Norway vs Iceland? - Ultimate hiking comparison guide - Part 2
Camping with friends around Rondvassbu
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Part One of this guide, focused on the landscapes you’ll encounter when hiking, the climate and hiking season as well as several practical aspects. These practicalities include how to find resources for planning your hikes or treks, the quality of the actual infrastructure in place in both countries as well as the easy of navigation (here is the link). Part Two focuses on accommodation and food options along the trails and treks as well as the practical aspects of getting yourself to the trailhead and arriving in the country.
Again it is a lengthy post, the content button above will help you navigate to the sections that are of most interest to you.
million dollar views without the price tag
Accommodation (camping and mountain huts)
In Norway you are allowed to pitch your tent on unfenced land for up to two nights. See this link for guidance on your rights and responsibilities. It is possible to find a suitable spot, near water and with a bit of shelter, on almost any trek, particularly at lower elevations. You can also camp in the vicinity of a mountain hut, or you could use the hut’s facilities during the day and camp somewhere else. (2021 prices for DNT huts). There are 550 mountain huts across Norway, spaced out in such a way as to provide shelter after a day of hiking. If you become a member of the Norwegian Trekking Association, you pay a reduced fee. It is best to join in advance and online. These days you can carry your membership card via an app for convenience. Many huts are locked, particularly in northern Norway, so consider getting the DNT universal key in advance as well, or pick it up from a regional association office in a major city before setting off into the mountains. All huts (except for some full-service lodges) have wood stoves and a complete set of kitchen utensils, cutlery and crockery as well as gas for cooking. Facilities are managed collectively, so you are expected to help out with keeping things clean and tidy, fetching water and chopping wood. Many huts have a warden in summer to help you on the way. There are all kinds of rooms, from dorm-style stacked beds to family rooms or rooms with a double bed – it all depends on the hut. Some huts can get very busy at weekends in summer, in which case people will sleep in the sitting room/lounge, too. There are often spare mattresses in a hut that can be put up in the attic. Huts are cosy and comfortable, most often with books and games, always with fireplaces and candles. Lodges are spacious and you can expect to be well catered for, with cooks often taking pride in using local and seasonal ingredients.
By way of disclaimer: on my visit to Iceland I did not do any multi-day hikes. However, having researched this subject it would seem that in Iceland the best option is to take a tent and pitch it in the vicinity of the mountain huts. These huts cater for hikers, but tend to be booked far in advance, often by companies offering guided tours. For more information and prices, see fi.is. Iceland also boasts around 200 official campsites, many of them close to trail heads. Land in Iceland is often privately owned and fenced to a much higher degree than in Norway. So-called ‘wild camping’ is prohibited in the national parks and you need the landowner’s approval when pitching your tent on private land. In general, we found that the influx of tourists in the last decade is seen as detrimental to the vulnerable landscape. It is in fact frowned upon to camp outside designated sites, as ‘staying on the trail’ is part of the ‘Leave No Trace’ manifesto (lnt.org) that is often quoted on Icelandic tourism websites (e.g. guidetoiceland.is) and at tourist information offices. There are about two-dozen mountain huts in the larger hiking areas, and they are all very basic; no fuel or cooking utensils are provided, and you need to take your own food as well. In high season it is essential to book well ahead – months or even a year in advance. Again, my research suggests these huts may be somewhat cramped and less than comfortable – although in the changeable Icelandic weather conditions they might feel just the ticket.
summary:
A clear win for Norway, based on variety, number and quality of accommodation and services provided. Having said that, if you are not afraid of ‘roughing’ it a bit in Iceland or booking well in advance, you can find shelter without too much difficulty.
Food and Water Along the Trail
There are no shops or kiosks along treks in either country. If you are intending to camp, you must generally take all your supplies with you, although in Norway you can stock up at some self-service huts.
On the major treks in Iceland there are some huts that operate as lodges and cater for hikers. They are booked far in advance – sometimes more than a year – and are sought-after and accordingly expensive (expect to pay between ISK 6000 and 9500 per person per night). The huts of the Icelandic Touring Association (fi.is) are said to be very basic, with limited supplies, so again take everything you need for your trek or hike.
