How expensive is a roadtrip with a roof tent? Route, review and vanlife tips

Roadtrip with roof tent costs – Before you set off on your trip with a roof tent, you should roughly calculate with a certain budget.
Many beginners make the mistake of underestimating the costs of such a short trip.
Petrol, food and beer, which Germans love, are much more expensive in the north than here.
If you plan a trip to the south, you will save money.
However, in the high season you have to reckon with a large crowd of people who all want a place in the sun.
It’s quite difficult to organize a spontaneous short trip.
The campsites are already fully booked for months.
In this article, you can see an example of how much money you need to budget for food, accommodation and fuel.

Camping Ratgeber:

How expensive is a roadtrip with a roof tent: itinerary, costs & tips

Anna and Mario decided to take a special trip this summer.
Their dream was always not just to travel to Norway, but to discover the whole country.
And what better way to do that than on a road trip.
The two of them rented a rooftop tent and documented their entire trip especially for other interested parties.
All the expenses incurred on the trip are clearly presented in the video.
Let them take you on a 16-day trip through the mountains and landscapes of Norway.
And don’t miss out on the tips and tricks!
Norway road trip:

16-day road trip to Norway
Summer August to September
Scandinavian adventure with roof tent

Itinerary: 4,500 km from Denmark to Norway

In total, the two of them covered a distance of 4,500 km.
Initially, only the starting points “Frederickshafen” and “Gothenburg” were fixed, as the ferry from Denmark to Sweden departed from there.
From there, they drove through to Oslo and made their way to the Atlantic Road.
Mario and Anna mainly explored the west of the country, seeing everything from Trollstigen, Geirangen and Preikestolen to Kjerag and Kristiansand.
The entire route:

4,500 kilometers total distance
From Denmark via Sweden to Norway
From Oslo to the Atlantic Road
Trollstigen, Geirangen via Preikestolen to Kjerag and Kristiansand

Video: Roadtrip roof tent

In the following video, Mario and Anna talk about their trip to Scandinavia.
They not only give you an insight into the beautiful landscapes of Norway and Sweden, but also reveal all the details about their costs and the route.
After 4500 kilometers they have a lot to tell.
It’s worth a look for every camping beginner.
If you need more information as a beginner who wants to go camping for the first time this summer, then read more in our XXL Camping Beginners article.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHHgfPrYaqA

Costs: Ferry, Ikamper, diesel & food

Anyone planning a road trip through the north needs to be prepared for expensive prices, especially when it comes to beer, diesel and meat.
Mario and Anna were traveling in his stepfather’s Mercedes C Class (2017).
The average consumption was 6.3 liters, for which they had to pay a total of 387 euros for diesel.
To get around the islands, they spent a lot on the ferry.
They paid a total of 237 euros for the ferries, including the outward, return and domestic journeys.

Travel costs: 848.50 euros per person.

They were lucky with one thing: in Norway, your license plate number is photographed on toll roads and you get the bill when you get home.
After six months, nothing has arrived, but this would have cost them around 50-100 euros.
The roof tent would cost 4,380 euros if they bought it new, but they paid 484 euros for 16 days if they rented it.
The 2.10 m* 2.18 m roof tent weighs 70 kilograms and can therefore be easily attached to most cars.
Finally, they paid 261 euros for food and 71 euros for other expenses.
In total, they paid 1,697 euros for everything, which comes to 848.50 euros per person.

For all ferries: 237 euros
Outward journey ferry: 81 Euro
Return ferry: 89 Euro
Automatic toll by camera: 50-100 euros
Mercedes C Class 2017 = average consumption 6.3 liters of diesel: 387 euros
Ikamper roof tent new purchase: 4,380 euros
Rent for 16 days: 484 euros
Food: 261 Euro
Other expenses: 71 euros (parking fees etc.)
6:35min – 9:35 min additional camping tools = 52 Euro
Total cost 1697 euros = 848.50 per person

Freestanding or camping site?

The question of where to spend the night arises directly on the road trip.
With the Ikamper roof tent, you can spend the night anywhere.
But this is more about the rules in the respective country.
In Norway, a minimum distance of 100 meters from properties applies.
Campsites cost between 15-28 euros per night for two people with a roof tent.
The two of them paid a total of 205 euros, but also spent a lot of time in the countryside during the second half of their vacation.
The advantage of camping is that you can take a shower.
However, the rest areas in Norway have very good sanitary facilities and are not comparable to those in Germany.
To summarize:

Rest areas = very good sanitary facilities
Camping = only for showering
100 m from the property is a regulation
Camping costs for 2 persons with roof tent = 205 Euro
15-28 euros per night with shower flat rate

Tips and tricks for your road trip

On a trip like this, it is important to plan the route roughly, but not to sacrifice spontaneity.
You have to bear in mind that in the mountains of Norway it takes twice as long to cover the same distance as it would in Germany.
What you shouldn’t worry about is the maximum weight of the car roof.
Although many vehicle documents state a maximum of 75 kg, this only refers to the dynamic range, i.e. when the car is moving, not when it is stationary.
So you don’t have to worry about sleeping in the roof tent on the car.
Another very useful app is “Park4night”, which displays parking and camping sites with reviews everywhere.
It’s free and also shows pictures of the sites.