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The trip was for two single individuals:
- **Route**: Riyadh to London on Saudi Airlines. I booked the ticket for 12,000 miles and paid a tax of 450 SAR (approximately $120) for airport fees. I stayed for 3 days in London, after which I booked a flight from London to Bergen, costing approximately 300 SAR (about $80) with a 23 kg checked bag and a 10 kg carry-on. The flight duration was two hours.
### Day One
- We arrived in Bergen at 1 PM. I went to pick up the car I booked through Booking with Avis, a fully equipped Peugeot SUV, either electric or gasoline. It cost me 1,650 SAR (around $440) for the entire trip, and they took a deposit of 1,000 NOK (approximately $100). For insurance, I paid with my Visa Infinite, so the insurance is covered through the card.
- We headed from the airport to our accommodation, which took about 3 hours. The accommodation is located between Konsarvik and Oda. The place is excellent, spacious, and has a fruit farm. Honestly, the accommodation is unique; you literally feel like you are living in an orchard. The owner was very nice, offering us fruits and a cake as hospitality. The accommodation has a direct view of the fjord. There are no downsides to the accommodation, and it has some advantages, being close to Konsarvik and Oda, with several attractions nearby. Voss is about an hour away from us.
In my opinion, the only downside is its distance from Bergen Airport, which is about 3 hours. Next time, I would stay in Voss due to its proximity to Bergen, and Voss is beautiful, reminiscent of Austria with similar nature.
**Note**: When I booked the accommodation, I thought it was about an hour from the airport, but I might have made a mistake. However, we really enjoyed the stay. The cost of accommodation was 650 SAR (approximately $173) per night.
[Accommodation Link](https://www.airbnb.com/slink/zrhFnwKp)
### Day Two
- We headed to the Twin Waterfall. Mashallah, it is a beautiful waterfall; you get tired from the view. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Norway.
- We strolled in the village of Oda.
- On our way back to the accommodation, we found a park overlooking the fjord where we had a picnic and cooked our lunch before returning to the accommodation.
### Day Three
- We went to Voss, and on the way, we visited the waterfall in Konsarvik. Honestly, the waterfall is beautiful, consisting of three stages, and requires hiking in the second and third stages. I recommend it for singles, but it can be tiring for families.
- We visited the restrooms overlooking the river and the waterfall nearby.
- We visited the center and the lake in Voss. Mashallah, Voss is beautiful, and the weather was rainy and cloudy. We had a picnic by the lake and cooked our lunch. Honestly, I loved Voss; it felt like I was in Austria or Switzerland.
### Day Four
- We headed to Stryn, which took about 5-6 hours. On the way before Stryn, we stopped at the glacier river, which was beautiful and had many tourists from all over. There were several viewpoints along the road where we stopped for photos. An hour before Stryn, we passed by the valley where rivers and streams flow everywhere. Subhanallah, we stopped, cooked our lunch, and I found it very suitable for picnics. After that, we headed to our accommodation in Loen.
The accommodation is located between Stryn and Loen, about 8 minutes by car to Stryn. It is a cabin with a direct view of the lake. The accommodation itself is a story and made us want to stay in because of its amazing location. The owner was very cooperative and polite. The cost of accommodation was approximately 350 SAR (about $93), booked directly from the owner. After we arrived and rested, we went to Stryn to shop for groceries and returned to the accommodation.
### Day Five
- We headed to Lovatnet Lake, which is enchanting and has a different color.
- We visited the glacier river.
- We had a picnic by Olden Lake.
### Day Six
- We went to the enchanting Geiranger in rainy weather and took the mountain road. Subhanallah, there were waterfalls, mountain lakes, and snow. You might see various shapes and colors of nature along this road.
Of course, along the way, we stopped frequently to take photos. We wanted to have a picnic, but the weather was rainy and very cold. We stopped at several viewpoints overlooking Geiranger Fjord.
- We strolled in Geiranger and took a self-driven boat for about 400 SAR (approximately $107), but with the rainy weather and the beauty of the fjord, it was worth every riyal spent. It was one of the best days for us in Norway. We visited the Seven Sisters Waterfall by boat, and then we headed to the Eagle's Eye viewpoint, which I consider the most beautiful viewpoint of the fjord. After that, we returned to Stryn, taking the mountain road and stopping frequently to take photos.
### Days Seven and Eight
The weather was rainy and fantastic, so we decided to stay close and enjoy the weather:
- We strolled in the Stryn center.
