Motion Sickness: Andalsnes to Valldal Drive
The Andalsnes to Valldal trip covers about 31 miles (50 km) and takes around 1.5 hours. The terrain is mountain hairpin wall, which makes it a high motion sickness risk route.
Trollstigen climbs 11 hairpin bends up a steep mountain wall, part of the 50 km road Fv63 between Andalsnes and Valldal. The bends are tight, stacked directly above each other, and often busy with buses and campervans. The climb is short but intense, concentrating most of the motion load into about 15 minutes.
Key facts
- The Andalsnes to Valldal trip covers about 31 miles, which is 50 km.
- It takes about 1.5 hours.
- The terrain is mountain hairpin wall, which puts the route in the high band for motion sickness.
- 3 sections are flagged as motion sickness pressure points, starting with The 11 hairpin wall above Isterdalen.
- Steadiest place to sit: Front passenger seat with eyes on the road ahead, not the valley floor.
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Where Motion Sickness Hits Hardest
The sections most likely to trigger motion sickness are: The 11 hairpin wall above Isterdalen, Stigfossen waterfall bridge, Descent toward the Valldal side. As of September 2026 the road is open for the season after the 2024 to 2025 rockfall protection closures, and it opened early this year on 27 April 2026. It still closes each winter and can shut at short notice in heavy rain, so check Fjord Norway or the road authority before driving. Use the Trollstigen viewpoint as a break before the descent.
Season and closures: Opened 27 April for the 2026 season after the rockfall protection closures; open until October or November depending on conditions, and closed each winter. fjordnorway.com
Measured bends
We counted every bend on this route from OpenStreetMap data: 54.7 km, ranked 11 of 26 road trips for bends per km.
- Bends
- 80
- Bends per km
- 1.46
- Hairpins
- 11
- Busiest 10 km
- 28 bends
Route facts, checked at the source
Each fact below was checked against the linked official or operator page.
- Hairpins: Trollstigen winds up the steep mountainside through 11 hairpin bends. fjordnorway.com
- 2026 season: Opened for 2026 on 27 April after the rockfall closures, staying open until October or November, weather and conditions permitting. fjordnorway.com
- Scenic route status: Part of the Norwegian Scenic Route Geiranger Trollstigen. nasjonaleturistveger.no
Best Seat for Motion Sickness on This Drive
Front passenger seat with eyes on the road ahead, not the valley floor.
Going on the Andalsnes to Valldal drive? Set it up first
Set it up before you pull out, not at the first lay-by. Dizzout is a drug-free app that plays precisely calibrated audio through any headphones you already own, wired or Bluetooth, with relief in about 90 seconds. Free to try.
Before you need it: find out how prone you are
Take the free 2-minute testTwo minutes, no sign-up, and it ends with a drug-free plan to prepare.
Put it on your phone before you go
Free to try, no card needed. Or go straight to the App Store or Google Play.
Scan to open on your phoneOn a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone. Scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.
Know someone who gets motion sick?
Send them the app that helps stop it, drug-free, in about 90 seconds, works with any headphones. Free to try.
Prevention Tips for the Andalsnes to Valldal Drive
- Have Dizzout downloaded before you start, so it is ready the moment symptoms begin
- If you plan to take an over-the-counter tablet such as Bonine or Dramamine, those need 30 to 60 minutes before departure to do anything. Ask a pharmacist first
- Eat lightly before the drive; a heavy meal makes symptoms worse for most people
- Take breaks every 90 minutes minimum on long stretches
- Keep the car cool and well-ventilated
- Avoid reading or phone use in the back seat
Which of those actually hold up when they are tested is a separate question, and we keep the answers in one place: the remedy verdicts, ranked by evidence.
Frequently asked questions
How many hairpin bends does Trollstigen have?
11, stacked directly above one another on the mountainside, per Fjord Norway. Eleven sounds modest next to alpine passes with 48, but these come in one continuous wall with buses sharing the bends, so the exposure is short and intense: about 15 minutes that passengers remember.
Is Trollstigen open in 2026?
Yes: it opened for the season on 27 April 2026 after the rockfall protection closures of recent years, per Fjord Norway, and stays open until October or November as conditions allow. It still closes each winter and can shut at short notice in heavy rain, so check status on the day.
How long does the Trollstigen climb take?
The hairpin wall itself concentrates the motion into roughly 15 minutes of the 1.5 hour Andalsnes to Valldal drive, by our estimate. That brevity is the good news: a queasy passenger only has to manage a short, known stretch, with the viewpoint at the top as the finish line.
Where can you stop on Trollstigen?
The viewpoint complex at the top of the wall is the designed stop, with platforms looking back down the bends, part of the Norwegian Scenic Route. Use it in both directions: as recovery after climbing, or as preparation before descending. There is nowhere sensible to pause mid wall, so settle stomachs before committing.
Does Trollstigen close in bad weather?
Yes. Openings are weather and condition dependent, the road closes every winter, and heavy rain can shut it at short notice, per Fjord Norway. The rockfall protection work of recent seasons is exactly why. Check before driving out.
What's the fastest way to stop car sickness mid-drive?
Once symptoms have started, pills won't work fast enough - they take 30+ minutes to kick in. The fastest options mid-drive are sound therapy via headphones (Dizzout states relief in about 90 seconds), pulling over for fresh air, and looking at the distant horizon.
Other drives we have looked at
Route facts last checked September 2026. Roads, rules and seasons change; the linked official pages are the live word.