Bergen 2026: No Emission Zone, But the Toll Ring Still Bites
Bergen, Norway · LEZ
Bergen — the gateway to Norway's western fjords, built around the colourful Bryggen wharf below seven hills — rings the city with electronic toll points (charged automatically, more at peak times) and can impose driving restrictions on the most polluting vehicles during high-pollution days, with fines around NOK 1,700. Foreign cars are billed for the tolls. Park in a garage and walk or ride the Fløibanen funicular; the compact centre is best on foot.
Can your car enter Bergen?
Bergen’s low-emission zone was proposed but never actually came into force, so no car is stickered or fined for its emissions class here today. What does bite every car, local or foreign, is the electronic toll ring circling the city, which charges automatically by camera as you pass, with no manual payment option. Park in a garage near the centre and ride the Fløibanen funicular up Mount Fløyen instead of driving the hilly streets.
This page covers driving around Bergen. For the zone specifics, see the Bergen LEZ details.
Tolls, then park and ride
The bomring charges automatically as you pass; foreign cars are billed via the operator, so the tolls follow you home. Park in a garage (the big Bygarasjen) or a park-and-ride on the Bybanen light rail and ride in. The Fløibanen funicular climbs Mount Fløyen from the centre. Norway’s rules: near-zero 0.02% alcohol, headlights on always, 50 km/h urban.
When the car helps
Keep it for the fjords and western coast — expect tolls, ferries and tunnels — driven from a city garage. The classic fjord trips, though, use train, bus and boat.
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Winter tyres in Norway — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in Norway whenever conditions are wintry — 1 Nov - first Sunday after Easter (Nordland/Troms/Finnmark: 16 Oct - 30 Apr) — tread-depth rule; winter tyres themselves are not compulsory.
- Legal winter tread minimum: 3 mm (5 mm for vehicles over 3.5 t) — not the 1.6 mm figure most guides quote, which is the year-round minimum.
- Accepted marking: No marking requirement for cars
- Studded tyres: allowed
- Penalty: NOK 1,000 PER TYRE; NOK 2,000 per tyre over 7,500 kg GVW (+50% if unpaid within 3 weeks — forskrift 1993-09-17-855 §2, §3)
In Norwegian the rule is vinterdekk, and snow chains are snøkjettinger — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Verified against national legislation, August 2026 · Full Norway tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Bergen has electronic toll points (bomring) around the city that charge automatically by camera as you pass, with rates varying by time of day and vehicle emissions — there are no booths. On days of high pollution, the city can also impose temporary driving restrictions on the most polluting vehicles, with fines around NOK 1,700 for breaches. Foreign-registered cars are billed for the tolls through the operator, so the charges follow you. Factor the tolls into any drive into the city.
Use an underground garage in or near the centre, such as the large Bygarasjen, or a park-and-ride on the light rail (Bybanen) and ride in. Parking in the compact centre is limited, and the city is walkable, so leaving the car and exploring on foot or by the light rail is the easy way around. The Bybanen also runs out to the airport.
It's Bergen's funicular, climbing from the centre up Mount Fløyen, one of the seven mountains surrounding the city, to viewpoints and walking trails overlooking the fjords and rooftops. It runs right from the heart of the city, so you reach the heights without driving. Together with the compact, walkable centre, it means a car is rarely needed for getting around Bergen itself.
Norway has a strict 0.02% alcohol limit (effectively near-zero), dipped headlights required at all times day and night, and high fuel and toll costs. The urban limit is 50 km/h. Winter conditions in the region demand winter tyres. Bergen is famously one of Europe's rainiest cities, so expect wet roads, and the fjord roads beyond involve tunnels, ferries and narrow stretches.
Not for the city — the compact centre, the funicular and the light rail cover it. A car helps for the fjords and countryside beyond — though the classic 'Norway in a Nutshell' fjord trips use train, bus and boat — and for touring the western coast. If you do drive the fjords, expect tolls, ferries, tunnels and stunning but demanding roads, driven out from a city garage.
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