In Norway the situation is different. Lodges and fully serviced huts cater fully for hikers, and often pride themselves on using local produce and providing wholesome foods. These meals are not cheap, with pricing dependent on location. The self-service huts of the Norwegian Trekking Association have a pantry offering a fairly wide variety of supplies for sale, including tinned foods, dry ingredients like rice and pasta, coffee, tea, and even cookies and chocolate. You pay for what you take and can cook dinner in the hut or at your tent. The unserviced huts will have everything you need for cooking, but no supplies, so here you do need to bring everything yourself.
In Norway it is almost always possible to find a source of fast-running water at which to fill your water bottle. In Iceland you need to plan for water more carefully when embarking on multi-day treks in the Interior highlands. Glacial run-offs are not a good source of fresh water, and nor is geothermal water very tasty. Doing your research in advance should be enough to keep you hydrated, though. This doesn’t seem to be a show-stopper.
summary:
Norway provides more options with its range of facilities from fully catered to fully independent. This makes the mountains and trails accessible to hikers of a wider range of experience and fitness. In Iceland you have to be much more self-reliant and may need to carry supplies for a considerable period of time, unless you book huts along the more popular treks well in advance. Water availability is very rarely an issue in Norway, but potentially more so in Iceland’s Interior.
Displays, books and games can often be found in the huts
cosy hut interior in Trollheimen
fishing for trout in Dovrefjell
lunchtime break with tea and ‘matpakke’
glacial lake in Iceland
Getting around
by car
When it comes to travelling in both Iceland and Norway, you will often be advised to hire a car. But does it make sense? Well, it may be a good option if:
you want maximum flexibility, and you are on a tight schedule
you are going in a group and are splitting the cost of the car hire
your holiday includes other activities as well as hiking (e.g. tours and sightseeing – in the widest sense – in different parts of the country)
you want to travel to more remote places
In Iceland, hiring a car is easy and – compared to the general cost of living – relatively economical, especially when booked ahead. Prices are kept reasonable by some stiff competition, but at the same time demand in high season is very high. There is significant seasonal variation in price, and it pays to compare prices. The main choice to make is in vehicle type – a regular car, a 4x4, or some sort of camper. In Iceland in the summer of 2020, the small 4x4 Dacia Duster was by far the most popular choice.
In Norway, hiring a car is expensive, albeit easy in all major cities and at the airports. On top of the cost of the car and the petrol, keep in mind that Norway has a lot of toll stations. If you’re taking your own car into Norway, sign up online (https://www.autopass.no/en/visitors-payment) for the tolls to be automatically deducted so that you avoid late payment fees.
When travelling in both countries, bear in mind that distances are deceiving. In the countryside in Norway, and away from the Ring Road in Iceland, you will not go much faster than 60km/h on average, which might be far less than what you are used to in your home country. In Iceland, when you are on gravel roads or winding around smaller roads along the coast or inland your average speed could be much lower than that. And don’t underestimate the number of times you’ll want to stop and get out for a better view or take a photo. Both countries are so breathtakingly beautiful that you will be tempted to stop and look often. And depending on your level of experience, you might find it either exhilarating or frightening to drive some of the roads in the mountains or along the fjords, particularly in Iceland. Consider an unlimited-kilometre rental, particularly in Iceland. The Ring Road alone is 1500km long, and any deviations will quickly add to your tally!
You don’t really need a 4x4 rental in Norway, but you do need one in Iceland if you want to travel on the gravel roads or any mountain road.
summary:
In both countries this is easy and flexible, but it is not necessarily cheap (especially in Norway), and is more time-consuming than you might think. However, it is definitely worth considering.
by public transport
What if you don’t want to hire a car? You could be:
planning a mostly hiking trip and the car would just sit idle for most of the time
time-rich and budget constrained, or travelling solo or with a friend
interested in travelling like the locals or in meeting new people while you’re on the move
keen to have someone experienced at the wheel who knows the terrain much better than you
wanting to use public transport for environmental reasons
Both countries have well-functioning public transport systems, particularly in the summer months. Local bus operators, both public and private, service major hiking destinations in Norway and Iceland.
