Europe By Camper - Travelling Europe By Motorhome: Norway

Nordkapp & Knivskjelodden

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us at the most Northern Point in Europe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Midnight Sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Book </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Midnight Sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The next morning - phew!</td></tr>
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So if you read our older post made from the most northern point in mainland europe you'll know that we made it on the 600 mile drive from the Lofotens .<br />
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We saved a staggering £80 by being under 6m for the 6km under-sea tunnel (return) a fact that was debated by the toll booth operator until we whipped out the specifications which state our length as 5998cm. "Any bikes?" trying to catch us out on an overhand. None. An additional fee for the passenger also brought our total to £44 return. The tunnel is supposed to be self funded by 2012 but I expect a toll of some sort to remain given the number of 6m+ motorhomes that seem willing to pay it.<br />
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The 'Nordkapp' Tourist Trap is situated at the end of the road as you would expect and is guarded by Securatis. I don't use this phrase lightly since we had only turned round and stopped for seconds when the 'guard' rushed to move us on. £52 for two people to enter! No thanks.<br />
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All of the laybys enroute have been removed - it was once possible to park and walk to the far right of the toll booths and sneak in but I wouldn't fancy my chances today. Besides, what's there? <br />
Knivskjelodden carpark is deliberately small - you might squeeze 10 vans in, maybe more. There were easily 50 motorhomes at Nordkapp. Not us, we were the outsiders.<br />
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The young Italian couple next to us told us they did the walk yesterday in brilliant sunshine. 3hrs there, 4 back. We had tea and set off at 6.30pm and arrived just after 9. The terrain was mixed rocky, boggy and diversions to avoid snow and rivers but the trail was very well marked.<br />
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We took a bottle of Champagne which was rolling around in our van, it made a nice touch and as we sat looking over at the 'fake' most northern point as the Sun came out as if it was midday. <br />
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We were the 49th person to sign the 2011 book so seems as with everything else we're quite early in the season. We arrived back at half past midnight - enjoying the midnight sun en-route.<br />
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When we awoke the next morning it was so foggy you couldn't see your hand in front of your face and we descended at 30mph back to the toll, so glad that we had done the walk that evening. <br />
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Was it worth it? I think so. While there isn't much en-route (avoid Tromso, not worth the de-tour) the scenery was stunning and the rock carvings at Alta break up the journey somewhat.    But avoid the tourist trap, visit the 'real' North Cape instead. 
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Just to prove we did it - scroll down to see our GPS tracks from the walk!<br />
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Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device<br />
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Overnight Location GPS: (71.12189, 25.70750) - Knivskjelodden Carpark<br />
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Nordkapp & Knivskjelodden

Us at the most Northern Point in Europe The Midnight Sun The Book The Midnight Sun The next morning - phew! ...

The Road to the North Cape (Alta)

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The road to the north cape gave rise to stunning views and it was almost worth the 600 mile trek from the Lofoten Islands for the scenery alone. 
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One place we had seen in nearly every tourist information office since Oslo was Alta - a collection of rock carvings dated some time in the BC. It costs £10 to get in but arrive after the visitor centre closes  and you can wander around for free the helpful girl on the ticket desk told me. 
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I can't say we were that impressed in all honesty - it's not worth the entrance fee but worth a look if you are passing after 5.
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Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device<br />
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Overnight Location GPS: (69.98171, 23.45260) - Carpark
  next to recreation area overlooking the sea - other campers present. </div>

The Road to the North Cape (Alta)

The road to the north cape gave rise to stunning views and it was almost worth the 600 mile trek from the Lofoten Islands for t...

The Most Northern Bloggers in Europe

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We've made it - to the most northern part of mainland Europe and with full mobile reception! I'm not sure why we brought Champagne but it's been rattling around in our van for two months so why not.
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It'll be midnight by the time we get back to the van but it'll still be light here. Sat looking over at Nordkapp at the people who paid £56 to get in and it's not even the most northern point - we got chased off just for turning round at the toll booths! 
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Is it worth it? In our view yes, there is a sense of achievement and the E6 from the Lofotens is a spectacular scenic route.
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We will update our pictures with some better ones when we next have wifi - the sun has just come out and the view is stunning.
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Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

The Most Northern Bloggers in Europe

We've made it - to the most northern part of mainland Europe and with full mobile reception! I'm not sure why we brought Champag...

