When did all the joy go out of getting behind the wheel? There was a time when people went for a drive just for the pleasure of moving, of hurtling through scenery with the wind in their hair. Nowadays, driving is all confused with delays, rage and expense, but those of us hankering for a bit of four-wheeled fun and adventure are heading to Norway.

The top three drives are:

3. Trollstigen Mountain Road

This narrow, nerve-shattering road is one of the oldest and most famous in Norway. Built in the 1930’s when engineers lacked the power tools available to today’s labourers, this route is a real compromise between man and the mountain. Snaking its way up steep mountainsides, through 11-hairpin bends, past waterfalls and terrifying outcrops, this is the drive of a lifetime and it’s not even No.1 on the list.

2. Lysevegen Road

This route takes you from the small town of Lysebotn, a place that could only communicate with the outside world by boat prior to the building of this road in 1984, all the way to Sirdal. The truly spectacular journey begins with a 1,100 metre curved tunnel through a mountain before you rejoin daylight and take on the narrow, 27-hairpin bend ascent all the way up to the Øygardstøl Panorama Restaurant. Pull in here, look down and marvel at the route you’ve just taken.
Only from up high can you grasp the beauty of the road you’ve just conquered. The mountains and fjords are pretty nice too – definitely worth picking up a Norway car hire deal and experiencing this place first-hand.

1. Atlantic Road

It’s difficult to rank Norway’s roads; the curves, the ascents, the challenges and of course the views from them make them all worthy of a mention, but the Atlantic Road is simply the King. This route joins the two towns of Mold and Kristiensund and connects several small islands en route. The looping, bridge-style engineering of these connections makes for a drive that can only be described as a rollercoaster ride over the sea. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle. Voted as one of the best drives in the world by anyone with a poll, frequently used in car ads and declared as the ‘Norwegian Construction of the Century’, this is the drive that puts the delight back in driving.

All of these drives can be done in a weekend but time is limited, all routes are subject to closures when the Winter arrives so treat yourself, book a flight, hire a car and hit the open (bendy, scary, thrilling) road.

This is a guest post.

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Cliff Chapman
www.traveljunkies.com
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