Norway

Hi Cynthia--- are you unable to access PM's altogether? I would love to re-send it, but this board doesn't seem to have a " Sent" file that retains messages we have sent. Basically all I said was that I am sorry I cannot be more helpful, but my travels in that area involved staying with friends, somI do not have any lodging suggestions outside of Bergen. In Bergen, we have stayed at Hotel Augustin several times and I would again. For your drive up the coast, in September you should be OK booking as you go. Mthat way you can maintain flexibility to deal with good or bad weather. I also responded that I have not done the Norwayin a Nutshell tour, but my son did and loved it. He did make one mistake---he thought the second train stop was another photo stop and he got off the train to take pictures. Mthe train left without him,mand he had to walk to a nearby farmhouse and ask to use the phone to call a taxi to come and get him to catch up with the tour at the boat dock!

Thanks, Lola, just got your message. I'm sure we'll be able to figure out a great itinerary. Wish we had friends in Norway!!! Happy travels to you.

We did a fjords driving tour a few years ago. We flew into Bergen and drove directly to Voss (Fleischers Hotel) for 2 nights. The full day in Voss we drove southeast to another fjord (I don't remember the name but you should find it on a map), visiting an area where several waterfalls crash into a gorge.....Next day we drove to Flam, took the train round trip, then drove to Vik stave church, and finished by taking the ferry to Balestrand (Kvikne's Hotel, OLD PART.) We stayed there two nights, then headed north, crossing a glacier, for two nights in Geiranger ( Grand Fjord Hotel). Our full day there we took the ferry from Geiranger RT, seeing all the Geiranger fjord waterfalls.....Last day, we drove directly to Bergen (Admiral Clarion Hotel). We took the cable car up the mountain, walked around the Bryggen, and had a superb dinner at the Unicorn restaurant on the Bryggen.....Next day we flew to London.......Retrospect, should have spent one more day in Geiranger to drive the troll road, one less in Balestrand (although that hotel is lovely). Excellent shop in Geiranger to buy Norwegian sweaters, not much else in that town though!) Fjord country is spectacular, the only other place we have visited which is as beautiful is Jasper / Banff.... Hope this helps you.

Thanks, Gig Harbor, for chiming in. We were thinking of about 4 days in Balestrand and taking hikes, ferry ride, short day trips there. How about the same kind of thing around Geiranger fjord? All suggestions welcome.

Hi Cynthia,
Perhaps you noticed I didn't say anything about what we did during our full day in Balestrand? That's because there wasn't much to do there! There are more possibilities for day trips up around Geiranger, I think. We felt that seven nights was just the right amount of time for the Norwegian segment of our trip........Rough guide Norway has lots of useful information.....The only thing we didn't much like in Norway was the food. All three of our hotels (all upscale ones) included dinner. The dinners were dull buffets - too starchy, reminded me of cafeteria food - the one exception was the second dinner at Kvikne's which was a fixed menu, not the buffet. And of course the lovely dinner in Bergen....Be careful you don't get any parking tickets. It isn't always obvious that a parking lot is pay-and-display, not free parking. If you get a parking ticket, it is pretty much impossible to pay it. They don't take USA checks and there was no provision to pay with credit card. Sincethe directions on the envelope were only in Norwegian we were not able to read them. (This was 2005, maybe they have fixed that problem.)