The Lofotens

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Å - Shortest Place Name in Norway (surprisingly...)</td></tr>
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After several days of rain we've been treated to blue sky for our exploration of the Lofoten Islands which made the exceptional scenery of blue waters and coloured houses on a rugged backdrop even more spectacular. One thing spoilt things for us though. Fish. Specifically the smell of fish. Not just any old fish, but racks and racks of Cod hanging out to dry since some time in February. It's hard to describe the smell; imagine being in a poorly refrigerated a fishmongers on a warm summers day and run some smoked cod (preferably undyed) around your nostrils and you'll be about halfway there. So strong was the smell even the Seagulls were leaving it well alone. Apparently the fish is just about ready to be packaged and sold so we've visited it at it's most 'mature'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3ovd8cmPHmeKQnX-ykDdGbVc9MquukYYgGCQ8Fq96bl1pUlgDRt-j8KuI5OEMC3jFHif19hX3TA39CEBKGmxIw7JiUaQ_9z0nNNntw2NyFytATn1PhC9Mx4XAxNpcONS3nxXHjAhZLs/s1600/Henningsvaer+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3ovd8cmPHmeKQnX-ykDdGbVc9MquukYYgGCQ8Fq96bl1pUlgDRt-j8KuI5OEMC3jFHif19hX3TA39CEBKGmxIw7JiUaQ_9z0nNNntw2NyFytATn1PhC9Mx4XAxNpcONS3nxXHjAhZLs/s400/Henningsvaer+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dried Fish - A lot of it.</td></tr>
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The Lofoten's were a real treat though, we've driven hundreds of miles north in torrential rain and it was great to see the tops of mountains again. You could easily spend a week just exploring the Lofoten's on foot (minus the fish) and that's what many people do - but we're tight on time having spent approaching 4 weeks in Norway we're eager to push on and get some sun. But we've got to get to Nordkapp first! We're in Tromso tonight having put in over 400 miles today - but it doesn't feel like it. As we write this at 23:50 it could easily pass for 6pm which makes winding down on an evening a bit difficult. Thank goodness for black out blinds!</div>
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<b>Overnight Locations:</b></div>
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Henningsvaer GPS: (68.15661, 14.20794) - Large
  free carpark on the island - no restrictions on overnight.</div>
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Tromso GPS: (69.65441, 18.96598) - Small carpark
  - no overnight restrictions.</div>
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The Lofotens

Å - Shortest Place Name in Norway (surprisingly...) After several days of rain we've been treated to blue sky for our exploration ...

