7 Ways to Improve Your Next Road Trip (Lessons from our Norway Family Road Trip) with Anne Dorthe

Aug 12, 2025

In this conversation, Anne Dorthe, a Norwegian local and seasoned traveler, shares insights from her recent family road trip through Norway. She emphasizes the benefits of a loosely planned itinerary, highlighting how spontaneity created lasting memories. The couple discusses how following the weather shaped their route and why personal recommendations often lead to hidden gems. Listeners will also learn about lessons from packing mishaps and the joys of connecting with friends, all while embracing a flexible travel mindset for a more enriching experience.

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ADVICE

Embrace Open-Ended Road Trip Flexibility

Embrace flexibility: choose days by weather and energy.
Anne Dorthe and Jason Moore left most nights unbooked and enjoyed better spontaneous choices.

ADVICE

Follow Weather To Choose Your Route

Let weather reports steer your daily route and activities.
Jason Moore and Anne Dorthe changed plans hourly during a Norwegian heat wave.

ANECDOTE

Wild-Camped At 900m In Scorching Heat

Jason Moore describes pulling off a high mountain pass and camping at 900 meters.
Heat and biting flies made the tent night memorable but unsustainable.

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Could a loosely planned road trip actually turn out better than a perfectly mapped itinerary?

Anne Dorthe is my wife and travel partner of over 11 years, and a Norwegian local with roots in Trøndelag.

In this episode, Anne and I share the story of our recent open-ended family road trip through Norway. We talk about the lessons we learned along the way, sharing insights that can be applied to anyone planning a more relaxed, rewarding road trip, whether in Norway or somewhere else.

If you’ve ever dreamed about traveling Norway without spending a fortune, this conversation offers a real-world example of how to make it work. You’ll hear about the small, in-the-moment choices that shaped each day, the unplanned stops that became highlights, and how following the weather brought a sense of ease and adventure to the whole trip. We’ll also talk about the joy of connecting with friends along the way, the simple comfort of cabin stays, and why embracing flexibility over a fixed plan deepened our connection to every place we visited.

What’s a spontaneous road trip or travel adventure you took that surprised you by how well it flowed? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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