Can help with Ålesund & Norwegian Fjords:-)

OceanPrince - spectaular photos, thanks for sharing. Certainly one of the most beautiful places on earth.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/duranza/GE100_zpsj3ztxlvg.jpg

Lars did you see the photo I posted? Wanted to know the story behind the face on the rock.. is it a troll turned to stone? thanks

Lars did you see the photo I posted? Wanted to know the story behind the face on the rock.. is it a troll turned to stone? thanks

Sorry, must have overlooked this one.

I am not sure about the story. I have heard it and remember it vaguely..

I have asked friends in Geiranger and they dont even know:)

I know the formation in found close to the mountain farm of Blomberg. Its all the way out the fjord. Almost at the beginning.

I will continue researching and get back with something:D

You might be right thats suppose to be a Troll or the devil being thrown in to the mountainside.

TBC :)

Peter - I think your best option for Åndalsnes is to rent a car for the day and explore Trollstigen and the Mt. Trolveggen. As you say, this will give you good flexibility and you can take your time exploring.

There is a Hertz inside the "XY" Petrol station in Åndalsnes. Its located a 5-10 minute walk from the pier.

 

In Olden I would suggest doing the Briksdal Glacier. As per my previous pictures (a page or so back) there are plenty of options with either the Glacier bus or Glacier taxi or indeed renting bikes:-)

All options are available on the pier in Olden.

 

The nearest car rental agency is located in the town of Stryn. They say they dont deliver so you would have to make the 20-30 minute drive to Stryn.

 

For taxis in the Olden area I would pre book:

drosje.s@online.no

 

or

 

There is a taxi in Olden but I only have the mobile number:

(+47) 945 05 082

 

 

You can chance it and try to flag down a taxi in port. They usually have set prices but do try to negotiate. You never know, they might give you a discount.

 

I would suggest to pre arrange tours as you are only 2 weeks away and you will visit in high season.

 

Bergen is really easy to do on foot. All the major attractions are close to the port. This also include the Fenicular "Fløybanen".

 

Lars:)

Hi Lars,

Many thanks indeed for the excellent information.

Do you have anything to recommend for Haugesund?

Regards

Pete

Hi Lars,

 

Many thanks indeed for the excellent information.

 

Do you have anything to recommend for Haugesund?

 

Regards

Pete

Pete, you know what? I have never been to Haugesund.:)..but friends of mine has and they recommend this:

I enclose this link:http://www.visithaugesund.no/en/

From what I gather the Vikings (of Norways oldest throne) and the Viking islands of Rødvær are very interesting.

Not sure you can fit this in with the ships schedule.

Must dos in Haugesund are: Haraldshaugen, Museum farm of Ørpetveit, the lighthouse at Røværsholmen.

(..where do they get these names from:D)

Hi there!

I'm making a review of our trip to Norway last June on the MSC Orchestra. Here you have the link in case you are interested. Many pictures there, maybe to many indeed :D

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2230056

Thanks again Lars for all the useful information and help!

First of all, what a wonderful thread...thank you!

We are considering taking a Norway Fjords cruise before our Rhine River cruise next June. I found an itinerary on Holland America that departs and returns to Rotterdam with stops at Gerianger, Alesund, Eidfjord and Bergen, along with scenic cruising. It is only a 7 day cruise, but this works well as our river cruise is 7 nights and we have two days in between the two to get to Basel, Switzerland, and the river cruise ends in Amsterdam making air arrangements for combining both very easy!

my question is are these ports, in your opinion, all good ones to visit? I hate to be missing something! We visited Oslo and Kristiansand (Loved them!) on a Northern Europe cruise last month so were happy to find a cruise that visited new ports for us.

Thank you!

Hi there!

 

I'm making a review of our trip to Norway last June on the MSC Orchestra. Here you have the link in case you are interested. Many pictures there, maybe to many indeed :D

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2230056

 

Thanks again Lars for all the useful information and help!

No pasa nada:)

Thanks for posting the link to the review. I am following your every world and loving the pictures.

