How to Backpack Through Norway
Backpacking is an ideal way to see Norway. You can visit bustling large cities like Oslo or quiet country villages like Vikersund and see the day-to-day life of modern Norwegians in both. Scenery ranges from steep mountain peaks to quiet valleys to deep fjords. Backpacking lets you determine your own route and schedule and provides an opportunity to get to know the country and its people.
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Instructions
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Prepare for Your Backpacking Trip
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Decide how much time and money you have to spend on a trip to Norway. Check the current rates of currency exchange so you know how far your money will go in Norway and practice changing dollars to kroner in your head.
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Determine what season you'd like to spend in Norway. Be aware that winter is long, cold and snowy and, in the north, is dark nearly all day. There are mountainous regions throughout Norway where you can ski in the summer if skiing is a part of your plan.
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Choose the clothes you may need when you're there, keeping in mind that even summer can range from chilly to downright cold, especially in the mountain and fjord areas. You may need a warm jacket and a pair of sturdy hiking boots, and also a warm sweater, warm socks, undershirts and a rain-proof jacket. Keep your packing to a minimum.
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Look into discount travel passes and lodging passes. You can stretch your money with train passes like Eurail and InterRail, or Minipris for regional travel off main lines. Check the benefits of a VIP backpacker's lodging pass. All of these can help you find hostels and cheap but friendly bed-and-breakfasts throughout the villages of Norway.
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Buy a guidebook and a Norwegian phrasebook with dictionary. Most Norwegians speak very good English, but in some small villages, you may need to know a little Norwegian.
Travel Within Norway
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Find the best place to change your currency. It may be a bank, or it may be an American Express office. It's unlikely to be a store or a hotel.
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Start your trip in Oslo, Norway's capital and a city in the southern region of Norway. Near Oslo, you'll find Kristiansand, best known for its modern zoo with great animal habitats, but also a large city with both well-preserved old homes and a modern nightlife. Don't miss the town of Bergsjo, where kite-skiing is king.
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Travel by rail. One of the best train trips you can take is the Flam railway loop. It's one of the steepest railroads in the world using a normal gauge, rather than a narrow gauge. Pick it up near Myrdal on the Oslo-Bergen railroad, and it takes you through a mountainous region filled with forests and waterfalls, until it reaches its farthest point at Sognefjord.
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Consider visiting Norway's oldest wooden church, or stave, while you're in Sognefjord. It's on UNESCO's World Heritage List and was built in 1150 as a private chapel for a wealthy family. The inside is filled with intricate carvings both of Norwegian wildlife and imaginary beasts like dragons.
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Visit the Telemark region when you return from Sognefjord. It's considered the birthplace of cross-country skiing and is surrounded by a scenic mountain region. Around the region you may choose to see some of the best-preserved villages of Europe, with small white houses and beautiful summer gardens. Bed-and-breakfasts are available at a reasonably low cost throughout Telemark.
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Go to Trondelag in central Norway. The people of Trondelag claim to be the friendliest in Norway, and you should be able to find a hostel or a bed and breakfast at any village from the rock-strewn coast to the forests and mountains. Trondelag includes the historic site of Stiklestad, where King Olav Haraldsen died.
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See the midnight sun in northern Norway, which stretches into the Arctic. If you go after November, you'll be in darkness except for the Northern Lights, which many travelers claim are most beautiful in Norway. You can also meet the ethnic Sami people, an indigenous people who maintain their traditions of fishing, hunting and reindeer herding while still living in the 21st century.
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Tips & Warnings
The official Norwegian tourism website has information about all aspects of travel in Norway. Study it before you purchase tickets.
Check online for discounts. Get train passes at the Norwegian National Railway website, and VIP hostel passes and Hostelling International Norway passes from their websites.
When you pack, take only things you know you need. Remember that you can always wash your clothes while you're in Norway, so you don't need clothes for every day of your trip. Necessities for your backpack are flip-flops or sandals for hostel showers, a flashlight, a roll or two of toilet paper and a roll of duct tape to repair almost anything.
Try rolling your clothes, instead of folding them, when you pack to save room and help prevent wrinkles. Make extra space for the return trip by packing shorts or pants that you can wear a few times and then throw away. Be sure to pack sturdy, comfortable footwear.
Take the time to sit in sidewalk cafes and soak up the atmosphere. Unlike Americans, Norwegians don't wait for an empty table. You may find yourself joined by complete strangers, who might become new friends.
If you plan to stay overnight in a city or village, book your room as early as possible that day.
If you're going to stay in a small village that has no hostel, look for a sign that says "rom" or "husrom." It indicates that the house has rooms to rent overnight and may include breakfast. It's usually cheaper than an inn would be, and it gives you another opportunity to meet new people.
Consider getting a Fjord Pass. It offers discounts on accommodations at 170 hotels, pensions, guesthouses and cabins throughout Norway. There are a number of cruises through the fjord area, or you can sign onto a ferry or fishing boat for the experience of a lifetime.
The top five nature sites in Norway are Voringsfossen, in Eidfjord; Trollstigen, in Andalsnes; Bryggen, the Hanseatic wharf in Bergen; Geirangerfjord, Geiranger; and the fortress town of Gamlebyen in Fredrikstad, according the Visit Norway website. They list 25 areas of natural beauty you may want to see as you hike.
Realize that there's always the possibility that the airline may lose your luggage. Don't pack anything you can't live without and carry your money, passport and visa on your person all the time. A money belt that fits inside your clothing is a good idea to keep your funds safe.
Don't assume you're always safe just because Norway has a low crime rate. Take the same precautions you would in a city near your home.
When you get home, you may feel "culture shock." Don't worry. Your home hasn't changed, but you may have.
