When planning our 3 day Norway road trip, we pretty much planned our trip from Bergen to Alesund so we could go a bit further North of Alesund and see the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway! We had seen incredible drone shots of the Atlantic Ocean Road and wanted to get some shots like this for ourselves!
Just after our visit, the new Bond film came out ‘No Time To Die’ and it turns out the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway is one of the filming locations in the new Bond movie, which is pretty cool!
When planning our Norway road trip, I watched a few Norway vlogs that said that unless you have a drone, the Atlantic Ocean Road might not be worth the visit and I read a few posts which said that although it is an incredible road, it’s certainly not the most beautiful road in Norway, like some other articles claim it is!
We loved our visit to the Atlantic Ocean Road but I think that was helped by a few things like the time of day we went, having our own car in Norway, our overall Norway itinerary and having a drone.
So in this Norway travel blog, I’m going to go through whether the Atlantic Ocean Road is worth it and if it’s worth visiting the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway without a drone based on my experience visiting.
Atlantic Ocean Road Norway
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Atlantic Ocean Road Norway Map
For the Atlantic Ocean Road location, a quick google map search brings up the middle of the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway on a map so it is easy to find how to get to the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway.
And if you are struggling to find it search for Atlanterhavsveien on the map as this is the Norwegian name.
Car Hire in Norway
Before we get into this post on the Atlantic Ocean Road, you will need a car to get there and make the most out of it!
We hired a car from Hertz via Rental Cars at Bergen Airport. We opted for an automatic which was handy for the long drives we did and a bigger engine which was definitely handy when going up the mountain roads.
Rental Cars searches through all the top rental companies to get you the best price like Hertz, Sixt and Europcar.
Search Rental Cars here to get an idea of prices for your hire car in Norway!
Why is the Atlantic Ocean Road so famous?
Let’s start with why it is such a famous road in Norway to visit anyway and why articles like Forbes call it spectacular!
The Atlantic Ocean Road, also known as Atlanterhavsvegen is 1 of the 18 Norwegian Scenic Routes so visiting ticks one of these off!
The road is about 8km in total with 8 bridges and much of the road has the ocean directly on either side and it connects the many islands together.
There is one particular bridge which is famous called the Storseisundet Bridge. This is because from a certain angle as you approach it either way, it looks as if it’s twisting up and over on itself and it certainly looks a bit scary.
However, as soon as you pass that angle and continue along the bridge you realise it is a normal arched bridge and nothing to be too afraid of.
Atlantic Ocean Road Drone Shots
If you are into photography and videography and have a drone, you will love it here!
There are many views of the road which are common and famous on Instagram like a bird’s eye view of the whole road with the ocean and islands either side.
And of course, it goes without saying that drones are allowed on the Atlantic Ocean Road to get all of these shots.
Is the Atlantic Ocean Road worth going without a drone?
This is the biggest question most people seem to have.
If you have a drone and you like flying it and getting popular shots, you have to go!
But it’s definitely worth noting that without a drone you can’t clearly see the road from above, there is no viewpoint, all of the photos and videos from above are from a drone.
I do understand people saying that the Atlantic Ocean Road is not worth it unless you have a drone because it is slightly out of the way, especially if you are traveling from Alesund.
It’s nearly 3 hours each way from Alesund which includes the ferry from Vestnes to Molde and back.
I have detailed some ways below you can make more out of a trip to the Atlantic Ocean Road below to make it even more worth it but in a nutshell,
If you like visiting famous filming locations, the new Bond film ‘No Time To Die’ used the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway as one of the filming locations in the Bond movie, which is pretty cool!
If you are passing this way anyway, perhaps on a journey from Alesund to Trondheim then you have to stop off, even if you don’t have a drone because it’s just a small detour from the main route.
If you have time to spend there and enjoy it, I recommend visiting, you can go for a walks along the walking paths, you can take a boat over to Håholmen island in the summer which is a unique thing to do in Norway (more on that below).
However, if you don’t have much time, if you are going to drive there, see it and drive back, without a drone to get the cool shots, you may feel like it’s not worth it.
How to make the Atlantic Ocean Road worth the trip!
Drone or no drone, the Atlantic Ocean Road is a bit out of the way, especially if you are traveling to and from Alesund. It’s nearly 3 hours each way which includes the ferry from Vestnes to Molde and back.
The ferry itself also costs money. Our hire car charged us for all of the ferry charges and tolls at the end of the trip so I’m not sure how much the actual ferry cost and I’m struggling to find the Vestnes to Molde ferry price online but it’s worth factoring this into your trip budget.
Search Rental Cars here to get an idea of prices for your hire car in Norway!
Stay in Molde
We actually stayed in Molde for the night as we had come from Stryn a bit further South.
Molde a pretty city and we stayed at Scandic Seilet Hotel which is a unique glass structure right on the water with incredible views of the water.
From Molde to the Atlantic Ocean Road it is a 1 hour drive so it’s a great place and there are a number of things to do in Molde.
The next morning we drove from Molde to Alesund which was 2 hours including the ferry as this is where our trip ended, therefore we didn’t go too much out of our way to get there.
Make a day of it
When searching for things to do along the Atlantic Ocean Road, I found that there is an island called Håholmen which is along the main part of the road.
It is a former fishing community that has been brought back to life for tourists to visit. You have to get a boat over to the island leaving from Håholmen parking which you can see on google maps.
Visit Norway says that there are boat departures every hour in the summer from 11-21.
Go for a walk
I really loved that there are many walking paths and bridges along the road and lots of places to stop. For me, this made the road totally worth it and make it worth visiting even if you aren’t into photography or don’t have a drone.
I recommend going in footwear to walk in, packing a picnic or some food and spending some time taking in the views from the footpaths.
Go at Sunset
If you’re thinking about the best time to visit the Atlantic Ocean Road, we really loved going just before sunset and we drove back to Molde as the sun was completely setting which was so gorgeous.
Atlantic Ocean Road Norway FAQ
How do you get to the Atlantic Road in Norway?
The Atlantic Road in Norway is along road 64. The closest big cities to the Atlantic Ocean Road are Kristiansund and Molde. From each of these, it is a 40 minutes to 1 hour drive.
From Alesund to the Atlantic Ocean Road it is 3 hours. You need to take the ferry from Vestnes to Molde and drive 1 hour from Molde.
You really need a car to get here, search for car rental in Norway here!
Is there parking on the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway?
Yes, there are lots of official lay-bys to stop in where you can take photos of the bridge and walk along the nearby walkways.
Is the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway dangerous?
In the winter with rough sea’s it can be dangerous to drive along and if you are driving too fast it can be dangerous. However, when the weather is good and you are driving within the speed limit, it is not dangerous.
Is the new Bond movie filmed on the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway?
Yes! the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway does further in the new Bond movie ‘No Time To Die’.
Personally, I really liked going to the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway, we went just before sunset which was a lovely time to visit!
- More of my posts from Norway to help you plan your trip:
- 20 BEST Things To Do in Stavanger & Near Stavanger! Hikes, Cruises, Museums!
- How to do the Pulpit Rock Hike from Stavanger! By Cruise, Car & Bus, Plus Tips!
- Easy Hike to Stegastein Viewpoint in 3-4 Hours! Most Scenic Platform in Norway!
- 3- 5 Day Norway Road Trip Itinerary! Bergen to Alesund & Atlantic Ocean Road.
- Is the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway Worth the Visit?