I'm looking for suggestions for a two-week Norway trip in August. The guidebooks are pretty overwhelming; it's hard to get a grip. We're two people in our mid 50s. We're healthy and enjoy walking. We like nature, art, science, gardens, history, folk music, and classical music. We're big on polar exploration, and so the Fram is definitely a must. There are tons of interesting things in Oslo, but outside of that it starts to get fuzzy. We know about Norway in a Nutshell. What are the must-sees around the country? We hope to do this trip by rail rather than car, although renting a car for short stretches is a possibility. We like to sleep in beds (no camping). Is there a good airport for US connections besides Oslo? That would make flying open jaw a possibility. --Dav
Posted by
Dallas
1022 posts
Have you considered the Hurtigruten? You could vist Bergen, then take a ship up the coast. You don't have to go all the way to the Arctic. In August, I believe the ships go into Geiranger Fjord which is wonderful.
Posted by
OP
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
504 posts
I've looked at that, but we've done cruises recently. This summer we were planning to extend our travel expertise by going on our own to a country that doesn't speak English.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Just about everybody in Norway speaks english.
Posted by
OP
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
504 posts
That's why we chose it for the next step after Ireland.
Posted by
OP
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
504 posts
Can one book passage on Hurtigruten ships from one port to another, like train tickets, or does one have to sign up for a cruise?
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
If you're asking if you can go from one port to another one up the coast, sure. Price obviously varies by distance.
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA
32 posts
Divide your nutshell route across 2 or more days. I did two, and wish I could have done more, but didn't have the time. Take the fjordsafari instead of the giant cruise in Flam where the train drops you off (one of the best adventures of my trip - you ride a blowup boat right up to waterfalls and seals and you get to eat goat cheese, plus you get a private and interesting tour of the Sognefjord), sleep in a fjordside town (Balestrand is lovely), and take day adventure trips. The water is crystal clear and beckons you to swim in it (cold! But you can float. I floated on my back in the middle of the fjord for about an hour. Wonderful). Glad you like folk music - I'm currently writing a thesis on the influence of folk music on art music. The Oslo open air folk museum has a folk music and dance demonstration, and Bergen has many festivals. Hope that helps! Carrie