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Cycling National Road 7 in mid June
Does anyone know what the traffic density is like on National Road 7 in early to mid June?
Although summer holidays in Norway last from 21 June to 17 August 2025 and I’m planning to cycle on Rv7 before that, it is still a very important road in Norway (connecting Oslo and Bergen) and not part of any National Cycle Route.
From Geilo to Eidfjord it is 90km on Rv7, and then another 30km to Kinsarvik. (Google suggests that Eidfjord-Kinsarvik is not passable by bicycle, but GraphHopper claims otherwise and https://cyclenorway.com/en/routes/fjord-norway/ does this exact route).
I have had some scary experiences at unavoidable parts of the Swedish E4 and highways in the Baltic States, but those lasted for 20km at a time, and I will be on National Road 7 for 120km..
(the screenshot from Google Streetview is from July, in the middle of Norwegian summer holidays, not June).
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
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2 Replies
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I have cycled the road twice before. From Geilo to Haugastøl it’s not pleasant if busy. You will hold up traffic in places and feel stressed. You can take the train and skip this section. But I did it in early August at around 3pm. Choose the right time in June and it will probably be fine. After Haugastøl, it’s a climb up and then a remote plateau followed by a long descent. I didn’t find it too bad. Road is wide enough and because it’s part of a National Scenic Route, traffic isn’t going fast and tolerant of cyclists. Overall I think you’ll find it less stressful than the main roads in Sweden and Baltic states. But expect it to be extremly windy and cold over hardangervidda on the wrong day. Lastly, use the POI’s on the map to see important issues regarding tunnels on that road.
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Thank you very much for your answer, Matthew. Thanks to your post, I have now decided on the route.
I have cycled the road twice before.
That’s good to hear. I assumed that you did it once from the Fjord-route, but twice is even better.
expect it to be extremly windy and cold over hardangervidda on the wrong day
To be honest, I’m hoping for cold weather, and ideally also snow. To be prepared for everything, I bring two sleeping bags with me, warm clothes and a down jacket. I would do this anyway, but if they get to use, even better.
Lastly, use the POI’s on the map to see important issues regarding tunnels on that road.
I’m prepared to remove the panniers and carry the bicycle over some rocks 😉
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