Your Adventure to Norway Begins Here: Driving from the UK camping in a 4x4 Ineos Grenadier
- karenconnolly59
- 3 days ago
- 17 min read
"Travelling - It leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller"
Ibn Battuta
Are you planning to drive to Norway? This is the perfect itinerary for you spending just over 2 weeks travelling to some of the most spectacular scenery you could wish for.
We purchased our Ineos Grenadier Fieldmaster in September 2023 and immediately knew we wanted to travel in it and experience this built for purpose vehicle going long distances not just off road adventures.
Although we had travelled long distances before, this was our first time in the Grenadier using it for sleeping (yes we slept in the back in a double bed!) and living without any add on awnings or tent. If you want a downloadable plan for how to build a bed in your Grenadier please subscribe to our email on the home page and comment BED below. We will send this to you for free.
In this blog we want to share with you how we drove from the UK to Norway, how and where we slept in our Genadier and what we would do differently.
Planning a trip abroad in your car you need to cover off a few organisational things in advance so you stay on the right side of the authorities and be safe. See our blog Driving in the UK and Abroad (In Your Grenadier): What You need to know for a comprehensive guide and quick checklist.
Everything we needed for travelling on the road is in our blog and if you comment TRAVEL KIT in the comments and subscribe to our email we will send you our suggested list for free.
Your Adventure to Norway Begins Here: Driving from the UK camping in a 4x4 Ineos Grenadier
Our trip took place in October timed for after we picked up our new Grenadier and so we could take in the autumn scenery. If you go any later than this you will need to comply with the regulations in Norway for having winter tyres on your car. By law you must have winter tyres or snow chains fitted from 1st November.
Day 1 UK to Rotterdam
Our route to Norway commenced from Hull taking the overnight ferry to Rotterdam. This is not the cheapest way to travel across to Europe but it was a great experience taking 11 hours and one we really enjoyed. We underestimated the drive time from Cheshire to Hull and just about made the boarding time but once on board settled in to an evening meal, entertainment is available if you want it and then off to our ensuite bunks for a well earned rest. The beauty of this ferry sailing is you dock and disembark by 8.30am and so have the full day ahead of you.
Our route had been provisionally planned but we always leave it open to allow for any changes depending up on the weather or things which we may wish to see and discover. This way we are never disappointed and always make the most of where we are. As you can see from the map below the route was ideal for just over 2 weeks.
Day 2-4 Amsterdam
We made our first stop in Amsterdam a beautiful city in the Netherlands. We chose to park and ride for the two days we were here as the public transport is amazing and it is afterall the city of bicycles!
The park up was inexpensive for 2 days and the car was safe and undercover. If you park up after 10am it is 6 euro for 24 hours but if you park before 10am it is 12 euros for 24 hours. You can stay a maximum of 4 days. You must use a bus to qualify for this tariff into the city centre and by this is means just inside the boundary of the city and back. The buses are equally cheap and we took with us only what we needed for 2 nights in a BnB.
Now it may seem a bit complicated re: getting the parking discount but the bottom line is:
Get a bus into the city centre and pay by whatever means ie you can use a debit or credit card (The bus drivers do not issue tickets).
Before you return on the bus buy a paper ticket at a GVB service point in the city centre, use this for your return journey and then use it again at the parking machine to get your discount. Detailed information can be found at https://www.amsterdam.nl/parking
We stayed for this first part of our journey on a house boat on the outskirts of the city. We found our boat through AirBnB and whilst it was quirky and basic it was ideally located both for walking or taking a bus into the city. Our hostess provided us with freshly baked bread and salad each morning through a hatch in the wall and you placed your dirty crockery back in the hatch for it to be returned clean later that day.
Activities in Amsterdam:
There are so many things to see and do we didn't even scratch the surface in the 2 nights we stayed. Our advice would be to focus on 2 things for such a short stay.
a. Cycle Tour - Take a cycle tour as this is a fabulous way to learn about the history of Amsterdam and to see the many things you can do when you return, as you will definitely want to return. The museums are amazing and you can literally spend hours visiting the Van Gogh Museum or the Rijksmuseum.
There are many cycle tour companies to choose from with an average cost of Ā£30 for 2-3 hours. We went with Mike's Tours which has limited size groups and allows you to keep pace as some of the bridges are quite hard work if you are not a cyclist and not on an e-bike. E-bikes are available but cost more to rent.
b. Anne Frank House - This is a must do and gets booked up in advance so diary this in and book ahead. Visiting this house is a really sobering reminder of what happened in the 2nd World War to the Jewish community and something which shouldn't be forgotten. It's a story of courage but also betrayal and to see the original writings and the place where Anne Frank and her family hid and how they managed was emotional.
