We call our vacationing style: "Through The Screen Door Travel". To us, this means extensive preplanning before we go. We had reservations for every night, we had maps of all the towns we visited. We got as many hiking trail maps that we could find on the internet. With this preparation, we decided that a 24 hour Oslo pass was worth purchasing, but a 24 hour Bergen card was not. I tried to locate waterfalls and glaciers and viewpoints so that we wouldn't miss seeing stuff that was close to our route. I guess all this planning removes the "surprise and spontaneity" that some people enjoy so much when they travel, but by pre-planning, we were able to cram a lot of stuff into each day and see many of the major highlights.

Norway is expensive. Even though everyone warns you how expensive Norway is, you will still be surprised at how much everything costs. I didn't expect all the extra fees - the parking fees, the toll roads and the charges for renting a towel or sheets for the bed at the hostels and cabins. A couple places charged for WiFi. If you bring your own towel, you could probably save $50 on a trip like ours.

We read on-line that all the grocery stores are closed on Sundays, but that is not true - they merely had reduced hours. Gas stations are not hard to find, and they are open Sundays. However, if you have an "American style" credit card like ours, don't try to use the automated "kiosk" gas stations that are unmanned. We found that the Esso gas stations had the capability of taking a credit card where you still signed the receipt rather than typing in a 4 digit pass code.

If you don't have a chip in your credit card, you have to pay cash on all ferries. Other commercial enterprises, such as parking, toll roads, restaurants and admissions may also require you to pay cash if you do not have a credit card with an embedded chip that allows you to enter a 4 digit code.

When you rent a car, they install a box that automatically records the tolls on public roads, (Norway has a lot of toll roads). So you have no idea how much you are racking up in tolls as you drive around the country. I am actually pleasantly surprised at how low our final total was, I expected it to be much higher.

Norway is super expensive, and they charge for things such as towels or linens at hostels or charge you for parking at attractions. Alcohol is extraordinarily expensive. We brought some food with us, and cooked a number of our own meals to reduce expenses.

Watch out for speed trap cameras. These cameras are posted throughout the country, including a couple we saw inside the tunnels. Usually there is a sign warning you of an upcoming camera. Of course the locals know where all these cameras are, so they only catch tourists. I drove slowly, but I still wasn't sure if I was piling up speeding fines. The cameras have LEDs below them, and some of them were red when we went by. Later, I was told that if the camera doesn't flash, then you were not caught for speeding. We didn't see any flashes, so I guess I was okay. The speed limit is usually 70 kph on the roads we took. On the major "highways", there are no signs that I could see, but I think the default speed there is 80 kph. I often would pull over at bus stops (which are plentiful) to allow the faster drivers to get past me.

Because the speed limit is only 70 kph or 80 kph, it takes a long time to get any where - thats roughly 45 mph or 55 mph. The roads are often narrow, with steep climbs and tight turns. Some roads are so narrow they are literally only a single lane wide - when you meet an oncoming car, someone has to pull into the weeds or backup to the nearest turnout. I was surprised at how aggressively some the on-coming drivers were - not only did they not slow down, they didn't even slide over much. I usually slowed down and tried to put my right wheels onto the white line on the edge of the road, but often there are guardrails or rock walls there. The roads have no shoulders. None. I would never ride a bicycle in Norway. There are so many tunnels (which obviously a cyclist can not enter) that it would be quite difficult for a biker to plot a course that avoided every tunnel.

Don't go to Norway in August. We experienced a lot of rain. We had rain every day except for four days near the end of trip. The rain was not persistent, and often was only a light shower (though there were a few impressive deluges), but there were often clouds obscure the tremendous views. I was a bit frustrated by the clouds. Ultimately, the rain and clouds didn't prevent us from doing too many of the hikes, but I would have enjoyed more sunshine. The locals told us that if only we had come in June and July, they had sun and warm weather every day. So I am telling you to visit Norway in June and July and avoid August, and especially avoid September, which I believe is Norway's wettest month. However, the savvy travelers all know about the Norway weather patterns, and I was told that crowding at the tourists spots is intense in June and July (for example, you won't be able to find parking spots, and a popular trail such as Pulpit Rock will be swarmed.)

However, don't go to Norway in May, even though I think that is the driest month. Norway is far north, and the snow will still be on the trails and and high passes. Scenic route 51, the Dalsnibba viewpoint, and the Troll Road do not open until late May. Here is chart of the yearly opening dates of the Troll Road. You don't want to miss the best trails and roads of Norway because they are still closed due to snow.

