks with very steep drop-offs on a 7,000-foot mountain covered in snow. So I guess if I can deal with that, I can deal with just about anything. 😊

And I sort of figured that about the timing of drives. I always allow extra time, especially when it's an area that I don't know and it's not a four-lane highway, lol!

Jean and dpoweron, I have absolutely no problem with tunnels. I am not claustrophobic at all.

Mardee, there are many times when self driving (or even taking a bus) requires using the ferry in Norway.

For example, if you look at the most direct route from Morgedal to Bergen in Google Maps you'll see a ferry is required to cross the Hardangerfjord from Jindal to Tørvikbygd.

Here's my unofficial explanation of Gudvangen, Flåm and Voss.

The famous Norway in a Nutshell 2 hour fjord cruise goes between Gudvangen (at the end of the spectacular Naeyorfjord) and Flåm (at the end of the Aurlandsfjord). You can take the trip roundtrip or you can go one way and return by a 20 minute shuttle bus. Or, if staying in Voss, it's possible to do a combination of bus-ferry-Flåmsbana-train.

Gudvangen is a tiny village in a beautiful setting with a couple hotels , a campground, some cabins, a gas station and the Viking Village.

Flåm is a larger village with more tourists facilities including several hotels, restaurants, shops, a campground/hostel and the Flåm railway station. The downside to Flåm is that the hotels and restaurants are relatively expensive and Flåm is where the cruise ships dock, so the village can be crowded during the day, especially in summer.

Voss is a larger town on the railway line between Bergen and Oslo. It's about an hour and a half drive time to Bergen, about a 45 minute drive to Gudvangen. Voss is known for extreme sports and offers paragliding, whitewater rafting, skydiving and more plus winter sports. Voss offers more hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Voss is also where Norway in a Nutshell travelers transfer between the train to/from Bergen and the bus to Gudvangen.

Strictly my opinion, but the only reason I would go to Flåm is if I were going to take the Gudvangen to Flåm cruise. We were there in May 2023 and Flåm was crowded during the day with 2 cruise ships in port. The evening was quiet, but we also had an overpriced and underwhelming dinner. With a car you should have better choices for lodging.

Jean, thanks so much for all this. I will mull it over and hopefully it will start to sink in. I am a little concerned about Flam, given that we will be there in July. I can only imagine that it will be overrun with cruise ships, and I'd rather not have to deal with that.

Mardee, there are several sites that have port schedules that will help you with your planning.

Port schedule Flåm

Port schedule Ålesund

I was able to coordinate our day tour to Trollstigen on a day when there were no cruise ships in Ålesund. It was perfect. Instead of a huge bus, we toured as a group of 4 plus our driver/guide in a minivan.

Ignore the ships from Hurtigruten and Havila in the port schedule. Those are the daily coastal ferries and shouldn't impact your trip.

We stayed at the quant Jaunsen Gjestgjevarstad in Granvin which is close to the amazing Skjervsfossen Waterfall. I regret we didn't go to Vøringsfossen, too. It's on the list for next time.

I didn't like Flam, but I did like Aurland.

The roads aren't that scary - really. Ferries are easy and fun (except I get motion sickness so I have to medicate). Most of them have food and our Norwegian relatives told us the popular ferry treat is sveler (they are like a thick pancake).

Mardee, there are several sites that have port schedules that will help you with your planning.

Jean, thanks for the port information. I will hang onto those links. Just curious—how close to the time do they update the cruise schedules? Meaning when should I start checking to see if there will be cruise ships on our dates? ETA: Well, I just checked Flam and it looks like there will be a cruise ship there on both the 22nd and 23rd (the 2 days we could conceivably be there) with anywhere from 4400 to 6400 passengers. That makes me think we will skip it.

That said, I also checked Alesund, and there are cruise ships every day we are there (July 26, 27 and 28). Several are the Hurtigruten ferries but most are big liners with 3000-7000 people on board. Right now Sunday looks like it would have the least amount of people.

