Planning a Norway motorcycle trip from the UK? In this video, I break down how to get your motorcycle to Norway—whether you want to ride the whole way, take scenic ferry crossings, or fly in and rent a bike.
👉 I cover:
✔ The best ferry routes and terminals for maximising epic riding once you’re in Norway
✔ The pros and cons of riding all the way from the UK
✔ Bike hire options—whether you rent in Norway or elsewhere in Europe
✔ Cost, convenience, and what I chose for my own trip
Ferry and travel options explained in the video:
• Ferry: Harwich to Hook of Holland (Stena Line)
• Ride: Hook of Holland to Hamburg, Germany
• Ferry: Fjord Line from Hirtshals, Denmark to Stavanger, Kristiansand, or Bergen
• Option: Ride all the way from Hook of Holland to Stavanger
• Option: Ride via Euro Tunnel (Calais) to Stavanger
• Alternative: Hire bikes from Hamburg – often cheaper than renting in Norway
Whether you’re a seasoned tourer or planning your first international ride, this guide will help you choose the best way to start your Norwegian motorcycle adventure the right way.
🛣️ My full Norway motorcycle trip playlist is coming together too—check out the rest of the series for real road footage, drone shots, and route ideas from the land of fjords!
💬 Have you ridden in Norway or got questions about getting your bike there? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to help!
Timestamp:
1:46 – Which bike you want to use for your trip
2:30 – How to get here
2:42 – Ferry: Harwich to Hook of Holland
3:11 – Stenaline Ferry
3:44 – Documents
4:16 – Hook of Holland to Hamburg, Germany
4:38 – Ferry: Fjord Line from Hirtshals, Denmark to Stavanger, Kristiansand, or Bergen
4:57 – Hirtshals, Denmark to Stavanger
6:22 – Lysebotn road
8:21 – 2 other options
8:32 – Hook of Holland to Stavanger
9:30 – Euro Tunnel (Calais) to Stavanger
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36 Comments
Thank you, most useful.
Really wanted to go … until I heard that a chocolate bar costs £6. wtf!
Another great video and yes, Norway is a fantastic country for Road Trips 👌
Get your bike taken to Norway by truck. I’ve looked into this in recent years! You fly out to meet your bike fully refreshed in Norway! Ride around Norway for two weeks and return your bike where you collected it. Then fly home. I’ve been to Norway from Newcastle twice with my motorbike but as you said, this stopped in 2009?
Norway isn’t cheap but you can save a lot of money by camping and buying food from cheaper stores! Take some food with you!
Hi, Norwegian here.
Some tips about ferries to Norway. The one Vanessa is talking about from Hirtshals to
Kristiandsand, Stavanger and Bergen is run by "Fjord Line" and the two ferries trafficking
this route have one daily departure from Hirtshals.
The distance from Hook of Holland to Hirtshals is around 680 miles (1100 km) and
driving time is around 11 hours, a bit to much on a bike but doable in a car.
One challenge with doing this in one long drive is time. The ferry leaves Hirtshals at
19.15 and you have to be there 2 hours before departure, so a 2 day drive is a sensible
schedule.
There are also other ferries to Norway, from Hirtshals to other ports in Norway, Larvik
and Kristiandsand.
You can also take a ferry from Kiel (Germany) to Oslo and also from Copenhagen to
Oslo. The drive from Hook of Holland to Kiel is about 400 miles (640 km) and driving
time is around 7 hours. The ferry to Oslo is run by "Color Line" and departures is daily
at 14.00. Remember to check what time you have to be there to be admitted aboard.
I do miss the ferry from Newcastle to Stavanger/Bergen.
Went there last summer up to the arctic circle.3500 mile round trip. It’s quite a distance to get to the port(s) just to get to Norway but well worth it. The E6 has fantastic scenery.
It costs more, but Kiel to Oslo gives a nice riding break both ways.
last time i went all the motels where closed going through Germany so had to press on – 19 hours from Portsmouth to Hirtshals in a sprinter van with the bikes in the back! went to Kristansand though and drove to Stavanger, unfortunately same problem coming home – took slightly longer at 22 hours though!
Put some floaters on it and ride it across the North Sea!
New ferry service from Newcastle next year
Stupid slow speeds (V V Frustrating) were their are no home in the south north better, that. Was years ago God nows what it like now 😢
It's super expensive 😫
Iceland more so. think one off the most expensive countries in world . AND Singapore.Hong kong
Solid Advice. ❤
Subbed!! Brit expat here, living in Norway, it is indeed a paradise for riding, the problem is the riding season is soooo short. Mid April to September, sometimes October but then it's getting very cold, frosty nights, chance of snow and dark early… But then it's soon skiing season, so there's that ⛷
5:11 nah just take the one that goes to Kristiansand, it's only a few hours then you get to ride up the beautiful west coast to Stavanger, be sure to hug the old coast road when you can, not the E39 (unless you're in a rush), it's a beautiful ride!
And if you think Norway is expensive nowadays you should have come here before the ar5e fell out of the kr hahaha back in the day you only got around 10 NOK for your GBP!!!
Totally disagree on your route. As a brit living in Norway and regulaey going back to UK. The best route is calais via the tunnel. Take it early morning and you can be in germany in the afternoon. Also the better ferry to take is to Kristiansand, especially as you have more options on where to go (including Stavanger) and you may miss out on some good roads starting from Kristiansand. So to be honest not very good info, just what you have done. Also it's only a 3hr ride (quickest route) from Kristiansand to Stavanger, again you miss some good roads.