Trondheim to Troghatten

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We ticked over 5,000 miles on our drive north today. Trondheim was a strange place with not a lot going on except for a large cruise ship and a deserted fish market at eye watering prices. We were surprised to find allocated free motorhome parking right in the center so took advantage of the break in the weather (22c yesterday) to relax and recharge before heading further north.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBrLlZ9oEbE0vtQD0n5mp4UEMWvkEr2UQXO91n4dZVo-bhg_YGfe1_JZvcndLXcIacpCZFbPTcq8uflWeVDBmuT9j_R0zLyW1nmO4BsRbz5uEeyBCCu4tTAFLGaMLL1yFBw7Z38qpbnw/s1600/Nordkap+Parking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBrLlZ9oEbE0vtQD0n5mp4UEMWvkEr2UQXO91n4dZVo-bhg_YGfe1_JZvcndLXcIacpCZFbPTcq8uflWeVDBmuT9j_R0zLyW1nmO4BsRbz5uEeyBCCu4tTAFLGaMLL1yFBw7Z38qpbnw/s200/Nordkap+Parking.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
We've decided that we are going to visit Nordkapp, we've come this far and while we'll certainly be back to Norway one day we don't know if we will come this far north again so we don't want to have any regrets. The journey will be roughly 800 miles but there seems a good few things to do en-route. However we're not going to do the Nordkapp tourist trap centre @ 200NOK per person (£45) we are going to park at Knivskjellodden Carpark for free and walk the 20km return walk to Knivskjellodden - the REAL most northern part of Europe. We'll still have to pay the tunnel @ 145 NOK each way + 47 NOK per passenger. I think Sophie might be hiding in the toilet for that!<br />
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The traffic today on the Atlantic Highway was mainly motorhomes, one UK registered van nearly drove into us with frantic waving and flashing - the first one we've seen in a long while. It has rained pretty much all today so when we arrived here at Troghatten and there was a break in the weather we decided we better go and see it for fear that it would rain all day tomorrow.<br />
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'It' was described to us as a "hole in the rock" - we thought it was a dodgy German - English translation but that is in fact exactly what it is. Formed during the ice age when the ice and water eroded loser rock (or by some troll throwing something through the mountain, if you subscribe to that sort of thing). The photographs are blurred thanks in part to the rain and mist which was blowing straight through soaking our trousers and coats - but you get the general feel of it. We spent most of our time trying not to fall over!<br />
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<b>Overnight Locations:</b><br />
<br />
Trondheim GPS: (63.42625, 10.38245) - Designated
  FREE motorhome parking minutes walk from the centre of Trondheim.<br />
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Troghatten GPS: (65.39473, 12.09809) - Car
  parking for Tronhattern, no parking restrictions on overnight.</div>

Trondheim to Troghatten

We ticked over 5,000 miles on our drive north today. Trondheim was a strange place with not a lot going on except for a large cruise shi...

