First-time camping in Scandinavia
From the right campsite to 112 and out-of-hours doctors on holiday
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Camping guide
First-time camping in Scandinavia
Your first time camping in the north is exciting and wonderful at once: more space, more nature and long, light evenings. With this guide you’ll know what to expect and what to sort out in advance.
Researched by Arjan from Zuidlaren, so you don’t have to · Sources: OSRM (driving distance and time based on OpenStreetMap), European Commission, 112 Iceland · updated 24 October 2026 · About this page
- Plan short driving days: distances are bigger than you think
- Start on a campsite, then perhaps out in the wild
- Note down 112 and the out-of-hours doctor
Before you leave
🗺️ Plan generously, drive short
Scandinavia is big. From Utrecht to Oslo is about 1,500 km and a good 16 hours’ driving, without breaks. (source: OSRM (driving distance and time based on OpenStreetMap)) A ferry from Germany or Denmark can save a day’s driving; see ferries.
Rather plan two or three shorter days on the road than one long one. Pick a campsite for the first few nights so you can get used to the tent and the rhythm at your own pace.
Sleeping
⛺ Start on a campsite
A campsite has toilets and showers, often a kitchen (very normal in Scandinavia) and sometimes cabins for when the weather lets you down. For each country we compare campsites in the same overview: Norway · Sweden · Denmark · Finland · Iceland.
Camping in the wild is allowed in Norway, Sweden and Finland under certain conditions. Read the guide to wild camping and the right to roam first.
Safety
🚑 If something happens
| Emergency number | 112 works in all EU countries and also in Norway and Iceland. (source: European Commission, 112 Iceland) |
|---|---|
| Out-of-hours doctor in Norway | Call the legevakt: 116 117. (source: Helsenorge) |
| Health insurance | Bring your health insurance card and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); what Dutch basic health insurance covers is explained by the Dutch government (Rijksoverheid). (source: Rijksoverheid) |
| Iceland | Leave your travel plan and follow Safetravel’s warnings. (source: Safetravel.is (Icelandic search and rescue)) |
Nature
📜 What’s allowed and what isn’t?
| Norway | A tent in open country (utmark): no more than 2 nights in the same spot, at least 150 metres from inhabited houses or cabins. Open fires in or near woods and countryside are banned from 15 April to 15 September. (source: Miljødirektoratet, Miljødirektoratet) |
|---|---|
| Sweden | A tent may stay up “ett eller några dygn” (a day or a few), not too close to houses. Whether you may light a fire is decided by the länsstyrelse or the municipality; watch out for an eldningsförbud (fire ban). (source: Naturvårdsverket, Naturvårdsverket) |
| Finland | Camping is allowed temporarily at a reasonable distance from houses. Lighting a fire on someone else’s land is not allowed without permission, and nor is off-road driving. (source: Luontoon.fi (Metsähallitus)) |
| Denmark | There’s no right to roam like in Norway and Sweden. In state forests marked “fri teltning” you may pitch a tent for one night in the same spot, with at most two tents of up to three people. Otherwise: campsites, shelters and basic overnight spots. (source: Naturstyrelsen, Naturstyrelsen) |
| Iceland | Spending the night in a motorhome, campervan or car outside campsites is not allowed. (source: Umhverfisstofnun (Environment Agency of Iceland)) |
Quick to sort
✅ Sorted before you leave
Handy to sort out or look at straight away:
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is 112 the emergency number in Norway too?
Yes, 112 works throughout the EU and also in Norway and Iceland (European Commission, 112 Iceland).
How far is it to Norway?
From Utrecht to Oslo is about 1,500 km and a good 16 hours’ driving without breaks (OSRM).
Accountability
📚 Sources
Every number and every rule on this page comes from a source. Here they all are in one place, checked on 24 October 2026. We only mention prices if the provider publishes them itself; otherwise we refer you to the official website.
View 14 sources
- project-osrm.org: OSRM (driving distance and time based on OpenStreetMap)
- digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu: European Commission: 112
- 112.is: 112 Iceland
- helsenorge.no: Helsenorge: legevakt (out-of-hours care)
- rijksoverheid.nl: Rijksoverheid: healthcare on holiday abroad
- safetravel.is: Safetravel.is (Icelandic search and rescue)
- miljodirektoratet.no: Miljødirektoratet: tents and hammocks
- miljodirektoratet.no: Miljødirektoratet: lighting fires
- naturvardsverket.se: Naturvårdsverket: right of public access (allemansrätten)
- naturvardsverket.se: Naturvårdsverket: fires (eldning)
- luontoon.fi: Luontoon.fi (Metsähallitus): everyman’s rights
- ust.is: Umhverfisstofnun (Environment Agency of Iceland)
- naturstyrelsen.dk: Naturstyrelsen: fri teltning (free tent camping)
- naturstyrelsen.dk: Naturstyrelsen: basic overnight spots and shelters