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DRIVING

Trollstigen: Essential tips for driving Norway’s most famous road

One of Norway's most iconic roads, Trollstigen, has reopened for the summer season. But, before you buckle up and take in the spectacular scenery, there are a few things you should know. 

Published: 14 June 2022 16:22 CEST
Updated: 7 June 2024 08:34 CEST
Trollstigen in Norway.
Here's what you need to know if you are visiting Trollstigen in Norway. Pictured is the iconic mountain road. Photo by Ivars Utināns on Unsplash.

Trollstigen, famous for its 11 hairpin turns draped over a breathtaking mountain pass, reopened for summer traffic on June 7th. 

Up to one million tourists, motorists, cyclists and motorcyclists are expected to take to the road in Møre og Romsdal, west Norway. 

The mountain pass is probably the most iconic of Norway’s 18 tourist route roads.

Where is Trollstigen? 

Trollstigen, meaning the “the troll’s path” is located on country road 63 in the Rauma and Fjord municipalities in the Møre og Romsdal county of west Norway. The Geiranger to Trollstigen stretch is 104 kilometres long and has an elevation change of 1,000 metres. All in all, it should take between two or three hours to drive the entire stretch of road one way. 

However, the most famous part of the road is the section which ascends, or descends, from Stigøra. This stretch of road is blanketed with 11 hairpin bends and is notable for being carved into the mountain, supported by stone walls and the impressive bridge which crosses the Stigfossen waterfall. 

What to see? 

Looking out of the windows will be the easiest place to start, but you shouldn’t just pass through the road and valley as there are plenty of places to stop. 

For starters, there is the large viewing platform which hovers 200 metres above the most picturesque stretch of road, with different observation points for both bold and more cautious visitors. 

Near the road’s end is Flydalsjuvet, located on the steep mountains that back onto the inner Geirangerfjord. The fjord is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the rest stop at Flydalsjuvet is excellent for taking photos.

 
 
 
 
 
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If you get hungry, you can stop at the Gudbrandsjuvet viewing point. The café there is open from 10am until 5pm every day during the summer season. 

For more inspiration on where to stop and what to see, click here. 

Expect some congestion too

You may be left disappointed if you dream of having the open road ahead of you and the mountain pass all to yourself. The reason for this is that during the high season, 2,000 vehicles pass the Trollstigveien Plateau. This is the equivalent of a car every 10 seconds. 

Furthermore, the route is becoming a popular cycling destination, and slower vehicles such as mobile homes and coaches full of tourists, which can struggle with the inclines, also use the road. Therefore you can expect slow-moving traffic. 

This may not be the worst thing in the world, as it means you’ll have more time to take in the views. If you prefer quieter roads then it is best taking the route outside of peak hours, such as early in the morning or before sunset. 

A number of measures have been implemented to try and prevent queues and congestion in landslide prone areas. This includes the closure of some of the stopping points and the presence of traffic controllers at key locations on the road. 

Weather in the west of Norway can’t always be relied on

Perhaps after seeing a picture of the road, it’ll be easy to imagine yourself pootling down it, or meandering up it with the sun shining, windows opening and clear skies above. 

This may not be the case as the weather in west Norway doesn’t always cooperate, and grey skies and rain are relatively common during the summer. 

Due to the altitude, weather can also affect visibility significantly, so if you plan a trip to see the road especially, you should do so when the forecast is on your side. 

Checking the weather will help give more nervous drivers a heads up to whether they can expect wet or greasy roads, while cyclists and motorbike owners can avoid having their trip ruined by bucketing rain. 

The road isn’t always guaranteed to be open

Due to the risk of landslides and rock falls, the road can be closed at quite short notice to keep the public safe. The road has been hit by several landslides in recent years, which have led to closures. 

Ole Jan Tønnesen, county road manager in Møre and Romsdal county municipality, has told public broadcaster NRK that the road has become more unpredictable in recent years. 

“We must expect that there may be more frequent closures throughout the season. The situation in Trollstigen is more unpredictable than it has been before,” he said. 

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DRIVING

Norway sees electric vehicles outnumber petrol cars for the first time

Electric cars now outnumber petrol models for the first time in oil-rich Norway, a world first that puts the country on track towards taking fossil fuel vehicles off the road.

Published: 17 September 2024 13:44 CEST
Norway sees electric vehicles outnumber petrol cars for the first time

Of the 2.8 million private cars registered in Norway, 754,303 are all-electric, compared to 753,905 that run on petrol, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), an industry organisation, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Diesel models remain most numerous at just under one million, but their sales are falling rapidly.

“This is historic. A milestone few saw coming 10 years ago,” OFV director Oyvind Solberg Thorsen said in a statement.

“The electrification of the fleet of passenger cars is going quickly, and Norway is thereby rapidly moving towards becoming the first country in the world with a passenger car fleet dominated by electric cars,” Thorsen said.

“As far as I know, no other country in the world is in the same situation” with EVs outnumbering petrol cars, he told AFP.

READ ALSO: The punishments for Norway’s most common traffic offences

Norway, paradoxically a major oil and gas producer, has set a target to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2025, 10 years ahead of the European Union’s goal. Norway is not an EU member.

Boosted by sales of the Tesla Model Y, all-electric vehicles made up a record 94.3 percent of new car registrations in August in Norway, a sharp contrast to EV struggles seen elsewhere in Europe.

“We’re almost there,” cheered Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association.

“Now the government just has to make a little extra effort in the 2025 budget bill (to be presented to parliament on October 7) and resist the temptation to raise taxes on EVs while continuing to increase those on fuel cars,” she told AFP.

In a bid to electrify road transport to help meet Norway’s climate commitments, authorities have offered generous tax rebates on EVs, making them competitively priced compared to highly-taxed fuel and diesel cars, as well as hybrid vehicles.

Several other EV incentives — including exemptions on inner city tolls, free parking and use of collective transport lanes — have also played a role in Norway’s success, even though those have gradually been rolled back over the years.

Sharp contrast with Europe

Norway has come a long way in 20 years: in September 2004, the country’s car fleet counted 1.6 million petrol cars, around 230,000 diesel cars and just 1,000 EVs, OFV noted.

The transition to EVs has played a big role in Norway’s efforts to meet its climate commitments, which include a 55-percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 from 1990 levels.

But it is not enough.

In 2023, emissions shrank by 4.7 percent from the previous year, according to official statistics, but the decline compared to 1990 was just 9.1 percent.

Electric cars are considered even more climate-friendly in Norway, where almost all electricity is generated by hydro power.

This success story contrasts sharply with the situation in the rest of Europe, where sales of EVs are slumping as hybrid models prove more popular.

Electric car sales began falling at the end of 2023, and account for just 12.5 percent of new cars sold on the continent since the start of the year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

Their share of the market is expected to increase sharply in 2025, to between 20 and 24 percent of new car registrations, according to think tank Transport & Environment (T&E).

Some doubt the EU’s ability to completely ban fuel and diesel cars by 2035.

In Norway’s neighbour and EU member Sweden, sales of new EVs have decreased this year for the first time, according to industry group Mobility Sweden, likely the result of a government decision to remove a rebate on EV purchases.

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