Norway

     We spent 16 days in Norway and drove almost 2000km, although we’ve only been in the south.

     This country has a huge extension, they are almost 3000 km from one end to the other, which together with a lot of snow and the absence of motorways has made us stay in the south.

     When we think of Norway, the first thing that comes to mind is its beautiful fjords, with its imposing valleys and many snow-covered trees….. and to tell the truth, that’s what we’ve seen, a country with a unique natural beauty.

     First, Norway is a country, due to its extension and proximity to the North Pole, has areas with snow all year round, with sub-Arctic climate, dense forests and many lakes, so the crossing of this country, especially by car , requires some precautions and a bit of planning.

     We visited the country at the end of April and in the areas a little higher, or inland, were still covered with snow.

     The country has only 5 million inhabitants, so there are no big cities and the one that exist, are in the south and the coast.

     Roads are also very different because there are no motorways and the roads has only one lane for each direction, which is surrounded by lakes, valleys.

     The drivers drives slowly, without “rushing” to overtake us. In some areas, it is sometimes necessary to take ferries to continue travel.

     If you want to know more about driving in Norway read this post.

     There are no motorways, but there are Tolls to enter the cities, but since the only method of payment is automatic you need to have the AutoPass,

     For motorhomes it was one of the best countries we have been to, with many sites to fill the water tank, many rest areas, most next to lakes and very beautiful areas.

     Norway is a beautiful country, on of the most beautiful we have been, it has many green areas, lakes, waterfalls, hills, mountains, valleys and fjords. There are many trails and hikes that take us to spectacular sites, although the best time to do it is in the summer, when the snow disappears and leaves the routes more accessible.

    The standard of living is very high, diesel costs from € 1.20 / L to € 1.70 / L (the country with the highest price disparity we have been in), a package of cigarettes costs € 12 and in supermarkets the products are a lot more expensive than in Portugal.

     We were in Oslo, the capital of Norway, a capital different from the other European capitals but similar to the other Nordic capitals.

     In the suburbs there are no tall buildings, there are a lot of trees and if  just walk a few kilometers away from the center of the city you will be surrounded by nature.

     The city does not have many monuments, but it is a nice city, with beautiful zones, especially close to the sea.

     The Norwegians are a little cold, not big words, not big smiles. We always feel safe.