All major hiking destinations in Norway – and particularly south of Trondheim – are accessible by public transport (visit entur.no or rome2rio.com to get started on itineraries and prices), be it bus and/or train. These include Jotunheimen, Dovrefjell, Rondane, Trollheimen and the Hardangervidda, as well as the Lysefjord in Ryfylke. At some train stations, like Hjerkinn or Kongsvold, you can literally step off the train, tighten your backpack and start a multi-day trek. A little research will go a long way in finding options for transport. Some buses only run a few times a week, and the train schedule in Norway is not as frequent as in other countries. But accessibility is not an impediment to your car-less hiking adventure in Norway. In fact, Norway encourages people to use public transport options and is constantly improving accessibility of information about services. In particular, there are summer routes that run during the hiking season to get hikers to trailheads and mountain areas. It was one of my aims when writing my forthcoming guidebook that all of the described treks should be reachable by public transport.
Iceland does not have a railway network, so long-distance public transport is by bus or air. Transport by air to major towns around Iceland (such as Isafjörður, Akureyri or Egilsstadir) is possible from the domestic airport in Reykjavik. In addition there are four main bus companies that operate mostly in the summer months – three out of Reykjavik, and one from Akureyri in the north. Between them, these companies (see link) cover the entire 1500km of the Ring Road, as well as routes in the Westfjords and summer-only tracks in the Interior. The trailheads of the most popular multi-day treks in Iceland are all accessible by bus. These include the Laugavegur, Fimmvörðuháls and Kjölur treks. By contrast, the Askja trek in the Interior and the Hornstandir trek in the Westfjords are not accessible by public transport – the latter of these being accessible only by boat.
Some of the bus companies in Iceland also run tours, from year-round excursions along the Golden Circle to explorations of the Interior (including Askja) in summer. Most tours are day trips, but you could get off along the way to camp or make use of mountain huts, and pick up a later bus. Letting the bus company know your plans in advance is key, as well as having a reservation for the pick-up service. Though private bus companies cater more to the sightseeing tourist than the hiker, you could make it work with some careful planning.
summary:
Here again, Norway ‘wins’ over Iceland in terms of accessibility. Long-distance buses in Iceland can get you close to the trailheads on the Ring Road and the major interior roads, but reaching more remote areas may be challenging. However, there are (day) tours on offer where you can hike with likeminded people or make up your own itinerary to some extent. In contrast, Norway’s public transport system is well developed, and while the transport might not run very often – at times only once daily, or even less – it will get you to quite remote places and trailheads.
Dangers and Pests
There are no native large predators (including polar bears) in Iceland or (mainland) Norway. Iceland has no snakes either, while only one type of venomous snake – the viper – is found in Norway. However, vipers are very shy and will only bite when threatened. Do seek medical attention if bitten, though.
On cliff walks in season, watch overhead for terns and gulls protecting their nests – their sharp beaks can deliver painful wounds. In particular, Arctic terns and Skuas in Iceland have a reputation for being aggressive defenders of their nests.
In both Norway and Iceland you can be bothered by midges, although the slightest movement of wind will disperse them quickly. Mosquitos are absent in Iceland, and while you will find them in Norway they don’t carry any diseases. The same cannot be said of ticks. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health states that diseases spread by tick bites are an increasing problem in Norway. Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are the most common, but other diseases can also be transmitted to humans through tick bites. It is imperative to check yourself for ticks regularly and promptly remove any ticks you find. In Iceland the prevalence of ticks and associated bites is low. So far, any diseases associated with tick bites seem to have been imported. Given that tick removers are small and weigh hardly anything, taking one along (to either country) and knowing how to use it won’t hurt.
It is of course impossible to enumerate all of the possible dangers you might encounter when visiting any country, but the greatest dangers in both Iceland and Norway come not from pests but from the forces of nature. High winds, and unpredictable and rapid weather changes can occur in both countries, and so staying up-to-date on the weather forecast (yr.no; en.vedur.is) and adjusting plans accordingly is important. You need to assess whether your levels of ability and fitness are suited to the conditions. There is no shame in turning back; the mountains will be there another day. Some guidebook authors state that when scaling a mountain in Iceland, due to the climate you need to factor in an additional 2000 altitude metres on top of its actual height, to make it comparable with a mountain of the same height in Central Europe.
River crossings are often necessary on hikes in both Norway and Iceland. Don’t go barefoot, and remember to loosen the shoulder and hip belts on your backpack before crossing any river that is deeper than ankle height.
