Norway, the perfect country to rent a RV

When you think of Norway, images of deep fjords, rugged mountains, cascading waterfalls, crystal-clear lakes, and fairy-tale forests are sure to come to mind. A road trip through Norway’s unparalleled natural beauty is high on many people’s bucket lists. Renting a car for a road trip is the obvious choice, but have you ever considered renting a campervan in Norway? With a campervan, you can truly experience the freedom of travel. You decide entirely for yourself where to stay a little longer or when to move on. When you rent a campervan in Norway, you have everything you need right at your fingertips and don’t have to search for a hotel or restaurant. And you don’t have to pack your bags or take down a tent before you can continue your journey. How wonderful is that?

If there’s one country that’s perfect for traveling through in a motorhome, it’s Norway. The Norwegians themselves have a strong connection to nature, and the outdoor lifestyle is deeply rooted in their culture. The quality of the roads and the facilities for RVs are excellent, and perhaps most notably: you’re allowed to camp in the wild in many places. This makes Norway the ideal destination for an RV road trip. Rent an RV for an unforgettable journey through Norway!

What Type of Campervan to Rent in Norway

To determine which campervan is best for a wonderful road trip through Norway, you need to ask yourself a few questions. The most important one is: how many people are traveling with you? For a couple, a smaller campervan is often more than enough, but a family with children would be wise to rent a larger campervan.

Next, tailor your choice of campervan to the route you plan to take. Some of the most scenic drives take you along narrow roads, especially around the fjords and high in the mountains. These roads are easier to navigate in a campervan than in a large, long motorhome. This is especially true if you’ve never driven a large motorhome before. That said, it’s not impossible to drive larger motorhomes on Norway’s narrower roads, but you’ll need to be extra careful.

Finally, when choosing which camper to rent, it’s important to consider how much comfort you want. The relatively small (and fuel-efficient, so budget-friendly) campervans don’t always have a toilet and shower, which the larger campers do have on board. Below, we provide an overview of the campers you can rent in Norway.

• Campervan 5–6.5 meters long
  These are compact campervans with the appearance and size of a standard van. They’re narrower than other camper models, making them slightly more maneuverable and very easy to drive. This makes them ideal if you’ll be driving a lot on narrow roads in Norway. These campervans have two sleeping berths.

• Semi-integrated (also known as: semi-integrated) 6–7.5 meters long
  The semi-integrated campervan is the most popular model to rent in Norway. This type features a body built on the chassis that is wider than the cab. These campervans come in many different layouts. Depending on the number of sleeping and seating spots available, they can accommodate 2 to 5 people.

• Alkoof model, 6.5–7.5 meters long
  You can recognize these motorhomes by the high roof above the cab, which provides sleeping space for two adults or three (small) children. This creates more space in the living area, where sleeping areas can be set up at night, making this type ideal as a family camper. However, the roof creates aerodynamic drag, causing these campers to consume more fuel.

• Integrated 7–9 meters long (or even longer)
  The integrated motorhome is the most luxurious model, in which the cab and living area are the same width and form a single unit. The large panoramic windshield gives you a beautiful view while driving, which can be a plus when traveling through the stunning Norwegian landscape. When renting an integrated motorhome, make sure the weight does not exceed 3,500 kilograms—the limit for driving a vehicle with a Class B driver’s license. A higher limit of 4,250 kilograms is likely to take effect for motorhomes in 2028.

What to Look for When Renting a Motorhome

When looking to rent a campervan in Norway, be sure to check carefully what’s included. It makes a big difference whether the rental price is“all-inclusive”or if you have to pay extra for items like pillows, comforters, sheets, and camping chairs. Sometimes you even have to pay extra for cleaning the rented campervan. We recommend renting only a campervan with unlimited mileage in Norway. It’s a large country where you’ll be covering considerable distances.

When renting a campervan, you’ll usually receive a detailed explanation of the equipment and how it works. Especially with larger campervans, there’s a lot of information to take in. So make sure you’re fully focused on the instructions for the campervan you’ve rented in Norway. This is especially important if it’s your first time driving a campervan. Are you traveling with children? If so, make sure they don’t distract you during the briefing.

