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Bergen to Lofoten and back - intinerary help

Posted by on

Hi All,

So we (wife and two kids 11 and 13) have a two week trip in mind, flying in and out of Bergen from Seattle. We want to start the trip with a couple easy days in Bergen while adjusting to time change, then 5 or so days touring the fjord country north and east of Bergen via car. We then want to end with 4-5 days in Lofoten - perhaps flying from Trondheim (or Alesund?) to Bodo after our fjord area driving tour. I'm thinking we'd then take the Bodo ferry and rent another car in Moskenes, then drop car and return via ferry back to Bodo to catch a flight back to Bergen to fly home.
Some questions:
1. How/where would you best spend the 5 days in the fjords? North to and along Balestrand/Loen/Geiranger areas as a general itinerary before driving to Trondheim (or Alesund) to fly up to Bodo?
2. Does flying to and back out from Bodo make sense? Seems airfare from Trondheim is pretty straight forward as well as the return from Bodo to Bergen to catch our flight home. Alesund to Bodo seems more challenging which is why I'm looking at Trondheim (but I am a little concerned about the long drive there from Gieranger area).
3. NIN out of Flam - skip it?
4. Other/better/more scenic routes to spend from Bergen to Geiranger area before ending in Trondheim (or Alesund)?
5. Good family friendly towns/hotels to consider in the fjord areas?

Thanks for any input and your expert guidance!

Bill

Posted by
6971 posts

Don't book a return ticket to Bergen, get an open jaw ticket to Bergen and home from Bodö or Trondheim or what you prefer.

From Trondheim to Bodö I'd recommend the train instead of flying. Either the night train that will save you both time and money, or the day train that will give you amazing views. And Trondheim is a nice town worth some time. Added bonus of the train, just outside Trondheim you'll pass a small station that can be bit interesting to english speaking tourists: https://goo.gl/maps/vXD8sKJRbpxDrndG8

Posted by
3398 posts

Lofoten markets itself well but, if it's going to be a hassle to get there or your itinerary is already to crowded, then it really isn't worth it. 4-5 days there is far too long as there isn't too much to do besides look at the charming buildings in front of the backdrop of the mountains.
I highly suggest focusing your time first in Bergen, like you planned, and then spend the rest of the time in the Alesund area. There is a ton to see and do and, with kids, it would be my preference. I also suggest renting a car after flying to Alesund from Bergen - public transport is challenging in this area but with a car you can see a whole lot.
Here's a list of some of the things to do that might appeal to you and your children.
See the town of Alesund, obviously.
Go to the outdoor Sunmore Museum...lots of interesting traditional buildings gathered into one place and a nice collection of boats, some of which you can go out in.
Atlantic Sea Park Aquarium - one of the best in Europe
Ride the funicular up to the Fjellstua viewpoint over the city.
Drive out to Hellesylt and ride the car ferry up the Geirangerfjord - stunning! - then drive north along the Trollsteigen Road to the Trollsteigen Pass. Some of the most dramatic scenery in the world.
Go out to Runde Island - birds birds birds - take a boat ride around the island or hike to the top. Puffins, ganetts, and literally hundreds of thousands of birds. It's quite something to see.
Go lighthouse hunting on the various islands offshore - almost all of them are connected to the mainland by bridges and tunnels. There are also quite a few prehistoric sites on the islands with ancient standing stones and monuments.
So much to do in the area but these are a few of the highlights!

Posted by
11569 posts

Take a segment on the Hurtigruten ships, a better choice for transportation. We preferred our time on board to a cruise ship.

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