This Arctic Road Trip took place in June-July 2023

Have you ever thought of driving from Paris to Nordkapp, above the Arctic Circle?

Nordkapp sits at the tip of Norway and mainland Europe. It is the northernmost point reachable by road at 71deg 10’21” N

It has been on our bucket list of destinations, along with Scandinavia, for decades. Once we planned to sail there on our own yacht, when the children were young, but we didn’t make it past the Channel Islands. Then we thought we’d tour with the GX, but it was too complicated to ship it over. Last year, we flew over to France for an extended  family holiday which included enough spare time for Mr T and I to go exploring. So we jumped at the opportunity to drive around in a rental, exploring Northern Europe at a leisurely pace ( by Australian standards, that is 6-8 hours drive a day !) Being in the northern summer, we called this Arctic Circle road trip, In Pursuit of the Midnight Sun.

The 4-weeks road trip was to be split between the 5-days forward journey from Paris to Oslo, via Germany, Denmark and Sweden, a 9-days return drive from Nordkapp to Paris via Finland, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland, with the Norwegian section taking 17 days.

I have already posted snippets on Instagram and Facebook, as connection allowed at the time. This post is the first of a series detailing specific details of the trip, not only for our own memory sake, but also to provide practical information for anyone who might be interested in a similar voyage above the Arctic Circle. Please note, this is not a sponsored post, all services were paid for.

Why drive to Nordkapp?

Sounds crazy, right? Incredibly long distances, endless hours on the road … only mad people like us would find this exciting in a road trip. For most people, it would make more sense to fly. I guess we’re crazy, finding the prospect of 24 hour sunlight and warm weather too great a temptation to hit the road.  

However, in our case, we already had a vehicle hired on a long term lease, as we were staying in France for over 3 months. Organised in advance from Australia thru Auto Europe, the daily rate worked out half the cost of hiring a car thru the major rentals, including insurance. It also allowed us to drive thru most of Europe. Our Peugeot 3008 was probably an overkill in cities ( parking is a challenge in most European capitals ) but proved very comfortable driving and spacious enough for our travelling paraphernalia ( we are not light travellers ). 

How did we organise the Norway itinerary?

I am used to do my own research and bookings, but Norway was a challenge. So many options to choose from, distances and times to consider, as well as language issues… I found myself wishing I knew locals who could point me in the right direction. Enter, Up Norway, a local travel curator, I heard of from a travel podcast. The process was simple: tell them your dates of travel, your likes and dislikes, what you’re hoping to find in Norway and your budget and they come up with an itinerary tailored just for you. We were looking for scenic drives, adventure, food discoveries, local gems… and they came up with the ideal holiday for us, including a digital guide I referred to daily. While their service isn’t cheap, it was well worth it, recommending places and experiences we would never have known or considered without them. 

How did we organise the rest of the trip?

First of all, I subscribe to online travel mags and podcasts like CN Traveller, Yolo or Zero to Travel for inspiration. They feed my brain with ideas and destinations, filling up an ever expanding mood board.

Because the prize destination was Norway, our focus was on highway driving thru countries rather than sightseeing. I looked for stopovers within a 600-700km driving range or 7-8 hour drive time , whichever worked out best. A little bit like throwing a dart on a map! Then researching TripAdvisor and Bookings.com for available accomodations and possible deals. 

Generally, we are aiming for midrange accomodation, including or close to a restaurant, a car park and preferably in a scenic location ( even if staying overnight, we like to wander around ). If possible, I like to book the hotel directly, for a more personal touch ( I know they appreciate bypassing the commission and I also get the vibes of the place over the phone ). From busy business hotels in Germany, to quaint chalets in France, a rough cabin on a Swedish ferry and cozy lodges in Norway, we have stayed in all kinds of accommodation!

How far in advance did we book?

I first enquired with Up Norway before Easter, not realising that this is a major holiday and the  team had taken a 10-day break. By the time we connected mid-April and finalised the itinerary a month later, it was 6 weeks before our June departure. Cutting it fine for finding availability but obviously do-able. My advice would be to allow at least 3 months planning.

The rest of the road trip was surprisingly easy to book on the go. Generally a week ahead was enough, even 2 or 3 days in larger centres like Germany.

Practically it has meant:

Day 1: Paris – Osnabrück ( Germany ) 695klm/7.5 hours

Day 2: Osnabrück – Copenhagen ( Denmark ) 690klm / 7h15mn

Day 3: Copenhagen rest day 

Day 4: Copenhagen – Oslo ( Norway ) via Sweden 615klm / 6h45mn )

Day 5 to Day 20: Oslo – Nordkapp 

Day 21: Nordkapp – Enontekiö ( Finland ) 445km/6h30mn

Day 22: Enontekiö – Sundsvall ( Sweden ) 950klm/11 hours

Day 23: Sundsvall – Malmo (Sweden) 990klm / 10h30mn

Overnight: Malmo – Travelmunde ( Germany ) by ferry 9h

Day 24: Travelmunde – Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Germany) 640klm/6h30mn

Day 25: RODT rest day

Day 26: RODT – Interlaken (Switzerland): 490klm / 5h30mn

Day 27: Interlaken – Morzine ( France ): 225klm/ 3h

Day 28: Morzine rest day

Day 29: Morzine – Paris: 575klm / 6h 

The Stats

28 days

9988 kilometers

9 countries

The Route