My husband and I are taking the Rick Steves Scandinavia tour this summer and plan to spend a few day in fjord country afterwards. We are just beginning to plan that part of the trip. Is it possible to travel from Balestrand to Solvorn without a car, or would we be better off having a car for this part of Norway?
Posted by
Sweden
6850 posts
It is certainly possible to take the bus between Balestrand and Solvorn. For more information, see www.skyss.no
Posted by
Berlin
2852 posts
Clear vote for a rental car. You can stop where you want to stop. The Norwegian landscape routes are worth driving.
Posted by
1533 posts
We rented a car in Balestrand and drove to Solvorn for 3 nights. Definitely worth it. Returned the car to Balestrand and Took the ferry to Flam then got on the Flamsbanna to Myrdal and Oslo.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7779 posts
We used trams in Bergen and Oslo (buses in Oslo, too) but had a rental car for fjord country. The driving was easy (slower speed limits than you might expect), taking car ferries was also very straightforward (make sure the car comes with an EasyPass on the windshield, to manage payments for ferries simply), and we were able to explore up and down the Lustrafjord, drive to (and hike around) the Nigardsbreen glacier and museum, and drive in the Jotunheimen National Park.
We rented an electric car from Hertz. The cost of “fuel” was low, and we got a discount on car ferries. Watch the remaining charge in the car, and top up the battery regularly. Operating the car, and managing the charging was a bit of a learning experience. Finding a charging station that was associated with our car, though, was sometimes a challenge. We used Elton, one of the charging companies, but there are many companies, who all have their own chargers, and Elton chargers weren’t everywhere. We were able to download the Elton app to make things easier, once we found a charger, but some of the charger network around Norway seems built for residents, not short-term tourists.
As for Solvorn, definitely have dinner at the Wallaker Hotel. They have a slooow electric car charger in back, by the way. We couldn’t afford staying there, but dinner one night was a treat.
We also stayed one night at a hostel in Solvorn. We checked out the next day, and got a more suitable place, an Airbnb a couple of miles to the west, in Hafslo. Hafslo is also a small community, more substantial than Solvorn, on a stunning lakeside setting, and more welcoming for a stay than Solvorn.
If you venture as far north on the fjord as Luster, be sure to stop at the Lustrabui bakery. It was a special place for afternoon coffee and sweet rolls.