On weekends, regardless of the season, roadtrips to nearby towns in Denmark and Sweden for shopping or just for some R&R is counted as one of the favored pastimes. It is relatively easy, sometimes not as expensive as taking a flight out and when it comes to grocery-shopping, taking the car kinda trumps the plane in this case. Plus, the sights are never boring.
We've done a few, that doesn't make us an expert, but it's about sharing the experience, right?
First, is it a day trip or overnight trip? Overnight - how many nights? Of course, budget plays a role too.
One of our all-time favourite day trip is taking a scenic drive along the North Sea road (Nordsjøvegen). When we say scenic, check out the pictures :)
This coastal route is between Kristiansand and Haugesund. It is a pretty long road but as Flekkefjord is near some of this route's highlights, we like to take our guests on a half day trip on this road. It gives them a really good idea of what Norway's landscape is about, or at least for this part of the region.
Depending on how long and how many stops one takes along the way, it could be a straight four hours in the car, or more. A suggestion would be to have a meal stop at Sogndalstrand kulturhotell, whether a lunch, afternoon tea or early dinner, and have a stroll around the town. Do keep a lookout for a sign that says Utsikten, follow the sign and you won't regret it :) (Utsikten basically means the view)
Second stop is when you reach the sandy area at the lower area (you could see the sandy-like patch in the picture), that is when you reach the Helleren.
There are lots of scenic spots dotted along the road, and if there's no time constrain, one could stop and explore the towns in between Eigersund and Flekkefjord. It is always lovely & refreshing to hit the road and have a little "vacation", don't you think?
Next time.. a longer roadtrip.. say a weekend-worthy one to nearby Denmark, via a car-ferry!~ ^.^
Reliving the fun times,
ABE