Important tips for a motorcycle tour to the North Cape – planning, costs, and equipment

Good planning is essential, as the country is rugged and has its own unique characteristics. You've come to the right place to get some important tips for your trip to Norway.

If you want to go wild, you can pack your tent, but if you prefer something a little more relaxed, you'll find good hotels everywhere. The good lodges are of course happy to accommodate guests for longer than just one night, so you'll have to weigh up your options.

Norway is expensive, but some things put that into perspective! It is possible to complete the tour in 14 days, but I would recommend a good three weeks if you want to experience the important spots and Lofoten. You should aim for at least €3,000. If you want to drive to the North Cape, you will end up with about 8,000 kilometers more on the odometer.

I'll give you a few tips on where you can save money.

1. Travel with friends: If you're not traveling alone, you can share a cabin with friends in bad weather; many campsites offer cabins.

2. Camping in the wildernessIt doesn't cost anything; in Norway, the right of public access allows you to pitch your tent in the countryside. Important: always take your trash with you and leave the site clean. Along some rivers, you will find campsites or clearings where others, especially anglers, have also camped before.

3. Campgrounds: Camping at a campground is good and inexpensive. Campgrounds are highly recommended, as they have sanitary facilities and most offer breakfast, or you can just buy bread rolls at the kiosk. The groundskeeper usually finds a spot for motorcyclists. We were very lucky and got really nice spots right by the water.

4. Use the booking portal wisely! Book the hotel via Booking.com and inquire about the locations a few days in advance, then you will receive special offers from Booking.com in the meantime. You can also ask the hotels for special rates. Sometimes, many hotels are not fully booked during the summer because most vacationers travel by camper or motorhome in the summer and Norwegians fly to sunnier destinations.

5. Someone should take over the pension fund! If you are traveling with friends and want to go camping, one person should be in charge of the food budget; it is sufficient for one person to buy the food. Distribute the items among yourselves on the motorcycles; this is a very good solution. Pack everything together to save space; not everyone needs to carry a package of butter and coffee in their luggage; many things can be shared. Teamwork is essential. Alcohol is expensive in Scandinavia!

Accommodation costs, gas, food, and ferry crossings are the main expenses on a trip like this.

Gasoline prices: At the end of 2021, a liter of gasoline costs €1.91 – Due to rising gasoline prices in Germany, we are slowly approaching this level, which puts the costs into perspective a little.

Gasoline consumption: You will not drive much faster than 80 km/h on the tour. The speed limit in towns is 50 km/h and on country roads it is 80 km/h, unless otherwise indicated.

On expressways, speeds of up to 110 km/h are permitted, but driving on these roads is rather the exception. The further north you go, the rougher and noisier the asphalt becomes, which can lead to increased fuel consumption.

Gas stations: Unless you're traveling with an 8-liter tank, you should always be able to make it from one gas station to the next. Further north, gas stations become fewer and farther between, but modern motorcycles are becoming increasingly fuel-efficient. I recommend never letting your tank get less than a quarter full. The search for the perfect campsite in the wilderness can sometimes take longer than expected and require more fuel than you thought.

It's always good to have reserves, so you should carry at least 2 liters of gasoline in a gas can or small emergency canister. In Finland, it can sometimes be difficult to find a gas station. The self-priming gas hose should be included in your luggage.

You should definitely start your Norwegian adventure with tires that have good tread. The further north you go, the rougher the asphalt becomes. This increases tire wear, and you will also be carrying a heavy load, so one thing leads to another.

The tires could become louder: I have experienced this with a MULTI-TREAD tire; the tread is harder than the outer surface of the tire. The outer surface has a softer compound, which, in combination with the rough asphalt, makes the running noise louder, especially when cornering. You will think of me when you hear the noise for the first time when cornering.

We have in Øygardstøl I met a group of bikers who were riding a little more aggressively on the curves. One of them lost the front brake pads on his Brenner; they just fell off. I have no idea how something like that can happen, but you should only tackle this tour with top-quality brakes.
There are always mountain passes where you have to brake, especially because of the many motorhomes. You are traveling with a heavy load, so have the brake fluid checked beforehand to avoid sudden brake failure.