Amsterdam is a really sociable place and we needed no encouragement to stop for refreshments alongside the canal as we did plenty of walking over the 2 days and to be honest we earned the rest.
For our evening meal we stopped at Molenpad a perfect blend of Amsterdam meets Paris. The vegan choices were limited to either salad or Beyond Burger but the service and atmosphere were great. We can recommend for vegans and non vegans alike. Sadly we dont have any pictures of our meal
Day 4-5 Germany
Leaving Amsterdam we headed towards Lubeck in Germany. Our first park up was on the outskirts in a layby next to Lake Heidteich which we found on Park4Night. This was the first test we had sleeping in the back of our Grenadier and boy it was interesting!
The weather changed and started to rain so getting the bed set up we had to wait for a dry window. We managed to make food on our camping stove under the umbrella then dived in under the duvet listening to the rain and pine cones falling on our car overnight. We had just the best nights sleep!
What we found was this was a popular dog walking park up and so we were not alone. We were also caught off guard at 6am when the local bus used the layby to wait for his shift to start. This was ok until we needed to get out for a wild wee and the headlights were on full. We did have a collapsable toilet and used environmentally friendly granules but we didn't have a toilet tent so timing was everything...š
Lubeck is a medieval town and was our last stop in Germany before we drove into Denmark. It was a great place to stop for brunch and to explore the gothic architecture. We even found a C&A store which has not been seen on the British high street for several decades.
Cafe Bar Lubeck is a fully vegan cafe which serves amazing bagels and mixed plates accompanied by the best americano coffee. We loved this place so much we made a plan to return here on our homeward journey. The egg (not egg) mayonnaise bagel was sublime!
Day 5 Denmark to Sweden
Our drive into Denmark was accompanied by great winds and torrential rain but our Grenadier didn't falter driving over the fabulous Great Belt Bridge even with the severe weather warnings and reduced speed limits. The huge trucks did make us feel nervous though as their high sides did waiver in the winds.
We didn't stop in Denmark on our outward trip as our goal was to get as far north into Norway that we could on this 16 night trip before we had to turn around. Denmark was on our list to do on the way back.
The weather was so bad now that the thought of parking up and sleeping in the car with no place to cook didn't inspire us. We booked last minute accommodation via Booking.com in a bungalow in Hollviken near Malmo in Sweden. We literally got soaked unloading the car into the bungalow but the place was warm, very cosy and we had the best beans on toast for tea!
Day 6 Sweden to Norway
The next morning the weather had cleared and so we drove into Malmo for breakfast as we had seen a vegan cafe advertised called Jord. We wanted to have a walk before we carried on our journey and see something of Malmo. The cafe is very popular with amazing choices. My vegan pancakes were to die for and definitely set me up for the day.
We carried on driving north and saw some lovely Swedish sights including the decorated green for halloween, autumn colours creeping in to the trees and the fabulous Scandinavian houses painted in rich earthy colours.
We finally reached Skjeberg near Sarspoberg just over the border into Norway. The weather had improved albeit chilly but as we continued north we struggled to find a park up and again opted for an AirBnB. This was a cabin in the hills and boy it was cold.
The last minute booking meant the house had not been warmed in advance and when we arrived the heating relied on a couple of electric heaters which were not man enough for the job as the cabin was in fact a house which was huge. If you plugged in 3 heaters it blew the fuse and so we had no choice but to have a hot meal and to get under our duvets.
Leaving this house was a fiasco too as you needed to leave the keys at the house up the hill then drive a mile down the hill to a barrier operated by a fob on the keys you left at the house - What!? At 7am no one was answering the calls but 30 minutes later we finally got an answer and after another phone call security lifted the barrier! We think this was a new proprty to AirBnB and hadn't been thought through. Not a property we would recommend at this time.
Day 7 Ringebu
Leaving Skjeberg we had a long drive north as our ultimate destination we wanted to be Trondheim. We stopped off at Ringebu on the E6. This wasn't far from the Rondane National Park which was on our list to drive through but it was getting late and without having a clear park up organised we needed to find somewhere soon. We drove around Ringebu for a short while and checked out a couple of places but we felt they were too isolated and as the temperature was dropping we needed to park up and make some food whilst it was still light.
We found a layby just off the E6 which looked like a picnic area with toilets and benches. We pulled in had our noodles and toasted sandwiches at the picnic bench then hunkered up for the night. It actually turned out to be a great spot and is on Park4Night.
We were soon joined by several trucks and OMG they parked them like sardines in a tin. This did make you feel safe, however, as we had never done this before and were feeling our way so to speak. The trucks left early next morning and we were soon on our own again cooking breakfast before we headed off to the national park.
