Trollstigen, Geiranger and the Atlantic Road by Motorcycle: A Norwegian Fjords Route

For a lot of riders, Norway means one stretch of road: the County Road 63 from Åndalsnes over Trollstigen and down the Eagle Road to Geiranger. It packs two of the most famous hairpin climbs in Europe, a ferry across a fjord and a high mountain plateau into less than 100 kilometres. Add a day out to the Atlantic Ocean Road, where the tarmac hops across the sea on low bridges, and you have the core of a Norwegian fjords trip.

Planning the trip

Åndalsnes, at the head of the Romsdalsfjord, is the natural base for Trollstigen and the Atlantic Road; Geiranger or Valldal works for the southern half. Allow at least three nights in the area. Norwegian roads are slow by design, ferries run to timetables, and the weather decides more of your plans than you do. Riders coming from the south usually ride up through the fjords from Bergen or come over the mountains from Oslo; riders from Denmark often take the ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand, Stavanger or Bergen.

Motorcycles are normally exempt from Norway's automatic road tolls, but they do pay on ferries and on private toll roads such as Dalsnibba. Ferries on main routes take card payment or use the AutoPASS system, and bikes rarely wait long even when cars are queuing.

Day one: Trollstigen, the fjord ferry and the Eagle Road (about 100km)

Åndalsnes to the Trollstigen plateau (about 20km). Ride south up the Isterdalen valley and the road suddenly turns up the valley wall in front of you. Trollstigen, the Trolls' Ladder, climbs in eleven hairpins up a near-vertical slope, with the Stigfossen waterfall crashing down beside the road. The hairpins are tight and the road is narrow; buses and camper vans take the whole width on the bends, so expect to stop and wait. At the top there is a visitor centre and a set of walkways out to viewing platforms over the drop. Go early in the morning before the coaches arrive.

Over the plateau to Valldal and the ferry (about 30km). The road crosses a high, bare plateau of rock and meltwater lakes, often with snow banks beside the road well into summer, then drops through the Valldalen valley, famous for its strawberry farms, to the fjord at Valldal. A short ferry crosses the Norddalsfjord from Linge to Eidsdal.

Eidsdal to Geiranger over the Eagle Road (about 30km). From Eidsdal the road climbs again over a high pass, then begins the descent to the Geirangerfjord. The last section is the Ørnevegen, the Eagle Road: eleven hairpins down the steep mountainside to the village of Geiranger. The top hairpin, Ørnesvingen, has a viewing platform with one of the classic views of the fjord. The road is steep, about 1 in 10 at its steepest, so use the engine and take it in a low gear.

Dalsnibba (about 40km there and back). From Geiranger, the road south climbs toward Strynefjellet, and a private toll road branches off to Dalsnibba, a viewpoint at about 1,500 metres looking straight down onto Geiranger and the fjord. On a clear day it is the best view on the whole trip. The toll road has its own season and fees; check before you go up.

Day two: the Atlantic Ocean Road (about 250km)

Åndalsnes to Molde (about 70km). From Åndalsnes ride west along the Romsdalsfjord toward Molde. Depending on the route you choose this means a ferry crossing or a longer ride round the fjord; both are scenic. Molde is known as the town of roses and has a famous viewpoint, Varden, above the town.

Molde to the Atlantic Ocean Road (about 50km). Head north-west to the coast at Vevang. The Atlantic Ocean Road, part of County Road 64, runs for 8.3 kilometres across a chain of small islands and skerries to Averøy, linked by eight bridges. The best known is the Storseisundet bridge, which curves and rises so steeply that from some angles it looks like it ends in mid-air. It takes ten minutes to ride, so ride it twice, and stop at the parking areas to walk out on the rocks.

Return (about 130km). Ride the coast roads around Averøy and back toward Molde and Åndalsnes, or carry on to Kristiansund through an undersea tunnel and loop back inland.

Seasons and closures

Trollstigen and the plateau road to Valldal close for winter, typically from autumn to late spring, and the opening date depends on snow. In recent seasons the road has also been closed for long periods by rockfalls and by the work to secure the slopes above it, once for most of a summer. Before you plan your trip around Trollstigen, check the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) and the National Tourist Routes website for the current status. The Atlantic Ocean Road is open all year, but it can be closed briefly in severe storms.

The roads

Norwegian roads are narrow, often with no centre line, and they are shared with camper vans, coaches and cyclists all summer. Tunnels are common, some long and unlit, and they are cold and often wet inside even on a hot day. Surfaces are generally good but there are frost heaves and patched sections. Sheep and goats wander onto the mountain roads. Speed limits are low (usually 80km/h on open roads, often less) and fines are among the highest in Europe, so ride at the posted limit.

When to go

June to early September. June brings long light evenings and snow walls on the mountain plateaus; July and August are the warmest and busiest months; early September is quieter, with autumn colour starting on the higher slopes. Expect rain on at least some days whenever you go, and pack proper waterproofs and warm layers: the Trollstigen plateau can be close to freezing in July. Our tips on riding in the rain and drying kit overnight are worth reading before you go.

Where to stay

Åndalsnes covers Trollstigen and the Atlantic Road; Valldal and Geiranger suit the southern half, though Geiranger is busy and expensive in summer when cruise ships are in. Book early for July and August. See our Norwegian fjords biker hotels for places with covered parking and room to dry kit. For more of Europe's great climbs, see our best motorcycle roads in Europe.