Norway in a Motorhome - On a Budget

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I've had a lot of people ask us about Norway and if it is as expensive as everyone says it is, the answer is on the face of it yes it can be but it is possible to do Norway on a budget.<br />
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You will probably fall into one of two categories:<br />
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<b>1.)</b> You are on holiday; you're not going to let the expenses of things get in the way of enjoying this beautiful country. In which case stop reading now!<br />
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<b>2.)</b> You're a tight wad (probably from Yorkshire like us...) and count your pennies. Paying double or even triple the amount you're used to for a liter of milk is really going to annoy you and you want to save money where you can.<br />
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There are two variables which will make a big impact on your cost of touring Norway:<br />
<ul>
<li>If your van is over 6.01m in length</li>
<li>If your van weighs in exess 3.5t</li>
</ul>
Only interesting point for both ferries and roads - trailers and caravans incur no extra cost!<br />
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<b><u>Road Tolls</u></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><b>The toll for vehicles in excess of 3.5ton is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2 or 3x</span> that of under 3.5ton</b></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqPYl8Byka5_BPPIVNFiAsH-E45E5e4R2txRnmKyYYj2IrzPBcpwmQ4I8Vv-R0RxdZq5h07BzABdokF1JDNmftChAVoWucsqQ_XXH1rmqpbLd4BGWcdyYIltfQ1OZGCYR1WEo7afDg58/s1600/autopass.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqPYl8Byka5_BPPIVNFiAsH-E45E5e4R2txRnmKyYYj2IrzPBcpwmQ4I8Vv-R0RxdZq5h07BzABdokF1JDNmftChAVoWucsqQ_XXH1rmqpbLd4BGWcdyYIltfQ1OZGCYR1WEo7afDg58/s320/autopass.png" width="140" /></a></div>
Toll roads exist in Norway either to fund the building of the particular link or to reduce congestion in cities. Contrary to popular belief you don't have to register your credit card in order to pass through the many ANPR (Auto Number Plate Recognition) tolls in Norway. The wording on most of the tourist information is ambiguous since they would of course <i>much rather</i> you signed up to their system rather then them having to send you an invoice in the post.<br />
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The website is worded differently to the leaflets - the item in bold is omitted<br />
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<i>If you dont have AutoPASS or a Visitors Payment contract an invoice will be sent by mail to the owner of the car, <b>at no extra charge</b>. This also applies for foreign vehicles. This invoice is sent from Euro Parking Collection (EPC) plc in London, United Kingdom. It can take up to six months before this invoice is sent. </i><br />
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There is also some ambiguity around any 'discount' which may or may not arise from an AutoPass agreement. From my conversations the discount only applies if you have an AutoPass OBU (On Board Unit) and not using the number plate recognition system as per the tourist agreement. The tag has a deposit of NOK 200 which is returned when you leave or you can post back the tag to the operator. This discount applied for using a tag is 13% - you'll have to decide yourself if it is worth it.<br />
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The only thing you <b>must not do</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>is drive through an AutoPass lane when there is a manual payment both also available - this is typically only at the end of tunnels. Where there is a manual payment option and you do not have a tag or have not signed up for an agreement you must pay using the manual toll booths.<br />
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There are two types of tolls in Norway, 'Toll Ring' which is a bit like London's congestion charge which are present for Oslo, Bergen and Trondhiem. These are cheaper at certain times of the day (typically after 5pm) so look out for these. There are also many toll roads which can be avoided simply by taking a short de-tour down the original road that was there prior to the upgrade being built but a great many of them are simply unavoidable.<br />
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There is always a chance, as I have heard from a few on the motorhome forums, that the bill never does arrive, I'll update this post when we receive ours or when 6 months has elapsed.<br />
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<b>Update:</b> It's almost six months since we visited Norway and we have received a bill for £7 which amounted to the ring toll for Oslo only.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc30RtXmA4L7i9phcBCNpA-flRFMGJStMwICR-Q1gf0fZJcdyBPWAcEFNDHPhs-wlETSXP_INllByz4wcN7Sskk9A9Lag-BJ13tlDezWKxzhzuhUFqVmFyas-9i98umKNB-T5YYCUT8g/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc30RtXmA4L7i9phcBCNpA-flRFMGJStMwICR-Q1gf0fZJcdyBPWAcEFNDHPhs-wlETSXP_INllByz4wcN7Sskk9A9Lag-BJ13tlDezWKxzhzuhUFqVmFyas-9i98umKNB-T5YYCUT8g/s1600/image.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B4t_jdH1m_b-M2NkNjI1ZGUtZjZhYS00NzI0LTg2ZDctNDRiOTViYjgyNzFk&hl=en_US&authkey=CLTyz1s">To see the Toll Roads & Charges for 2011, Click Here</a><br />
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<b><u>The Kirsund / Atlantic Highway Rip Off</u></b><br />
