Tour tip – On the Harley-Davidson to the south of Norway

Tour tip – On the Harley-Davidson to the south of Norway

The easiest route to Norway!

Southern Norway surprises with a beautiful natural landscape

I would say that every motorcyclist who has even a little love of travel and adventure in their blood becomes uneasy when it comes to Norway . Yes, I can say that this unrest is not unjustified, it really is a very beautiful country, with great people and lots of different facets.

But maybe not everyone wants to drive straight through to the North Cape, and you don't have to, because Norway offers an incredible wealth of nature and beautiful corners that want to be discovered, even in the south. I would be happy to give you a few tips on how you can best experience your own Southern Norway tour on a motorcycle.

I did this short Norway road trip with Ann-Kathrin Bendixen, she with her Sportster Nightster converted by Rick+s Motorcycles and I rode on the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special. I would say my personal handicap is that I always take way too much with me. The first tip is to avoid exactly that and only pack the things you need.

You don't have to camp in Norway, there are small hotels everywhere where you can stay. But I'll focus more on camping, because Norway is one of the few countries in Europe where you can still camp in the wilderness.

What is the best route to Norway?

The shortest route to Norway

The best way is actually to drive through Denmark, on the E45 to Hirtshals. From Flensburg to the ferry in Hirtshals it is approx. 360 kilometers. In Denmark you drive around 110km/h to 130km/h on the motorway, there is usually not much traffic and you can get through easily.

If the weather is good, you should allow for two refueling stops, because from Flensburg it gets windy and you always feel like you're driving against the wind when you head north. This costs fuel and if you don't have a fairing you will be hit by a headwind, which is more physically demanding.

Refuel again in Hirtshals before the ferry

The last gas station before the ferry is called Last Stop Shop ApS , I would go there first and fill up the tank there so that I can continue straight away in Norway. Gasoline prices between Denmark and Norway usually don't show any big differences, but there is a higher chance of getting cheaper gas in Denmark.

The crucial question is, what is the best way to cross to Norway?

I have already traveled to Norway and back with the Fjordline and several times with the Colorline Superspeed ferry. The Fjordline ferry was cheaper when I was traveling, they are both good and safe. You're welcome to tie things down yourself, but we'll help with both if you ask.

The ColorLine Ferry buffet offers more!

The most noticeable difference for me between the two ferries is the buffet on the ferries. You can book access to the buffet on both ferries. The upgrade is particularly worthwhile on the Colorline ferry, where you will find the largest selection of food and drinks. Here you can get real warm food, salads, cakes and desserts. If you have driven 360 kilometers through Denmark, you have enough time on the ferry to rest and ideally you can do this in the buffet area.

The pictures of the Colorline Superspeed ferry speak for themselves!

The assigned seat is available for the entire crossing, but you can leave the area in between to enjoy some fresh sea air on the deck. The crossing from Hirtshals to Kristiansand with the Colorline usually takes 3:15 hours and from Hirtshals to Larvik 3:45 hours. Lunch buffet access on the ColorLine costs approx. €29.90 per person (as of 11 /22). With the Fjordline it probably depends on which month you go, in the high season they run faster than in the low season, at least that's what happened to me in September 2022, but so far it hasn't been a problem.

How do I get to Norway without a ferry?

You don't want to take the ferry?! There are both: some people don't like taking the ferry and others are afraid of heights on one of the bridges. You can also get to Norway without taking the ferry if you travel overland via Denmark / Kolding / Odense / Copenhagen / Malmö / Gothenburg to Oslo. Then you only drive over the large bridges, and you can only avoid the long Öresund Bridge if you take the ferry a short distance from Helsingør to Helsingborg. Anyone should be able to survive that.

Where is southern Norway most beautiful?

My tip would be to drive from Hirtshals to Kristiansand and then turn left to take the E39 to Flekkefjord. The Fv44 begins there, this route is a dream for motorcyclists. The Northern Sea Route runs between Flekkefjord and Egersund, in this area you can easily spend a few days just looking and driving along the routes left and right.

There are different options, either you look for a hotel in the middle and drive around everything, or you just camp somewhere and drive on again. There are countless things to visit, such as Helleren in Jøssingfjord, where, spectacularly, the two houses are under a huge rock. Just like Ana Sira, you can rent a boat there and just enjoy the view of the sea along the mountains in the fjord.

Take 5 minutes, sit back and enjoy the beautiful route with us. Watch the End!

Southern Norway offers a lot of interesting things. The key points are Fv44, Flekkefjord and Egersund, with these you will definitely find something that interests you Visit Norway Or just drive and discover, you don't have to overdo it, because 4 to 6 days and journey can be enough to simply recharge your spirit. In any case, Norway is always worth a trip, it's best not to do it in August when everyone is there, July or September are also good months.

If you have a little more time, you can definitely make it to Stavanger. The city in the southwest of Norway offers some good museums, which you can actually find in every major city. This is a small peculiarity of Norway, history is preserved in many areas, including the fact that there are many war museums, everywhere along the coast you can find signs and plaques that lead to former war mines from the Second World War and history dedicate.

There are also wildlife museums, of course everything about Vikings and their wild stories and even petroleum museums.

You can make a tour to Norway quite interesting. Oh yeah, I forgot, good clothing is a must. I would recommend warm socks, waterproof boots and undergloves to everyone in case the sun gets weaker.

Ride safe!

^{Harley site / November 21, 2022}

These are a few things I have with me.

^{Affiliate links}

Affiliate links October 9, 2024