When and where will there be the most tourists in Norway this summer?
When are Norway's summer holidays?
Employees in Norway are entitled to three consecutive weeks of holiday during the period from June 1st to September 30th. It is most common to take off the last three weeks of July, which are known as the fellesferie, or "collective holiday".
If you have not yet booked your holidays, be warned that ticket prices for flights during this specific period have already reached exorbitant levels.
A majority of Norwegians will be traveling abroad, but rest assured that a big part of their holiday will be also spent in the country.
Why are Norwegians holidaying at home?
As people in Norway often like to say, 'why leave Norway when the weather is finally good for once?'
Fully 69 percent of Norwegians told a survey from Norwegian Hospitality Association (NHO Reiseliv) that they will take a holiday in Norway, up from 63 percent in 2024.
That compares to the
80 percent of Norwegians plan to take a summer break.
Some 25 percent of respondents said that they had opted for a holiday in Norway because travelling abroad had become too expensive.
Only 39 percent plan to take a holiday in another European country, down from 46 percent last year.
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What parts of Norway are most popular with Norwegians?
Vestland (20 percent) and Innlandet (19 percent) stand out as the most popular areas for Norwegians to spend a 'staycation', with many Norwegians swapping the big cities to visit their summer cabins or those of friends and family.
There has also been a slight increase in the number of people planning outdoor activities this summer, with a growing trend among young Norwegians to go on van or camper holidays across the country or else hiking and camping tours.
What parts of Norway are most popular with foreign tourists?
International tourists will flock to other areas, with the most crowded area likely to again be the Lofoten archipelago in the north of the country. The island region has been battling with 'overtourism' due to the growing international popularity of its stunning beaches and mountains.
Norwegian landmarks such as Pulpit Rock (
Preikestolen),
near Stavanger
,
or the Troll Tongue (
Trolltunga
) near Bergen both draw tourists in enormous numbers during the summer.
The awe-inspiring mountain pass Trollstigen, in the Romsdalen valley, with its eleven hairpin bends, is also a top draw, although it is currently closed, openly only in mid-July.
Cruise ships can also dump vast numbers of tourists on towns on the coast and in the fjords.
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The busiest roads to avoid
The busiest roads in the summer are often in northern Norway, with Lofoten a particular bottle neck. Kystriksveien (f 17) between Steinkjer and Bodø tends to get heavy campervan traffic, with bottlenecks at the ferry crossings.
In Vestlandet, road 13 between Bu and Kyrkjenes also tends to be congested.
There also tends to be heavy traffic in and out of Oslo at the beginning and end of the summer. The E18 between Oslo, Drammen and Porsgrunn is always busy at these times. The E6, both north from Oslo to Lillehammer and Dovre, and south towards the Swedish boarder at Svinesund is often congested.
Other busy stretches include the E18 between Vinterbro and Ørje, the E16 between Sandvika, Sollihøgda and Hønefoss, and the E16 between Kløfta, Kongsvinger and Skotterud.
This summer, the Norwegian National Road Policing Service (Utrykningspolitiet) will prioritize speed controls on several key roads to reduce serious traffic accidents.
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