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If you are over 6m this could save you £77. The Atlantic Road is talked about in all sorts of tourist information, we personally didn't rate it that highly but that is just our opinion. The Atlantic Road is a "Tourist Veg" or Tourist Road and thus carries no toll along it's length. However at it's end point there is the 'Atlantic Road Tunnel' which despite featuring in the tourist information is a tunnel like any other. There is a toll required to drive through it  in order to reach Kristiansund & Nordmore and if that wasn't bad enough not only is there nothing at Kristansund worth seeing but there is a further toll to leave the island via Tunnel or Ferry!<br />
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Unless you have a particular disposition to drive through a 6km under-sea tunnel then I would turn back and avoid the toll completely. If you do want to carry on (and trust me, there is nothing really worth the cost at Kristansund) then the costs are as follows:<br />
<br />
<b>Atlanterhavstunnelen (End of the Atlantic Road</b>)<br />
Manual Toll (No Autopass Lanes)<br />
Upto 6m - 87NOK (£10)<br />
Over 6m - 400NOK (£45)<br />
Passengers - 35NOK (£4)<br />
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<b>Kerufast (Kristiansund to Mainland)</b><br />
Manual Toll (No Autopass Lanes)<br />
Upto 6m - 75NOK (£8.50)<br />
Over 6m - 255NOK (£29)<br />
Passengers - 26NOK (£3)<br />
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When we visited (1st June 2011) there were no automatic measuring devices and I got the impression from the friendly guy in the toll both there they weren't too strict with camper vans.<br />
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<b><u>Ferries</u></b><br />
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<b>The charge for vehicles over 6.01m is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2.5 - 3x</span> that of under 6m</b><br />
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Ferries are a way of life in Norway; you roll up roll on and roll off often in a matter of minutes and they are absolutely essential for exploring the Fjords. So short are the journeys that save for a handful of routes there is little point getting out of your van, but don't make a cuppa because you have to turn your gas off.<br />
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The cost of ferries increase dramatically once you exceed 6.01m but its worth noting that there are no automatic measuring systems on any of the boats or ports we passed through.<br />
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Depending on the operator your tolls is taken when you are in the queue or when you have boarded. All ferries have a seated area although on the shorter routes this is only really intended for any foot passengers, while on longer routes such as Stavanger and Molde there are full catering facilities and free Wifi available.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErqG71gEy1rvtgL22ZmeQfDm3PKLn4M3sPrEBbyRDGuM0uZ6Nc0PQqD5LrZODUwbNs81BJxoQiAslGll2ndC4MmoLhdi32w_8syQdKc1731MLRA0gkiff1itHhfog52349RRQJN2FFLs/s1600/IMG_6203+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErqG71gEy1rvtgL22ZmeQfDm3PKLn4M3sPrEBbyRDGuM0uZ6Nc0PQqD5LrZODUwbNs81BJxoQiAslGll2ndC4MmoLhdi32w_8syQdKc1731MLRA0gkiff1itHhfog52349RRQJN2FFLs/s200/IMG_6203+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a>The fare for the vehicle includes the driver and any additional passenger are paid for. While there are several operators such as Fjord1 and Tide the prices are similar and are zoned depending on the length of the journey. If you look closely at the map you can often find a route which can include a shorter ferry journey just around the next cove. We have been pretty careful with our route and we've been on 7 ferries.<br />
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As you can see from the table above on a longer route the difference for a 5.9m van and a 6.1m van can be as much as £236! I would say that if you are marginally over 6m then I would try for under 6m and get out of your vehicle and pay your toll from the passenger area. There is a fine of £45 if you fail to accurately represent your vehicle, but we've met many people who have been doing so for years. The choice is yours!<br />
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<b><u>Food Costs</u></b><br />
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Norway is expensive for food and I agree with the sentiments of fellow traveler Lesley that the food here has unfortunately been monopolized by the supermarkets which seem to crowd every town where the independent produces that are so common in Denmark and southern Sweden seem to disappear. Once you travel through Norway, especially the Fjords, you begin to appreciate the length and cost delivery vehicles must incur getting to these places and why the food is so expensive and produce often not fresh.<br />
