Backpacking is an ideal way to see Norway. You can visit bustling large cities like Oslo or quiet country villages like Vikersund and see the day-to-day life of modern Norwegians in both. Scenery ranges from steep mountain peaks to quiet valleys to deep fjords. Backpacking lets you determine your own route and schedule and provides an opportunity to get to know the country and its people.
Decide how much time and money you have to spend on a trip to Norway. Check the current rates of currency exchange so you know how far your money will go in Norway and practice changing dollars to kroner in your head.
Determine what season you'd like to spend in Norway. Be aware that winter is long, cold and snowy and, in the north, is dark nearly all day. There are mountainous regions throughout Norway where you can ski in the summer if skiing is a part of your plan.
Choose the clothes you may need when you're there, keeping in mind that even summer can range from chilly to downright cold, especially in the mountain and fjord areas. You may need a warm jacket and a pair of sturdy hiking boots, and also a warm sweater, warm socks, undershirts and a rain-proof jacket. Keep your packing to a minimum.
Look into discount travel passes and lodging passes. You can stretch your money with train passes like Eurail and InterRail, or Minipris for regional travel off main lines. Check the benefits of a VIP backpacker's lodging pass. All of these can help you find hostels and cheap but friendly bed-and-breakfasts throughout the villages of Norway.
Buy a guidebook and a Norwegian phrasebook with dictionary. Most Norwegians speak very good English, but in some small villages, you may need to know a little Norwegian.
Find the best place to change your currency. It may be a bank, or it may be an American Express office. It's unlikely to be a store or a hotel.
Start your trip in Oslo, Norway's capital and a city in the southern region of Norway. Near Oslo, you'll find Kristiansand, best known for its modern zoo with great animal habitats, but also a large city with both well-preserved old homes and a modern nightlife. Don't miss the town of Bergsjo, where kite-skiing is king.
Travel by rail. One of the best train trips you can take is the Flam railway loop. It's one of the steepest railroads in the world using a normal gauge, rather than a narrow gauge. Pick it up near Myrdal on the Oslo-Bergen railroad, and it takes you through a mountainous region filled with forests and waterfalls, until it reaches its farthest point at Sognefjord.
Consider visiting Norway's oldest wooden church, or stave, while you're in Sognefjord. It's on UNESCO's World Heritage List and was built in 1150 as a private chapel for a wealthy family. The inside is filled with intricate carvings both of Norwegian wildlife and imaginary beasts like dragons.
Visit the Telemark region when you return from Sognefjord. It's considered the birthplace of cross-country skiing and is surrounded by a scenic mountain region. Around the region you may choose to see some of the best-preserved villages of Europe, with small white houses and beautiful summer gardens. Bed-and-breakfasts are available at a reasonably low cost throughout Telemark.
Go to Trondelag in central Norway. The people of Trondelag claim to be the friendliest in Norway, and you should be able to find a hostel or a bed and breakfast at any village from the rock-strewn coast to the forests and mountains. Trondelag includes the historic site of Stiklestad, where King Olav Haraldsen died.
See the midnight sun in northern Norway, which stretches into the Arctic. If you go after November, you'll be in darkness except for the Northern Lights, which many travelers claim are most beautiful in Norway. You can also meet the ethnic Sami people, an indigenous people who maintain their traditions of fishing, hunting and reindeer herding while still living in the 21st century.
