Why Norway
The coast is two thousand five hundred kilometres as the crow flies and twenty-five thousand following its indentations: the fjords are former glacial valleys invaded by the sea, with walls that drop a thousand metres into deep water. Nothing equivalent exists at that scale in Europe.
The country stretches so far north that a third of it is beyond the Arctic Circle: midnight sun in summer, polar night and aurora in winter. That is why people come twice, for two opposite trips.
Getting around
The Bergen to Oslo train and the Flåm line are among the finest in Europe, and they are part of the ordinary network. Ferries and coastal steamers link the islands and the fjords where the road stops.
A car is necessary in the Lofoten Islands and on the national tourist routes, but the tunnels and ferries are charged for and add up quickly. Long-distance coaches cover the rest. Many mountain roads close from October to May.
Money
The country is almost entirely cashless: cards work everywhere, including for a coffee in a mountain hut, and some businesses no longer accept cash at all.
Prices are among the highest in the world, particularly alcohol and restaurants. The item you can act on is food: supermarkets and cooking in your accommodation make a difference of half on a weekly budget.
Before you go
Allemannsretten, the right of access to nature, allows you to camp one night anywhere on uncultivated ground, a hundred and fifty metres from a dwelling, without asking permission. It is a real and long-standing right, and it is what makes the country affordable for anyone willing to use a tent.
The weather changes within an hour in the mountains and on the coast, in any season: Norwegians set off equipped for three different kinds of weather, and the local saying holds that there is no bad weather, only bad clothing.
The northern lights require clear skies, darkness and patience: they cannot be ordered, and a week on site gives far better chances than three nights.