In Norway, the Norwegian krone as a means of payment. Norway is one of the few European countries that has not joined the European Monetary Union. For this reason, it has its own currency. If you pay with euro bars, you will receive Norwegian kroner as change. In some places, it is possible to pay with euros, purely as a customer service.

The exchange rate of the Norwegian krone to the euro:
If you want to make a rough estimate, you can make it easy for yourself: 1000 NOK is roughly equivalent to 100 EUR. As a rule, it fluctuates by no more than 10%, except in March 2020 when it briefly dropped by 20%.

Nothing works without a credit card:

Scandinavians prefer to pay for everything with a credit card, so it's clear that you can get by with a credit card everywhere. Visa and Mastercard work pretty much everywhere, and in many cases, Maestro cards are also accepted. However, I wouldn't rely on Maestro cards; they didn't work at the Tindevegen toll station in the mountains, where only credit cards were accepted.

Credit cards convert directly into euros:

Another advantage is that there is no need to calculate anything; depending on the credit card agreement, the amount is converted directly into euros. Credit cards are the easiest means of payment in Scandinavia.

Paying in Sweden:

And who would have thought that Sweden is also not a member of the European Monetary Union? The Swedish krona (SEK) is the currency here. The exchange rate is similar to that of the Norwegian krone: 1,000 kronor is worth approximately 100 euros. If you pay with euros, you will receive Swedish kronor in return.

Paying in Denmark:

If you want to travel north via Denmark, you may be surprised to learn that Denmark also has its own currency, the krone. 1,000 DKK is worth approximately 130 euros. The currency is slightly weaker than the euro compared to other countries, but nothing is cheap in Denmark either.

Paying in Finland:

The euro is the currency used in Finland.

There are bikers who have done this and succeeded, but I wouldn't recommend it. You should plan for at least 21 days, or even more. The country, the people, and the nature are worth it. You won't do this tour very often, but you'll talk about it a lot.

Depending on which side you start the tour, you will always spend most of your time in Norway. In Finland, the route is often straight ahead, but in Norway, you can spend a whole day covering 150 kilometers in some areas.

If you have limited time for your trip, take a look at the image from my navigation system, as curves are not uncommon, especially in some areas of Norway.

Once you have set your goals, be sure to check the routes in advance using the route planner and don't forget that you will be stopping here and there. There are many routes where you will need to take a ferry, especially towards Atlantic Road, but the crossings are often well timed and you can always get there easily by motorcycle.

The following tip is particularly important for glasses wearers. Half of Norway is covered by tunnels, so if you have a problem with that, you should go somewhere else. The Vallavik Tunnel even has a roundabout, and the Lærdal Tunnel in Norway is the longest road tunnel in the world at 24.51 km.

The problem is the varying light conditions. You enter the tunnel wearing sunglasses and sometimes you can't see much. The temperature differences in the tunnel often cause the lenses or visor to fog up, oncoming traffic dazzles you, and all of this makes you tired in the long run, but it affects people who don't wear glasses just as much.

That can happen too. On a mountain pass, a Swedish coach pushed me into the rock face. The driver thought there was enough room and simply continued driving slowly, touching my handle and dragging me along until I was lying against the wall.
Then you're shocked at first, my buddies stopped the bus driver and pulled him out.
He'll have to help out, but the most important thing is to exchange information and, of course, call the police.

Taking out the right insurance policies: When traveling abroad, you should be a member of an automobile club. For example, the  Mobile in Germany e.V., AvD Automobile Club, ACE, ADAC, or others. What I would always recommend is international health insurance. You only realize how important it is when you need it. Especially in southern countries, you are required to provide proof of insurance coverage before you can receive anything more than emergency care. International insurance is not usually that expensive.

Down south, Telemark is very beautiful, but I would recommend heading north as quickly as possible.

