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'''Norway''' is a country in [[Europe]]. It is a member state of the [[Schengen Agreement]], but is not part of the [[European Union]]. Its capital is [[Oslo]]. Its neighbouring countries are [[Sweden]], [[Finland]] and [[Russia]].
The main challenge while traveling travelling in Norway is the rapidly shifting weather, so be prepared for anything, as they say here: ''There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing''.
Most people speak [[England|English]] well enough for reasonable communication. People have been told to be wary of foreigners. Recently, it's been all over the news that some gypsies wait on the road with a broken car and steal cars from people stopping to help them, and it doesn't help much, especially if you're not quite white. If you look like a hobo your chance decreases chances decrease further. Look presentable to increase your chances chance of getting picked up and be friendly. Ask questions.
== Hitchhiking culture ==
'''Norway''' is difficult to class as a good or bad country for hitchhiking (see the Discussion page). There are both very good and very bad feedback from hitchhikers in Norway:
==POSITIVE= Positive ===
'''Norway''' is not an easy country to hitch in, but it can be rewarding! Even though ''haike'' is not too common in Norway, people are very likely to pick you up and can be very friendly and helpful. Like in Sweden, foreign tourists and immigrants are more likely to [[picking up hitchhikers|pick up hitchhikers]].
According to [[User:Francisco1|Francisco1]] (also said by [[User:Fede|Fede]] [[User:Earlyturtle|Earlyturtle]]) although he didn't look very norwegian Norwegian and had no flag (see here below), just common nice cardboard signs, he always found people, many times locals (some foreigners also), any gender, any age, to pick him up, help him and give good advice. He doesn't agree with the idea that most norwegians Norwegians are unwelcoming to strangers, and even less nationalist or racist.
''(see also: [[Talk:Norway|NORWAYNorway, A PARADISE FOR HITCHHIKERSa paradise for hitchhikers]])''
==NEGATIVE= Negative ===
According to [[User:thomasmyrman|thomasmyrman]] who hitched with a huge Norwegian flag, many drivers said they only stopped because it made them feel nationalistic pride and that it made the hitcher visible from far away. Consider having at least a small flag (even if you are not Norwegian) which you can buy anywhere in Norway. Grata[[User:Grata|Grata]] also had a bad experience.
''(see also: [[Talk:Norway|No, it is not easy to hitchhike in Norway]])''
==MORE ADVICE= More advice ===
Norwegians have a tendency to always be on the rush on weekdays. Waiting times can be a bit longer around [[Oslo]] and in remote areas where traffic is very light. People expect some chatting since distances are long, and seem to have little tolerance for drug or alcohol use while on the road.
Remember, hichhiking is about patience, so maybe you'll have to wait for a good while (it IS true that there are not that many cars), but just enjoy the beautiful landscapes and you can always walk along the roads, they are not highways properly said.
==NORTH NORWAYNorth Norway ==
Hitchhikers had varying experiences in the beautiful North. Some locals hitch regularly to commute. You can hitch a ride from mostly anywhere as there is not much traffic. Another challenge are the long winter nights, which make the hitchhiking day very short unless you are well equipped for [[Hitchhiking at night|night hitchhiking]]. In the North, total darkness sets in from around mid-November. Don't forget the specifics of [[Winter|winter hitchhiking]].
If possible, try to find out the ferry schedule. Hitch on the side where the cars drive into the ferry because in many places it's hard to hitch on the other side. You can maybe knock on people's windows when they wait for the ferry, especially if they come early and have to wait long, it's easy to talk to them. You can maybe try to hitch into cars that have already paid for the ferry but on almost all car ferries, and definitely all the short distance ones, you pay extra for each passenger so that would be sneaking. In a few ferries the driver might have paid for the car not dependent on passengers, but that is a rare case.