I rented our car from National Rental Car rather than Europcar because it was cheaper, despite the fact that National and Europcar are apparently the same company in Norway. We got a manual transmission, which is what everyone drives in Europe. Manual transmission is useful for some of the steep winding roads in Norway. We had a Peugot 208, which seemed like a nice car to me, but Melanie found that the passenger seat was extremely uncomfortable for long driving days. I thought renting a car was crucial for visiting the places we wanted to see. Relying on public transportation would have made it quite difficult to reach trailheads and viewpoints. Nor is public transportation cheap. A 10 minute bus ride in Oslo will cost NOK 31 (about $6), and if you don't purchase the ticket from a kiosk before boarding the bus, then the fare is increased by an additional NOK 50. In other words, if you try to pay the bus driver for your bus ticket instead of using a prepurchased ticket, you will be penalized about $8 additional dollars.

I kept track of every expense we paid in Norway. My optimistic goal was to do the entire vacation for $8000 or less. We actually beat that target (much to my surprise). We got lucky in that the most expensive hotel on our itinerary, Hotel Union Øye, ended up giving us a free room for the night because they didn't have any rooms left with a bathroom en-suite (This surprised me, because just two weeks before the trip I had sent an email to each of our lodging destinations, and all replied that they did indeed have our reservation on record.) Hotel Union Øye put us up in a little tiny room on the top floor with bunk beds and a steeply sloping ceiling - but on the other hand it was entirely free, so we were glad to take it.

We saved some money because it turned out almost every place we stayed, including the hostels but not the cabins, included a free breakfast. Not all of the hotels mentioned on their website that they served a free breakfast, so I expected we would have to pay for one on some mornings. But I guess a free breakfast is so standard in Norway that it is a given; not worth mentioning on the webpage. We ate huge breakfasts and had the lightest of lunches - just power bars, granola bars, apples - light food we could eat on the trails.

Our biggest savings was the fact we brought about 40 lbs of food with us and cooked 12 dinners in the various kitchens of the cabins and hostels where we stayed. Yes, it is a cheapskate approach to bring all that food, but if we had bought dinner every night, I estimate we would have spent an extra $800 on food. Not to mention the fact that we had some long days, and it was nice to get to a place late and just cook up some rice or noodles, rather than trying to find a restaurant and wait to order expensive food.

Below is a chart I made of the places that served breakfast, and the places where kitchens were available for us to do our own cooking. When a cabin or hostel had a kitchen, then the following morning we had the opportunity to cook oatmal for breakfast (the little blue arrows from the kitchen blocks point to the days where we could cook our own breakfast.)

