Next weekend I will be flying from Rotterdam to Stavanger in Norway, hoping to do some fjords sightseeing with a friend and our two teenage boys. I’m also interested in a quick overnight near the west coast of Denmark and looking for recommendations for nice fields to stop (fuel required, IFR preferred but hopefully not necessary). Will be spending Saturday and Sunday nights in Stavanger and flying back on Monday. I’d love to hear any recommendations!
Hi,
I don’t know Stavanger area very well in terms of GA flying, but I would recommend flying a bit further north to see the mountains and fjords there. Depending on your aircraft and how long you plan to fly, you could probably try to fly all the way to Sognefjorden and land at Sogndal (ENSG).
In terms of useful tip for flying in Norway, check ippc it has TAF/METAR/NOTAM, also possibility to file flight plans, airport information…
Of course, if you plan to push all the way to ENVA, let me know, I’ll probably be able to welcome you :-)
Hi,
I can recommend flying through one of the many fjords, more specific from Bergen via ENBM to ENSG, and then cross some high terrain to the north and pick up another fjord routing to Alesund. We did that last summer going all the way to the north Cape. Quite spectacular!
From a fellow dutchman.
I am doing the exact opposite trip right now. I left Oslo, Norway (ENGM) this morning, and I am now in Esbjerg (EKEB) in Denmark. It is pretty much the mid-point before going to Rotterdam (EHRD) tomorrow. Esbjerg is an easy stop. It has an AFIS and IFR procedures, but is a really quiet airport. The city is not far away (the taxi fare was around 250danish krones – 30 euros). We found a reasonable hotel and had a good dinner today.
I originally wanted to stop in Odense (EKOD), as I have heard many good things about the city, but their opening hours limited us.
Of course Roskilde (EKRK) is a great GA airport for visiting Copenhagen (or having a technical stop), but a little off-route for you.
Billund (EKBI) airport is bigger than Esbjerg, and located right next to Legoland. Also an easy stop if you just need to fuel (or want to visit Legoland). But if you are after a nice hotel or a selection in restaurants nearby, maybe not so much. It is a hassle to get from the GA side to the main terminal.
Another Danish favorite of mine is Aalborg (EKYT). Easy, big, cheap and really close to the city. All the major danish airports have incredibly low landing fees (maybe with the exception of Copenhagen (EKCK) – typically 10-20 euros.
If conditions are VFR and you don´t need fuel, but want to spend a day, go to Læsø EKLS or Samsø EKSS. Small islands where you can hire a bike and enjoy life, and the type of destinations you would never think of going to if you didn’t have a plane.
When coming to Norway, Stavanger (ENZV) is big, but easy. They sometimes make you park up by the aeroclub, where you need to exit through the fence and it is quite a walk back to the main terminal building where there are buses, taxis and car rental. If the weather is good, you should fly sightseeing up “lysefjorden” which is right east of Stavanger. It is incredible – you can have mountains off each wingtip as you pass the pulpit rock
If going anywhere else in Norway, I would stay on the west coast as several others recommended for the scenic flying. However, the weather is usually worse (more rain).
Also check out the Norwegian GA guide
Maybe off topic – but I guess you could have some good ideas for me as well. I’ll arrive in Rotterdam tomorrow and have plans to be in the Hague until Friday. But the weather is so so and I have been there several times before.
Can you recommend some other destinations within 1-2 hours flying from EHRD that is nice to spend the weekend?
Thanks @bogivara for all the great tips! The GA guide really is helpful. My current plan is in fact EKEB and then of course ENZV. Given the current plan we will probably just eat, sleep, and head out after the stop at EKEB.
bogivara wrote:
Maybe off topic – but I guess you could have some good ideas for me as well. I’ll arrive in Rotterdam tomorrow and have plans to be in the Hague until Friday. But the weather is so so and I have been there several times before.
There’s a topic on this recently that has several good suggestions. A trip to Delft or Gouda is always nice from Rotterdam if you want something different. On the way back—if you’re not in a hurry—you could fly along the coast and over the Waddeneilanden. Ameland has a nice, friendly field right next to the beach.
Last year, I was with @boscomantico in Stavanger (ENVA) and many more Scandinavian airfields, see also this trip report.
In Denmark, I would prefer Billund (EKBI) over Esbjerg (EKEB), however Esbjerg has less traffic (Billund has quite some airliner and cargo traffic). There are some nice hotels south of the GA apron in Billund, so no need to walk far to the main terminal. I’ve spend once a night in Hotel Svanen, and it was pretty good. Legoland is of course also worth a visit, however, don’t expect too much “adrenaline” and wild roller coasters. It’s more a family amusement park. Aalborg (EKYT) is pretty good too, with a nice city, but the airport does have long taxiways.
Be aware that Avgas 100LL in Denmark is very expensive. I would suggest to refuel in Germany (e.g. Rendsburg EDXR for ‘cheap’ fuel) and/or in Norway.
I’ve also made a video from Billund to Norway (Kristiansand) once, which you can find here:
Frans wrote:
Be aware that Avgas 100LL in Denmark is very expensive
I heard someone refueling in Denmark recently had to pay €3.8 per liter…
Denmark is now like other countries divided in airports still served by AirBP or Shell and airports with Warter fuel.
There is a major difference in price.
Among the cheapest is EKHG, EKVH and EKRS
