The Kystpilegrimsleia is not a hard route to cycle over. You climb a lot, but never steep. Apart from a fer mean point, the average ascent percentage is not so high. There are plenty of places to stay and enough supermarkets. And then some other things:
- The route is a pilgrimage route, and you cycle from key place to key place. These are important places in Norwegian history.
- Apart from these numerous traces of the past, the route is above all a nature route.
- If you like to camp in the wild, this is a great route. There are countless spots where you stay and sometimes very close to the North Sea or the Atlantic Sea.
- The summers may be short, but to think they are cool is a misunderstanding. Warm summers are no exception in Scandinavia. On the other hand, the weather is more temperamental than in the south of Europe.
- The Norwegian people are friendly end hospitable: as pilgrim you get a warm welcome.
- This pilgrimage route along Norway's west coast is incredibly beautiful!
All practical information at a glance:
Stages:
- 0. Approach route (Kristiansand-Egersund) – 286 km
- 1. Rogaland (Egersund-Buavåg) – ± 520 km
- 2. Vestland (Langevåg-Selje) – ± 375 km
- 3. More og Romsdal (Selje-Edøy/Smøla) – ± 355 km
- 4. Trøndelag (Edøy-Trondheim) – ± 240 km
Length of the route
The coastal pilgrimage route is between 1,500 and 2,000 km long. Count on the daily distances probably being shorter than you are used to. The global distance and short day distances have two reasons:
- from Stavanger, you will regularly take a ferry. These ferries sometimes sail frequently (every half hour), but sometimes only a few times a day. For some ferry routes, there are also alternative routes by bicycle. If you choose these, you will be on the road longer;
- Although the key places are included in the route as much as possible, you will have to make a (small) diversions for some places. And some key places can only be reached by ferry (or bus, via a tunnel) because they are located on an island.
A good basic level of fitness is nice, but not a must. The many hills and mountains are neither high nor, with a few exceptions, steep.
There are plenty of places to stay for the night like pilgrimaccommodations, hotels/b&b's and campsites. You can also choose not to bring a tent with you, which means less weight. If you do take your tent with you, you have a lot of campsites and wild camping spots to choose from.
The best time for the Kystpilegrimsleia is from May to September. April and October are transition moths. During that time it can be very cold and rainy.
Keep in mind that during this time some accommodations and sights are only open from half June / end June open start to close again around the beginning of September / half September. Some even at the end of August. Check the concerning website for more information.
The road quality of the cycling route is good. You ride mostly on asphalt roads and the occasional gravel road in between.
Generally, you cycle on quiet country roads. Sometimes you will not encounter anyone for kilometres. However, there are also roads you have to share with motorists, which is not always pleasant. Unfortunately, there are then no alternatives without having to make huge detours.
Along the way, you will come across plenty of accommodation and shops. Usually right by the route, sometimes you have to make a (small) diversions. Cafés and restaurants are mainly in the larger towns.
camping out or sleeping in
Travelling with a tent has its advantages, especially in Norway. Wild camping is allowed almost anywhere, provided you keep a distance of 150 meters from gates and houses. On farmland you ask permission from the farmer first. Along the route there are enough camp sites available. If you travel by bicycle with a tent, you're in control of the length of your trip that day and your wallet.
Almost all camp sites have a place to cook, where you can also eat in a dry and warm place. Keep in mind that these accommodations along the coast can be relative expensive, compared with camp sites more inland. The same goes for camp sites and pilgrim accommodations. If you want to cycle without a tent, and keep tabs on your budget, then the use of huts on camp sites or of Den Norske Turistforening (DNT) and cheap B&B’s as much as possible and cook for your self if a kitchen is available. For huts, a sleeping bag of your own may be mandatory.
There are five pilgrim centres along the route: Avaldsnes, Bergen, Selje, Smøla and Trondheim. You can get up to date information on the route and on activities in the regions they are responsible for. You can also buy a pilgrim passport at the centres. The centres in Selje and Trondheim offer accommodation. Contact information can be found at:
A pilgrim passport in which you collect stamps at accommodations and churches allows you to get a (free) Olavsbrev (Olav letter) at the pilgrim centre in Trondheim. A diploma for finishing the journey. You are entitled to the Olavsbrev if you have cycled at least along six key places. The pilgrim passport with the dated stamps can be used as proof of your trip. Having a pilgrim passport, however, is not as necessary as on the way to Santiago where you really need it to be able to stay in the refuges. The pass costs € 6,50 and can be ordered through the ViaGaia webshop and can be bought at all pilgrim centres and some accommodations along the route.
