Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ments at your own pace, you can visit the latter two fjord towns on your own;
all are described in this chapter).
This region enjoys mild weather for its latitude, thanks to the warm Gulf
Stream. (When it rains in Bergen, it just drizzles here.) But if the weather is
bad—don't fret. I've often arrived to gloomy weather, only to enjoy sporadic
splashes of brilliant sunshine all day long.
Recently the popularity of the Nutshell route has skyrocketed. And the
2005 completion of the longest car tunnel in the world (15 miles between
Flåm and Lærdal) rerouted the main E-16 road between Bergen and Oslo
through this idyllic fjord corner. All of this means that July and August come
with a crush of crowds, dampening some of the area's magic. Unfortunately,
many tourists are overcome by Nutshell tunnel-vision, and spend so much en-
ergy scurrying between boats, trains, and buses that they forget to simply en-
joy the fjords. Relax—you're on vacation.
Planning Your Time
EventheblitztouristneedsadayfortheNorwayinaNutshelltrip.Withmore
time, sleep in a town along the fjord, and customize your fjord experience to
include sights outside the Nutshell.
