We are planning a trip to Norway, time is not an issue, trying to decide between taking the Hurtigruten cruise up the Norway coast or forget the cruise and drive up the coast and see the villages. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Marly
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
1525 posts
It depends on how far "up" you plan to go. If you don't intend to go farther north than Trondheim, then I would stay on land (except for a fjord cruise or two on some inner fingers). The coast, while as attractive as any coast is, is not particularly awe-inspiring. And I don't like the idea of being cooped up on a boat for more than a couple of hours. I would rather be up close and personal with my nature.
But if you are going farther north, then it makes little sense to drive unless you get a thrill out of unusual drives. It would be slow going and the scenery, while still quite attractive, is better in the south for up close viewing.
By the way, Norway does have a very good public transport system. While there is no reason you shouldn't drive, it is expensive (you could spend $100/day on just tolls and gas) and with all that scenery, it is nice to let someone else do the driving and just sit back and enjoy (and not have to stop to pee :-)
Posted by
OP
Naples, Florida, USA
29 posts
Thank you for giving input. We are planning to drive all the way to Kirkenses and then down thru Lapland into Sweden.
We really want to get to know the country and its people, but also have a desire to see all of its beauty.
The question always is how much you see from the cruise ships and how far up into a fjord they go. Hurtigruten offers sight-trips, but that can run into a lot of money. We have the time and love to hear more suggestions. Marly
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
1 posts
Hi Harold, I've done the Hurtigruten and it's terrific. Plus, Norway is a much larger country than you would think. I learned while I was over there that it's actually about the same length of a trip along the coast as it is to drive from New York to Florida so you are probably better off taking the cruise. It's quicker and you will see everything.