Car Rental in Bodø: Everything You Need to Know
Chase the northern lights, visit Lofoten, or just explore the stunning surroundings. This is your guide to renting a car in Bodø.
Driving to Reine, Lofoten, in October
Bodø, Norway, doesn't get talked about as a road trip base the way Lofoten does, but it's often the smarter place to actually pick up your rental. It's a bigger city with more cars and companies; it sits right at the ferry crossing into Lofoten, and its own surroundings are worth exploring by car too, whether you've got an afternoon or a week (or a lifetime?).
🛌 Where to stay:
• Radisson Blu Hotel Bodø — our go-to. We've stayed here twice and the staff actually remembered us on the second visit and gave us a free upgrade
• Thon Hotel Nordlys — set right on the marina with panoramic windows and a breakfast worth waking up for
• Saltstraumen Hotel — cosy cabins and hot saunas next to the world's strongest tidal current
• Wood Hotel Bodø — sustainable, timber-clad boutique right in the heart of Bodø. Sleek and calm, perfect for couples or anyone who wants design without fuss
🇳🇴 Top experiences:
• Northern lights tour from Bodø — Bodø sits right inside the auroral oval, so this is a real option. A local guide takes the forecast stress out of the equation
• Saltstraumen RIB boat tour — 400 million cubic meters of seawater rushing through a narrow strait every six hours, and you zip right through it.
🚗 Heading to Lofoten? Rent your car in Bodø — it's significantly cheaper than picking one up on the islands, and the ferry crossing with your own wheels opens up the whole archipelago
Do you need a car in Bodø
Walking around Bodø is easy, and you don’t need a car for just one day
If you're only in town for a day, no. The center is small and walkable, and the things to do in Bodø that are right in the city don't require one. The moment you want the beaches north of town, Kjerringøy, Saltstraumen, or a real shot at chasing the northern lights away from the city lights, a car stops being optional (read our guide to the Northern Lights in Bodø). Buses run well (we’re in Norway), but not on the aurora’s schedule!
Where to rent a car in Bodø
All the major rental companies operate here, and the easiest way to see what's available for your dates is to compare car rentals in Bodø rather than book the first result you find.
City vs airport car pickup in Bodø
Walking map from the airport
Bodø Airport sits about 2 kilometers from downtown, close enough to walk in 15 to 20 minutes if your bags allow it. We absolutely loved to walk from the airport because we can’t think of another city we visited where this was possible! Because it's basically part of town, there's no real downside to airport pickup the way there is in cities where the airport is an hour out. Airport desks also tend to have the fullest selection, so unless you have a specific reason to pick up downtown, the airport is probably the best option.
Renting your car in Bodø vs in Lofoten
Our rental car getting off the Hurtigruten ship! So exciting!
If you're planning a Lofoten trip and searching for a rental there, it's worth pricing out Bodø first. Bodø is the bigger city, which means a bigger fleet and better availability. Rental agencies based in Svolvær or Leknes work with much smaller fleets, tend to run higher rates, and can sell out entirely during peak summer weeks.
You don't lose the flexibility of renting locally in Lofoten either. Most companies allow one-way rentals, so you can pick up in Bodø and drop off in Lofoten, or the other way around (with a supplement that often makes up for the time and gas), and there's a rental desk right at the Moskenes ferry dock for exactly that handoff.
The catch is the ferry itself. Rental cars are allowed on the Bodø to Moskenes crossing, but confirm with your rental company first, since not every contract permits it. The direct crossing runs 3 to 4 hours, and booking a spot ahead of time is worth doing in summer, since only part of the ferry's capacity is held for advance reservations and the rest fills first come, first served.
There's also a lesser-known option: Hurtigruten occasionally sells port-to-port bookings that let you bring a car along for just one leg of the coastal route, not the full multi-day voyage. We did exactly this ourselves in October (we were super excited to be on a Hurtigruten ship, even though the journey was short!), bringing our rental onto one of the sailings out of Bodø and decking in Stamsund. It's not available on every route or every sailing day, and cars have to be booked directly through Hurtigruten's customer service rather than online, so check with them directly before you plan around it.