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The cheaper Supermarkets we found were Rema 1000 (the large ones make a small crusty bread loaf in store for 75p) and Kiwi Mini Pris. Without wanting to put you off - milk can be as much as £2 per liter, sliced bread in the absence of fresh up to £4, chicken about £16 per KG etc. There are exceptions to this though and prices vary between supermarkets and regions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglk5r9gdsCPgYcH37uCuw2l5xtNs4rSOWbRYW6UhmjaOL4sYqsZJlNEPqGAjg2anFOSoQ5mwqwfchiBnMJkvumXjVHMOBl6lqDKSB2ModFEKYtxUUPTKkKqFgCO9W8jXRKai22eIJ1YPc/s1600/kiwiminipris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglk5r9gdsCPgYcH37uCuw2l5xtNs4rSOWbRYW6UhmjaOL4sYqsZJlNEPqGAjg2anFOSoQ5mwqwfchiBnMJkvumXjVHMOBl6lqDKSB2ModFEKYtxUUPTKkKqFgCO9W8jXRKai22eIJ1YPc/s200/kiwiminipris.jpg" width="200" /></a>Everyone we spoke to from any nationality had brought plenty of food from their home countries in the form of tinned and frozen meats, stews, pasta, long life part baked bread. I would spend some time and plan your meals, write a shopping list and then stop off in Germany and do a big shop before entering Denmark if that is the route you are taking. There are strict <a href="http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Articles/Corporate-articles/Before-you-go/Alcohol/">restrictions (click)</a> on Alcohol importing although most people we spoke to had ignored this and had boxes of wine stashed everywhere - the fines if you are caught are high and you could be stopped at any time.<br />
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It's not all bad though! Fishcakes (Fiskekaker) are about £3 for 10, Frankfurther style sausages are about £4 for 16. If you like Ryvita you're in luck and if you had any sense you'd have stocked up on meatballs from Sweden if you entered that way - 1KG for £2!<br />
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Take as much food as you can with you - pack as if you was going to the moon!<br />
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<b><u>Fuel</u></b><br />
It is essential that you arrive in Norway with a full tank of fuel since it is significantly more expensive than its neighboring countries and prices fluctuate daily and as wildly as Denmark or Sweden. Get a handle on what is a good price and practice filling up when you see that price rather then when you are empty / nearly empty. This could save you up to 15p/litre - currently fuel is between £1.37 and £1.52 a liter - with the higher figure being the most frequent one. LPG however is frequently available at 79p/liter.<br />
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<b>Fuel is cheapest on a Sunday evening (9pm+). </b>We were told this by a couple of people and didn't really believe it - but on a Sunday evening in a large town where there are multiple petrol stations the price drops and we've seen queue's forming just today. The price had dropped to 12.23kr from 13.40kr.<br />
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With the majority of roads being classified as 45 or 50MPH, there is no reason for not getting great MPG, oh - except for those bloody hills! We tended to coast down the other side (out of gear when it was safe to do so) to try and even things out a little. We're getting about 30MPG at the moment which we feel is very respectable in light of the terrain.<br />
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<b><u>Avoid Campsites</u></b><br />
In order to use the majority of campsites in Norway you must first purchase a Scandinavian Camping Card <a href="http://www.camping.no/bestill_ccs_eng.html">(link)</a> for 120 NOK (about £14) - the Camping Card International is a different scheme and is not accepted in its place. The over night fees are in the region of £20 per night with very limited ACSI discounted sites.<br />
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Since 'Tømmestasjon' or 'Dump Stations' are frequent and very well sign posted there should be no need to visit a site in order to empty your waste or refill with water. Water is frequently available from fuel stations either in a heated cabin labelled 'Luft Vann' (Air / Water) or from a tap near the jet wash garages. We asked permission a few times but gave up when we told on many occasions thats what it's there for. We saw lots of Norwegian registered vans doing exactly the same.<br />
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Wild Camping is not only totally legal but actively encouraged with large laybys set back from the road, allocated parking places in most towns and while some do charge, alternatives can be found a short distance away - look for the local registered vans, they <b>NEVER </b>pay to overnight!<br />
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<u><b>Make a Decision about Nordkapp</b></u><br />
The costs associated with Nordkapp quickly mount up, even if you get as far north as the Lofotens then it is still a 600 mile journey to get there.<br />
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So lets tally up;<br />
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1200 mile round trip, £1.50/litre @ 30MPG so £276 in fuel.<br />
Your van is over 6m, so the tunnel is £57 each way with one passenger, so £114 return.<br />
You stay at the Nordkapp Tourist Trap - 2 people £55 for 48hrs.<br />
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<b>Total Cost: £445</b><br />
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Alternatively, go to the 'real' Nordkapp, take a 6m van and knock <b>£125</b> off the above.<br />
<a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/06/nordkapp-knivskjelodden.html">See Our Post on Nordkapp Here</a><br />
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<b>**UPDATE JULY 2012**</b> The Nordkapp tunnel funds have now reached £120m and therefore the tunnel is now free! However costs to enter Nordkapp remain the same.<br />
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Norway in a Motorhome - On a Budget