Here are a few keywords for Google search: Tindevegen Pass Road, Stegastein, Lyseboten (Kierag Coffee), Bergen, Tromsø, Trollstigen, Geiranger Fjord, Atlantic Road, Lofoten, Leardal, Undredal/Aurland, Odda, Skjervsfossen Waterfall, Arctic Circle Center, Olderdalen, North Cape. There are countless other sights to see, such as the old stave churches, which were built from wood.
You can find lots more tips at www.visitnorway.de

Owning a Harley-Davidson is particularly expensive in Norway and other Scandinavian countries, where there is a luxury tax on motorcycles. Nevertheless, there are several Harley-Davidson dealers in Norway.

In Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and North Norway in Ballangen. I've heard that the dealer in Tromsø isn't doing anything official anymore. You have to visit North Norway at least once; the T-shirt back prints are especially cool. If anything comes up, we can work something out in the north too.

You will often have to take the ferry on the west coast, so when planning your route, you should check carefully whether the connection is a bridge or a ferry. Ferry services run regularly and continue late into the evening or even longer.

There is a charge for the ferry crossing, which you can pay by credit card on each ferry after you have boarded. Prices vary depending on the length of the crossing, but are still reasonable.

You don't need a reservation, and you usually don't have to go to the cash register first. It's super easy—just hop on, pay, and you're done.

Most ferries have a small coffee bar, sometimes with just a box next to it where you put your money in and help yourself—that would be unthinkable here.

Is the Autopass worth it?
There is an electronic toll payment system, but it is not worthwhile for motorcyclists. The card must be loaded with 3,500 Norwegian kroner in advance, and you will not be making that many ferry crossings. There are no other tolls for motorcyclists.

Camping is particularly suitable in Norway, but there is one drawback, and that is the weather. It can change very quickly, and suddenly you have rain or glorious sunshine. I've experienced everything, including five days of rain in a row. When you have to take down your tent in the rain, you eventually get tired of it.

Once you put your wet hands into your gloves, you've already lost. I'm just trying to tell you that you should be open to anything, whether it's a hotel or a cabin, because if things go badly, at some point it won't be possible anymore.

It's a real advantage when a tent can be pitched and taken down quickly. Especially when the weather is bad, you're glad when the tent is up quickly. I haven't found the perfect tent yet, but I have one myself that is no longer available to buy.

Tents with fiberglass poles are too fiddly for me; if you need to set up quickly, you can forget about them. There is a similar tent from Queedo, which is the Quick Oak 3, Unfortunately, the vestibule still has a cumbersome fiberglass frame, and the pack size and water column aren't perfect, but that would be my choice today if I had to buy one.

The pack size The tent should be small and lightweight!
I would recommend a high water column of over 4000 mm. Anything above 5000 mm is pretty much guaranteed to be waterproof, but these are hard to find. The difference is that if you press against the inside of a tent with a water column below 5000 mm, moisture can penetrate the tent wall.

A groundsheet for the tent is advantageous!
The floor of the tent should be at least 2000 mm thick, otherwise water will seep in from below.
I still put a perfectly fitting tarpaulin under the tent, so it always stayed clean when packing up. It also gives me a floor in the vestibule and cushions the often rough ground a little.

The ground in Norway is partly rocky and hard, and normal tent pegs bend very quickly. I can recommend these ground pegs made of steel. Unfortunately, they weigh a little more than classic tent pegs, but it's worth it. They have a handle and are quick to set.

The tent should have a small canopy or vestibule where you can store your suitcases and bags or put on and take off your shoes. The more moisture and dirt that stays outside, the better.
If you still have a good tent that you want to take with you, you should waterproof it again beforehand. I did this with NIKWAX made and additionally reinforced the seams with seam sealer Sealed. My One Touch tent is over 20 years old and still keeps out the rain.

There are good ones LED lamps, that can be hung up in the middle of the tent, there are also gas lamps, that are used with a gas cartridge. It is practical if the gas cartridge fits the gas stove you want to use on your trip. The advantage of the gas lamp is also its disadvantage! It gets really hot and warms up the tent nicely, but using it in the tent is really dangerous. It consumes oxygen and is noisy. It's good for providing basic warmth in the tent, but a tent burns incredibly quickly and it shouldn't be too small. I would advise inexperienced campers against using it.

