Getting around Lofoten

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Lofoten is easy to navigate because there is essentially one road. The E10 crosses onto the islands at the Raftsund bridge, runs past Svolvær and Leknes and ends at Å, the last village in the west. Side roads branch off to Henningsvær, Nusfjord, Eggum and the northern beaches. What makes travel slow is not the map but the weather, roadworks and the number of places where you will want to stop.

Driving times along the E10

These are summer driving times from OpenStreetMap routing, without stops or winter conditions. Treat them as a minimum.

Svolvær to Å adds up to about 135 km and two and a half hours. Tour operators running west from Svolvær and Leknes mention roadworks in the undersea Nappstraum tunnel on the E10 towards Flakstad, which can mean waiting for a slot to drive through. Build in a buffer if you have a ferry or a tour to catch.

Renting a car

Visit Lofoten sets out the usual rental rules: you must be at least 19, depending on the car category, and have held your licence for a year, and drivers under 25 pay extra. Rental cars should carry an AutoPass tag, which registers road and ferry tolls automatically, and have winter tyres in the winter months. According to Statens vegvesen, the winter rules in Nordland apply from 16 October to 30 April: tyres need at least 3 mm of tread, studded tyres are allowed, and outside these dates you must still fit winter tyres or chains when the road conditions call for them.

In winter, check the Statens vegvesen traffic map for closed roads, bridges and tunnels and its webcams before longer drives, or call 175 from a Norwegian phone. Roads, bridges and tunnels can close in snow and storms, so carry warm clothes, food and water in the car on winter drives.

Buses and taxis

Local buses run the whole length of the region, from Narvik in the east to Å in the west, with different timetables in winter and summer. Visit Lofoten names the Reis app as the most efficient way to plan a trip and check departures. Buses work well between the larger places such as Svolvær, Leknes and Reine, but they will not take you to every beach, trailhead or farm. Horse riding at Hov on Gimsøya and the winter kayak trip at Eggum, for example, need your own transport.

Taxis are best booked ahead, both for arrival and departure, and there is a Lofoten Taxi app.

Motorhomes and camping

Norway's right of access lets you walk and camp in the countryside, but the Norwegian Environment Agency is clear that it does not cover driving motor vehicles in the open countryside. Park motorhomes only where parking is allowed. Visit Lofoten recommends staying on the many campsites and asks motorhome drivers not to park too close to other vehicles along the road because of the fire risk. Campfires in or near forest and other open land are banned from 15 April to 15 September unless they clearly cannot start a fire.

Day tours instead of driving

If you would rather not drive on winter roads or after a late aurora night, several day tours start in Svolvær or Leknes. The long days to Reine and Å take around nine hours, the eastern loop with Henningsvær and the beaches about six. Cruise passengers landing at Leknes should book a tour that meets ships there: reviews of shore excursions mention guests who mixed up the ports of Leknes (Gravdal) and Svolvær.

For ideas on how to split the islands into days, see our Lofoten itineraries, and the sightseeing tours page compares the guided days in more detail.