Day 8 Rondane National Park
This was an amazing road trip. After leaving the E6 to take the tourist route up into the mountains we soon encountered snow and the scenery was mesmerising. The mountains after sunrise were ethereal and it was worth stopping to take in the amazing views.
We saw frozen waterfalls and streams.
Then stopped at the Sohibergplassen Observatory. This walkway gently curves around the pine trees and overlooks the Atnsjoen Lake and the Rondane Massif. It was beautiful.
Our next stay over was in the town of Kristiansund. This is on the west coast of Norway and is south of Trodheim. It was at this point we decided we would not have time to travel to Trondheim and enjoy our stay as we would have to rush our time there just to make the homeward ferry. Our tours are all about enjoying the journey as much as getting there so we decided to save this for another trip.
We opted to stay in an apartment here so we could shower and we found a superb place close to the harbour. The owner was Canadian and owned a Landrover Discovery and her husband was Norwegian so we had a great chat telling them all about our Grenadier and how wonderful it had been on this trip. The apartment had plenty of homely features and some great life sayings on the walls. The Apartments At The Sentrum is definitely a place we would recommend.
Day 9 The Atlantic Road
The drive to the Atlantic Road (Atlanterhavsvegen) at sunrise was fabulous with amazing views of the fjords and water inlets.
The road to nowhere was amazing and not just to see in its splendour but to drive across this fete of engineering. There is a tourist spot at Eidhusoya where there is a boardwalk taking you to the coast line and a great view of the Atlantic Road Bridge. This is special and we just had to film our greandier driving over the bridge and back!
After the Atlantic road we carried on deep into the Fjords stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. Around every corner there is another spectacular view which can only be appreciated when you are there. We drove through the Kvivs Tunnel which is 6.5Km long. The longest one we drove through was 8KM!.
Our park up for the night was at Brykjelo. We against drove into the mountains with thick clouds all around us and when we rose above the clouds, we saw the cloud inversion and blue skies and finally parked in a carpark with heated toilets watching the sun setting.
There was an honesty box to pay 5 euros which was well worth it. The views were spectacular and it was great to have somewhere heated to get washed and changed as we settled in for the night at sub zero temperatures.
Day 10. Bergen
Leaving Brykjelo we drove down the mountain as saw magical villages bathed in frosty clouds with twinkling street lights. We felt like we were in a Christmas card.
The fog gave way to the warmth of the sun and blue skies gave us the greatest backdrops.
Making our way across the fjords we took a ferry before we arrived at Bergen. These ferries are a bit like buses you just wait to embark and pay onboard. A little note here your UK badge is always checked so make sure it is visible.
We spent the day in the colourful town of Bergen situated in the heart of the fjords and is a place which is full of history with its colourful buildings and furnicular up the mountain. The colourful wooden houses on the old wharfe are definitely worth a visit as they are part of what was once the Hanseatic Leagues trading empire with the wharfe now being designated a UNESCO heritage site. The town is surrounded by 7 mountains and a trip up Mount Floyen on the furnicular is a must.
After leaving Bergen our drive continued towards Stavanger stopping part way for the night.
Our park up for the night was in a shell petrol station!
The facilities in Norway are amazing for touring. We could pay 4 euros for a shower each and use a fully equipped kitchen and lounge area with TV for the evening. We actually cooked outside as we didnt realise there were all these facilities until the morning but having breakfast inside and a shower was a real treat. Never would I have thought we would stay in a petrol station with all the lights and passing cars but it felt safe and secure.
Day 11. Stavanger.
The drive from Bergen across the fjords towards Stavanger had some amazing landscapes and geological layouts that looked positively lunar at times. One island Ognaya looked like the land time had forgotten but stunning.
Stavanger was another colourful norwegian town by the sea. It was famous for oil drilling and they made a petroleum museum out of the disused equipment. It is so clever to both provide the history of this trade and make it interesting for adults and children alike.
The street art was fantastic and ecclectic and not always what you expect in an historical harbour town.
You also could see what we now consider to be the architecture of its time dating back to the 18-19th centuries when this was a thriving fishing and shipping port. It has been known more latterly for its oil industry.
There are so many things to see and do here and we wish we had more time to explore. If you are here for a few days why not consider:
The Iron Age Farm - a farmstead set up on the original archeological site
Swords in Rock - huge bronze swords set in a beach and picnic area
Norsk Oijemuseum - the interactive oil museum
Pulpit rock - A boat tour down the Fjords
Flor og Fjoere - A tropical garden on an island
After exploring the cobbled streets and seeing the wooden houses in Stravanger it was time to say goodbye and find our park up for the night.