Item	Norwegian Krones	US dollars	Funds	Comments
Torvik - Jonday Ferry	NOK 120	$19.10	Cash	One car/driver + 1 passenger
Nesvik - Hjelmeland Ferry	NOK 95	$15.10	Cash	One car/driver + 1 passenger
Hjelmeland - Nesvik Ferry	NOK 95	$15.10	Cash	One car/driver + 1 passenger
Fodnes - Mannheller Ferry	NOK 103	$16.30	Cash	One car/driver + 1 passenger
Geiranger - Hellesylt Ferry	NOK 480	$76.41	CCard	One car/driver + 1 passenger
Stranda - Liabygda Ferry	NOK 95	$15.10	Cash	One car/driver + 1 passenger
Gjendesheim - Memurubu Ferry	NOK 240	$38.20	Cash	2 passengers to Besseggem Ridge trailhead
Ferrys Total	NOK 1228	$195.47
Bergen City Toll	NOK 25	$3.98	Autopass	Tolls are automatically charged to rental car
Bergen City Toll	NOK 25	$3.98	Autopass	We accidentally drove into Bergen center twice
Toll near Kvam	NOK 43	$6.84	Autopass	Toll for town east of Bergen
Folgefonntunnelen Toll	NOK 100	$15.92	Autopass	Toll for 11 km long tunnel under Folgefunn mtn
Hardangerbrau Toll	NOK 150	$23.88	Autopass	Toll for giant tunnel network, including underground roundabout
Voss og Omland Toll	NOK 43	$6.84	Autopass	Tunnel toll near Voss
Dalsnibba Toll	NOK 100	$15.92	Cash	Toll to drive to viewpoint above Geiranger Fjord
Venjae Toll	NOK 50	$7.96	Cash	Toll to Romsdalseggen trailhead
Rondane Toll	NOK 20	$3.18	Cash	Toll to Mt Storronden trailhead
Visdalsen Toll	NOK 80	$12.73	Cash	Toll for road to Visdalsen Valley in Jotunheim
Bærum-ringen Toll	NOK 15.50	$2.47	Autopass	Freeway toll for entering Oslo
Oslo Bomring Toll	NOK 31	$4.93	Autopass	Oslo City Toll
Tolls Total	NOK 682.5	$108.64
Esso Gas	NOK 271	$43.14	CCard	18.6 liters of gas
Esso Gas	NOK 300	$47.75	CCard	19.75 liters of gas
Esso Gas	NOK 300	$47.75	CCard	20.02 liters of gas
Esso Gas	NOK 240	$38.20	CCard	15.36 liters of gas
Esso Gas	NOK 225	$35.82	CCard	15.88 liters of gas
Statoil Gas	NOK 201	$32.00	CCard	12.95 liters of gas
Esso Gas	NOK 360	$57.1	CCard	22.80 liters of gas
Statoil Gas	NOK 267	$42.50	CCard	16.90 liters of gas
Gas Total	NOK 2164	$344.47
Bergen Parking	NOK 130	$20.69	Cash	All day parking at Bergen Bus Station
Pulpit Rock Parking	NOK 100	$15.92	Cash	Pretty steep fee for a few hours of parking
Nigardsbreen Parking	NOK 40	$6.37	Cash	Access road to Nigardsbreen glacier
Brenndalsbreen Parking	NOK 50	$7.96	Cash	Parking at Brenndalsbreen trail head
Mt Slogen Parking	NOK 40	$6.37	Cash	Parking at base of trail
Besseggen Parking	NOK 100	$15.92	Cash	Parking for Besseggen Ridge trail
Parking Total	NOK 460	$73.23
Round trip tickets to Norway	NOK 12426	$1978	CCard	Icelandair, through Keflavik
Car Rental	NOK 7822	$1245	CCard	National Car, through Europcar
Transport Total	NOK 24782.5	$3944.81
Deposit for Bergen Montana Hostel	NOK 102	$16.24	CCard	Book a room with 2 beds and a bathroom
Bergen Montana Hostel	NOK 1738	$276.66	CCard	Two nights, includes NOK 38 for linens and towels
Washing Machine Token	NOK 25	$3.98	Cash	Wash clothes at Bergen Montana, dryer is free.
Verkshotellet Jørpeland	NOK 1390	$221.26	CCard	Room with bathroom and two beds, includes breakfast
Voss Hostel	NOK 980	$156.00	CCard	Includes breakfast, linens, and NOK 50 for towels
Deposit for Flåm Hostel	NOK 52	$8.28	CCard	Includes breakfast
Flåm Hostel	NOK 853	$135.78	CCard	Towels are NOK 20 each
Jostedal Hotel	NOK 1070	$170.32	CCard	One night, including breakfast
Melkevoll Bretun Cabins	NOK 1560	$248.32	CCard	Two nights in cabin #3
Washer and Dryer at Melkevoll	NOK 40	$6.37	Cash	NOK 20 per machine
Hotel Union Øye	Free	$0.00	CCard	Hotel lost our reservation, despite confirming it before we left
Hotel Stranda	NOK 1350	$214.89	CCard	One night, includes breakfast
Deposit for Åndalsnes Hostel	NOK 43	$6.84	CCard	One night
Åndalsnes Hostel	NOK 788	$125.43	CCard	One night, including sheets and towels
Trolltun Guesthouse	NOK 895	$142.47	CCard	One night
Maurvangen Cabin	NOK 1860	$296.08	CCard	Two nights, includes NOK 200 for sheets
Washer and Dryer at Maurvangen	NOK 60	$9.55	Cash	NOK 30L for each
Strind-Gard Farm Cabin	NOK 1400	$222.85	Cash	Two nights at the sheep farm
Hotel Saga Oslo	NOK 2190	$341.61	CCard + Cash	Two nights, includes breakfast
Lodging Total	NOK 16396	$2609.93
Fantoft Stave Church	NOK 100	$15.92	Cash	Two admissions
Mount Ulriken cable car	NOK 180	$28.65	CCard	Two one-way tickets to the top (walk down)
Bergen Guided (English) City Walk	NOK 240	$38.20	CCard	Two tickets, includes Bryggen and Hanseatic museums
Mount Fløyen Funicular	NOK 170	$27.06	CCard	Two round trip tickets
Fossli Hotel Parking	Free	$0.00	CCard	Vøringsfoss viewpoint - no one manning parking booth
Flåm-Gudvangen-Flåm Fjord Tour	NOK 1180	$187.83	CCard	Two roundtrip tickets
Flam Railway	NOK 800	$127.34	CCard	Two roundtrip tickets
Norway Magnet	NOK 45	$7.16	CCard	A Souvenir
Norway Magnet	NOK 45	$7.16	CCard	A Second Souvenir
Olden Valley Map	NOK 50	$7.96	Cash	Trails, contour lines and glaciers
Norway TShirt	NOK 115	$18.31	CCard	Embroidered Norway Logo
Urnes Stave Church	NOK 160	$25.47	Cash	Two admissions + guided tour
Oslo Pass	NOK 580	$92.32	Cash	Two twenty-four passes
Viking Ship Museum	Free	$0.00	Oslo Pass	Free with Oslo pass, would have been NOK 120
Kon Tiki Museum	Free	$0.00	Oslo Pass	Free with Oslo pass, would have been NOK 180
Polar Ship Museum	Free	$0.00	Oslo Pass	Free with Oslo pass, would have been NOK 160
Nobel Peace Center	Free	$0.00	Oslo Pass	Free with Oslo pass, would have been NOK 180
Akershus Fortress	Free	$0.00	Oslo Pass	Free with Oslo pass, would have been NOK 140
Vigland Sculpture Park Book	NOK 69	$10.98	Cash	A Souvenir book
Entertainment Total	NOK 3734	$594.38
6 Apples	NOK 28	$4.46	Cash	At Bergen Joker store
Pizzabakeren	NOK 125	$19.90	CCard	Large Ham & Mushroom pizza
Two Bjornburgers	NOK 256	$40.75	CCard	Two burgers at Jostedal Hotel
Rema 1000 market	NOK 67	$10.67	CCard	6 apples, 2 oranges, 3 bananas
Hotel Øye Lunch	NOK 590	$93.92	CCard	Lambshanks, mashed potatoes, asparagus
Siena Pizza & Grill	NOK 275	$43.77	Cash	Two burgers with fries and diet Cokes
MegaCoop market	NOK 81	$12.89	CCard	4 oranges, 6 bananas, 1 bell pepper, green onions
Dolly Dimples Pizza	NOK 269	$42.82	Cash	One large ham & mushroom pizza
Mama's Pizza	NOK 328	$52.21	Cash	Large ham and mushroom pizza & a diet coke
Subway	NOK 84	$13.37	Cash	A footlong turkey sandwich
Food Total	NOK 2103	$334.76
Grand Total	NOK 47015.5	$7483.96