And if you really want to hang up the lamp, you should use a long leather strap. However, you only really need light at night in the southern half, because in Norway it doesn't really get dark at night during the summer months. That's why the next tip might be all you need: a headlamp can also be used as a lamp in a tent and takes up hardly any space.
In Norway, it is light for six months of the year and dark for six months, so you have to adjust to this. If you cannot sleep during daylight hours, you should buy a dark tent or take a sleep mask with you.

When camping in the wilderness and after a few beers, you may need to go outside again during the night, in which case a headlamp could light your way. The headlamp It should already have a USB-C connector for charging; the fewer connectors you need to carry with you, the better.

Standard headlamps have various settings to provide the right light for every occasion. In deserted areas, it can be helpful to use a warning light in case of a breakdown, as trucks drive a little more aggressively on the roads than they do in our country.

A little organization when packing can't hurt. I have everything I need for camping in one 50L QBag Stowed away. The tent, folding chair, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, lamp, and tent groundsheet. Although I've also attached the tent groundsheet outside when it was dirty.

We placed great importance on having a comprehensive and extensive breakfast. To this end, we use a certain basic setup: cups, plates, and knives. We have a coffee press, or a coffee filter and gas stove. Depending on the weather, we knew roughly whether we would go shopping for everything we needed or have breakfast at the hotel.

If we had already seen on Google that there was a good bakery in the area where we were staying, then we drove there.
The value for money was always excellent, and we were fortunate every time, always having fresh salmon for breakfast and good bread rolls. Google is really very helpful in this case.

When traveling, it is advisable to take Rei from the tube, or something similar. Because at some point, the time will come and you should schedule a laundry day. Either a normal laundry line or a Paracord universal rope, which can be added for an additional Tarp use.

We put up the tarp in bad weather so that we could still sit together comfortably in the evening, which is why we also needed a folding chair Be there. There should of course be room on the Harley.

In Norway, for example, motorcyclists are required to carry a warning triangle. To cut a long story short, it's better to have one than to need one, and if you often go on motorcycle tours in other countries, you'll find space for an emergency kit that should be within easy reach. Rules vary from country to country and there are A set specially designed for motorcyclists, where everything is included.

If you're not traveling alone, you can share a cabin with friends in bad weather; many campsites offer cabins. If the weather isn't cooperating, a few days of rain, cold, and storms can take a toll on your mental health, so you should only go on a trip like this with really good friends.

In general, Norway is a very safe country! The greatest danger from wildlife is the moose. Many people will never see one, but if it suddenly appears, things can get dicey.

Most accidents involve moose. Next are reindeer, which usually travel in herds. However, there are also solitary animals on the move. I have seen entire herds running directly on the road and even in construction sites. The problem is that their fur blends in incredibly well with their natural surroundings, making them difficult to spot.

Reindeer can suddenly appear in front of you, especially in tunnels, so you should always be prepared for this. They are mainly found in northern Scandinavia. In the event of an accident involving a reindeer, the police must be called, as the animals belong to the Sami, the indigenous people of the northern countries.

The wolverine

There are approximately 200 wild wolverines, It is a huge marten that is mainly nocturnal. It will not seek out humans, and it is better to avoid it.

There are brown bears in Scandinavia.

There are approximately 500 wolves living in the wild in Scandinavia, but you are unlikely to see any. And who would have expected that Norway is home to an estimated 150 bears, Finland to around 2,000, and Sweden to an incredible 3,500? I have traveled extensively in Scandinavia and have only ever seen moose and reindeer.

Brown bears are very shy and usually run away, and fortunately there are plenty of forests and open spaces for the animals. I have always felt very safe when camping, and there are hardly any reports of dangerous situations involving bears.

In an emergency, the only thing that helps is to make yourself big, be loud, and under no circumstances run away! When wild camping, don't leave food lying around. If you do that, you'll never see one. Bears can do everything better than humans, so always stay calm in an emergency. However, most people will only see these animals in a zoo, even in Norway, because they are all very shy.

