Tromsø - Norway - page 374

BY BUS Nor-way Buss Ekspress ( & 77-85-21-00; www.nor-way.no) runs
daily express buses to Tromsø from Narvik (see chapter 14) taking 4 hours and
15 minutes and costing 315NOK ($45) one-way or 630NOK ($89) for a
round-trip ticket. There are three daily buses Monday to Friday and two on Sat-
urday and Sunday. The same company in summer also operates buses that run
to the North Cape, although a transfer in Alta (p. 426) is necessary. Details
about this bus might change from week to week, so call in advance if you're con-
templating such a journey.
BY CAR Take E6 from Oslo all the way north.
BY COASTAL STEAMER Hurtigrute (coastal steamer; & 77-64-81-00 )
connections link Tromsø with the cities of Narvik and Bodø. There is also a daily
year-round service of coastal express liners from Bergen to Tromsø. Twice daily
in the summer months, Tromsø Fylkes Dampskibsseskap ( & 77-64-81-00 )
offers express ferries linking Harstad and Tromsø; the trip takes 2 1 ⁄ 2 hours and
costs 450NOK ($64).
VISITOR INFORMATION
For information about Tromsø and the surrounding area, call the Tromsø
tourist office —also known as “Destination Tromsø”—at Storgata 61-63
( & 77-61-00-00; www.destinasjontromso.no), open Monday to Friday 8:30am
to 4pm.
CITY LAYOUT
The center of Tromsø lies on the eastern shore of the island of Tromsøya. It is
divided by hills from the western shore and the airport at Langnes. A bridge and
tunnel link the mainland of Norway to the island of Tromsøya. Coastal steam-
ers pull into the piers at the foot of Kirkegata right in the town center.
The heart of town is small enough to make walking around it relatively easy.
Running in a north/south axis, the main street is Storgata. At the center of this
street is Stortorget, the main square of town opening onto the harbor. Stortor-
get is the site of a daily open-air market selling flowers and crafts. The most
bustling and busiest part of town lies south of Storgata reaching the harbor.
Some major streets include Strandgata, Skippergata, and Skansegata. This
area is filled with shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes.
Local buses can take you to attractions outside the center.
GETTING AROUND
If you arrive at the airport, Flybuss ( & 77-67-75-00 ) will take you into the cen-
ter in about 15 minutes, costing 40NOK ($5.70) for a one-way fare. A city bus
also makes the run for 20NOK ($2.85), and you can take a taxi for around
120NOK ($17).
Local buses branch out from the center to serve Greater Tromsø. A one-way
ride costs 20NOK ($2.85). If you plan to use the buses a lot, you can purchase
a 24-hour pass for 55NOK ($7.80) at the tourist office.
The major taxi stand is at Strandveien 30 ( &

77-60-30-00 ), outside of

Øldhallen.
In summer consider cycling around town. Bikes are rented at Sportshuset,
Storgata 87 ( & 77-66-11-00 ). Our favorite bike ride is to head east of the city
center in the direction of The Arctic Cathedral. You must cross the spindly
Tromsø Bridge to the other side of the water, arriving in the suburb of Troms-
dal. After a visit to The Arctic Cathedral (p. 384) here, you can ride for about
10 minutes to the cable car at Fjellheisen (p. 384). You can lock your bike at the