Along the coastal pilgrimage route are 26 so-called ‘key places’, nøkkelsteder in Norwegian. These places are of great historical and cultural value. You can have your pilgrim's passport stamped here.
A list of these key places can be found on the website Pilegrimsleden.
These places were chosen through a collaboration between the Coastal Pilgrim Route, the National Heritage Council, provincial councils, municipalities, the Church of Norway and the National Pilgrim Centre.
By train:
For the quickest connections by train to the ferry ports outside of Norway: visit the website of the Deutsche Bahn.
For the quickest connections by train to the ferry ports in Norway: visit the website of Entur
By ferry:
Tips on booking the ferry trips
The following goes for any ferry service: if you book via a Norwegian or Swedish site, you end up paying noticeably less than on a Dutch or English site. If you can't read Norwegian, then open the same site in English in a different window and walk through the ordering process until payment, then you pay on the Norwegian or Swedish site by credit card.
For booking in high season, booking in advance is by any means advisable. Outside the high season, you could take a chance, but then only the expensive huts may be available.
Trein
Hirtshals en Kristiansand zijn bereikbaar per trein. Voor reizen vanaf Nederland en België kun je de trein boeken via NS-internationaal of Deutsche Bahn. Voor treinreizen in Noorwegen kun je boeken via Entur, kijk even bij het volgende kopje, 'Vervoer onderweg'.
In Norway you can take the bike with you on the train, the bus and the ferry
Train
There are a three relevant train routes for the Kystpilegrimsleia:
- Kristiansand-Stavanger
- Bergen-Oslo
- Trondheim-Oslo
If you want to start in Egersund, the official starting point of the route, take the direct train from Kristiansand to Stavanger.
Note that after Stavanger, there are no more trains along the route (northbound). From Bergen and Trondheim, you can take the train to Oslo. However, you won't pass along the cycle route.
Through Entur's app or de app van Vy's app, you can buy a ticket for the train relatively easily. The only stations in Norway where you buy tickets at the counter are Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim. All other stations are unstaffed, but there are ticket machines there.
If you want to be assured of a place for your bicycle on the train, reservations are recommended.
Bus
There are two key places that can only be reached by bus for cyclists. You can take your bicycle on the bus if you wish, but you can also choose to leave the bicycle behind. The key places in question are Utsteinkloster and Sula Island.
You cannot and should not cycle in the Atlanterhavstunnel to Kristiansund. However, your bicycle can travel on the bus very easy and without reservation.
Ferry
Ferry tickets do not need to be booked. All car ferries on the route are free of charge. For the high-speed ferries and bicycle and foot ferries, you pay for the ticket.
Ferry departure and arrival times
Each region or transport company has its own app. This makes it confusing and cluttered. The easiest way to check departure and arrival times is in the Google Maps app. Go to the relevant port on the map and tap on the ferry icon. See the screenshots below. Make sure you tap exactly on the icon, otherwise you will see pictures and information of the area, instead of the times.
Click or tap to enlarge the images.
Looking at safty, the Kystpilegrimsleia is suitable to travel alone just fine. The route may go through nature a lot, 'civilization' in the form of roads, traffic, houses and farms is never far away. There is very little crime, but a locking you bicycle is still recommended. For women travalling alone, no special measures are needed other than elsewhere in normal life, using western Europe as reference. Even better, for women, Norway is a relative safe country.
Also in Norway, the e-bike is gaining popularity and this route can definitely be taken with an e-bike. You do need to take the following into account:
- Charging: As long as you're not camping in the wild, it won't lead to any problems. It does help to plan ahead as far as accommodations are concerned. It is wise to call in advance to ask if it is possible and/or allowed.
- Even though the charging facilities for bicycles are not included in the map, it would seem to me that every town has a café where you can charge your battery. Maybe even at a gas station, which are already convenient for coffee/tea, toilet, emergency rations... and very often have a place where you can sit.
In short: Some planning is in order. And even if it seems obvious at first glance, ask! They'll almost say 'yes' any time, unless it is not possible, but plugging in without asking is 'not done'.
As far as safety is concerned, Norway is well suited to travel alone by bicycle. 'Civilization' in the shape of roads, houses and farms are never far off, and the various villages and towns are never that far apart.
For women cycling alone, there are no additional measures needed compared to anywhere else in life. Even better, Norway is a relative safe countrie for women.
There is little criminal activity, but it is still wise to lock your bicycle..
