Western Europe · Norway

Hi fellow travelers.

I’m planning a trip to the Norwegian fjords soon, and of course, I’ll need to exchange my euros for Norwegian kroner since the currency isn’t the same as in France.

I know you can exchange money at tourist offices or some banks.

Honestly, I’m writing this because it’s my first time traveling to a country that doesn’t use the euro, and I’m wondering how the process works.

Do I need to take care of any administrative steps before heading there, or have special documents on hand to exchange money once I arrive? Do I have to have cash for this?

Or can I just walk into a bank like nothing’s up and exchange money using my bank details, employment contract, etc.?

Anyway, I just wanted to get some details on how it all works and what I’ll need to do to make sure everything goes smoothly and without any issues—I have no idea how this works and don’t want any bad surprises.

Looking forward to your replies! 😉

Our trip to Norway was two years ago already, but I thought it might still be of interest—and it’ll let me relive it a bit by proxy.

Before booking our flight tickets, we debated the route: should we prioritize the north with the Lofoten and Senja islands, or the south with its countless fjords? I was tempted to stay in the south—the country is so vast, and the drive north is long... but my husband really didn’t want to miss the Lofoten. In the end, we figured that since Norway is known for being expensive, we might only visit once (funny how we said the same thing before our first trip to the American West, and look how that turned out 😎), so we didn’t want to skip anything. That meant a 2–3 day drive up north. With 22 days on the ground, it was doable. Especially since, as usual, we skip big cities and gave Oslo a pass.

Practical details: - Flight tickets: 1195 € for 4 with Air France (Paris–Oslo outbound, Tromsø–Bergen–Paris return) - Car rental: 2020 € for 21 days (including the outrageous drop-off fee between Oslo and Tromsø—about 1000 €) - Tolls and ferries: 250 € for the portion billed directly by the rental company. Some ferries required advance booking and payment at the time of reservation—I’ll note their prices as I go through the story. - Hotels: 4135 €, averaging 188 € per night. We blew past our usual budgets from trips to the U.S., but oh well... - Food: 1570 €, averaging 71 € per day for 4 in a country where everything’s expensive... How’d we manage? We rarely ate out, mostly grocery shopped, and even packed half a suitcase with non-perishables: pasta, rice, a few cans, and even some cured sausage! We also stayed 3 nights at Clarion Collection hotels, where an evening buffet was included in the room rate.

Hi there, We’re heading to Norway in May for a self-drive trip around the Bergen area, and we’d love to do a few-hour cruise on the Sognefjord—especially on the day we’ll be near Balestrand-Fjærland. I can’t find any reliable info (the *Routard* guide doesn’t say much except that it’s expensive!). Any ideas? Where should I look or ask? Do we need to book in advance?... Thanks for any tips!

Hi there, I read your summary of your trip around the Lofoten Islands and I’m interested in the spots where you slept in a tent, but I can’t open your document—would it be possible for you to send it to me?

Hi there! I’m planning a road trip in a camper van around the fjords in Norway and would love to get some feedback and tips on the itinerary. It’s a 10-day trip: Day 1: Land in Bergen and drive to Odda Day 2: Odda (full-day hike to Trolltunga) Day 3: Kinsarvik (hike in Hardangervidda National Park) Day 4: Geilo (hike in Hallingskarvet National Park) Day 5: Hike in Jotunheimen National Park via the Gjendesheim ferry Day 6: Fossbergom Day 7: Luster and hike in Jostedalsbreen National Park Day 8: Flam Day 9: Bergen Day 10: Bergen + departure

For the camper van rental, I’ve reached out to this site: https://campervanbergen.com, which seems pretty good with reasonable rates. If you have any comments or advice on the itinerary or the rental company, I’d love to hear them! Thanks in advance! Romain

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Norway for June 2026 and have some questions about the Arctic Route (E6) from Narvik to Alta: - Starting from Narvik, how far along this route is it worth going? - Are the landscapes really more stunning as you get closer to Alta? - How many days is reasonable for a round trip? - Side question: Can anyone recommend a car rental company in Narvik?

We’ve never been this far north before—this will be our first trip near the Arctic Circle.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can share advice or general tips about this region!

Jaunesoleil

Happy travels to all

Hi there, I’m Canadian. In June 2025, I’m planning to travel to Nordkapp in Norway to start a bike trip all the way to Finistère in Spain. My plan is to take a flight to CDG, Paris, and then connect to a flight to Honningsvåg. Do you think that’s the best option? The other option would be to fly from Canada to Oslo and then connect to a flight to Honningsvåg. It seemed just as easy to go through Paris as it did to go to Oslo. Maybe there are other ways besides flying to get to Honningsvåg. I could also have the option to go directly to Nordkapp. Any possible options would help me plan my trip better so I can start my bike journey from Nordkapp. VéloAcadien. Paul 😉

Hi there, I’m posting this because I can’t decide. We’d like to travel in mid-October to explore a Nordic destination. We’ll have 6 full days on-site. I’m torn between the Faroe Islands and Lofoten... What about the weather and the cost of accommodation? My budget is a maximum of 120 € per night. I don’t want to rush but take the time to explore just one part of these islands and avoid running around too much. The Faroe Islands might be pricier and less lively. Lofoten requires more flight connections... In terms of landscapes and 6-day hikes, could you share your feedback?

My request is a bit vague.

Thanks for reading!

Penelope

Hi there, I’m heading to Tromsø for a few days in March. I’d love to do a northern lights tour, go on a trip to see orcas, and learn more about Sami culture. Any excursions you’d recommend?

I’m also looking for info on local accommodation—Airbnb’s an option, but if you’ve got other suggestions, I’m all ears!

