Cycle Touring in Norway: Routes and Planning
A bicycle tour through Norway's breathtaking landscapes is the dream of many cyclists. However, there is a lot to consider when cycling in the country on the Arctic Circle; weather conditions, car tunnels and endless mountain passes make precise route planning essential. In this article you will find important information about cycling in Norway and about 5 of the 10 signposted long-distance cycling routes with GPX routes to download; North Cape, Lofoten, Fjord Norway and more.
Best Time for Cycling Holidays in Norway
Clearly the summer. Especially if you want to cross passes. The Scandinavian Mountains cover most of Norway from the North Cape to the Skagerrak. Many tourist mountain passes and highland roads are only open from the end of May to mid-September, possibly shorter if there is a lot of snow. So it's best to go to the mountains in mid-June at the earliest and have a plan B ready.
In northern Norway end of June on our tour from Moskau to the Northcape in 2018
Bad weather, fog and rain are normal in Norway. Also during summer. You should always be prepared for low temperatures and have emergency food with you. The country is not densly populated and for the closest supermarket you may have to cycle over the next pass.
In return, you will be rewarded with fantastic views and find potable water almost everywhere. Also wild camping is possible everywhere, as long as you have the right tent for rocky ground, wind and rain with you. Norway has an extensive network of cabins, private ones, those run by the tourist association DNT and by Statskog, a state enterprise of the Ministry of Forestry. On this website you can find detailed information about all cabins in Norway. For some cabins you have to pick up the key in advance in a town, others are more comparable to a B&B. Prices vary.
Tunnels and Bikeways
Norway is a narrow country by the sea full of mountains and only 1.7 percent of the area is inhabited by people. 50 percent are either mountains, barren plateaus or fen. Given these conditions, the number and quality of roads in the country is amazing. But roads don't always bring you further like they do in Western Europe. Many roads stop at the end of the fjord – dead ends. Plan your route or you will cycle many extra kilometers.
Tunnels
Because of the many land slides and the snow in winter, there are a lot of tunnels in Norway. Not all are approved for cyclists. You shouldn't even try to go through such a tunnel! They are often unlit and only have narrow shoulders. It's better to wait for a ride if you've made a mistake with the route or are out of options. On this website you can find all tunnels in Norway that are allowed and forbidden for cyclists.
Bikeways
There are 10 national cycling routes in Norway. These run on roads, on old ways and in urban areas sometimes on cycle paths. Norway has a low population density, the traffic volume on a main road is not particularly high. The roads have usually two lanes and there is truck traffic.
The national cycle routes are marked on Open Street Map. So any app with routing function should be able to calculate a bike route for you.
Keep in mind that you often have to use ferries to avoid tunnels. In some places, like on route #4, the train is the only option.
Bicycle is called Sykkel in Norwegian and bicycle route is called Sykkelruter. On the official website you can find information about long-distance cycling routes in Norway .
#1 Coastal route 4500 km
This route runs from north to south along the coast throughout Norway. From Kirkenes to the North Cape, across the Lofoten to Trondheim, Bergen, Lindenes and Kristiansand on the southern tip to Svinesund on the Swedish border south of Fredrikstad.
The Coastal Route coincides with Eurovelo 1 (Atlantic Coastal Route) and Eurovelo 12 (North Sea Coastal Route). If you cycle this route, you will take the ferry countless times. The website of the ferry operator Fjord1 provides an indication of the prices. For example: the Oldeide-Måløy connection, a journey of around 30 minutes, would cost 115 NOK for a small car. For a motorcycle it's 45 NOK and for bicycles they don't give the price.
Cycle route 1 often runs along the so-called Scenic Routes, for example between Kårvåg and Bud on the Atlanterhavsvegen. These are car routes on scenic roads that are particularly worth seeing.
#2 Canal Route 386 km
The canal route runs east-west from Stavanger to Porsgrunn through southern Norway. In the eastern part it follows the Telemark Canal. This canal connects the coast at the Skagerrak with the Hardangervidda. There are woods in the Telemark and it is comparatively flat and ideal for cycling. The canal route connects cycle route 1 with cycle route 3.