Driving tips for Northern Norway (and the Arctic in general)
In the Arctic, reindeer own the road!
Expect narrower, winding roads once you're outside Bodø itself, and tunnels are common along the coast.
Daylight swings hard by season. Plan drive times around it, especially in winter.
Reindeer and moose wander onto roads outside town. Slow down at dusk and dawn.
Fill up when you see fuel, not when you're running low. Stations thin out fast once you're off the main road.
If you're driving to Lofoten by ferry, book your crossing in advance during summer.
Exercise extreme caution in winter. If you’re not used to driving in snowy and icy conditions, we recommend you book tours instead. You’ll find options in our guide: Things to Do in Bodø and Things to Do in Lofoten.
Day trips and road trips from Bodø
Hiking Reinebringen in Lofoten in October (last day to do it safely, snow was only at the very top)
Day trips
Kjerringøy and Saltstraumen, both easy out-and-back drives covered in more detail in our things to do in Bodø guide.
Fauske, about 53 kilometers and under an hour away, a natural stop if you're continuing inland or toward Sweden.
Sjunkhatten National Park, which reaches right into Bodø's own municipality. Fjords, marked trails, and a decent shot at spotting white-tailed eagles without driving far at all.
Longer trips:
Lofoten, either by the Moskenes car ferry or the Hurtigruten option above. Our things to do in Lofoten and best time to visit Lofoten guides cover the islands themselves once you're there.
Steigen and Engeløya, further along the coast, worth it if you're chasing the northern lights somewhere darker than the city.
Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park, south past Fauske, home to Engenbreen, Norway's second-largest glacier. Getting close involves a short shuttle boat ride and a moderate hike, so give it a full day rather than squeezing it in.
Where to stay in Bodø
Enjoying the cool bar with a view at the Radisson Blu — booked for a steal in October!
Our Bodø hotels guide covers the full range in town. If you're picking up a car at the airport, most of those options are close enough that you can walk to the desk and drive off from there.
If you’re venturing to the islands, read our guide to the best hotels and rorbuer in Lofoten.
Or zoom in and out on the map below to explore hotels, cabins and apartments in Bodø and around:
✈️ Find flights
🏨 Explore hotels, apartments, guesthouses, cabins
🧭 Browse activities and tours
🚗 Compare car rentals
🧳 Get travel gear
🛡️ Travel safe with Heymondo Travel Insurance (5–15% off)
📱 Get a travel eSIM
🐾 Protect & track Arctic wildlife with Fahlo Bracelets (20% off)
FAQ: Car rental in Bodø
Is it cheaper to rent a car in Bodø than in Lofoten? In our experience, yes. Bodø's bigger fleet and stronger competition between rental companies tends to work in your favor compared to the smaller agencies based in Svolvær or Leknes, which can also sell out in peak season.
Should I rent a car at Bodø airport or downtown? Airport pickup is the easier default. It's only about 2 kilometers from the city center, and airport desks usually carry the widest selection.
Can I take a rental car on the ferry from Bodø to Lofoten? Yes, rental cars are allowed on the Bodø to Moskenes ferry, but confirm it with your rental company before you book, since it isn't automatically covered by every contract.
Can I bring a car on Hurtigruten from Bodø? Sometimes. Hurtigruten occasionally allows cars on single-leg, port-to-port bookings rather than the full multi-day voyage, but it depends on the route and sailing day, and cars have to be booked through their customer service rather than online. Check with Hurtigruten directly before you count on it.
Do I need a car to see the northern lights around Bodø? Not for the closest spots, but a car opens up the darker locations outside town. We cover this in detail in our northern lights in Bodø guide.
Bodø is a practical choice, but it’s also a very cool city to spend a couple of days. You'll get a better selection of cars, a shorter walk from the airport, and a car you can just as easily point toward Kjerringøy for the afternoon or Lofoten for the week.
Finally, explore all our Norway Travel Guides here.
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