Thanks for your tips! :)

Hello everyone,

As usual, I’m posting a new travel journal about our trip to Norway last September. This one will span several months, with a day-by-day account of our adventure. I won’t be posting many photos on the forum (the publishing rules have become even more complicated since my last journal), but you can find all the shots on my blog (address in my signature).

We’ve just returned from a truly extraordinary, unforgettable trip. Planning this trip wasn’t easy, and I’ll admit I struggled to decide on the itinerary… Should we take the Hurtigruten all the way from the south to the north? But a whole trip by boat didn’t really appeal to us. Or focus on the south in the fjord region? But that would mean missing out on the Lofoten Islands… In the end, we chose to concentrate on southern Norway, exploring the coast and fjords, while including a stop in Oslo and mixing train, boat, and car travel. I also opted for a trip where we’d drive less than in previous years (1,650 km compared to 2,000 km in Portugal and 3,800 km in the American West), but we’d still move around a bit and do some hikes. Here’s the itinerary we followed:



This trip was absolutely amazing and introduced us to so many things we’d never seen or done before—fjords, a night on a boat, glaciers, stave churches, snow in summer (…and the high cost of living!).

If we had to sum up our top highlights, here’s our top 3: Mr.:

the variety of landscapes the colors, especially the colors of the water—from crystal clear to light blue and turquoise in some spots eating good fish

Mrs.:

the roads: the ones in the area we explored were truly stunning Geirangerfjord, especially in the late afternoon, when it was quiet and free of cruise ships the Trolltunga hike: a challenging trek and a little personal achievement for us

What we liked less:

the sometimes inconsistent signage on hikes the cost of living (everything costs money, and even food is expensive) the tunnels: there are so many, and they’re not much fun (except for one with a roundabout inside…!)

That’s it for this first summary/overview, and I can already tell that choosing photos is going to be tough!!! Here’s a little preview of what we discovered:



To see the photos in full size on my blog: check it out here

Hi everyone,

I’m planning an 8-night trip to Norway in early March 2019, specifically around Tromsø and the surrounding area. I’d love to experience the Nordic winter, its vast landscapes, the northern lights, discover the local wildlife, and most of all, take some amazing photos in these magical settings.

But I’ve got a few questions, especially about how to split my nights and plan the route.

I’m planning to land in Tromsø and stay there for 2 or maybe 3 nights—so far, so good—but after that, I’m torn between the Lofoten Islands or Senja Island for the remaining nights.

The Lofoten Islands seem magical for a photography enthusiast like me, with their little harbors and steep mountains, but the downside is the distance from Tromsø, especially in winter. What do you think? Is it doable to make a round trip from Tromsø to Lofoten in a week, especially in winter (are the roads passable? Is the weather unpredictable? Is the drive worth it?)? Because ideally, I’d like to return the rental car to the same agency in Tromsø to avoid extra costs.

After doing some more research, I came across Senja Island, which some blogs call a "mini Norway." The big advantage is that it’s only a 2-hour drive from Tromsø, but is it as charming as the Lofoten Islands?

And if you’ve got any tips for this route, I’m all ears! 😛

I’d love to hear about your experiences or knowledge, and thanks in advance for your replies! 😉

Arnaud

Hi everyone,

We’re a family with two kids aged 5 and 7, and we’ve been dreaming of heading to Norway in winter to see the northern lights, the Lofoten Islands, and maybe even whales or orcas... I was thinking of booking flights to arrive in TROMSØ and then leave about ten days later from EVENES. We’ll be getting around by rental car, and if you’ve got any hotel or accommodation recommendations that you loved, activities that are off the beaten path, or other great tips to share, we’d love to hear them!

Thanks so much in advance for your help!

Have a great day.

Aurélie

Hi there.

We’re planning a trip to Lofoten in July 2021 with our two kids, who’ll be 11 and 8. We’ve already booked our accommodations (yes, we’re planners!): - the first week in Reine. - the second in Henningsvær.

The idea is to explore the southern part of the archipelago, which seems the most interesting based on all the research I’ve done.

We’ve been considering extending our trip by another week. What would you recommend? Staying an extra week in Lofoten? Heading to Senja Island? The Lyngen Alps? Or somewhere else entirely?

Thanks in advance for your tips!

Cyril

Hi there, I’m planning our next (pricey) trip to Norway. It’ll be a road trip with accommodations either in Airbnbs or hotels. I’ve been dreaming of going to the LOFOTEN for ages, but I don’t want to skip the big fjords either (Geiranger, Flam, Bergen, Stavanger). So to combine both, I thought of doing a round trip from Trondheim to Stamsund with Hurtigruten and spending 4 nights in the southern LOFOTEN. The fares are so steep that I don’t think I can do more. The coastal road is certainly beautiful up to BODØ, but with the stops to plan, it ends up costing as much as taking the boat—plus the fatigue and extra kilometers. Has anyone taken the Coastal Express with their vehicle from TRONDHEIM to STAMSUND?

Hello,

I’m starting to plan our summer 2025 trip. We’ll be traveling as a family (2 adults and 2 teens), most likely in mid-July. Here’s a first draft of our itinerary. I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether this 15-day route is doable. We’ll be renting a car in Rovaniemi.

- Rovaniemi (2 nights) - Jokkmokk (1 night) - Kiruna (1 or 2 nights???) - Narvik (1 night) - Lofoten Islands (3 or 4 nights???) - Bodø (2 nights) - Return through Sweden, but where to stay between Bodø and Luleå to break up the drive????? (1 night) - Luleå (1 or 2 nights???) - Return to Rovaniemi (1 night)

What do you think of this route? I’m open to all suggestions—whether there are places to add, remove, or adjust. Thanks in advance for your help!