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Norway

First, let me say that I truly appreciate this site and the advice of the good people who have world travel experience. I have visited 28 countries. I only wish I had found this site for the first 20 of those adventures. I could have saved some headaches and money.

I am planning a trip to Norway later part of Sept to first part of October this year. I will fly into Oslo. Then fly to Tromso with the goal of observing the northern lights. Other places on my list include the Flam railway excursion as well as crossing into Sweden just to get another country visited t-shirt. I would like to see the Geirangerfjord region and the the Atlantic Ocean Road, but they are not convenient to get to. In order to do so, it would mean that I would be spending LOTS of rental car time travel or credit card bending airfares back and forth from Oslo. I have researched the NSB train system, but it appears that it is an excruciatingly long travel time due to the fact that there is really no express system from one major attraction to another. I looked into a cruise package, but they do not spend enough time in a northern port of Norway where one could have a better chance of seeing the lights if weather was a factor. The northern lights thing is the primary reason for the trip.

I can dedicate 14 days from U.S. start to U.S. finish for this trip, but do not have any desire to have 75% of it spent in a car or tour bus, both of which are time-on-wheels. Perhaps I should just do local Oslo attractions, the Flam, the northern lights thing, and then cross into Sweden.

Does anyone have any suggestions other than that?

Thank you.

RM

Posted by
3391 posts

There really are no easy ways to get around Norway...the best way to get around fast is to fly. Have you checked SAS? I was able to find very reasonable airfare to Alesund a few years ago. From there you can rent a car and spend a few days seeing the Geirangerfjord and driving the Atlantic Ocean Road. Just know that the Geirangerfjord Ferry closes down on October 1 this year.

Posted by
53 posts

You could take the train to Bergen and then hop on the Hurtigruten to Harstad or Tromsø and fly back. Or rent a car and spend 3 days getting to Bergen and then the above. Or pick up a new Volvo in Gothenburg and drive up the Norway coast to Narvik and back down through Sweden (for a month) like we will in July. 🤪

Posted by
279 posts

I spent much of the 1990s working in Norway. My experience is that you can get around the country quite easily by train or bus. Or by car. In any case there is plenty of interesting scenery and places to stop as you go from here to there. I recommend the bus or train.

Posted by
40 posts

I had not considered the Hurtigruten. Flight from Oslo to Bergen, getting off the ship to spend a couple days in Thomso, and then flying back from there to Oslo solves a lot of issues. That then allows me to drive a rental to do the Flam thing at my leisure. Thanks for the tip.

I've started to look into the Norway in a Nut shell tour which might fit this puzzle, somewhere.

Does anyone have any advise on NIN?