My husband and I are going to cheer friends on at The Birken crosscountry ski race. At this point all we have is a hotel reservation in Lillehammer from March 12th to the 16th. I am assuming we will fly into Oslo. How much time should we allow to acclimate/sightsee before making our way to Lillehammer? After the race we are interested in going to Bergen, how much time should we spend there? Or should we go to Stavenger first? If so, for how long? Finally, we would like to cruise up the coast, taking in the fjords, hopefully seeing northern lights and including the city of Alesund, any others you recommend and ending in Tromso (we will likely fly to Finland from there). What suggestions for a cruise or ferry company that is reasonably priced and focuses more on the culture then entertainment? Appreciate all suggestions!
Posted by
Lake District, England
10592 posts
Looking at the sea passage- the daily coastal ships (the Hurtigruten and Havila) are exactly that- coastal ships. They don't go into the fjords in winter- Hurtigruten only in the summer season from 1 June, and Havila from 1 April (ex Bergen date)- even then only into the Geraingerfjord.
Hurtigruten also do an Oslo to North Cape 14 day round trip- bur the March dates are 13 and 27 March.
Reasonably priced-the fact of the matter is that (like in Alaska and the Pacific Islands) the coastal ships Hurtigruten and Havila are usually more expensive than conventional cruise ships, so you are trading off one thing against the other.
Personally I no longer consider either company to be "reasonably priced" any longer, and they certainly never were for their shore excursions, which even manage to make the likes of NCL look cheap.
Also very few if any conventional cruises start in Norway- they start from elsewhere in Western Europe or the UK.
It is also true that not all cruise ships are the large, brash blocks of flats style American ships you will know. There are other lines with far smaller ships not full of attractions and "entertainment"- the UK lines such as Ambassador and Fred Olsen being amongst those lines. Both have decently priced shore excursions which concentrate more on the culture, and both are known for their enrichment lectures.
Ships small enough you don't have to be pre-booking theatre seats- you just go in when you want, for example and don't have several dozen food outlets.
But if you want a one way trip then Hurtigruten or Havila are who you want.
Posted by
Chicagoland
1305 posts
You don't say how long your trip is or how you will be getting around. Here's my suggestions.
I would fly into Oslo and take the convenient direct train from the airport to Lillehammer in just under 2 hours. After your stay in Lillehammer take the train to Oslo. Again around 2 hours. Stay in Oslo at least 2 or 3 nights to enjoy the many museums and venues.
From Oslo, either book the packaged Norway in a Nutshell tour or DIY to save some money. This is a very scenic journey from Oslo to Bergen that includes the famous Flåmsbana and the ferry through the spectacular Naeyorfjord from Flåm to Gudvangen. You could even overnight along the way if there are activities of interest to you.
After a few days in Bergen head down to Stavanger. Again, the travel will be scenic. You can travel roundtrip back to Bergen and fly nonstop to Ålesund. Or travel one way Bergen to Stavanger and take a connecting flight to Ålesund.
From Ålesund travel the coastal ferry to Tromso. It's about a 3 day journey. Both Hurtigruten and Havila have the same itinerary. They share the route with 1 ship traveling in each direction every day. Hurtigruten is the older, original line. Havila's ships are newer. We traveled from Kirkenes to Bergen in 2023 with Hurtigruten. These are smaller ships stopping in multiple ports throughout the day and night, no casinos, no shows. The journey is your entertainment. We booked Hurtigruten with a special Black Friday sale. I don't know if they offer any special deals for Port to Port, which is what Ålesund to Tromso would be.
Enjoy your trip planning. Norway is a beautiful country.
Posted by
Washington DC
29493 posts
The Nutshell route is spectacular and very time-efficient. Given the cost of Norwegian hotels and restaurants, time-efficient is to me a good thing. I don't know what's available in March, but later in the year there would be a way to see the Geirangerfjord from Alesund.
I took an overnight trip on Hurtigruten from Bergen to Alesund and later a second overnight trip from Alesund to Trondheim. My tiny cabin (with private bath) was comfortable for the 12-hour overnight trips; I don't know what the double cabins are like. Folks say the food on board is good, but I just took some cheese and Wasa crispbread on board for snacking.
I doubled back through Oslo on the way to Sweden, spending a total of about a week there. There is plenty to do if you like museums or are interested in outdoor activities (if the weather is suitable--I don't know about March). Bergen is smaller but I was still able to fill about 3 days there without going out to the Grieg house--but I love walking around, looking at architecture. Both cities are very attractive, but Bergen (along with the west coast in general) gets a great deal of rain; it averages 17.6 days of rain in March for a total of 7.94 inches. However, April is a good bit drier, so things may be improving a bit by the time you get to Bergen.