Keep them coming. It can never be to many.

First of all, what a wonderful thread...thank you!

 

We are considering taking a Norway Fjords cruise before our Rhine River cruise next June. I found an itinerary on Holland America that departs and returns to Rotterdam with stops at Gerianger, Alesund, Eidfjord and Bergen, along with scenic cruising. It is only a 7 day cruise, but this works well as our river cruise is 7 nights and we have two days in between the two to get to Basel, Switzerland, and the river cruise ends in Amsterdam making air arrangements for combining both very easy!

 

my question is are these ports, in your opinion, all good ones to visit? I hate to be missing something! We visited Oslo and Kristiansand (Loved them!) on a Northern Europe cruise last month so were happy to find a cruise that visited new ports for us.

 

Thank you!

Thank you for your wonderful words:)

The 7 days itinerary catches the essence of Norway IMO. This itinerary has some really lovely scenic cruising where you get to experiance all the lovely nature this country has to offer.

Hailed as the most beautiful fjord in the world you will visit the Geirangerfjord and the village of Geiranger.

Scenic cruising Geirangerfjord which is an arm to the larger Storfjord.

You will visit my hometown Ålesund from where you can make some really great days trips.

Bergen is a must visit and a very interesting city.

Eidfjord is another beautiful place in the Hardangerfjord. Not many ships stops there so this will be something unique. You will cruise the Hardangerfjord as Eidfjord is at the end of the fjord. Hardanger is especially knowns for its apples and the apple trees in bloom is something not to be missed.

Together with your river cruise this will make for a very diverse trip. I would not hesitate to book it.:)

Linking to a great report on Olden and Pulpit Rock in Stavanger.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2233136

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2232099

I really enjoy reading these reports and viewing all the beautiful pictures.

Its very inspirational.

For those of you lucky enough to visit Ålesund next week there is the Takk Ship Race going on.

All the piers will be filled with lovely sailing vessels. There will be happenings in town.

This should be a fun event.

I am for sure looking forward to this "festival".

http://tallshipsalesund.no/en/

Thank you I-Cruiser for such a great thread. So helpful!

We will be going on a Northern European cruise next July and I am trying to plan interesting excursions.

Here is the itinerary

PRINT THIS PAGE

DatePortArrivalDeparture

Jul 9, SaturdayAmsterdam, Netherlands (overnight) » Embark pm

Jul 10, SundayAmsterdam, Netherlands » 6 pm

Jul 11, Monday Cruising the North Sea »

Jul 12, TuesdayOslo, Norway »7 am6 pm

Jul 13, WednesdayStavanger, Norway »12 n6 pm

Jul 14, ThursdayFlåm, Norway »8 am6 pm

Cruising the Norwegian Fjords »

Jul 15, FridayShetland Islands/Lerwick, Scotland »10 am6 pm

Jul 16, SaturdayKlaksvík, Faroe Islands »9 am5 pm

Jul 17, Sunday Cruising the Atlantic Ocean »

Jul 18, MondayReykjavík, Iceland (overnight) »7 am

Jul 19, TuesdayReykjavík, Iceland » 10 pm

Jul 20, WednesdayHeimaey, Iceland »8 am4 pm

Jul 21, Thursday -

Jul 22, Friday Cruising the Atlantic Ocean & the North Sea »

Jul 23, SaturdayLondon/Tilbury, England »6 am

As you can see , we will be visiting Flam , Stavenger and Oslo.

We visited Oslo on a previous cruise . We toured the City Hall , Peace Musuem , Vigeland Park , the Viking Musuem and the Folk Museum . We are looking for something low key and inexpensive in Oslo , as we will be taking more intensive tours in other ports. Any suggestions?

In Stavenger , we arrive at 12 pm. I am interested in perhaps taking the fjord boat tour...but am wondering if the scenery will be similar to what we will see on the ship. We have 5 people in our group ( my DH and I , daughter 19 , two sons 16 and 12.) I do see that you get quite close to waterfalls etc , which looks lovely.