#3 Fjord and Mountain Route 1000 km
Cycle route number 3 leads from Kristiansund (north of Ålesund) across the Sognefjord, along the Hardangerfjord to Odda and through the Setesdal region to Kristiansand in the very south. Fjord Norway at its best.
If you start in Kristiansund: The city is on an island. The bridge over which the mapped cycle path leads south is not permitted for cyclists. There is a ferry from Kristiansund to Bremsnes on the other side of the fjord.
The route passes Utvikfjellet at 627 m and Røldalsfjellet at 700 m and of course is also mountainous before, in between and after. The spectacular views of the fjord landscape make up for the legwork.
#4 Rallarvegen 500 km
There is a train connection from Oslo to Bergen called Bergensbane, which runs through Europe's largest plateau: the Hardangervidda. Rallarvegen is the old railway worker way, an unpaved path along the railway line. Today it is used as a cycling and hiking trail. From Haugastøl to Myrdal, long-distance cycle route #4 follows the Rallarvegen (approx. 180 km). The rest of the route is based on the existing railway line.
The route from west to east passes through Bergen, Foss, Myrdal, Finse, Haugastøl, Geilo, Gol, Hønefoss, Olso. Long-distance cycle path #1 connects to the west as well as to the east. In Geilo, east of Rallarvegen, cycle route #5 meets this route.
For training purpose it is better to start in the east. There the route is less hilly. In Myrdal, long-distance cycling route #4 does not lead down into the valley into touristy Flåm, but uses the railway line and the Upsete tunnel, which ends directly on the plateau in Myrdal. Relaxed. If you want to experience the spectacular railway line from Flåm to Myrdal or if you want to go downhill biking to Flåm, you have to make a little detour.
Coming from touristy Flåm you could climb up to Myrdal by bicycle. Gradients of up to 18 percent offer even the toughest climbers a challenge. Simply brutal with luggage on a touring bike. The gravel route with numerous hairpin bends is also a popular downhill route. So better make your way up very early or very late to avoid oncoming traffic.
The Rallarvegen usually opens at the beginning of July. Before that there are still snowfields. A mountain bike is not an unnecessary luxury on this track. Depending on the weather conditions, the subsoil can be difficult. However, if there are problems, the nearest train station is not far. So there is no harm in trying on a touring bike. The Rallarvegen website provides important information.
#5 Numedal-Route 950 km
Cycle route #5 is a nice approach to Rallarvegen. It starts in Larvik in southeastern Norway by the sea and leads via Kongsberg through the green Numedal to Geilo, see route #4. Joining Rallarvegen, the route then heads to Gol before turning north towards Jotunheimen National Park.
According to Route #5, you will cross the entire Bygdin Lake by on the historical MS Bitihorn on 1060 Meter above sealevel. On your journey along Lake Bygdin you will see some of Jotunheimens 2000m peaks. Departures from Bygdin (coming from North) and Eidsbugarden (coming from South) via Torfinnsbu. Here you'll find the time table (Norwegian only).
Alternatively, you could cycle on road 51, which coincides with cycling route Mjølkevegen from Gol to Bygdin and avoid the boat trip. 45 km from Bygdin on, Road 51 is called Jotunheimvegen, one of the Scenic Routes of Norway.
The 250 km long Mjølkevegen is a signposted cycle route from Vinstra at 1000 m to Gol at 200 m over the Valdres plateau east of Jotunheimen.
In the second part you will learn more about routes 6 to 10 of Norway's National Cycle Routes. There are also some shorter tourist routes that help when choosing a route.
For our trip from Cape to Cape through Europe next year there were already strong candidates in this list: maybe a combination of Coastal Route, Fjord and Mountain Route and Rallarvegen? It can't hurt if we start training already ;) Until then...
Get on your bike and share the most beautiful, safest, shortest, or longest and most practical bike routes with others. Talk about holidays by bicycle. Give someone a bike or a bike day! Just don't give up until everyone's riding by bicycle. Because cycling makes you happy.