Unique to Iceland are the geothermally active areas that you may be passing on your hikes. These are often not secured in any way. Stay well away from bubbling mudpools and fumaroles in areas where there is any indication of activity. The nearby ground could be unstable and literally boiling hot. Even at a safe distance you’ll be well able to marvel at the show.
summary:
In Norway there is a greater danger from ticks than in Iceland. Icelandic weather is much more variable than Norway’s, and you need to be cautious around geothermally active areas. With the application of common sense and by following the Mountain Code both countries are very safe indeed.
sheep will often be seen when hiking in Norway
reindeer seek out cooler areas in summer
Most stream crossings are not difficult, waterproof boots will keep feet comfortable and dry
‘hanging out’ together in a hot river is perfectly possible in Iceland, sometimes you can even choose your preferred temperature
Language, Mobile Phone Coverage and Money Matters
You will find English spoken widely in both countries, but of course basic greetings and pleasantries in the local language are always welcome wherever you go. You need to develop an eye for the spellings of place names when travelling, so that you end up where you want to be. The alphabet in both languages has some additional letters and vowels, and place names can sometimes be confusing, particularly if spellings are similar.
In both countries mobile phone coverage is generally good, except in remote places – and as a hiker you need to be aware of this. It may be better than you expect but it can’t be relied on, so if you feel you need coverage, take a satellite phone. Free wi-fi is available in both countries in most public places, restaurants and cafés.
Both Iceland and Norway are largely cashless societies. You can pay almost anywhere (including huts in Norway) by chip-and-pin credit or debit card and are often encouraged to do so. While both countries are part of the EEA (European Economic Area), they each have their own currency – the Icelandic krona and the Norwegian krone (see the exchange rate calculator widget on the sidebar).
Getting There - Iceland
By now you may have made your informed choice of whether to visit Iceland or Norway (or maybe both!). But how to get there? Iceland, being an island in the North Atlantic, can be reached by air or water. The main international airport is Keflavik International Airport, about 50km southwest of the capital Reykjavik. Icelandair and many other carriers fly to Iceland, though some budget airlines service the country only in the summer months. Given the situation in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, it remains to be seen how quick normal scheduling will be restored. Prices will vary widely depending on the time of booking and the season in which you are travelling. Shuttle buses operate into Reykjavik from Keflavik Airport (see here). Taxis between Keflavik and Reykjavik tend to be very expensive (expect to pay around €150).
It is also possible to get to Iceland by ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark via Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands. The ferry goes to the Eastfjords at Seyðisfjörður. It leaves Denmark on a Saturday morning and arrives in Iceland the following Tuesday morning, taking around 47 hours altogether. See www.smyrilline.com for the 2021 schedules. This is not a budget option, but if you want to bring your own car it is possible this way. Prices vary considerably according to onboard accommodation and season.
Cone like Kyrkja mountain has been shaped by glaciers, Jotunheimen, Norway
Getting There - Norway
Getting to Norway is easier and likely to be less costly. There are international airports in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger, to name just the four largest cities, and many national and international airlines service these airports. In addition, there are a number of ferry lines that sail to Norway, such as Color Line, Stena Line and Fjord Line. They generally depart from Hirtshals (Denmark) or Kiel (Germany) and sail to Kristiansand, Oslo, Stavanger or Bergen, depending on the line and schedule. Quickest is Hirtshals to Kristiansand – a mere 4 hours or so. You could also take a train (see for example see eurail.com) or even a long-distance bus to get to Norway; check out flixbus.com for their ever-expanding coverage in Europe. For travel research, rome2rio.com is a great option to start your planning.
Dreams came true in both Iceland…
…and Norway
Norway versus Iceland - a personal perspective
Iceland is wild – it is almost like a teenager in nature: fickle and unpredictable, yet wonderful. You need patience and grit to deal with the weather, the conditions on the trail or in the huts, and the unruliness of the landscape. Yet those landscapes are going to blow you away – sometimes quite literally, but always metaphorically. And you can always find a hot spring to soothe your nerves and muscles if need be.
Norway is an accessible wilderness; it is easier to get around, to plan and research independently, to find a trek or hike that suits your skills and abilities, and to find accommodation that fits either your need for comfort and safety or your sense of independence and freedom. Norway gives you more choice. You can be as adventurous and intrepid as you want, or you can play it safe if you need to. Either way, you will always find hikes that are breathtakingly beautiful.
No matter which destination you choose for your next hiking trip, I know you will have an amazing time exploring either country!
Photo credits: all photos are by the author
I have no affiliation to any website other then when linking to my own guidebook
