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 Bergen by FletteMette
The main long-distance lines are:
Oslo - Kristiansand - Stavanger
Oslo - Bergen
Oslo - Trondheim
Trondheim - Bodø
The 7-hour journey on the Bergen Railway, between Bergen and Oslo, is known as one of the most scenic railways in the world, offering fantastic views as you travel through the changing landscapes. On your way to beautiful Bergen you'll travel from the flat, cultivated countryside and forests of eastern Norway, cross the high mountain plateau of Hardangervidda, before passing through the valleys and fjords of western Norway. The famous Flåm railway, part of the popular "Norway in a Nutshell" - trip, connects to the Bergen railway at Myrdal. (See the NSB web site, link provided below, for more info on Norway in a Nutshell.)
There are no railways along the western coast, meaning that if you'd like to go by train from Bergen to Stavanger, or from Bergen to Trondheim, you'd have to go via Oslo - not very convenient. There are no trains to the two northernmost counties of Norway - if you're travelling by train, you won't get further north than Fauske, in Nordland county.
There's only one class on Norwegian trains - but a few optional extras are available, such as NSB Komfort. (75 NOK, which gets you newspapers (in Norwegian;o), coffee/tea and power outlet for your laptop) Leave a Comment
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Hurtigruten visits 34 ports along the Norwegian coast - from Bergen in the western part of the country to Kirkenes in the far north. The roundtrip Bergen - Kirkenes - Bergen lasts 11 days, but you can do a shorter trip between any of the 34 ports. This is not at all an ordinary cruise ship - it's also an important means of transportation for locals, especially in the small communities in northern Norway - the ships also carry freight, and you can bring your car along.
There are a number of excursions on offer - some are available all year round, others are seasonal.
Northbound:
Day 1: Bergen
Day 2: Florø - Måløy - Torvik - Ålesund - Molde - Kristiansund
Day 3: Kristiansund - Trondheim - Rørvik
Day 4: Brønnøysund - Sandnessjøen - Nesna - Ørnes - Bodø - Stamsund - Svolvær (Today you'll be crossing the Arctic Circle!)
Day 5: Stokmarknes - Sortland - Risøyhamn - Harstad – Finnsnes - Tromsø - Skjervøy
Day 6: Øksfjord - Hammerfest - Havøysund - Honningsvåg - Kjøllefjord - Mehamn -Berlevåg
Day 7: Båtsfjord - Vardø - Vadsø - Kirkenes
Southbound:
Day 8: Mehamn - Kjøllefjord - Honningsvåg - Havøysund - Hammerfest - Øksfjord - Skjervøy
Day 9: Tromsø - Finnsnes - Harstad - Risøyhamn - Sortland - Stokmarknes - Svolvær - Stamsund
Day 10: Bodø - Ørnes - Nesna - Sandnessjøen - Brønnøysund - Rørvik
Day 11: Trondheim - Kristiansund - Molde
Day 12: Ålesund - Torvik - Måløy - Florø - Bergen
In summer the ships also visit Geirangerfjord and Trollfjord.
There are 11 ships in total, one southbound and one northbound ship leaves each port every day. The ports that are visited during the night on the way north, will be visited during the day when going back south.
Be aware that the standard of the ships vary quite considerably - some are large, new and fancy, others are smaller, older - and perhaps more charming. See the Hurtigruten website for more info about the different ships.
Book well in advance if you want to travel in July and August. Leave a Comment
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Norway is a very long country, and road distances between the north and the south are huge. Flying really is the only convenient way of travelling if you're going to the northernmost parts of the country, and if you don't want your journey to take several days. In southern Norway you might want to consider travelling by train, the Oslo-Bergen railway in particular offers some great views..! (Train is not even an option when travelling to the northernmost parts of Norway, as the railway towards the north terminates at Fauske in Nordland county...)
