How To Plan A Self-Drive Tour Of Scandinavia

Though there are lots of methods to see the highlights of Scandinavia, a highway journey is difficult to beat. Drivers can get off the overwhelmed monitor and luxuriate in breathtaking viewpoints, small villages, scenic roads and extra away from the crowds of the vacationer hotspots.

Denmark, Norway and Sweden are all improbable highway journey locations for various causes.

From picturesque fjord villages to mountain viewpoints, a few of Norway’s most scenic spots are solely accessible with your personal transport. Denmark’s flat terrain and direct roads means getting round in a automobile is a breeze, whereas Sweden’s rural south and central lakes are perfect for exploring by highway.

Many tour operators promote self-drive tour packages that embody the price of automobile rental, ferry tickets, insurance coverage and lodging alongside a pre-defined itinerary. Whereas this fits some vacationers, you’ll pay extra for the comfort and have far much less flexibility for final minute modifications of plans.

When you have the time to plan your personal journey, listed below are some tricks to profit from your money and time.

Mix all three nations in a single journey

It’s not troublesome to mix all three Scandinavian nations into one itinerary. Driving in Denmark, Norway and Sweden is mostly simple though inexperienced drivers ought to take extra care in smaller cities and villages the place locals will assume highway data.

Border crossings are easy and in lots of instances you’ll drive straight on by. Simply you should definitely verify along with your rental automobile supplier that touring internationally is permitted.

As all three nations are nicely on the highway to being cashless societies, you don’t want to fret about exchanging money a number of occasions. So long as you might have a debit card, bank card or cell funds system that works internationally, you’ll be superb.

Nevertheless, simply because you’ll be able to embody all three nations into your itinerary, doesn’t suggest you need to!

Take your time

When planning a journey itinerary, it may be tempting to cram in as many must-see sights as doable. Whilst you ought to plan your journey round some key highlights and your lodging choices, go away time to make selections on-the-day.

Spending two or extra consecutive nights on the identical lodging is a good suggestion so you’ll be able to discover the native space with out the fixed stress of creating it to the following cease in good time.

Even on shorter itineraries similar to within the Norwegian fjords, enable additional time between stops. If a map suggests three hours, enable 4 or 5. You’ll virtually actually come throughout the right spot for a photograph or picnic lunch, or a village you wish to discover.

Plan for ferries

It’s onerous to keep away from automobile ferry crossings in Scandinavia, particularly within the Norwegian fjord area. Even in case you’re not used to them, there’s no want to fret or plan to keep away from them. They supply a pure break from driving and the chance for a espresso, snack and loo break.

Google Maps is superb at figuring out ferry crossings once you plan a visit. Whereas ferries on main routes similar to Norway’s E39 are very common, ferries on extra distant routes are much less frequent, particularly on weekends and evenings. It’s a good suggestion to print out the ferry timetables upfront so that you aren’t caught out dealing with a protracted wait.

Reserving upfront is a smart transfer on fashionable ferries similar to Bodø to Lofoten, whereas it’s important on the longer ferries between the nations. Though this removes flexibility, it ensures you’ll get to the place you wish to go.

Get monetary savings on a self-drive journey

If value is a matter, take into account exploring Norway by practice as a substitute. A visit on the Oslo to Bergen line gives you time to discover Norway’s two greatest cities and supply improbable mountain views throughout the Hardangervidda plateau.

The non-obligatory Flåm railway is an attraction in itself in addition to offering entry to the picturesque Aurlandsfjord. Mix this with a highway journey in Sweden and/or Denmark and you’ve got the makings of a memorable journey.

When touring by automobile, plan your itinerary to start out and end from the identical location. Whereas one-way automobile rental is feasible with most firms, you’ll pay loads for the privilege.

Additionally take into account selecting a smaller automobile. In case your journey is in the summertime, you gained’t want an all-terrain car. Requesting a hybrid automobile may save vital quantities on gas, with out the effort of looking for out electrical automobile charging factors, which might see lengthy queues in the summertime.

Scandinavia highway journey itineraries

With all the following tips in thoughts, creating your perfect highway journey itinerary can nonetheless be a irritating expertise. However there’s no purpose to start out from scratch. Many others have been there, finished it and written about it.

First issues first, take a look at among the self-drive excursions out there from tour operators. They may not provide the full itinerary with out reserving, however their tour descriptions gives you an important place to start out constructing your personal.

Many journey bloggers have additionally coated their highway journeys intimately. This 9-day trip begins in Gothenburg, Sweden, and focuses on Norway’s fjord area earlier than incorporating an in a single day ferry to Denmark. This 14-day trip incorporates flights, ferries and trains however is an efficient place to begin for an extended journey.

Rick Steves offers a number of choices relying on how a lot time you might have, beginning with the Scandinavian capitals then widening to incorporate the Norwegian fjords and past.