Just as when renting a passenger car, you should thoroughly inspect the campervan when you pick it up, both inside and out. This takes a bit more time than with a regular car. Walk around the campervan and check whether any existing dents and scratches are listed on the so-called check-out form. Also check the windows, windshield wipers, headlights, and tire pressure. Don’t forget to check the inventory: are there enough plates, glasses, and cutlery? Take detailed photos of both the exterior and interior. This way, you’ll have proof of the camper’s condition when you picked it up.

Rented a campervan in Norway? You can park (almost) anywhere!

Norwegians love nature and believe it belongs to everyone. This is even enshrined in law through the so-called “everyman’s right” (in Norwegian: allemannsretten). As a result, you’re free to camp anywhere in Norway on uncultivated land, unless it’s expressly prohibited. For RVs, you may only spend the night in areas where motorized traffic is permitted. This seems obvious to us, since your rental RV isn’t suitable for off-road driving.

There are a few other rules, such as that you may not park within a 150-meter radius of a residential home, and you may stay in one spot for a maximum of two nights. The most important rule is that you must respect the flora and fauna and ensure that, after you leave, there is no trace that you were there with your rental camper—in other words, you must take all your trash with you. In fact, Norwegians believe you should leave an area in better condition than you found it. In other words: clean up any litter that’s already there. Along most major roads in Norway, there are good facilities where you can dispose of trash, empty your chemical toilet, and refill your water supply. These spots are marked as “tømmestasjon for bobil.”

Of course, you must always respect “No Camping” signs. Fortunately, there are still plenty of spots where you can camp for free. Drive a little further in your RV and find another spot. When wild camping, be mindful not to park with too many other RVs in one place. If a spot becomes too popular, “No Camping” signs will be posted in no time. In some tourist areas, there are already stricter restrictions on wild camping, especially in the summer.

Spending the Night in a Camper in Norway

How wonderful is that: spending the night in a spot where you can enjoy idyllic views of lakes or mountains in complete peace and quiet, with the most impressive starry sky you’ve ever seen above you at night. You’ll make your campervan adventure in Norway complete by going wild camping.

Wild camping gives you plenty of privacy and puts you close to nature. But you’ll probably want a few more amenities now and then, or to chat with other RV travelers about the best routes and sights. If you’re traveling with children, they’ll also want to play with other kids from time to time. There are about a thousand campgrounds in Norway, ranging from basic (1-star) to very luxurious (5-star). Many of these campgrounds are also situated in stunning locations, such as on the shores of majestic fjords or at the foot of glaciers. Many campgrounds organize activities—sometimes geared toward children—as well as excursions through the surrounding nature reserves. So it’s best to alternate between wild camping and staying at a campground. Almost all campgrounds in Norway have sites for RVs.

Driving a Motorhome in Norway

If you’ve never driven a campervan before, we recommend driving only a short distance on the first day after picking it up. A campervan is larger than a passenger car, but you’ll find you get used to it quickly. It certainly helps that the roads in Norway are excellent, even in the more remote areas. The biggest challenge is keeping your eyes on the road while driving through the breathtaking scenery. Don’t hesitate to pull your rented camper over briefly (in a safe spot!) to enjoy Norway’s stunning natural beauty. This will mean it takes you longer than usual to cover a given distance, especially since you can’t drive very fast in a camper. In addition, you’ll often have to take a ferry, which not only travels even slower but also frequently requires a wait. So be sure to allow plenty of time to get from one destination to the next.

Check the route you want to take online in advance. The official Norwegian website with information about roadwork and road closures is excellent, though the option to view the site in English is a bit hidden. First, go to Vegvesen Trafikk, scroll all the way to the bottom, and there you’ll see a link labeled “English.” Then scroll back up and click on “Open map.”

The rest is simple: zoom in on the areas where you plan to drive your rental camper, and you’ll see symbols shaped like traffic signs:

• Roadwork: indicates that roadwork is underway and delays are possible. If you click on this symbol, a separate window will show you when the work starts and ends. This is very helpful when planning a route.

• Road Closed: Indicates that the road is closed. Sometimes a detour route is shown.

You’ll also see camera symbols on the map. These are webcams, and if you click on them, you’ll see the current conditions on that road—super handy!

Best time to rent a RV in Norway

Unless you’re planning a ski vacation, the best time to travel through Norway in a campervan is during the summer months. That’s because many of the scenic roads are closed in winter and don’t reopen until late spring. Spring (May, June) is the driest time of year in Norway, and as the snow melts, the waterfalls and rivers are at their most impressive during those months. However, some roads may still be closed. You can check this on the website we mentioned above.