I am also thinking we will hold off on the kayak trip until we get to Alesund. It just seems to make more sense. There's a really nice-looking 5-hour kayak tour in Geirangerfjord that goes to the Seven Sisters falls, and it looks beautiful there. We'll have three nights there, so there's much more time to go kayaking than trying to squeeze it in with only two nights on the road.

mnannie, I was checking out Vøringsfossen earlier today and it looks pretty wonderful. What is in Aurland? It looks like it's an hour a little NE of Voss. I'm thinking I might skip Flam. It just sounds like we'll have plenty to see and do without going there. And I'd like to make it a somewhat relaxing drive where we have time to stop at places along the way and so on. But is Aurland worth making a drive through Flam that is somewhat out of our way?

And that is SO good to know about the roads. I'm generally okay if they're not too much of a drop-off. It's the really sheer drop-offs that scare me, especially when there are flimsy guard rails. But I can't imagine that happening in Norway. Even the Romanian guard rails were pretty secure looking.

Thanks so much to both of you! This makes a lot of sense and I feel like I'm starting to figure things out in my head better.

I just mentioned Aurland if you wanted to stay around Flam. That was where we stayed in a cabin with the deck right on the fjord. Stegastein viewing platform is near there, but it was packed with people even when we were there in mid-September. Borgund stave church is also in that area, but you will pass right by Heddal stave church on your way to Morgedal.

I think kayaking at Geiranger is a good plan. I was going to suggest it, but I wasn't sure if you were going there.

Mardee, Mannie mentions the Stegastein Viewpoint. On a clear day the views are just amazing. But, I'm not sure how well you would fare with your fear of heights. I suppose you could stay by the car (or minibus if you want someone else to do the driving) and your daughter could walk out on the platform for views and pictures.

Regarding ships in Flåm- if you're only doing the scenic ferry cruise from Gudvangen to Flåm and then the bus back to Gudvangen, you probably won't be hanging around Flåm long enough for the cruise folks to be a problem except when your in line for an ice cream. And there will be absolutely no cruise ships on the Naeroyfjord portion of the Gudvangen-Flåm cruise.

I would imagine that most cruise lines already have their port schedules set for next summer. Of course, life is subject to change. Regarding cruise ships in Ålesund, since it is larger than Flåm it can absorb more daily tourists. However, that also means you should book any activities in advance. And if you think you'll want to rent a car, book that well in advance also.

Mardee, have you looked at my FB pictures from Norway? I have LOTS (all with descriptions) posted around September-October 2023.

Jean, I have seen that viewpoint, and I probably couldn't go all the way out there. I might be able to go part way out or even stand at the back and look out, but my daughter certainly could. So I'm not too worried about that. Most of the viewpoints I've seen are scary, but I could just do what I feel comfortable with. And that's very good information to know about the cruise ships. Thanks!

mnannie, if I have, I don't remember. So I'm heading there now to look at them. Thanks for the reminder!

Mardee, there is a public restroom in the parking area at Stegastein Viewpoint with windows that will give you a panoramic view!

Ha ha!!! I love it!! And may very well take advantage of it! Although I'm actually pretty good at getting close. I just can't go out on anything that hangs over the edge. But I'm sure I'll be able to get a good view. But I will definitely try the restroom. That would be a story to tell, lol!

Mardee--Just to muddy the waters, my daughter and I really enjoyed Stavanger. We did a kayak trip from there to Lysefjord and had a great time! In case you are interested in flowers at all, https://florogfjare.no/en/ was excellent! As for the cruise ships in Flam, the first time we went back in 2015 there were no cruise ships and it was so peaceful. When we went August 2024 though, it was check full and the two ships were so big that you could not see the fjord. So many people there too. Personally, I would absolutely avoid it if there was a cruise ship there at all.

Mikliz97, the muddier, the better, lol! I did have to look up Stavanger to see where it was. I keep hearing about it, and it looks wonderful, but it's quite a drive south, and I just don't think I will have the time. It would mean skipping some other places. And I would need to talk to my daughter about this.

But who knows? She might be interested. So I'll add it to the muddy water. 😂 We're supposed to talk this evening and go over this itinerary so that we're on the same page.

And yeah, that's what I'm thinking about Flåm. I've decided to just leave it off entirely. There's no need to go there really.