My biggest question is Flam. The train seems to be the big highlight. Is that the best option in Flam?

Just a note: we visited Alesund , Bergen , Skjolden and Oslo on a previous cruise...loved them all. Wondering if Flam and Stavenger are very different as far as fjord scenery etc?

Thank you so much

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I just wanted to thank you Lars for helping me plan a wonderful visit to Norway.

We rented a car in Geiranger, did the Troll Road both ways, it was just awesome. Our weather could have certainly been better, cloudy, misty most days, but the fog stayed away so we could SEE!!

We drove up Ørnevegen (the Eagles Road) to Eidsdal on road 63. The viewpoint was beautiful, even on the cloudy day we had. We had no trouble crossing the ferry to Linge, even with a credit card without a chip…they just let us sign. We stopped at the view point at Gudbrandsjuvet Gorge. It was” wonderful’ ’and yummy coffee too!.

Since the weather was poor, but we still had visibility we decided to go straight to the Trollstigen. Then on to the Trollveggen/Troll Wall. We were so very lucky to see as much as we did. We walked all the way out to the end at the ‘welcome center’ and had a delicious bowl of soup and waffles at the little café there. The driving was slow going, partly due to the roads but even more so because of the weather, so we headed back over the Trollstigen instead of going the circle route that I had planned. Going back was a whole different view, so glad we made that choice.

In Alesund we were not as lucky. Weather was poor, visibility was bad, we were told at the car rental place that the fog was thick. So we nixed our plans to drive to Oye, but did have a lovely day in town. We took the HOHO bus, climbed the stairs both ways at at Aksla hill. Did some shopping.

We loved Olden. We went to the Kjenndalen Glacier, and had a cruise on Lake Leon. Cool and windy but no rain!!

We enjoyed Stavanger, lots of good shopping right by the port. We took a cruise to Pullpit Rock..was pretty, but could not live up to some of the fjords we had already sailed through.

Again, thanks for all your help, it was a wonderful, memorable trip. I wish you all the best.

Thank you I-Cruiser for such a great thread. So helpful!

 

We will be going on a Northern European cruise next July and I am trying to plan interesting excursions.

Here is the itinerary

PRINT THIS PAGE

DatePortArrivalDeparture

Jul 9, SaturdayAmsterdam, Netherlands (overnight) » Embark pm

Jul 10, SundayAmsterdam, Netherlands » 6 pm

Jul 11, Monday Cruising the North Sea »

Jul 12, TuesdayOslo, Norway »7 am6 pm

Jul 13, WednesdayStavanger, Norway »12 n6 pm

Jul 14, ThursdayFlåm, Norway »8 am6 pm

Cruising the Norwegian Fjords »

Jul 15, FridayShetland Islands/Lerwick, Scotland »10 am6 pm

Jul 16, SaturdayKlaksvík, Faroe Islands »9 am5 pm

Jul 17, Sunday Cruising the Atlantic Ocean »

Jul 18, MondayReykjavík, Iceland (overnight) »7 am

Jul 19, TuesdayReykjavík, Iceland » 10 pm

Jul 20, WednesdayHeimaey, Iceland »8 am4 pm

Jul 21, Thursday -

Jul 22, Friday Cruising the Atlantic Ocean & the North Sea »

Jul 23, SaturdayLondon/Tilbury, England »6 am

As you can see , we will be visiting Flam , Stavenger and Oslo.

 

We visited Oslo on a previous cruise . We toured the City Hall , Peace Musuem , Vigeland Park , the Viking Musuem and the Folk Museum . We are looking for something low key and inexpensive in Oslo , as we will be taking more intensive tours in other ports. Any suggestions?

 

In Stavenger , we arrive at 12 pm. I am interested in perhaps taking the fjord boat tour...but am wondering if the scenery will be similar to what we will see on the ship. We have 5 people in our group ( my DH and I , daughter 19 , two sons 16 and 12.) I do see that you get quite close to waterfalls etc , which looks lovely.

 

My biggest question is Flam. The train seems to be the big highlight. Is that the best option in Flam?

