Summer roadtrip in Scandinavia - need advice!
Hi all, we're planning an RV roadtrip to Scandinavia in July. We'll be taking off from France and so far we're clear on the route until we get to Denmark; the issue is picking between Sweden and Norway for the main leg of the trip. We take off July 5th from Paris and need to be back the 26th. Ideally we would have done a bit of both countries in that time, but I don't think that's realistic (I'm the only driver) and we don't want to rush.
I've trawled the internet for information and advice (Reddit, Youtube roadtrip sites etc), but it's only made it harder to choose. There are so many cool places to visit, and things to see and do! We're leaning towards Norway, but I'm looking for others' thoughts before making our final choice. Here's what we've considered so far:
- We want to focus on being in nature and enjoying the outdoors. Other than spending a day or two in Copenhagen, we're not really looking to stay in the big cities.
- We (well, my wife and kids) are pretty active. We'll probably be looking to go hiking, cycling, swimming, climbing, kayaking/paddling, etc. Between the two, Norway seems to have the most opportunities to do this?
- The RV is fairly large, more than 7m in length, so I'd rather not find myself driving on very small, tight and winding roads. I understand Sweden's roads are more forgiving in this regard?
- We want to avoid places that are overly crowded in the summmer. While places like Trolltunga and Lofoten are beautiful, I expect there will be a lot of tourists there at that time. We dont want to contribute to clogging roads and overcrowding.
- I have downloaded a bunch of apps and maps that give us info on places to park and sleep overnight. I'm not opposed to wild camping, but my main priority will be my family's safety. Staying at paid campsites is not an issue, but we also want some degree of freedom to move around.
- It seems our best option would be to stay in the southern areas of either/both, but I confess I'm tempted to visit a glacier if we can (though it's not a deal-breaker).
- I'm a birdwatcher (I know, summer is not the best period for this), so if anyone knows interesting spots for that I'm all ears!
I know that's a lot of information, but we'd be grateful for any thoughts that could help us make a decision and plan out our itinerary. Any tips you may have are very welcome!
Dane here.
Copenhagen is a wonderful city. If you want some specific recommendations, let me know what you are interested in (bakeries, restaurants, activities, etc). I know the city quite well.
Norway is great - beautiful nature, mountains, lots of places to hike and camp. It's not very different from Sweden though, but I'd go for Norway, especially if you only want to stay in the southern part. The southern part of Sweden is mostly forrest and lakes. Norway is all mountains from the south. You can find your own spots easily. Just bring mosquito repellent.
All countries are very safe, you shouldn't get any problems. Just to be sure to only camp where you are allowed to with an RV (again, I think Norway is a bit easier in this regard).
As for roads, you shouldn't have any problems - all countries have good roads for the most part.
For bird watching:
If you get to Northern Jutland (you can take the ferry to Norway from Hirtshals) I'd recommend going a little bit out of your way and visiting the areas around Lund Fjord: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sibtgYcWJtM3HGp26
It's a big, flat area close to the coast, and it's great for bird watching. Same goes for National Park Vadehavet, but it might be quite a way off your planned route: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pWCWrSzGUjuznmU66
Denmark is mostly a very flat country with many fields. The nature is not as interesting as Norway or Sweden (and there is not much of it). If you're interested, though, I can recommend some interesting spots for hikes.
Thank you this is great information! This confirms Norway is probably our best bet, it sounds like we'll get more variety there. I will certainly add Northern Jutland to the itinerary, it's exactly the kind of place I was looking for!
We're still deciding whether to stay a day or two in Copenhagen, especially for Tivoli which we visited over 4 years ago (and the kids loved), but the longer we stay the less time we'll have to explore Norway.
Noted on the mosquito repellent!
If you're going to Northern Jutland, you could go to Fårup Sommerland: https://www.faarupsommerland.dk/en/
It's quite nice, located in a forest and has fantastic roller coasters. It's also close to the sea for taking a dip. The sea-towns Blokhus and Løkken are close, but very touristy. They are quite nice though, especially Løkken.
This looks great!! We'll probably have to take a break in the area before doing any more driving so I'll definitely see if we can fit this in the itinerary. Thank you!
I hope you go, I love the place! They have free to use barbecues, so you can bring your own food and drinks, if you want.
Norwegian here.
We do have some famous glaciers in Southern Norway too, but they're not very easily accessible. You could for example make your way to Odda, then you're near Folgefonna, and you're in one of our famous fjords.
Thank you for the feedback. When you say less accessible, do you mean to drive there or to get on the glacier? We'd looked at going as far north as Geiranger, passing through Hardanger so Odda looks like a good bet for a glacier visit!
Most of them require a lengthy hike to get a good view, I believe.