We were lucky we found another petrol station which was brand new. It had new showers and toilet facilties and a full cafe including vegan options. We were amazed as it was so warm inside it was a real treat to park up, have a meal then retire to our snug Grenadier. Overnight trips to the toilet in our PJ's was not even blinked at!
Day 12. Drammen
Our next stop on our journey was Drammen our last stop before we left Norway. There is a fascinating tourist attraction which should not be missed.
The Drammen Spiral is a must do!
You can decide whether you think this is a spiral tunnel down the mountain or up the mountain. It is free to enter and is a road corkscrew.
Interesting facts:
It opened in 1961 after taking 8 years to build
There are 6 spirals with each helix rising 22m
It climbs 50 metres
It is 200 metres above sea level
The road stretches for 1649 metres
It is fully paved but not for pedestrians
The rock excavated was used for the harbour embankment in the city and the tunnel was an alternative to a quarry which would disfigure the landscape.
In 2020 coloured lights were added which change according to the time of day
Great to drive through and back and look out for the footsteps and trolls!
If you visit the tourist centre at the top there is a parking fee which acts as a toll for using the spiral. We actually parked on the road nearby as it wasn't busy and a great spot to make our soup and sandwich.
There is a great view point over the city where we stopped for a while, had a picnic before we headed off to find our camp spot for the night.
As we drove out of Drammen we drove into the Bragernes Tunnel another amazing road feature we just didn't expect. This award winning tunnel with its amazing roundabout was fantastic.
In the centre of the roundabout deep underground (this in iteself is fascinating!) is a huge sphere 7.5 metres in diameter and 3.8 metres high. It looks like it is holding up the rock above and lights the intersection very clearly.
Our original plan was to stay on a campsite next to Hoysand Marina however, it was closed for the season so we had to rethink. The Marina itself was very quiet as we were out of season and there was a carpark just begging us to stay š. We got settled and watched the light fade over the water and the bay then lit up twinkling on the water. It was very peaceful and we only encountered a couple of locals parking up for a short while then moving on.
Day 13 and 14. Sweden to Denmark
Leaving Norway we drove from Hoysand through Sweden, stopped for lunch before we took the ferry from Helsinborg (Sweden) to Helsingor (Denmark). We spotted sculptures along the way and spotted the Kronberg Castle from the ferry as we approached Denmark. The castle is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the most important Ranaissance castles in northern Europe. This dates back to the 1420 and is where Shakespeare set his play Hamlet naming it Elinsore Castle. The castle opens daily for visitors and costs 17 euros.
We had planned to spend 2 days touring the city of Copenhagen but the weather was appalling and we just didnt fancy getting soaked sleeping in our car.
We booked into an AirBnB in Valerose and hunkered down for the next 24 hours and enjoyed eating inside whilst the rain poured watching Netflix. It was good to think we can come back to Copenhagen and to not feel under pressure to see everything. After all this is a marathon not a sprint and its about enjoying the little things in life. We drove from Valerose through Copenhagan and made our way along the bridges and then the ferry back into Germany.
Day 15. Lubeck & Bothel
On our return jorney we revisited Lubeck as we just had to go to Cafe Lubeck again and take a walk around the town.
We got to our park up on the edge of a wood at Bothel at night time. We found this again on Park4Night and it was eactly as described. It was free to stay as long as you leave no trace and put any rubbish in the bin provided. From here there is a lovely walk into the nearby village of Hemsbunde just to blow the cobwebs away before your onward journey.
Day 16. Bremen
Bremen was our final city in Germany before we got the ferry back to the UK at Rotterdam. This is another medieval city with many gothic buildings and is known for its role in the maritime trade. This town is within an emission zone so make sure you have your sticker to enable you to park in the centre without being fined.
We had lunch here and a great walk around admiring the architecture. We were sad to leave as we had to make our way back to Rotterdam for our ferry
The original plan for this trip was to travel to Trondheim but we found it was just outside our reach in the 16 days. We know if we want to reach further north we either plan a longer road trip or there are ferries which take you from Germany (Kiel) to Oslo in Norway. The trip takes up to 20 hours and costs anywhere between Ā£300 to Ā£800 hundred pounds.
What would we do differently in our Grenadier
We would buy a toilet tent to make it easier for roadside parking when there are no facilities or privacy to have a wild wee
We would by a battery jumpstarter as we did have a battery warning light come on and we were not near any electric hook ups or rescue services. We didnt have jump leads either
We would pack less clothes as it was either cold or cold!
We would buy better camping stove as the one we had was inferior and we had to replace it. The prices in Norway are extortionate and a new cooker cost us 4x the price as the UK
Invest in better airbeds as one of ours burst and again it was expensive to replace
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