I've had a lot of people ask us about Norway and if it is as expensive as everyone says it is, the answer is on the face of it yes it c...

Alesund & The Atlantic Road

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn_5VDRBpSTVXbIoiTwLgZZY34O0kBkD-lsqYTInhAfFVhTe0NcpL8iL6Yr_ML_BVPtnSWOWAElUG6Fzi_hR1GAO3ZAu-Nwaw_8AOXo_A4VnYKtoMvANhTXBcXZDIBFWZy1BHi7PnZqY/s1600/AtlanticRoad2-708851.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="133" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612598876932608978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn_5VDRBpSTVXbIoiTwLgZZY34O0kBkD-lsqYTInhAfFVhTe0NcpL8iL6Yr_ML_BVPtnSWOWAElUG6Fzi_hR1GAO3ZAu-Nwaw_8AOXo_A4VnYKtoMvANhTXBcXZDIBFWZy1BHi7PnZqY/s200/AtlanticRoad2-708851.jpg" width="200" /></a>The weather has been a bit strange to us for the last few days, it seems to rain all night and then give us sunny intervals during the day. We arrived at Alesund after having travelled from Geiranger and parked up at the Sea Life Centre just on the outskirts of town. We managed to pick up a Wifi hotspot 2 miles away across the water from the opposite shore which while slow allowed us to get some more info on the town and plan out the days ahead.<br />
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There isn't a great deal in Alesund, but we ascended the 418 steps to the mound that is in the middle of the town and took the long route around the city covering about 5 miles with a few de-tours. We wandered around the town centre but didn't really find much and the thick guide book "in and around Alesund" concentrated more on the 'around'!</div>
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Today we woke up to blue sky and bright sunshine and it has stayed like that all day, we rushed round Rema 1000 to get a few bits and pieces food wise and found some in-store baked bread for 75p - the cheapest we've seen in all Scandinavia. I've not tasted crusty bread for weeks and looking forward to some toast in the morning! There was also a ferry crossing which took 40 minutes and was like a mini 'Spirit of Britian' inside - usually we just sit in the van but we got out for a wander. Free Wifi too! </div>
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The Atlantic road was actually a little bit of an anti-climax, I mean it was nice and everything but it looks better looking back (from the Sea as per the brochures!) at it then actually travelling along it. The end of which there is a 6km under sea tunnel which is unavoidable, had I known they charged an additional £4 for passengers I'd have got Sophie to hide in the toilet! However, when I checked the charges I was just glad they classified us under 6 metres - £9.50 rather than £45 for 6.01m!, that said there are no measuring devices at this toll so you could probably get away with it in a larger van. </div>
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Tonight we are parked in Kristiansund en route to Trondheim and still debating on if we travel on up to Nordkapp or not. We nursed 530 miles out of the tank but despite filling up at the cheapest filling station we'd seen all day the bill still came to £116 @ £1.49/litre. Roll on Estonia - currently £1.05!<br />
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Alesund Overnight Location GPS: (62.46582, 6.10039) - Large
  carpark for the Aquarium Centre - Wifi possible with long range antenna
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Alesund & The Atlantic Road

The weather has been a bit strange to us for the last few days, it seems to rain all night and then give us sunny intervals d...

Trollstigen

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We try and only post a blog when we have something to share and it just so happens that there is plenty to share on the Norwegian leg of this trip!The journey from Geiranger where we spent the night last night to Alesund was excellent and Norway continues to deliver for its roads and the many vantage points built along the way. From the images in the guide these spots get very busy in peak season but we're lucky in as far as the main destination Trollstigen has been open just two weeks so far this year. A new visitor centre at the top of the pass is under construction and while the signs said open June 2011 by the state of works it looks set to overrun.<br />
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Officially the viewpoints were also out of bounds but since everyone else was hopping over the barriers so did we - we weren't going to come this far without seeing the view!  </div>
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We also recorded a short onboard video of the journey down the pass - no Colin Macrae Rally I'm afraid, the hairpins are full lock each way and we had a full toilet cassette which could make for a very messy ending!<br />
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Tonight we're Wild Parked in Alesund ready to explore the town tomorrow and do some walking. Fingers crossed for the weather!<br />
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Trollstigen

We try and only post a blog when we have something to share and it just so happens that there is plenty to share on the Norwegi...

