The tour video
MYBIKE author Sven Bremer talks about his experiences on the North Sea Coast Cycle Route in Norway
GPX track
You can obtain the GPS data for retracing the tour free of charge --> click here for direct download
The tour in the MYBIKE Collection on komoot
with details of the individual stages and altitude profiles
Info North Sea Coastal Cycle Route Norway
Journey
Car & ferry: We recommend travelling by car and ferry. The most comfortable solution is probably the journey with the Fjordline (www.fjordline.com) or the Colourline (www.colorline.de) from Hirtshals in the north of Denmark to Stavanger (journey time approx. 10 hours). 65 euros per person (bicycle 50 euros).
The return journey by catamaran from Kristiansand to Hirtshals, which takes around two and a half hours, costs 15 euros per person (bike: 28 euros).
Train: Environmentally friendly but inconvenient. At best 25 hours from Hamburg. The combination of ferry (Kiel-Oslo) and train is more convenient. The journey from Oslo to Stavanger by Sørlandsbanen takes approx.
7 hours. (www.bahn.de or www.nsb.no).
By plane: Lufthansa (or Star Alliance, SAS) flies from several German airports directly or with a stopover in Copenhagen to Stavanger-Sola. Information on bicycle transport at
www.lufthansa.de
Best time to travel
Mid-June to mid-August. The highly changeable weather means that temperatures rarely make it above 25 degrees, even in midsummer.
Money
The Norwegian krone (NOK) or Øre is the currency in Norway. Food prices are 20 to 30 per cent higher than in Germany, and you have to pay at least twice as much for alcohol and cigarettes.
Worth seeing
The lighthouses are worth a diversion, such as the Obrestad Fyrstasjon south of Orrestranda or the Lista Fyr not far from Farsund - and the Lindesnes Fyr at the southernmost point of the country. Sognedalstrand is perhaps the prettiest place along the route, and Stavanger's old town is considered one of the most beautiful in Norway.
Food and drink
Norway is not famous for its cuisine, but fish is almost always absolutely fresh, whether cod, salmon or halibut, as are the vegetables. Along the way you'll find the odd snack bar serving fiskekaker or fiskeboller (fish cakes). And if you're ever in Scandinavia and fancy meat, you should try a moose steak or a moose roast; the numerous sausages made from moose meat are also good. By the way - don't be confused: Dinner is called "middag" in Norway, while lunch is called "lunch", just like in English.
Accommodation
Egersund: Grand Hotel Egersund, double room from approx. 150 euros, www.grand-egersund.no
Sogndalstrand: Sogndalstrand Kulturhotell, double room from approx. 170 euros, www.sogndalstrand-kulturhotell.no
Flekkefjord: Grand Hotell Flekkefjord, double room from approx. 130 euros, www.grand-hotell.no
Lyngdal: Rosfjord Strandhotell, double room from approx. 140 euros, www.rosfjord.no
Tregde: Tregdeferie, double room from 120 euros, Hytter for 2 people from 90 euros, www.tregdeferie.no
Maps
A few years ago, the route of the North Sea Coastal Cycle Route was still available in the form of a folding map, but then this printed product fell victim to digitalisation. If you don't want to travel digitally, the Nordeca regional maps of Stavanger, Egersund, Farsund and Kristiansand (scale: 1:50,000) are a good choice. To order from
www.dntbutikken.no
Information on
Norwegian Tourist Board/Innovation Norway Hamburg, tel. 0180/5001548, www.visitnorway.com
Bicycle service
You can hire e-bikes from Hope Active. The cost of the Scott E-Sub Active Unisex is NOK 599 per day (approx. 60 euros). The bike can be delivered to the airport in Stavanger or the ferry terminal for approx. 100 euros. Collection from the end point of the route (for example in Kristiansand) then costs a further NOK 999 (approx. 100 euros)
Hope Sykkelshop Jørpeland
www.facebook.com/hopesykkelshop/
Sola: Sykkelcenteret, tel. +47/45291000, www.sykkelcenteret.no
Egersund: Tengesdal sport AS, tel. +47/51491268, www.tengesdalsport.no
E-bike charging stations along the North Sea Coast Cycle Route are still in short supply. Take a spare battery with you to be on the safe side. Because the sometimes steep inclines will drain your battery much faster than you think during the day.
Literature
Michael-Müller-Verlag, Southern Norway, 20,90 Euro
DuMont Travel Pocketbook Norway, The South, 17.99 euros
