Choosing where to stay in Ålesund is easier when you know how you want to use the town. This road-trip focused guide compares the best areas to stay, including central Ålesund, the harbour, quieter edges of town and practical parking considerations, plus our stay at Thon Hotel Ålesund.
Choosing where to stay in Bergen is easier once you know how you want to use the city. This guide compares the city centre, Bryggen, Bergen Station, Nordnes and practical light rail areas, including where we stayed with a car outside the centre.
Choosing where to stay in Stavanger is slightly different when you have a car. This road-trip focused guide compares the centre, harbour, Old Stavanger, airport area and practical out-of-centre stays, including our experience at Quality Hotel Pond.
Åndalsnes is not a place where you need to pack in endless attractions, but it can make a lovely Norway road trip stop. We drove there via the scenic E136, explored the town, took the Romsdalen Gondola, stopped at Eggen Café, walked part of the Rampestreken trail, saw the Golden Train at the station and had a delicious lunch at Sødahlhuset.
Norway tolls are one of those things that can feel confusing before a road trip because you often do not stop, do not pay there and then, and may not even realise what has happened until later. On our trip, the tolls were easy, fuel was no problem at all, and parking was the part that felt most annoying because it seemed to be paid almost everywhere.
Renting a car in Norway is fairly straightforward, but there are a few things worth knowing before you book. We hired a car for our 3-week Norway road trip and found a few surprises along the way, from how many electric cars there were to what it was like driving a hybrid for the first time.