How to spend a night in Norway on a low budget

Thinking about doing your next road trip in Norway? Do you know how much money you need to handle all your expenses; like car rental, fuel prices, ferry costs, camping charges or even just eating Norwegian food? 

Wondering about alternative ways you can spend a night in Norway other than sleeping in hotels? Below are some of the affordable alternatives to spending a night in Norway – and one you might not have thought of yet!

Camping is sometimes forbidden and can be unpleasant during a storm, so how do you stay dry and spend the night in a low budget? Keep reading and learn everything you need to know before you start a road trip in Norway.

How to get to Norway on a low budget

If you are from Europe, you have two options, you can either go by plane or by land in either a car or van. If you’re not from Europe, the only way to get there is by plane. Let’s look at what is best.

How to Plan your Road Trip to Norway (What be aware of before you go)

How to spend a night in Norway on a low budget

The best way of reducing your costs is by traveling by van. Accommodation can be the most costly part of your road trip, so by sleeping in your van you’ll significantly reduce your expenses. If you don’t have access to a van, let’s look at what other options you have.

Sleeping in the car

Can you sleep in your car in Norway? Of course, you can. The right question though is where can you park your car so you can catch some sleep. In Norway there are many rest areas on the roads where you can pull over and sleep. Also, many of the stops have public toilets and even public showers which makes your stay far more pleasant. Sometimes the public toilets charge a small fee, but they are well maintained so worth the cost.

It might not be the best way to spend the night but it’s the cheapest one for sure but of course, there are many disadvantages. Sleeping in a car may not be the most beautiful experience or the most comfortable or private one. So before deciding on spending nights sleeping in your car, have a look at the possibilities which are also affordable but more comfortable.

Camping, spending your night in a tent

Have you ever been camping, do you know what to bring camping and how do you prepare for this experience?

In Norway, you won’t find a town or a small town without one or two campsites for tourists, therefore you don’t have to stress if you don’t have a roof above your head for an upcoming night. On the campsites, you have three options for spending the night; in a tent, in a camper van or a cottage.

Tent

Sleeping in a tent is not a comfortable experience as it may seem.

The huge advantage is that you can sleep pretty much anywhere, for example in mountains, to save time on your hike, to see sunrise or sunset. You can also sleep in the campsites in the towns where you can rent a place to stay and pitch your tent. The biggest advantage of those places is that you have access to electricity, showers, kitchen, and toilets which you won’t have when you camp in the mountains.

Fees for camping are different throughout Norway. We paid 120NOK in the Odda camping ground including a spot for our tent for two people and access to the kitchen, showers and toilets. A great option for low-cost traveling, definitely one of the cheapest options in Norway for sure.

Camper van

You can also rent a camper van which is a little bit more expensive than sleeping in a tent because you’re paying for a roof above your head.Compared to staying in hotels, it can still work for low budget travelers.

Renting a van for more than a week is far more expensive than staying in a tent or at a camp site at around 600-1000 NOK per day. Personally, I prefer sleeping in a tent.

Cottage

The last option is to stay in a cottage. They are usually located on the bigger camping sites or specific cottage camping areas. The cottages are usually equipped with beds, showers and a small kitchen. So when you want to take cover from the bad weather it could be a good option for you.

The cost of these cottages are not as big as you might think, usually around 200 NOK per night and depends on the amenities of the cottage or location.

These low cost options are well known among travel communities and specifically, the low-cost travel communities. What is not as well known are the alternative ways of spending a night on your Norwegian road trip.

Alternative low budget ways of spending the night

A relatively unknown way to spend the night in Norway and the one I found to be the best due to the living conditions, affordability and how cozy it was. Also, it’s a great opportunity to meet many people with a travel mindset like yours.

Cabins

All around Norway there are various cabins where you can stay overnight. The only thing you need to do is find them and write an email to the owner or call them right away. Here is the webpage with all cabins in Norway on the map.

How to book

Unfortunately, the page is in the Norwegian language but it is so simple that you should be able to find the contact information easily enough. Most of the cabins work on a lock key principal. After you’ve booked your cabin through email or phone you will receive a code through email/SMS then you will come to the cabin and there is a small locker and inside is key for the cabin. You just open it with code you received and voilà you are in. 

Good to know

The amenities inside are kind of basic, without a shower, toilets or even heating. We made a small wood furnace and making a fire was a pleasant experience. On the web page above you can find all the information about your cabin, but as mentioned it is in Norwegian. A better option is to call the owner and ask everything that you need to know.

Fees & Discount

Now, let’s look at the price. It’s not necessary to pay in advance, you can also pay at the cabin in cash, you just leave your cash in the safe onsite. You can also pay by credit card or money transfer. One night will cost you 200 NOK, but if you register to the Norge official tourist organization you get a 50% lifetime discount off the price per night. You can find the link under this paragraph. The registration fee is 500 NOK but then you will sleep in good conditions for just 100NOK per night which is amazing!.

Cabins map in Norway Get lifetime discount Senjabu cabin recomodation

Ask a homie

The last low budget option here is just asking homies to stay at their houses. Norwegians are welcoming people, they are kind and they would help you at any cost. If they have a free room for a guest they will be very happy for you to stay with them. So don’t be shy and ask them.

Norway low budget hotels and accommodation (Airbnb & Booking)

Frankly, hotels are so expensive in Norway, even with Airbnb or Booking. Sometimes you can find a cheap last minute option, but it’s not that usual and more expensive than the options mentioned above.
I use those tools for booking in camping sites, mainly in the summer season. Camping fills up quickly and it may happen that you turn up to a camp and they won’t have a place for you.

I hope this is helpful for you when you’re booking your next trip to Norway. Be sure to let me know if there is something you want to know more about down below in the comments. See ya in on the next one.

What to Eat in Norway on a low budget

Have you ever tasted traditional Norwegian food? There are local delicacies like whale steak, fresh cod, seafood or the delicious cinnamon rolls with brown caramel cheese. If you’re a foodie, you should definitely read about the traditional foods you should eat while in Norway.