September is also a good month to rent a campervan for a road trip through Norway. Although the days are already getting shorter and temperatures are dropping, the tourist spots are quieter, and the fall colors are stunning.

One thing to keep in mind: in Scandinavia, the days are very long in the summer. The farther north you go, the longer they get, and on some days, the sun doesn’t set at all. So when renting a campervan in Norway, be sure to check whether the curtains block out the outside light effectively so you can enjoy a good night’s sleep. Or bring a sleep mask.

Road Trip with a Rented Camper in Norway

To truly enjoy what Norway has to offer, it’s best to limit yourself to one region, unless you have months to spare. Don’t underestimate the distances. Norway is a vast country that stretches a full 1,600 kilometers from north to south. That’s as the crow flies; by road, the distance is more than 2,500 kilometers. What’s more, it takes time to drive a rental RV along the winding roads past fjords and through the mountains. Oh, and of course you’ll also want to stop occasionally for beautiful hikes, bike rides, or simply to enjoy the peace and the view. It’s very tempting to try to explore Norway’s diverse landscapes in a single trip, but don’t even think about it. And let’s be honest: isn’t it also fun to start planning your next campervan trip to another part of Norway?

Oslo has the country’s largest airport, and there are many RV rental companies based in the Norwegian capital. Some people feel that this isn’t the best city to rent a campervan, since you’re quite far from the most impressive fjords. However, Oslo can actually be a good choice to get used to driving a campervan, because you can spend the first few days driving along the wide E18 highway along the south coast toward the fjords in the west.

For many, Stavanger marks the start of an unforgettable campervan trip. You’ll not only drive past deep fjords but also through charming towns like Bergen and Ålesund. Want to learn more about the highlights along this route? Then read our blog post on the subject: The Best of Norway’s Fjords. Although we discuss a rental car in that post, you can, of course, also travel that route in a campervan.

The Arctic Lofoten archipelago in northern Norway features a unique landscape that you can spend days exploring in your rental campervan. Small fishing villages dot a rugged fjord coastline with mountains rising directly from the ocean. For a trip to this spectacular and picturesque landscape, it’s best to rent a campervan in Tromsø. That city is also the ideal starting point for a trip to the North Cape in a rental campervan.

During a trip through Norway, you’ll surely want to follow one or more of the 18 scenic routes. There’s a special website that provides detailed descriptions of all these Scenic Routes: their length, rest stops and viewpoints along the way, and ferry connections. Plus, there are stunning photos that will instantly make you want to rent a campervan and drive one of these routes.

By the way, you don’t have to limit yourself to enjoying Norway from inside your rental campervan—you can be very active in the breathtaking natural surroundings. There are opportunities everywhere for hiking, biking, or water sports like canoeing. Along the coast, you can snorkel and scuba dive. The rugged mountains beckon you to climb them, and there are plenty of places where you can do just that.

One-Way RV Rental in Norway

Many rental companies in Norway offer the option to rent a camper for a one-way trip, meaning you don’t have to return to the starting point. This so-called one-way camper rental isn’t available on all routes, so you may have to do a bit of research to find a company that rents campers from your starting point to your final destination.

One-way rentals in Norway aren’t limited to Norway itself. For example—especially in Oslo—there are rental companies that don’t mind if you return the campervan to, say, the Swedish capital of Stockholm.

There are usually additional costs associated with these one-way campervan rentals, but these are often offset by the advantage of being able to take a much longer trip and not having to return to the start of your road trip. Incidentally, rental companies regularly offer deals on one-way campervan rentals, for example, because they want to get brand-new campervans to a distribution location.

Renting a Campervan in Norway

Do as the Norwegians do and immerse yourself in the breathtaking nature of their country. Norway is perhaps the most RV-friendly country in Europe, so what’s stopping you? Rent an RV so you can spend the night in the most beautiful and peaceful spots. At the end of your road trip, you’ll find it hard to part with your campervan because you’ll want to see and experience so much more. Well, you can! Just plan your next Norwegian vacation and map out the route you want to take with a rental campervan.

You can rent a campervan in Norway through one of the links below:

• AutoEurope Campervan Rental (Dutch)

• Campervan Norway (multilingual, including Dutch)

• WeCamp (multilingual, including Dutch)