Airlines:
* SAS Norge aka Scandinavian, flies within Scandinavia, and to many other destinations. Food and drinks are for sale on board on routes within Scandinavia, and in Economy Class to various European destinations. Seat allocation upon check-in. www.sasbraathens.no
* Norwegian offers flights within Norway, and to more than 50 European destinations. Usually quite a bit cheaper than SAS. Norwegian has a very convenient "low fare calendar" on their web site, which shows you the cheapest fares available between your chosen cities in your chosen month - great if your flight dates are flexible...! Another thing I like about Norwegian is that the first price they give you *really* is what you pay for your flight - no taxes added. (Norwegian sells point-to-point tickets, but if you're travelling from, say, Tromsø to Bergen via Oslo, you can choose to pay for luggage transfer - otherwise you'll have to check in again in Oslo. You also have to pay ca 25 NOK per piece of checked luggage - hand luggage is free.) www.norwegian.no
* Widerøe has smaller planes, flying to 35 destinations in Norway - mostly small towns. A few destinations in Northern Europe. www.wideroe.no Leave a Comment Theme: Airplane
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 On board the Breivikeidet
- Svensby ferry, Troms by FletteMette,
3 more photos
The ferry crossings take anything between ten minutes and several hours - and the price of course varies accordingly. (You pay per vehicle, and for any additional passengers besides the driver)
Most car ferries have a seating area, often with views of the fjords, and a cafeteria where you can get various refreshments - usually there's at least hot dogs, ice cream, chocolate and truly disgusting coffee... :o) Leave a Comment Theme: Ship/Boat
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 by munki
Car ferries are a daily routine if you travel on the western fjords. Fortunately the system work efficiently and on time. I took about nearly a dozen of boats with duration journeys of 15 to 30 minutes.
You pay by car and per extra passengers, fares are not cheap but you have to live with it (and be grateful they offer the service, otherwise it would be no other way to carry on your journey).
Waiting times are minimal, I never waited more than 15 minutes and some routes have more than one ferry operating.
Tickets are bought just before boarding while queuing; otherwise the ticket man will visit you on board before you reach your destination.
Leave a Comment Theme: Ship/Boat
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 The train station in Bergen by FletteMette
With the "Minipris" ticket you can travel on NSB's regional trains in Norway to *any destination* for only NOK 199 (or 299 if the cheapest minipris tickets are sold out) You could get from, say, Bergen to Bodø for 199!! (The journey would take quite a while, though;o) This is a VERY good buy in expensive Norway... :o) (A normal price ticket Bergen - Bodø would cost almost NOK 1500!)
The offer is valid for a limited number of seats, on selected departures only. Tickets must be booked at least 1 day in advance (and max 90 days). No changes/refunds. The ticket must be booked on NSB's website, or from one of NSB's ticket vending machines - if you buy the "minipris" ticket at the ticket offices, an additional charge of 50 NOK will be added.
I have searched for "minipris" tickets a few times, and they are generally not that difficult to get hold of - especially if your travel dates (or times) are a little flexible.
See NSB's website for more info. Leave a Comment
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 Road narrows along the
Hardangerfjord by mtncorgLeave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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 MS Nordnorge arrives in
Svolvær by travelfrosch
Travelers have a variety of travel options and price ranges. You can take a full-up, 11-day "round trip" cruise, or a "half-round trip" (6 days north or 5 days south). Prices vary with time of year, class of cabin, car passage (yes, you can bring your car!), etc -- check the website for details.
For those with limited time and/or money, another option is to take a "port-to-port" trip. For our part, we took the 3-overnight trip from Svolvær to Kirkenes in the least expensive cabin available (NOK 400 per person, double occupancy in summer, half that off season). The website has a list of up-to-date fares and cabin options. For those living outside Scandinavia, your best bet is to email Hurtigruten directly if you want a cabin. Book well in advance if you're traveling in June or July.
Also check the website for the latest specials. For example, you can bring your car for free if traveling from Kirkenes to Bergen in 2007.
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 Norwegian ferry at Utne on the
Hardangerfjord by mtncorgLeave a Comment Theme: Ship/Boat
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 Lay-by by a fjord by evaanna
The same applies to mountain roads where space is even scarcer because so many other tourists want to stop and admire the scenery as well and the lay-by is for one or two cars only. Because the roads are so winding, the poor drivers must be extremely careful all the time so can't see much of the scenery. As my husband said, exaggerating of course, all he remembered from our tours was the yellow line in the middle of the road. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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