Car Hire in Norway
A short guide to Driving in Norway and Car Hire in Norway.
Are you going on holiday to Norway? To see as much as possible and to get the most out of Norway, the best way of transport is certainly by car. But of course you will have to abide by Norway's law of driving. Below you will find some useful information about driving in Norway.
Documents you need when driving in Norway
To drive a foreign registered car legally in Norway you must have the following documents with you, which are your passport, current full driving licence and valid insurance certificate a minimum Third Party cover, a green card is strongly recommended, the Green Card tops your cover up to the level of cover provided by the your own policy. Vehicle registration document (V5) is also needed. If the vehicle is not registered in your name, it's a sensible idea to carry a letter from the registered owner giving you permission to drive.
Special rules you must follow
When driving in Norway all vehicles must carry a warning triangle, a first aid kit and a spare light bulb kit is recommended. For all passengers it is compulsory to wear both front and rear seatbelts.
Minimum age
The minimum age of a driver in Norway is 18 years. Children under 12 years of age are not allowed on the front seats of a vehicle.
Parking
Parking in Norway is similar to Britain with car parks and
parking meters. Parking on main roads or on bends is not allowed.
A sign that reads "All stans forbudt" means No stopping
allowed. The parking metres are differentiated as follows:
Yellow - one hour, Grey - two hours, Brown - three hours.
Parking regulations are strictly enforced. Use parking lights
during darkness in poorly lit streets.
The impounding of cars is likely for illegally parked cars
A few basic rules
In Norway, they drive on the right and overtake on the left, Take special care especially at roundabouts. Your driving licence should be carried at all times. You should use dipped headlights all times 24 hours a day even on the brightest summer day, this also includes motorcycles and mopeds. Snow chains/tyres may be required in winter
Speed limits
Built-up areas: 50 kph (31 mph)
Major roads outside towns: 80 kph (50 mph)
Motorway: 90 kph (56 mph)
Bus
A principal long-distance internal bus is available; there are also extensive regional local bus services, where companies operate some of which with interests in the ferries. The official 'Rutehefte' is a must for anyone using public transport, this gives you extensive timetable information and maps of all bus, train, ferry and air routes.
Taxi
Most cases, the taxi fares are metered. The taxis can be found at taxi ranks or you can book one by telephone.
Urban
In Norway there is a good public transport system, which operate in the main towns. In Oslo there are bus, rail, metro and tramway services available. Tickets are pre-purchased and self-cancelled where also there is a 1 hour's free transfer between any of the modes.
Travel times
The following chart below gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Oslo to other major cities/towns in Norway.
Road
Bergen 9.00
Kristiansand 5.00
Lillehammer 3.00
Stavanger 7.00
Tromsø 20.00
Trondheim 10.00
Driving in Norway will be a pleasurable
experience as long as you remember you are in their country
and abide by their laws. Please remember it is not a good
enough excuse to plead ignorance, as you are a foreigner,
you are the driver and it's your responsibility to know the
law.