Geiranger & Route 63

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The Norwegian's know a thing or two about keeping roads clear! The Route 63 'tourist route' pass was dry as a bone despite 3-4 meter drifts at the side of the road. Our only slight disappointment so far on this trip is that Dalsnibba Pass was closed which is supposed to be a good view, however it costs 100NOK so we'll bank the difference and spend it somewhere else (probably the Norwegian Road Toll invoice when that comes through the post!).<br />
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The view over Geiranger has to be one of the best views so far, a shame we're going to have to mingle with some of the passengers on those cruise ships. 70 year old women with 'wrap around' sun glasses and the like, mutton dressed as lamb doesn't even come close to what we saw today!</div>
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Just for you Gordon, Sophie balanced precariously on another ledge!<br />
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Overnight Location GPS: (62.10361, 7.20285) - Parking
  overlooking ferry - no restrictions on overnight but only really suitable for
  upto 6m. Waste faclities at bus station on main road - Free.</div>
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Geiranger & Route 63

The Norwegian's know a thing or two about keeping roads clear! The Route 63 'tourist route' pass was dry as a bone ...

Breheimsenteret Blue Glacier - Jostedal

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Now we are reaching the midpoint in Norway, the scenery has become even more breathtaking. We willingly payed the 30NOK honesty box toll to get to the car park at the bottom of the  Breheimsenteret Glacier at Jostedal. While it was just a stones throw away from the car park, to access the Glacier required clambering over a good few rocks and I don't mind admitting I was on my arse a few times! As we approached the colours changed from a muddy white to a deep blue colour as you can see from the pictures.</div>
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Why is the ice blue? Wikipedia states "Ice is blue for the same reason water is blue: it is a result of an overtone of an oxygen-hydrogen (O-H) bond stretch in water which absorbs light at the red end of the visible spectrum.".<br />
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We approached Route 55 from Luster to Lom which is one of the main tourist routes. We found that evening when we were talking to a lovely German couple that the route had only just been opened that afternoon at 2pm having been closed for the winter season. Seems we are pretty early for Norway, but as the German couple we spoke to were on their 15th trip to Norway told us now is the best time as it gets very busy in summer and the mosquito's away from the coastal regions are vicious.<br />
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No more english campers today, but plenty of UK registered classic cars on a rally. Looking at the prices, the cost of the "run" for one person is a grand more then we've spent in 51 days away! (more info here):<br />

Breheimsenteret Blue Glacier - Jostedal

Now we are reaching the midpoint in Norway, the scenery has become even more breathtaking. We willingly payed the 30NOK hones...

Sognefjord

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The morning started near Balestrand as we ascended up to Vassenden via Highway 13 avoiding what would have been yet another ferry. The route is popular with walkers who walk the length of the 21km path and get a return bus back to Balestrand. The bus wasn't running yet as we're a bit early (May) and we soon saw why - a lot of the trail is still covered in snow and the wooden duck boards which are used on large sections are very slippery when wet, a shame because I think we would have attempted it otherwise.<br />
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The only other traffic we have seen have been Camper Vans and in several places the drifts were higher then the van but the roads remained clear and open. I sense the Norwegians were laughing at us over our snow in December 2010!<br />
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Yet again we're parked in the middle of nowhere with great Wifi access thanks to an art gallery nearby, we're parked with a great view of the lake wondering now we've traveled a couple of hundred miles further north how late it will be before it gets dark tonight!<br />
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Sognefjord

The morning started near Balestrand as we ascended up to Vassenden via Highway 13 avoiding what would have been yet another ferry....