Please suggest sites of interest & experiences for these Norwegian cities: Eidfjord, Bergen, Geiranger, Hellesylt, Trondheim, & Honningsvag.
My wife & I are traveling by a cruise ship this July to these ports of call & our destination, Honningsvag.
Any exertions, sites to see, good eating places you can suggest would be greatly appreciated!
What are your experiences using wifi in these cities? Has anyone used sim cards in their cell phones with good results?
Thanks for your help!
Larry
Bergen is lovely...take the funicular up the mountain in the main part of town for the view. Walk along he harbor. Tour the old fortress. Go see Edward Grieg's home outside of town. Have a coffee in one of the independent coffee shops in the old part of town.
Geiranger, and it's fjord, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It's too bad you'll be seeing it with a cruise ship clogging up the view - I hate it when they are looming in the small harbor, belching their diesel into the air. Geiranger is very small and you can walk the whole thing in 10 minutes. Most of it is tourist shops and hotels. Try to take an excursion from the town of Geiranger up and over the Trollstigen Pass. It's one of the great drives of the world and the views from the top of the pass are breathtaking. Enjoy a short stroll out to the modernist-designed overlook - get over any fear of heights you might have and just do it! Stop at Gudbrandsjuvet on the way there.
Hellesylt...it's a small village that is pretty much just a transit point for catching ferries. Not much to see or do there.
Wifi is readily available throughout Norway. Not really a concern. I've never bothered with a SIM card while there.
Items to consider. We were in Honingsvag and Trondheim last summef, 2018.
1. Honingsvag is a very small village. I trust you have family or business there to make it your destination. The big attraction is to go to Nordkapp, the northernmost point of Europe. It is a big draw from all of Europe. It is basically a big windy rock, but a must see. From town a tour bus down the large fiord through Sami land to Hammerfest is a highlight. Too many reindeer to bother counting after the first half hour.
2. Trondheim is a great stop. It is the third largest city in Norway, but off the beaten tourist track. Quiet, easy to get around (senior day transit pass at the sentrum kiosk), plenty to do. Easy access to day hiking, water excursions, take the local tram to Bymarken, a one hour train ride gets to Oppdal, the jump off for the Dovre Fjell national park (musk ox). It is a university town so lots of food and lodging choices.
We are planning a return visit.
If you have the time, a trip from Gerainger to Trollstigen is indeed worthwhile. Looking back at my driving notes, I think it was somewhat over 90 minutes actual driving each way, not counting the wait for the ferry coming & going. A quick look at Google Maps indicates that is about right. It offers a scenic ride up the narrow and winding road going North out of Gerainger, a quiet & pleasant mini-cruise by small ferry across the fjord at Eidsal and the potential to see some charming isolated farm sites in the mountains along the way to the scenic Trollstigen lookout at 2300 feet elevation. When you dock at Gerainger you will likely be offered a tourist bus tour to the viewpoint at Mt. Dalsnibba. Be sure to take it, especially if you think the jaunt to Trollstigen is too far. Dalsnibba is only about 30 minutes South of town, provides a very exciting ride up an extremely tight set of hairpin turns and finally when you arrive at the peak at 4800 feet elevation your view takes in the tops of adjacent peaks all the way down to sea level.
The town of Hellesylt is best used as a potential ETBD experience location for those traveling by themselves IMO. I’m sure the place is overwhelmed by cruise ships. The waterfall right in town is quite picturesque and the museum may be of interest if you are captivated by artistic wood carvings by Oddvin Parr. If your curiosity includes natural disasters look up "Åkernesrenna" while you are cruising the Gerainger Fjord. Norway is wonderful, have a great trip.
