The last time I was in Norway I was climbing a glacier, kayaking fjords and cycling over mountains with the Royal Marines. I’d joined them to report on a training exercise and while the experience was knackering it was a hell of an adventure. It was also a country that had stolen my heart, unbelievably beautiful with the most incredible natural scenery. I was desperate to return…

Thankfully the chance came this summer and I switched sweating and heaving my way up hills for a more relaxing way of travelling (a welcome relief being 4 months pregnant!). Last year, my family and I teamed up with Bailey of Bristol to take the Autograph 74-4 to Northumberland. It was one of our favourites ever family holidays. We were also complete newbies to the world of motorhoming but were hooked after this experience. It also seeded the beginning of an idea – perhaps my husband Charlie and I could take our daughter Willow on a Norwegian adventure. When Bailey agreed to lend us the motorhome for a three-week European trip it was the start of another memory-making holiday.

We took the ferry from Dover to Calais (there used to be direct ferries from the UK to Norway but these seem to have stopped). We then drove up through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark before taking the ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand. Our return route took us via Sweden so we really felt as if we’d seen and experienced a lot of Europe over the three weeks we were away. Of all the places we visited though, Norway was our absolute highlight, primarily because the motorhome allowed us to really immerse ourselves in some wild places. Here are a few tips that came in very handy for our adventure – and hopefully yours too.

There is something called the right to roam in Norway. The Norwegian tourism board says this gives you free access to the countryside as long as you tread lightly (i.e. park at least 150m away from inhabited houses and cabins). Part of the charm of this adventure for us was staying off-grid and I would highly recommend it. With a fridge and hot water system that can run off both electricity and gas, life in a Bailey motorhome means that as long as you’re organised you really can experience the freedom of the open road. One sticking point, however, is the gas supply. European gas bottles often don’t work with UK vehicles unless you’ve fitted an adapter. Alternatively, stock up with spare bottles before you go.

One slight worry we had about heading to Norway is how expensive it can be. While the cost of ferries can add up (and are worth budgeting for) we were surprised that Norway cost us less than we thought. The country is massively well set up for motorhoming – there are designated areas on the side of the road for emptying waste and grey water and refilling with fresh water. This meant we didn’t have to stay in campsites each night (which, when driving to Norway, cost us an average of 25-30 Euros per night) and massively helped our budget. We also planned ahead and took out basic supplies from the UK and picked up extra bits in Lidl and Aldi as we drove through the continent. Eating out in restaurants in Norway is expensive and so being able to cook each meal in the motorhome for the three of us definitely saved the pennies.

Much of the nervousness (and also excitement) around going off-grid comes from not knowing where you’re to stay each night. There are several apps that offer suggestions for places to stay. Our favourite, however, was Park4Night as each potential spot is reviewed and rated by fellow travellers. This meant we could wake up each day, have a loose plan and then drive to a beauty spot that looked like it would suit our needs. Bobilplassen is a site recommended by the tourism board that has info on where to park and where to find waste disposal points (these are often signposted on the roads too).

Norway is popular with motorhomes during the summer months so find a site early. Most places that are recommended on apps don’t have enough space for more than a few campers so if you’re up for a more flexible and spontaneous way of travelling we found heading to a campsite early afternoon gave us the best chance of blagging a site with incredible views. It also means you can have a leisurely dip/walk/dinner – and if you have kids it gives them a chance to burn off some energy before bed.

We had three weeks to travel around Europe and when we set off we had grand plans of heading right up to the north of Norway. However, we quickly realised that if we did this we would be spending all our time driving and less time exploring – not ideal, especially with a toddler in tow. Instead, we focused on southern Norway which meant we could have an activity each day and yet still keep moving and seeing new things.

Also, if we were to do it again we’d probably do a few longer drives in order to get to Norway faster rather than take a week to travel up. Willow, like most children, has limited tolerance for living in a car seat we’d likely want to drive through the night so we could cover distance while she sleeps.

Before the trip, I’d read that some of the best, most beautiful fjords in Norway are further north and I was desperate to travel there. However, as time crept up on us we realised that longer distances would take away from the enjoyment of where we were. Ironically Norway is INSANELY beautiful so I really don’t feel like we missed out on anything. Actually, by taking it slower we really enjoyed what we’d chosen to do rather than constantly feeling in a rush. Some of our favourite places weren’t even on the tourist trail anyway.

For those that are interested some of our stops included:

• Lindesnes (a beach behind some woodland. A great place for kids to climb some rocky outcrops and paddle in the water)
• Edlandsvatnet (a nice, small little lake in which we had a swim)
• Jørpeland (we stayed in a campsite here the night before we hiked the famous Preikestolen – The Pulpit Rock).
• Røldal (a free park spot right next to some small but beautiful waterfalls)
• Eidfjord (our favourite camping spot next to the fjord, it was absolutely beautiful)

If you’re travelling to southern Norway, the waterfall Vøringsfoss is also just off the main road and was absolutely stunning and a real highlight. However, don’t get hung up on finding the “best places” as natural beauty is all around as you drive and having the motorhome to explore it with makes it so much more accessible. It was great to return to Norway – and hopefully the first of many trips we make there as a family.