The greatest danger in road traffic has always been the moose, or the female moose with her calf. You should remain calm and be aware that they can suddenly become very fast, and under no circumstances should you harass the moose in order to get the ultimate photo.

The same is true of the moose, which is very shy and will avoid you.

There's no denying the mosquitoes, especially in the south where they are abundant. You don't notice them so much when you're driving, but come evening you may have an adventure or two with them. If you're looking for a place to stay overnight, choose spots where there is no tall grass or reeds nearby.

There are mosquitoes there, and it's really bad. We often spent the night by the water, and where the grass was short, you could hardly see them, but if you walked 100 meters further to the reeds, it was hell. Once we fled from a forest and then spent the night at a campsite by the lake. It wasn't even that far from the other place, so there can be really stark differences in some places.

We were allowed to build a fire at the campsite, which was great, but you really have to watch out for the grass! Antibrumm is recommended, of course, just in case stinger remover and a Anti-mosquito coil Set up in the ring can help a little.

If you happen to be near the Lofoten Islands, you will have the opportunity to go on a whale safari. The Gulf Stream flows along the northwest coast of Norway, which means that the air warmed by the water can even create a mild climate on the coast.

And if you click on this Map Once you look, you will find several providers of Arctic Whale Watching Tours That's where the really big whales swim. I'm going to visit the Lofoten Islands again myself; so far, I've only driven past them, unfortunately.

The mighty white-tailed eagle can be seen pretty much everywhere in Norway. I saw one at the North Cape when it flew alongside me over the North Sea, heading towards the North Cape. It gave me goose bumps because it flew quite low, right over me.

Near Raftsund, there is the opportunity to spot sea eagles from a boat. The Sea Eagle Safari It's probably an agreement between fishermen and sea eagles, and the success rate is quite high.

The best clothing is functional textile clothing. I know that this is not what the average Harley rider likes to wear, and most will not even have such clothes in their closet. However, they are the best choice for a tour like this, and the reasons are obvious.
I myself prefer to ride in an H-D leather jacket, Rokker Black jacket, T-shirt, Rokker pants, boots, and I always carry a cheap rain suit with me that packs down small. That's how I've always traveled in Norway. I usually have room for a second set, but if the weather changes and it looks like it will remain very changeable, I just ride with a textile jacket and pants.

The items are usually waterproof, breathable, and keep you warm. It can be cold up in the mountains and suddenly warm in the valley. This is very comfortable with textile clothing and remains the best combination for such tours. My buddy swears by his Bellstaff jacket and has a very good rain jacket with pants, so that works too.

The shoes should be waterproof, which you should test beforehand. My boots had a manufacturing defect and unfortunately weren't waterproof, so the only thing that helps in continuous rain is a plastic bag in the boot.
You should bring more than one pair of gloves with you. If things go badly, moisture will eventually get into your gloves and then your hands will get cold.

In my experience, I would travel from July at the earliest. It can still be chilly, but there are also some very nice days in July and it's not too crowded in the north yet. At the beginning of September, it's already getting late, so if you want to travel for three weeks in September, you have to make sure you don't leave too late.

The roads in Norway are good. As already mentioned, the asphalt can be a little rough, but when you see what sometimes happens in our country, they have the roads there mostly under control. There can be cracks in the asphalt on side roads, but I didn't see any large potholes.

In Finland, we suddenly found ourselves driving on a stuck gravel road. We ended up in a whopping 80 km long construction zone. But even that wasn't a problem.

The rain can be annoying, but that's part of it. With good equipment, it's no big deal. The Norway tour will always be remembered as a very special tour that I was able to experience together with my two friends.

It could be a little warmer, but then it would be more crowded, so take it as it comes!

The trip from North Cape back to the mainland was my hardest tour ever. We camped at North Cape and drove back towards the mainland in the morning.

The problem, however, was that extreme fog and a very strong storm were approaching, and extreme crosswinds almost knocked me over.

I couldn't even see the person in front of me anymore, it was really intense. On the other hand, if you don't experience anything, you have nothing to talk about, and I especially love talking about my trip to Norway!

If you have the opportunity to take this tour, then do it and don't hesitate—there's always something!