A two-week loop from Bergen along the National Tourist Routes: the Hardangerfjord, the Sognefjord, the Sognefjellet pass, Geiranger, the Trollstigen, the Atlantic Road and Ålesund, then back past the glaciers of the Nordfjord. Ferries are part of the drive, eight crossings in all, and the high passes are only open between spring and October.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Bergen | Start |
| Day 3 | Lofthus | 198 km · 3h50 |
| Days 4 to 5 | Flåm | 122 km · 2h10 |
| Day 6 | Lom | 206 km · 3h35 |
| Day 7 | Geiranger | 96 km · 1h35 |
| Day 8 | Åndalsnes | 87 km · 1h35 |
| Day 9 | Kristiansund | 134 km · 2h30 |
| Days 10 to 11 | Ålesund | 151 km · 3h |
| Day 12 | Loen | 146 km · 2h45 |
| Day 13 | Balestrand | 191 km · 3h10 |
| Day 14 | Back to Bergen | 207 km · 4h30 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
Mid-June to early September, when all the passes are open (the Aurlandsfjellet reopened on 1 June 2026) and the days are very long. From October to late April or May, Trollstigen, the descent to Geiranger, Dalsnibba, the Sognefjellet and the Gaularfjellet close: the loop can no longer be driven as it stands.
🚗 198 km · 3h50 of driving from Bergen
E16 then Rv7 via Norheimsund along the Hardangerfjord, Kvanndal-Utne ferry (NOK 88), then the free Utne-Kinsarvik ferry and the Rv13.
🚗 122 km · 2h10 of driving from Lofthus
Rv13 over the Hardanger Bridge (toll NOK 143) and via Voss, then the E16 through the Nærøydalen valley and Gudvangen.
🚗 206 km · 3h35 of driving from Flåm
E16 through the Lærdal Tunnel, closed from 18:00 to 06:00, Fodnes-Mannheller ferry, then the Rv55 via Skjolden and the Sognefjellet (1,434 m).
🚗 96 km · 1h35 of driving from Lom
Rv15 westwards, then the Fv63 winding down in hairpins to Geiranger; paid detour on the Nibbevegen up to Dalsnibba.
🚗 87 km · 1h35 of driving from Geiranger
Fv63 via the Ørnesvingen hairpins, Eidsdal-Linge ferry, then the Trollstigen: narrow, eleven hairpins, a 10% gradient.
🚗 134 km · 2h30 of driving from Åndalsnes
Rv64 northwards, Åfarnes-Sølsnes ferry, the Atlantic Road from Vevang to Averøy, then the free undersea tunnel to Kristiansund.
🚗 151 km · 3h of driving from Kristiansund
Rv70 and E39 towards Molde, Molde-Vestnes ferry (NOK 116), then the E39 and E136; tolls at Kristiansund, Molde and Ålesund.
🚗 146 km · 2h45 of driving from Ålesund
E136 then Rv60: Magerholm-Sykkylven ferry, Stranda, Hellesylt, Lake Hornindal and Stryn.
🚗 191 km · 3h10 of driving from Loen
Rv60 via Olden and the Utvikfjellet, E39 via Byrkjelo and Skei, then the Fv613 over the Gaularfjellet down to the Sognefjord.
🚗 207 km · 4h30 of driving from Balestrand
Bergen (1 night), Flåm (1), Lom (1), then Geiranger (2) with the return trip to the Trollstigen, and Balestrand (1) via Loen and the Gaularfjellet before heading back to Bergen. You skip the Hardanger, the Atlantic Road and Ålesund.
| Car hire, July (most expensive month) | ≈ €84 a day |
|---|---|
| Car hire, January | ≈ €41 a day |
| Annual average | ≈ €63 a day (Kayak, September 2026) |
| Small car or compact | €37 to €96 a day, €54 on average |
| Vehicle | A city car or compact: everything is tarmac. Lots of electric cars (ID.3); they pay less on the ferries. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Bergen Flesland Airport; a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Insurance | CDW included, excess up to NOK 20,000; Supercover brings it down to NOK 2,000 (Hertz). |
| Age | 19 and a licence held for one year; NOK 130 a day under 25 at Hertz. |
| Card | Credit card in the driver's name, with a hold of at least NOK 3,000 (Hertz). |
| Tolls, ferries, parking | Recharged after the rental; for unpaid parking, a NOK 375 admin fee at Hertz. |
| Winter tyres | Fitted from 1 November to the Monday after Easter Monday (Hertz). |
⚠️ The included CDW leaves an excess of up to NOK 20,000 (≈ €1,850) per claim; Supercover brings it down to NOK 2,000.