I have been to Scandinavia fairly often by motorcycle. From NL it is a trip of a few hours to Kiel. There the Ferry to Oslo with 4 people in 1 cabin is the cheapest. Lovely relaxed with the Colorline! In the morning boarding at 10:00 and the next day at 10:00 in Oslo. You can then continue traveling north. Cross via bødo and travel over the Lofoten and Vestralen. Or drive on to Kirkenes and St Jacobselv.
What we also did is via Travemunde the boat to Helsinki (2 nights) and then follow the USSR border up for a round of Finnish Lapland, back via Sweden and Norway and then e.g. back via Oslo – Kiel.
Vanessa, it's amazing how you've kept your shape after the ordeal of knocking a bun out of the oven 😃. That's your body's retained memory from all those years of being physically active. I'm convinced of it. I'm less convinced that ur breast actually grew 2x in size as you have reportedly claimed (she wishes ☺)
Buy a boat large enough for your bike and someone else’s, that way you do shifts to pilot the boat. Then take it yourself and the other person.
Had to subscribe to this channel 😀
Left the UK and been living in Norway for donkeys years now, and MC is THE best way to see Norway. I've riden the length and bredth of the country several times. We'll be doing it again this year.
Getting to and from Norway is a bit of a pain.
The boat from Harwich is expensive, particularly if you compare it to the chunnel which is now my preferred choice for getting to/from the UK by bike.
There was (and I'm still hoping there will be again) a boat from Eemshaven/Emsden – Kristiiansand. It went bust last year, but there are vague rumours that it might start again.
Otherwise it's Denmark and Hirtsals to Kristisand, Larvik, Bergen, & Stavanger. Or Germany and Kiel – Oslo.
My preference is Larvik/Hirtsals – chunnel. Although I can go for Oslo/Kiel – chunnel.
BUT!!!!!!!
From 2026 there is planned a boat from the UK to Norway! JIPPPEEEE. It's the old Newcastle – Bergen/Stavanger route.
There is a FB group that discusses various ways of getting to/from Norway. https://www.facebook.com/groups/304366750005/?locale=nb_NO
The ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand takes 2.5Hours… so faster… about 3 hours to ride to stavager….
Dang…I should have just watched the last minute hahaha. Great video, thank you for the information
Agree with @Farlig69 – two days – Devon, via tunnel, france to Eindhoven, second day through to Kolding area Denmark. Both days an easy 450 miles, (hotel, campsite or B&B) Day 3 just 160 miles to the Hirtshals ferry crossing to Norway. Get the later ferry and even landing in Kristiansand late pm there is always a campsite/hut/hytte available, either 'open' or if staff away from site find a cabin, take the door keys at reception or in the cabin, use your tent and pay in the morning. Why waste time on a long ferry journey when you could be enjoying the best motorcycle roads anywhere. Any first trip there is just reconnaissance for your list of places to return to!(4 of these trips and different return routes, Sweden over the Oresand bridge) Very friendly and my favorite holiday destination, even the dearer fuel goes further as you stick to their 80kph/50mph road limits, beware of speeding fines!
Heading to Norway in August. Harwich ferry like you but then using the Kiel-Oslo ferry. Never been before so if its better or worse i've no idea.
I really liked the video — very informative, with beautiful videography and presentation. Thanks for sharing this helpful guide! Stay connected. Warm regards from Norway! 🇳🇴🏍
See you filmed this in Geiranger. Are you coming out with more episodes from Norway ? How many and when do you think ? Great videos from Norway !
Did you miss the Stave churches of Norway, btw ? You were a few meters from one of the more interesting in Lom, I noticed..
Why have you never tried, even a short holiday, the Desert X? 🤔
you can drive from the u.k using the tunnel to france and then the bridge to sweden or the ferry from denmark to norway.
Great video Vanessa, thanks for sharing the info! Norway is on my bucket list and every information always helps! 👍👍
Great video thanks. Top tip re rental from Hamburg
Sod 650+ miles of motoway and same coming back how dull and the last memory of ur trip will be dull mw
Hi Vanessa,
You can also go from Newcastle to Amsterdam, which is a overnighter.
I think the high price level mentioned is exaggerated. The price examples mentioned, yes they exist, but are not the norm. I follow another British youtube couple touring Norway who claim that the prices are about the same as in the UK. Remember, the Norwegian krone is very weak against the British pound.
I want to take my 1300 GS to the UK one time, maybe in may and see the TT in the isle of man, but also want to sail the Caledonian canal with my sailboat.. So much I want to see, cos i've seen Norway (On bike , I'm Norwegian) and want to see the UK/Scotland/ Ireland on a bike… So thanks for the ferry tips.. 🙂
If you miss it there is also a ferry to Oslo from Frederikshavn which is 50 kilometer away ❤
It’s better to take the ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand. You have two ferries to choose from: one takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the other takes an hour longer.
From Kristiansand, you drive up the fantastic Setesdal valley to Brokke. From there, you continue over the Brokke–Suleskard road (open in summer).
From Kristiansand to Lysebotn, you’ll need about 3–4 hours. It’s just an expensive detour to take the ferry to Stavanger.
The Brokke–Suleskard road usually opens at the end of May, but check before you travel