Car Rental: Although this is relatively expensive in Norway, the benefits of motoring usually make it well worthwhile. The major international car rental companies all offer fully inclusive rates which are nearly always cheaper than renting locally. Currently rates start at about £350 per week, fully inclusive and available from locations throughout the country.

We offer car rental exclusively with Europcar as we have found their services to be exceptionally reliable over many years. We can give you a quote if you let us know your planned pick-up and return times and locations. You may be able to find lower rates elsewhere on the internet, but if you book through us you will have the benefit of our experience in keeping costs down, and also our support if anything should go wrong, either during or after the rental period. If you want us to arrange the accommodation only, you are of course free to make your own car rental arrangements if you wish.

When planning car rental bear in mind that the weekly rate is usually the same as for 5 days, and there are discounts available for periods of 14 days or more. ‘One way’ surcharges (pick-up in one place and return in another) are usually very high apart from between the main cities, so it is usually best to return the car to the same place. ‘Out of hours’ surcharges may also apply if you pick up outside of normal office hours and at weekends. Airports and city centre locations usually have longer opening hours. Child seats and ski racks are charged extra. From November to April there may be a ‘winterisation’ charge to cover the cost of special tyres which are essential for driving in the winter months.

Car Ferries: Some fjords and coastal waters still have to be crossed using local ferry services, but these are not expensive and often provide a welcome break from driving with toilets and cafeterias on board. They are a marvellous way of seeing some of the best of the fjord scenery. You simply drive on and off, but you are free to walk around the upper decks during the journey. A typical short fjord crossing costs about £8 - £10 for a car and family. There are also some longer tourist services which are the highlight of any fjord tour, such as Gudvangen - Kaupanger (2 hours) and Geiranger - Hellesylt (1 hour). Reservations are not normally required, though it is possible to pre-book a space on some of the longer services and might be worth doing in mid-summer. Relevant web sites are shown below.

Road Tolls

Tolls are becoming increasingly common on roads in Norway, and they are usually applied to pay for the construction of new bridges, tunnels or improved stretches of road. With just a few exceptions the charges are quite low and not a significant factor in planning a holiday.