Valid for as long as it is valid at home (Norway is in the EEA), with no International Driving Permit; rental companies require a licence held for one year. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
Dipped headlights compulsory day and night, even at the height of summer.
50 in town (30 in residential areas), 80 by default, 90 to 110 on signposted expressways.
Strict checks; in practice, not a single drink before driving.
Holding a phone while driving is banned; hands-free kit only.
Cameras and tags. The rental company recharges you; a foreign-registered car receives an invoice, unless registered with Epass24.
Number plate photographed on boarding and billed to the owner; on some routes, pay by card on board.
Since September 2026, for two years, except at Christmas, Easter and for a few weeks in summer.
Follow the signs on descents and fill up before the passes; closures possible at night and in bad weather.
Never enter a closed tunnel; keep a steady speed and a safe distance.
≈ €2.75 per litre (NOK 29.63 on 21 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,538 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €300 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
A sharp rise: NOK 19.42 on average in August (SSB). Diesel NOK 28.30. Fill up before the Sognefjellet and the passes.
| Bergen, city toll ring | NOK 38 per pass, NOK 70 at peak times |
|---|---|
| Hardanger Bridge (Rv13) | NOK 143 per crossing |
| Kvam (Rv7), Kristiansund (Rv70), Molde (E39), Ålesund | NOK 31 to 44 per toll point |
| Nibbevegen to Dalsnibba (private road) | NOK 350 to 385 per car |
| Atlantic Road and its tunnel, Lærdal Tunnel, Trollstigen, Sognefjellet | Free |
| Ferries on the loop, car under 6 m | NOK 69 to 116 per crossing; Utne-Kinsarvik free |
| Eidsdal-Linge, Åfarnes-Sølsnes and Sykkylven-Magerholm ferries | Higher summer fares from 1 May to 31 August |
| Electric car | Cheaper ferries: NOK 57 instead of 81 on Eidsdal-Linge |
| Trollstigen (Fv63) | From October to late April or May; reopened on 29 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Fv63 Geiranger-Langvatnet | From mid-November to around late April |
| Nibbevegen to Dalsnibba | From October to mid-May; snow possible from September |
| Sognefjellet (Fv55) | From late November or December to April or early May |
| Aurlandsfjellet, the Snow Road | From October or November to June; Aurland-Stegastein open all year |
| Gaularfjellet (Fv613, Mel-Mjell) | Roughly 20 November to late March |
| Lærdal Tunnel (E16) | Every night from 18:00 to 06:00, September 2026 to 2028 |
| Passes, after opening | Closures possible at night and in bad weather |
Allow 10 to 14 days. Our loop from Bergen has 10 stages and 13 nights, about 1,600 km with eight ferry crossings. In 7 days, keep Flåm, the Sognefjellet, Geiranger and the Trollstigen. Preikestolen adds two to three days.
For 14 days in July 2026: about €1,100 of car hire (€84 a day, Kayak average), €300 of petrol at September 2026 prices for about 1,600 km, €60 of ferries, €55 of tolls and €35 for Dalsnibba. In January, hire drops to around €41 a day, but the passes are closed.
Nothing to do on the spot: tolls and ferries work with AutoPASS. A camera reads the number plate, the invoice goes to the rental company, which charges it to your card. On some ferries, you can also pay by card on board. With your own car, registering with Epass24 avoids the owner-tracing fees.
Usually from May to October. In 2026, Trollstigen reopened on 29 April; it closes in October and can close at night or in bad weather after opening. The road to Dalsnibba, above Geiranger, was open from 12 May to 3 October in 2025.
Yes, with two to three extra days. From Bergen, the E39 heads south to Stavanger with two ferries (NOK 176 and 178): allow five to six hours to Jørpeland, at the foot of the trail. You then rejoin Lofthus via the Rv13, the Hjelmeland-Nesvik ferry (NOK 63) and Odda. Ryfast tunnel: NOK 119; parking: NOK 275.
Not with an EU licence: Norway is part of the EEA, and an EU licence remains valid there for as long as it is valid in the country that issued it. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. Rental companies usually require a licence held for one year, a minimum age of 19 at Hertz and a credit card in the driver's name. Under 25, Hertz charges NOK 130 a day.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/norway · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
