2026 - little roadtrip to Norway

Prolog

Anyone who knows me even a little, or has already skimmed these pages, knows that I enjoy going to the occasional rock and metal festival. I had something planned for 2026 as well. As a regular employee, I naturally have to keep track of who's on vacation, when, and how, whether it fits with the festival schedule, or perhaps even with a long weekend to squeeze in an extra day off, and whether it's even possible to combine a festival with my annual leave. Well, at some point it became clear which festivals I wanted to attend and that it would indeed be a combined vacation – relaxation and all that, and a festival. The destination for my vacation is already mentioned in the title; the festivals will come later, but I don't want to write too much about them this time, even though I enjoy them; for others, they're probably just a recurring theme and not very interesting.

But let's start at the beginning. Festival tickets are bought, vacation time requested and approved, so we can start planning further. From my current home in Switzerland, it's quite a distance to Norway. But there's the car train from Lörrach to Hamburg, overnight, which would cover a good portion of the distance. So I looked into it more closely, and presto, after about 20 rounds of deliberation, and a few weeks later, the train space was booked. So, I am already in Hamburg. But it's still several hundred kilometers to Norway, so we continued to research and plan how I could cover those hundreds of kilometers as comfortably as possible. There are several ferry connections, and I've also wanted to cross the Öresund Bridge once from Copenhagen to Malmö, which certainly makes me think. And then Niko started considering extending his vacation and joining me in Norway. A few weeks later, though, that idea was off the table, and I essentially started from scratch figuring out the best route to Norway. Ultimately, I decided on the ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo and back. The price-performance ratio and the relatively easy journey from Hamburg were the deciding factors.

That's done and dusted. That's something, I'll be leaving Switzerland on Friday evening and will be in Norway 39 hours later. So, the first 1,400 km or so as the crow flies will be relatively relaxed. And price-wise, it's probably only marginally more expensive than if I had to drive the whole way myself. And since I'm only planning a short trip, this option is definitely better, as I'll get where I want to go much faster. Great, then the vacation can begin – but it's still a while away, it's only the end of March after all. Only 2.5 months to go…

Time flies, and as always, the planning is lagging behind. But you don't need to plan much for Norway. You could pitch your tent wherever you want, and no matter where you go, you're guaranteed fantastic roads and landscapes, so you can't really go wrong. But oh dear, the first ride on the BMW almost didn't happen; the battery is dead. I have a jump starter, so I can manage for the first trip. But even after a few hundred kilometers, the battery still wouldn't recharge properly. And the ride itself is plagued by constant vibrations and jolts from the drivetrain; it just doesn't feel right. I quickly checked some old receipts and realized that the currently installed driveshaft has been in there for so long that the feeling could very well turn out to be actual damage. So I quickly ordered a new driveshaft, called the garage, and asked if I could stop by so I could replace it myself, and, since I know how fiddly it is, I'd like to have a third hand available if needed. My alternative suggestion was more appealing: the mechanic would change the driveshaft himself, and I'd man the grill. And so it came to pass that about a week before my vacation, I rolled into the garage with a suitcase full of meat and launched Garage Barbecue 2.0. Being the caring mechanic I am, Sam asked if the front tire was really still good, which I brushed off with a smile. Two rear tires are easily enough for one front tire, and the second rear tire had just been put on, so it was fine.

Great, new battery, new driveshaft, front tires still more than adequate. Okay, that's taken care of. And even on the drive back, the ride felt so much better, with significantly fewer vibrations and jolts. Replacing the driveshaft was definitely the right decision.

Then I can slowly start packing. Since I wanted to take it easy on vacation, I was thinking of maybe even going for a day hike, so the hiking boots have to come along, and then, despite the large suitcases, suddenly there's no room left for the small daypack. But, you remember, and I know how to remedy the situation, and strap a small box to the top of the baby coffin, where the backpack and maybe even two water bottles underneath fit nicely.

The last day of work, or perhaps the first day of vacation, is approaching. The BMW, with 323,847 km on the odometer, is packed and ready in the underground garage – I'm excited to finally get going.

12.06.2026, day 1 - from home to Lörrach train terminal (12 km / 7.5 mi)

xx.xx.2026, day 2 - from Hamburg-Altona to Copenhagen (363 km / 225.5 mi)

14.06.2026, day 3 - from Oslo to Voss (444 km / 277 mi)

xx.xx.2026, day 4 - from Voss to Bryggja (470 km / 292 mi)

16.06.2026, day 5 - from Bryggja via Krakenes to Alesund (364 km / 226 mi)

17.06.2026, day 6 - from Alesund to Trondheim (486 km / 302 mi)

18.06.2026, day 7 - Trondheim (19.9 km / 11.8 mi) on foot

19.06.2026, day 8 - from Trondheim to Tverrbygda / Vinstra (458 km / 284.5 mi)

20.06.2026, day 9 - from Tverrbygda to Oystese (446 km / 277 mi)

21.06.2026, day 10 - from  Oystese to Forsand (349 km / 217 mi)

22.06.2026, day 11 - from Forsand to Seljordsvain (390 km / 242.5 mi)

23.06.2026, day 12 - from Seljordsvain to Oslo to the ferry (259 km / 161 mi)

24.06.2026, day 13 - from the ferry to the hotel - Copenhell-Festival (8 km / 5 mi)

25.06.2026, day 14 - Copenhagen - Copenhell-Festival

26.06.2026, day 15 - Copenhagen - Copenhell-Festival

27.06.2026, day 16 - Copenhagen - Copenhell-Festival

28.06.2026, day 17 - from Copenhagen to Hepstedt (453 km / 281.5 mi)

29.06.2026, day 18 - from Hepstedt to Bokel and Lehre (302 km / 188 mi)

30.06.2026, day 19 - Lehre

01.07.2026, day 20 - from Lehre to Ballenstedt - Rockharz-Festival (106 km / 66 mi)

02.07.2026, day 21 - Ballenstedt - Rockharz-Festival

03.07.2026, day 22 - Ballenstedt - Rockharz-Festival

04.07.2026, day 23 - from Ballenstedt to Bruchsal

05.07.2026, day 24 - from Bruchsal back home

Epilog