 

Just a note: we visited Alesund , Bergen , Skjolden and Oslo on a previous cruise...loved them all. Wondering if Flam and Stavenger are very different as far as fjord scenery etc?

 

Thank you so much

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hi there :) This is an amazing itinerary you have booked.

Flåm and Stavanger (I guess you by that you mean Lysefjord) are very different.

Flåm (Sognefjord - Aurandsfjord) is what you would think of as a traditional fjord with high towering mountains, waterfalls. Stavanger with Lysefjord is more bare, more stones/rocks..more rugged.

IMO a very different experience.

There are an EXCELLENT photo review from Stavanger to Lysefjord here on this forum.

Another is of a day in Flåm review.

You should have a look at those if you haven't already.

I would like to suggest from Flåm to do another fjord. The Nærøyfjord. Its an UNESCO world heritage and its amongst the most breathtaking in Norway.

You can do the tour round trip from Flåm to Gudvangen back to Flåm or just one way.

The one way takes approx. 2,5 hrs.

There are many options available like:

Boat tour and stop at the village of Undredal. There you can taste their famous goat cheese and admire the stave church dating back to 1147.

You can also book the boat tour and bus back via the viewpoint at Stegastein.

As you can see you have lots of interesting options in Flåm except for the much hyped train ride.

Since you have been to Ålesund before. What do you plan to do this time?

Lars

I just wanted to thank you Lars for helping me plan a wonderful visit to Norway.

We rented a car in Geiranger, did the Troll Road both ways, it was just awesome. Our weather could have certainly been better, cloudy, misty most days, but the fog stayed away so we could SEE!!

We drove up Ørnevegen (the Eagles Road) to Eidsdal on road 63. The viewpoint was beautiful, even on the cloudy day we had. We had no trouble crossing the ferry to Linge, even with a credit card without a chip…they just let us sign. We stopped at the view point at Gudbrandsjuvet Gorge. It was” wonderful’ ’and yummy coffee too!.

Since the weather was poor, but we still had visibility we decided to go straight to the Trollstigen. Then on to the Trollveggen/Troll Wall. We were so very lucky to see as much as we did. We walked all the way out to the end at the ‘welcome center’ and had a delicious bowl of soup and waffles at the little café there. The driving was slow going, partly due to the roads but even more so because of the weather, so we headed back over the Trollstigen instead of going the circle route that I had planned. Going back was a whole different view, so glad we made that choice.

In Alesund we were not as lucky. Weather was poor, visibility was bad, we were told at the car rental place that the fog was thick. So we nixed our plans to drive to Oye, but did have a lovely day in town. We took the HOHO bus, climbed the stairs both ways at at Aksla hill. Did some shopping.

We loved Olden. We went to the Kjenndalen Glacier, and had a cruise on Lake Leon. Cool and windy but no rain!!

We enjoyed Stavanger, lots of good shopping right by the port. We took a cruise to Pullpit Rock..was pretty, but could not live up to some of the fjords we had already sailed through.

Again, thanks for all your help, it was a wonderful, memorable trip. I wish you all the best.

Anita - I am glad you had such a great time. Sorry about the weather.

As a fact, this year has been the coldest "summer" in 20 years. ......and soon its autumn and winter.....

Thank you so much for the suggestions! I have read with attention the wonderful photo reviews . Incredibly helpful.

I love your suggestions for Flam and will look into them. I love goat cheese.

I think we may skip the railroad as it sounds very crowded.

Due to our shorter port time in Stavenger and the fact that we will be with our kids , I am sad to say we most likely won't be able to do the Pulpit Rock hike ( I was so inspired by the photo review). Since it looks like we may go on a boat ride in Flam , any different options in Stavenger that may be nice?

We won't be visiting Alesund ... Just Stavenger , Flam and Oslo. We loved our previous visit though.

