After spending an unforgettable week hiking in the Lofoten Islands with the girls, we continue on a road trip in a 4×4 equipped with a roof tent in the heart of the Norwegian lands and fjords. It was the travel and adventure company Travel Base that asked me to come and test their Nordic itinerary in collaboration. I had already left with them in 2024 to discover the Amalfi Coast on a Vespa with my mother, we loved the concept and our week! Besides, if it’s a road trip that may interest you, know that it is still offered and that it is a hit every summer!
How long do the stays last? Everyone can participate?
The itinerary designed by the Nordics Nomads lasts 7 days and 7 nights! I preferred to choose Norway because I had never been there and this country was on my bucket list, but know that they offer the same concept as Iceland! Departures are offered from June to September each year but places go quite quickly, if you are interested in leaving in 2024, please note that pre-registrations are available now (which will allow you to reserve your place 24 hours before the big public) and that real registrations will be available in the fall. You only need to be 21 years old and have held your license for 2 years to be able to drive the 4×4 and take part in this adventure.
What is included in the price? What is not?
The price offered by Nordics Nomads includes the rental of a 4×4 equipped with a roof tent, 7 nights at selected campsites, GPS, tolls, sleeping bags, pillows, camping table with chairs, and all the kitchen equipment you need! You must be a minimum of 2 people to be able to book a stay, if there are 3 of you an additional tent will be provided to you for the nights camping.
What is not included in the booking price will be return flights to Bergen, food packs, the shuttle between the airport and the base camp, gasoline, and of course fines if you overindulge. speed during your road trip. Activities will also be offered to you when you book; canyoning, kayaking, and/or electric cycling (or not)! You can find the price of all these options directly on the Nordic Nomads website.
Do we have to follow the group?
No way! Once you collect your 4×4 from the base camp, you are completely free to create the route you want! You can follow the daily program to the letter and tailor-made by the Nordics Nomads, select only certain spots to see and choose others that you perhaps find more interesting for your part (which is what I did), or simply follow your desires! The only imperative is to be back at base camp on time at the end of the week with a car as clean as you left it on the first day. On the other hand, paid campsites cannot be moved. This will be the only thing “lost” if you decide to leave on your own. The rangers will be available almost 24/7 to answer your questions during the road trip, and they will send you a short message recap of the day ahead every morning!
Driving in Norway: Norway is one of the strictest countries in the world when it comes to traffic laws, and more particularly speeding! The fines you can get are prohibitive (for 20 km/h excess, this goes up to €800 fine, and for 5 km/h €80) and penalties even go as far as a prison. for that. You will therefore quickly realize that people ride “coolly”, with a lot of distance and space. There are speed cameras everywhere and in all their forms (traditional at the side of the road, cameras, before and after tunnels to average your speed, etc.), so I advise you to stay just below the limit. authorized during all your travels and take a good look at the road signs which are constantly changing. On national roads, it is generally 80km/h (which can turn into 70km/h or 60km/h on certain sections) and 50km/h in town (which can turn into 40km/h and 30 km/h on certain sections ). But in all cases, whether day or night, you must drive with your low-beam lights on.
As for ferries, you will surely have a few to take during your road trip, because for Norwegians it is like an extension of the road! No need to book them in advance, just follow your GPS and arrive in front, the people who work on-site will take care of scanning your plate if you have a rental vehicle. It will be very quick and you will hardly notice anything! The amount will then be directly requested by your rental company upon your return, or, as is the case for Nordic Nomads, debited directly from your deposit.
Bratte waterfall and Steinsdalsfossen
We were initially supposed to arrive in Bergen late in the morning, but being in Lofoten the first week, we had to take a flight that landed us there around 5 p.m. This means we miss the transfer shuttle organized by the Nordic Nomads, and we end up paying €70 for a taxi for a 25-minute drive. So the first advice I can give you regarding this experience; is don’t miss the shuttle! So it was late in the afternoon that we arrived at the base camp and met Marie, a French woman who had come to spend her summer season in Norway. She introduces us to our car, a Toyota RAV4 hybrid equipped with a roof tent with sleeping bags, pillows, and all the camping equipment we will need during this week. She finishes by showing us how the car works, and giving us our precious road map for the next few days! This notebook retraces day by day the tailor-made itinerary designed by the Nordics Nomads team, with all the spots to see far from the crowds.
We also discovered our vegetarian food, a huge box filled with food to cook during the week; fajitas, pesto pasta, masala rice, puree, fruit, muesli, and plenty of freeze-dried sachets to eat in seconds and not waste time at lunch. Besides, we found them delicious, and many of you asked me for the brand on Instagram; this is Adventure Food. The cachew rice was my favorite and that was good because there was a double in the box!