Northern Germany—Billund—Norway, Road Trip Guide

🕐: Early March 2025, 14 days ☀️: Average 2°C in Norway, not cold. Average 5°C in Northern Germany, colder. 📍: If you're only going to Norway, ignore the first and last parts. Precautions are in the previous post. 🥰I love natural scenery, art, beautiful architecture, and dislike hassle. 🚙Itinerary: Day 1️⃣: 🇩🇪 Fly to Berlin, Germany, pick up the rental car at the airport, drive around the city center attractions (I personally think only Museum Island is worth visiting, as we'll pass by again later, so no stop today), head straight to Hamburg, visit the Elbphilharmonie, and stay in Hamburg. Buy ferry tickets from Denmark to Norway for the next day. Day 2️⃣: 🇩🇰 Pass by Billund, Denmark, check in at the Lego House (I'm not a Lego fan, so it was boring). Recommend Aalborg, a beautiful coastal city. Take the ferry to Kristiansand, Norway in the evening, and stay overnight. Day 3️⃣: 🇳🇴 Arrive in Stavanger. This section isn't scenic; you can take a ferry directly here, but the cost is 3 times higher. Stay in Stavanger. Day 4️⃣: Highly recommend staying in Norheimsund, an unknown small town with stunning night views and decent restaurants. Day 5️⃣: Arrive in Bergen. Only the fish market area is decent; you'll find the subsequent cities are similar. Save your energy for Oslo, which is more beautiful. Going north to Voss is very average, suggest not stopping, as there are much more beautiful places later. Stay in Aurland (this section is quite long, if time is tight, you can stay overnight in between, but Aurlandsvangen‼️ is worth staying in). Day 6️⃣: Sogndal town, at the foot of the snow-capped mountains, is stunning. Skei, Loen, Stryn are all beautiful. The most beautiful scenery is on the road, suggest staying longer, maybe two more days. The homestays all have sea views. Day 7️⃣: Ålesund, an art town. If I had to choose only two cities to stay in, I'd choose Ålesund and Oslo. Day 8️⃣: 8-hour drive to Oslo, suggest staying overnight midway. Recommend Lillehammer, the host city of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Day 9️⃣: Oslo, you can drive around, and the area around the Opera House is worth getting out of the car to explore. Day 1️⃣0️⃣: 🇸🇪 Gothenburg, a complete mess. Day 1️⃣1️⃣: 🇩🇰 Copenhagen, visit the Church of Our Lady. Lots of shops to explore in the city, very chic. Day 1️⃣2️⃣: 🇩🇪 Lübeck, Germany, medieval architecture. Just visit the old town. It's different from the previous architectural styles and will feel fresh. However, return to the hotel early, as Germany is not safe (return to the hotel early for the subsequent itinerary as well). Day 1️⃣3️⃣: Berlin, visit Museum Island. Day 1️⃣4️⃣: Dresden, highly recommended‼️ Frauenkirche opens at 13:00. Visit the most beautiful Pfund's Dairy. If time is limited, you can just visit this city. ⭐️Summary: Norway is incredibly beautiful. You can choose only the middle two of the four fjords, as the roads are relatively easier to drive, and the scenery is the most beautiful. The southernmost fjord requires hiking, and the northernmost one is covered in ice and snow, making driving dangerous. Be sure to check Google Maps, as roads may be closed. After visiting Norway, the cities in Northern Germany really don't compare. They feel dirty, messy, and poorly maintained. Suggest visiting Northern Germany first, then Norway.