Blackriding the ferries is also very easy most of times. Just don't show up too much, there is always a queue (long or not) of cars waiting for it, ticket sellers are on board or at the harbour and they go directly, one by one to each car to make the ticket. When the ferry arrives and the ticket sellers (can recognize them easily) are busy making tickets to cars just enter the ferry and nobody will tell you anything, the guys at the entrance of the boat are not supposed to check tickets just to tell cars where to go so they won't stop you nor anything, just think that you have already paid before. Of course if there are other "backpackers" stay away from them cause they are the first to be approached for tickets when the boat arrives. Fede, his brother and a polish Polish hitchhiker (that makes 3 people together) easily entered in that way every time, from [[Lofoten]] Islands to [[Bodo]] as around Sognesfjord and [[Bergen]]
Popular Ferry routes to Denmark and Germany are Kristiansand-Hirtshals, Larvik-Hirtshals (ColorLine), Oslo-Frederikshavn and Oslo-Göteborg-Kiel (StenaLine). With ColorLine, cars carrying up to 5 people don't pay extra, so it's possible to hitch a ride on the ferry for free (not correct anymore any more as of November 2012: extra passenger is 5€EUR 5. It would be an acceptable price, but since ALL of the drivers buy tickets on-line with 50% discount, it's almost impossible to catch a ride at the ticket office. We had to give up and hitchhike all the way to Oslo, Sweden and then Denmark. So you better don't rely on this possibility) StenaLine operates overnight only, so even if you manage to find a car, they'll still force you to pay for a very expensive berth (500+ kr). If you're heading to Denmark (the ports of Hirtshals and Frederikshavn are quite close to each other) it makes no sense to take the StenaLine from Oslo, because it takes a really long time (12h!!! that's the way to make you spend as much as possible on board) and you can sail from [[Larvik]] in about 4h, which is reasonably close to Oslo to reach in about 2 hours.
A note about hitching trucks! Alert, it is no longer possible to hitch trucks on Stena lines and probably Colorline as well. Only drivers allowed. when i asked several trucks in Frederikshaven they all said not possible.
*[[Göteborg]](Sweden) - [[Bergen]] - two days by road number 7 (camping in Flå, between Honefoss and Gol)
consider a complete day (with as much light hours as possible) for [[Oslo]] - [[Bergen]]
I definetely definitely recommend taking road 7 passing by the Aurlandsfjordet (fjord) at Aurland and Flåm, very beautiful
'''Distances''' - NOTENote: By car, not including waiting time and change of rides:
* Oslo - Bergen : ca. 7 hours
== Borders ==
Norway is part of Schengen and doesn't have border check checks for people coming from Sweden or Finland. It does have a border with Russia though, and there are still checks for goods. Norwegian border checks can be picky, especially if you're crossing it with a truck and even more if it's an empty one.
== Eating & Drinking ==
Food is expensive! Fresh fruits and veggies are even more expensive, especially in the North; but the dumpsters are full! especially of fresh fruits and veggies (mostly exotic like mangos avocados and bananas, tonnes of them but also of any other, from tomatoes to strawberries, blueberries, anything your appetite and taste may want) . Take as much food across the border as you can possibly carry, but no worries, when you will have finished it the dumpsters will surely fill your stomach, prefer small villages and towns than big cities since there is more food and dumpsters are (almost) always unlocked; plus food like oat, flat "fullkorn" bread, cooked legumes in metal or tetrapak boxes like beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc are definitely cheap or at least affordable (around 1E per piece but often even less) and constitute a good way to buy something in order to "borrow" from supermarkets (since the security is not really active) the expensive food you need and can't pay.
[[User:Guaka|guaka]] and Erga had a ride from Sweden all the way to [[Alta]] in the North and were smart enough to buy a box of food in a Swedish supermarket.
[[User:Fedecicco|Fede]] and his brother hitchhiked and dumpsterdived dumpster-dived all across the country for 3 weeks, and paid very few money for food .
== Accommodation & Sleeping ==
