Fjords - Road Trip

1. Plenty, depending on your interests. Obvious ones include Rosendal in Hardanger and Flåm (where you can take the spectacular Flåmsbana railroad): also, if you want to mix some culture into all the natural experiences, there's a number of traditional stave churces in Sogn. For something completely different, the industrial town of Odda looks like the set of a Tarkovskij movie and is well worth a visit. Should you want to venture further south, Lysefjorden (including the Pulpit Rock hike) is lovely.

2. Yes, drive west through Telemark and across the Haukeli pass to Hardanger, then head north from Bergen through Sognefjord and back to Oslo (or vice versa): both routes are exceptionally scenic.

3. Wildly unpredictable (as always in Western Norway). You could be lucky and experience a glorious indian summer, with day-time temperatures up to 20 degrees celsius, or you could have nothing but howling winds and pissing rains throughout your visit: generally, the earlier you go, the better.

W.

If it's on the way, also do the Atlantic Highway drive. That's what I'm researching on now and it looks amazing!!! Plus autumn is the best time to go because of the storms. Google it. I guarantee you'll want to incorporate it in your trip!

1. Suggestions of places I should plan my stops along this route even if it takes me a bit out of the way.

My, if you want to go a bit out of the way, then there's more options in Western Norway than there's red wine in Paris.

Excellent suggestions have been made. I'd put up a few suggestions myself:
- Norangsdalen, Hellesylt-Leknes (the Fv655 in Møre & Romsdal): come think of it this isn't really something you should ponder a lot - just take my word for it and go. The road link between two of Norway's most scenic fjords (Geirangerfjorden and Hjørundfjorden) goes through this incredibly narrow and dramatic valley. Jaw-dropping stuff.
- Bulandet - 500 souls making a living fishing and quarrying rock a 1-hour ferry ride of the coast of Sogn. Check the timetables thoroughly!
- Fedje - see Bulandet, except it's in Hordaland, there's no quarry, and the ferry takes only half an hour. The scenery is perhaps even more dramatic, though.
- Ona - yet another beautiful, isolated island surrounded by Atlantic Ocean, this one on the coast of Møre & Romsdal.
- Runde - stop and hire a local guide to take you out to the bird nesting mountain by boat. Great experience.

One final tip - early september should be safe, but it's always very wise to check the Public Roads Administration's road status updates (www.vegvesen.no or telephone: 175) before taking on mountain crossings. Some of the more desolate mountain roads close quite early in the season (can't think of anybody as early as 1st half september though), and the summer season may be used for maintenance - spending three hours of your holiday watching a tunnel drilling crew may not be your idea of fun...