Our itinerary is dreamy ... So looking forward to it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What are recommendations for a second trip to Norway if we have already done the typical Norway in a nutshell tour (I.e. Bergen, Flam, Oslo)? We can totally cruise the fjords again--just not necessarily the Sognefjord. Is some kind of touring triangle like Alesund-Trondheim-Lillehammer a good idea?

Thank you so much for the suggestions! I have read with attention the wonderful photo reviews . Incredibly helpful.

 

I love your suggestions for Flam and will look into them. I love goat cheese.

 

I think we may skip the railroad as it sounds very crowded.

 

Due to our shorter port time in Stavenger and the fact that we will be with our kids , I am sad to say we most likely won't be able to do the Pulpit Rock hike ( I was so inspired by the photo review). Since it looks like we may go on a boat ride in Flam , any different options in Stavenger that may be nice?

 

We won't be visiting Alesund ... Just Stavenger , Flam and Oslo. We loved our previous visit though.

 

Our itinerary is dreamy ... So looking forward to it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There are a few things to do in Stavanger.

If you are into history you can visit the monument "Swords in Rock".

The monument is 3 swords, 9 meters tall, in memory of the battle of Hafrsfjord in 872 when Harald Hårfagre gathered Norway to one kingdom.

The monument is a 10 minute outside Stavanger.

You can not miss the old town in Stavanger. Small white wooden houses - very quaint.

For a nice lunch or a coffee head up to Øvre Holmegate. Lots of little cafes there.

The Cathedral is a must visit. Also "Valbergtårnet" could be fun. Its an old watch tower.

Since Stavanger is one of the oil capitals of the world the Norwegian petrolium Museum is found in Stavanger.

What are recommendations for a second trip to Norway if we have already done the typical Norway in a nutshell tour (I.e. Bergen, Flam, Oslo)? We can totally cruise the fjords again--just not necessarily the Sognefjord. Is some kind of touring triangle like Alesund-Trondheim-Lillehammer a good idea?

I guess you are planning on doing this by car?

Driving from Ålesund to Trondheim you will pass towns like Molde. You can easily do a detour to Trollstigen and Trollveggen.

Between Molde and Kristiansund, if you take the outer route, you can drive the Atlantic road. Make sure you visit the small fishing village of Bud.

Trondheim is a city full of history and one of my favourites.

Driving from Trondheim to Lillehammer you will drive inland and some of the large mountain ranges in Norway. Getting down to Lillehammer the landscape is wide with rolling hills. A huge contrast to the fjord landscape.

This itinerary can easily take at least 3-4 days depending on how much you spend in each town/city.

Not necessarily by car, but you are persuading me to do it by car.

Not necessarily by car, but you are persuading me to do it by car.

It would be a nice drive:-)

Of course you can do Ålesund, Molde and Trondheim by ship. Lillehammer not so much as its 5,5 hrs drive one way from Ålesund (1 hour less from Trondheim)

There are a few things to do in Stavanger.

 

If you are into history you can visit the monument "Swords in Rock".

 

The monument is 3 swords, 9 meters tall, in memory of the battle of Hafrsfjord in 872 when Harald Hårfagre gathered Norway to one kingdom.

 

The monument is a 10 minute outside Stavanger.

 

 

 

You can not miss the old town in Stavanger. Small white wooden houses - very quaint.

 

For a nice lunch or a coffee head up to Øvre Holmegate. Lots of little cafes there.

 

 

 

The Cathedral is a must visit. Also "Valbergtårnet" could be fun. Its an old watch tower.

 

Since Stavanger is one of the oil capitals of the world the Norwegian petrolium Museum is found in Stavanger.

Thank you so much. I will be sure to report back after our cruise. You have been very helpful!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you so much. I will be sure to report back after our cruise. You have been very helpful!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking forward to your report.:)

This summer season is soon coming to a close but now is the perfect time to plan next year:):)

Lars,

Thank you for all your help with questions we have about Alesund and Geiranger. You live in a beautiful country. We were very lucky to have sun both days.

I made it up to Mt Aksla about 8:45pm to see the town as close to sunset as I could. I made it back to the ship with plenty of time to spare.

Becky