Embarking on one of our most spontaneous international adventures yet, we turned a 10-day window in 2023 into an unforgettable journey through Norway. Despite juggling Sierra’s recent promotion and our full-time jobs, we managed to plan this last-minute escapade around her birthday over Labor Day weekend (Ridley had PTO to use, Sierra ended up working for 2 days of the trip). Originally eyeing Colombia, we pivoted to Norway due to work limitations. While Sierra’s job does allow a lot of flexibility with remote work, one limitation is that she can’t work from countries with Level 3 travel advisories, which is where Columbia fell at the time. While Columbia is still somewhere we’d like to visit, we were blown away by Norway’s breathtaking landscapes, charming towns, and vibrant colors. We’ll share with you how we made this unforgettable trip a reality with less than 30 days of planning.
Decision to Visit Norway:
Norway beckoned us with its scenic hiking trails, uncrowded spaces, and a personal connection – Sierra’s family heritage. Our main concerns? Finding vegetarian options for Ridley among the whale meat and preparing for Norway’s famed high prices.
Itinerary Planning with Wanderlog
Wanderlog has become our go-to travel companion, perfectly balancing Sierra’s meticulous planning with Ridley’s appreciation for well-designed apps. After booking our Delta flights to Bergen and from Oslo for $1460 each, we dove into Wanderlog. We compiled a list of must-visit places, from our Lonely Planet guidebook to TikTok and ChatGPT insights. The app’s map view was invaluable in shaping our itinerary, helping us visualize our road trip and prioritize adventures.
Renting a Car and Planning the Road Trip
One of the reasons we were so excited about Norway was the idea of exploring the western fjords, so we rented a car to have the most flexibility. Although we drove over 20 hours, there were few dull moments. We were constantly weaving in and out of stunning fjords and alpine landscapes. Long tubes of supermarket popcorn kept us well fueled.
Identifying where we wanted to stay first allowed us to start to block out the trip and look for key stops and activities for each day. When we were there, the car also gave us flexibility to shift our plans based on what we’d heard about or how we were feeling.
One of the best perks of Sierra’s Capital One Venture X card is the Hertz President’s Circle status, which gives you a 2nd free driver and automatic upgrades. We took advantage of this and booked a car directly through Hertz (although we’ve since learned you can still get President’s Circle perks when booking through sites like Priceline.com).
We opted for a gas car to avoid charging delays in our tight itinerary, but Norway has a very robust network of chargers. If we did it again with more time, we’d opt to reduce our impact with an EV.
5-Day Western Fjords Roadtrip Itinerary:
Day 1: Bergen —> Flåm
Day 2: Flåm —> Geiranger
Day 3: Geiranger —> Ålesund
Day 4: Ålesund with a day trip to Trollstigen
Day 5: Ålesund —> Bergen
Planning Accommodations:
For hotels in Bergen and Oslo, we took advantage of credit card points/credit we had saved up (Capital One Venture X for Sierra, Chase Sapphire Preferred for Ridley) and booked centrally located, mid-budget options. The highlight? The lavish Scandinavian breakfasts, including Sierra’s favorite waffles with brown cheese, whipped cream, and berries. Navigating accommodations in the fjords was trickier since we didn’t plan very far in advance. We were coming across somewhat dingy looking motels for over $200/night, or just running into “no results found” on AirBnB. We opted for quaint cabins and cottages that ended up being perfect for our level of comfort. Our favorite was a charming cottage in Geiranger, complete with a mossy roof and a fjord-facing porch.
In Ålesund, we spent 2 nights at THE most perfect hygge apartment that Ridley found on AirBnB. Every detail was dreamy, it had everything we needed, it was centrally located, and even had a fireplace we used when it was rather stormy one afternoon. Highly recommend (link here)!
Exploring Bergen and Oslo:
We spent our first evening of the trip in Bergen, as well as the day we ended our roadtrip. While the waterfront Bryggen area is rather touristy, we loved the views and energy in this small city. Our hotel (Scandic Torget Bergen) was right across from the water, close to parks and the popular fishmarket (where there is no shortage of whale meat). Sierra spent an afternoon working from the hotel, while Ridley explored and checked out some of the museums on his own. One of the highlights we did before the work day started was the Fløibanen funicular, which is a mountain cable car that takes you up the hillside for stunning views of Bergen. We were surprised to find goats walking around that you were able to pet and take photos with.
We flew from Bergen to Oslo, where we spent the last two nights of our trip. More on this below, but a word of caution is to check which airport in Oslo you’re flying into, as we learned the hard way there’s more than one…a true “global stumble” moment.
Oslo felt like a bigger city, but was fairly walkable and safe. Sierra spent another afternoon working from the hotel while Ridley checked out the National Museum, home to Edvard Munch’s ‘Scream.’ We rode city scooters to the Vigeland Park, which is famous for its whimsical nude sculptures filling the park.
Challenges and Final Thoughts
As alluded to above, the biggest mistake (which ended up adding to the adventure) was booking the wrong airport in Oslo. We booked the flight from Bergen to Sandefjord Airport, which is 170km from Oslo Airport… It was most comical when we checked in for our flight in Bergen and the baggage attendant asked “where are you heading?” and chuckled when we responded with “Oslo!” “You’re not going to Oslo,” she said a bit too seriously. While this resulted in a few moments of flustered panic (especially as Sierra planned to work that afternoon from Oslo), we pulled it together and figured out we could catch a shuttle bus into Oslo (seems we’re not the only ones who have made this mistake, as there is an entire Reddit thread dedicated to it).
Though we anticipated Seattle-like temperatures this time of year, Norway’s chill near the fjords left us wishing for extra layers. Nevertheless, our trip was nothing short of spectacular, from awe-inspiring fjord and glacier views to quaint Norwegian towns and friendly people. Norway now ranks as one of our top travel destinations, and we’re already dreaming of a return trip, with the Lofoten Islands high on our list.
Let us know if you have any questions about how we pulled this last minute trip together, the places we visited, or Wanderlog! We’d also love to hear any of your experiences in Norway and where we should go next time!
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