- We walked by the river in Stryn.
- We visited the Loen viewpoint, which was very close to our accommodation.
- We visited Yri Neset Coffee, which I find very organized with beautiful views and is great for photography enthusiasts.
### Day Nine
- We headed to Bergen, and on the way back, we stopped by Voss Lake for a picnic until sunset, then headed to Bergen for accommodation close to the airport, about 8 minutes away. It had 3 rooms and 2 bathrooms; the accommodation was excellent, honestly.
### Day Ten
- We headed from the accommodation to Bergen Airport, returned the car, and took a domestic flight to Oslo. As soon as we arrived at Oslo Airport, we had 3 hours until our flight back to the beloved Kingdom via Qatar Airways.
**Note**: The return flight was booked two days before returning. We initially planned for an open trip to extend our stay in Norway or visit another European country for a few days before returning home. The return was supposed to be from Bergen to a European country or London and then back home. We chose to pick up and drop off the car in Bergen, but circumstances forced me to return to Saudi Arabia quickly. There were no suitable return flights from Bergen to Saudi Arabia; I had to go to Oslo. I contacted the car rental company to return the car in Oslo, and they said I would have to pay an additional 3,000 SAR (approximately $800). So, I decided to return it in Bergen and take a domestic flight from Bergen to Oslo. The two tickets cost us 600 SAR (about $160) with luggage instead of paying 3,000 SAR to return the car in Oslo.
### Advantages of Norway According to My Opinion:
- The nature is breathtaking, with various colors and shapes of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. You don’t need to travel far for tourist attractions; everywhere is more beautiful than the last.
- The country is tailored for picnic and photography enthusiasts. No one will say anything if you are in a permitted area for cooking.
- The people are friendly, and most speak English.
- Accommodation options are varied, beautiful, clean, and reasonably priced.
- Car rental prices are reasonable if booked early.
### Disadvantages:
- Flights from Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, are tiring; you have to transit and land in Oslo, and the capital is far from western Norway, so you need to rest in any city in between for both going and returning, which wastes about two days.
- Activities are limited, but for me, as a young person, it didn’t matter, and I enjoyed the picnics. However, families and children might need more activities.
- There are few halal restaurants. Personally, I managed with cooking and picnics, but many people don’t cook, so this can be a drawback.
### Other Notes:
- The visa used was French and new. When I arrived at Bergen Airport, the immigration officer asked why my visa was French. I was able to show him reservations proving that I had spent more time in France, and I had fake tickets from Bergen to Paris and a return ticket from Paris to Riyadh.
- **Tip**: Don’t tire yourself visiting every place and activity; most of them are similar. Travel is about relaxation and stability.
- Regarding prices in Norway, if you cook, they are similar to any European country; you won’t feel they are expensive.
- My opinion is that for those going to Europe for the first time, especially families, Switzerland and Austria are more suitable due to the abundance of flight options and less travel hassle. They won’t get tired, and there are more restaurants.
- I took a picnic bag with me from Saudi Arabia containing almost everything: rice, a pressure cooker, a stove, chairs, and Arabic seating, along with some canned goods for breakfast. As for halal meat and chicken, I brought them with me from London in the Arab Street, where there are many fresh and chilled options. I froze them a day before at the hotel, and I have a bag from Bin Dawood that keeps meat frozen without ice for 20 hours, which I put with the luggage.
- Regarding nature, I find Norway to be extraordinary; it is more beautiful than Austria, but it is close to Switzerland, with only slight differences due to the diversity in Norway. However, it remains neck and neck with Switzerland, each having its advantages and disadvantages.
### Total Cost:
- Accommodation for the entire trip in Norway: 4,450 SAR (approximately $1,187)
- Tickets for two people total: 4,300 SAR (about $1,147)
- From London to Bergen: approximately 600 SAR (about $160) including luggage.
- From Bergen to Oslo: 500 SAR (about $133).
- From Oslo to Dammam: 3,200 SAR (approximately $853).
- Fuel: 900 SAR (about $240).
- Activities, groceries, cafes, internet, tolls, and bridges: did not exceed 3,000 SAR (about $800).
**Total cost**: Approximately 13,000 SAR (around $3,466), which may vary by about 1,000 SAR.
I apologize for the lengthy message.
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This translation includes the conversion of prices from Saudi Riyals to US Dollars based on approximate exchange rates.
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