Travel tips for Stavanger

Norway is not in the European Union and does not use the euro — the currency here is the Norwegian krone (NOK), and card payment is near-universal, so carrying cash is rarely necessary. Norway is in the Schengen area, so Schengen entry rules apply even though the country sits outside the EU. Driving is on the right, and mountain roads such as the Lysebotn road can be narrow, with hairpin bends and, in winter, snow closures. Sola airport (SVG) is about 14 km from central Stavanger, and Kolumbus runs the local buses and the Ryfylke ferries.

97°N, Stavanger has a mild, wet climate rather than an Arctic one: roughly 1,180-1,250 mm of rain a year, January averages of about 1-2°C and July averages of around 16-17°C, so packing for rain and wind in any season is worth doing regardless of the month. Norway is a notably expensive country for food, drink and organised tours, which is worth knowing before booking rather than discovering on arrival. None of this changes at Preikestolen or Kjeragbolten specifically: the plateau and trail at Preikestolen are free, with only the trailhead parking charged, while Kjeragbolten's chained sections and the Lysebotn road's winter closure are safety and access facts, not currency or visa ones.