Irish couple doing a two-week road trip from Bergen in late July. What would you change?
My wife and I are coming over from Ireland for two weeks in late July / early August and would love some advice and insights.
This is our planned route. But if we've done something obviously daft we'd rather hear it now than discover it halfway through the trip.
Bergen (21-23 Jul)
Fjaler, Sunnfjord (23-25)
Gloppen, Nordfjord (25-27)
Ålesund (27-29)
Åndalsnes (29-30)
Olden (30-31)
Leikanger, Sognefjord (31 Jul-1 Aug)
Samnanger, near Kvamskogen (1-3 Aug)
Bergen (3-4 Aug)
A few things about us:
We love a road trip.
We're more outsidey than outdoorsy. We enjoy walks and shorter hikes, but we're not carrying camping gear into the wilderness or trying to collect summits. Give us a spectacular view after a couple of hours on our feet and we're happy.
We generally prefer quirky places, local food, scenic drives and a bit of character over trying to tick off every famous sight.
We also have a soft spot for the quieter side of travel. A cabin with a view, a secluded swimming spot, a scenic pull-in most people drive past.
We've deliberately avoided trying to cram in Lofoten, Trondheim and every famous viewpoint into one trip, so feel free to tell us if we're still being too ambitious.
A few questions:
• Given that route, what stops or short walks would you consider unmissable?
• We'll be driving from Åndalsnes to Olden via Trollstigen, Geiranger and the Hellesylt ferry. Is that realistic in one day during peak season, or are we being optimistic?
• Any places along that route where Google Maps badly underestimates the actual travel time?
• Any classic first-timer mistakes? Especially things that look great on Instagram but are miserable in reality during peak season.
• Any crowd-dodging advice? Places that are wonderful at 8am and bedlam by lunchtime?
• I'm coeliac, so if there are any genuinely good gluten-free restaurants, cafés or bakeries along the route, I'd love to hear about them.
Thanks in advance.