Normally, I rely heavily on Moon and Lonely Planet handbooks when planning a trip. But Moon doesn't have a Norway guide, and the country of Norway has some excellent website tools, so I relied mostly on those when making plans. Here are some links to websites that I found quite useful.

visitnorway.com This is an awesome site for finding hikes, hotels and activities

ut.no Once I found a hike on visitnorway.com, I could usually find contour and elevation maps for that hike at this site.

Switchback Travel lists some great hikes in Norway

Scandinavian Mountains also lists some hiking info

gonorsk.com is road map planning tool of Norway

besthike.com is a great site about hikes all over the world

beinnorway.com has info of other attractions besides hiking

Some info about tolls

This road map was pretty useful, it had all but the smallest of roads. Plus it marked some viewpoints and names of waterfalls

Guide books we used (though not extensively)

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If I were to return to Norway, there are many things I would want to see that we missed the first time. My number one priority would be to do a hut to hut hiking experience in Jotunheim National Park. The hut are actually the size of inns. They have kitchens with stoves. Some of the huts are manned, you can buy food there. They have washrooms and beds. This means that if you hike from hut to hut you don't have to carry a tent nor do you need to carry food or a stove. You will need to bring a sleeping bag though. We stopped at Patchell hut on our Mount Slogen and found that it was an "unmanned hut", meaning that it has no warden. The users of the hut simply check in, and then go to the store - and take what ever food supplies they want. At the end of the trip, the send in a letter to the DNT describing what food they used, and how long they stayed in the hut, and the DNT sends them a bill - it is entirely on the honor system. I was quite impressed that such a system could work.

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