Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
southbound excursions, although many are seasonal. Options range from city tours,
cruises deep into the interior fjord network, a bus up to Nordkapp, or a trip to the Russian
border from Kirkenes, to activities such as dog-sledding and snowmobiling. The Hurtigruten
website has a full list, with prices.
These excursions offer fairly good value but, in a few cases, you'll miss segments of the
coastal scenery.
THE HURTIGRUTEN - SLOW TRAVEL?
Although the Hurtigruten route is a marvellous journey, it's worth remembering that the
ferry usually only stops in ports for 15 to 60 minutes and these times can be cut shorter if
the ferry is behind schedule. As one traveller noted: 'There was only one stop which gave
any opportunity to visit a town, Trondheim, but that was at 6am till 9.30am… The attitude
of the ship was geared to meeting the route times.' It is important to keep in mind that
even though the majority of passengers are tourists, the Hurtigruten is a regular ferry ser-
vice not a tour.
Yacht
Exploring the Norwegian coastline aboard your own yacht is one of life's more pleasurable
experiences, although harsh weather conditions may restrict how far north you go. Almost
every town along Norway's southern coast has an excellent
gjestehavn
(guest harbour)
where the facilities include showers, toilets, electricity and laundries as a bare minimum,
while some offer bicycle hire and wireless internet. Standard mooring fees generally range
from Nkr150 to Nkr250 per 24 hours.
Bus
Buses on Norway's extensive long-distance bus network are comfortable and make a habit
of running on time.
In addition to the larger networks, there are a number of independent long-distance com-
panies that provide similar prices and levels of service. In northern Norway there are sever-
al Togbuss (train-bus) routes, while elsewhere there's a host of local buses, most of which
are confined to a single
fylke
(county). Most local and some long-distance bus schedules
are drastically reduced everywhere in Norway on Saturday, Sunday and in the low season
(usually mid-August to mid-June).
