Can help with Ålesund & Norwegian Fjords:-)

Hi Lars-

 

The Avis/Budget locations in town by the terminal are sold out for our date (7 Jun). Do you have any experience with the Hertz location located ~10k east of the terminal? What method of transportation would you recommend other than the obvious taxi? Any buses? It's always frustrating trying to secure a taxi to go 6 miles when most of them are hoping for all day fares. And might have similar issues trying to return after dropping off the car after a long day's drive.

 

We did look at Europcar which was only ~2k east, but they were $100 more expensive.

The Hertz location is really not easy to get to using public transport.

You would have to take the bus to a suburb approx 20 minutes outside Ålesund. The it will involve a 10-15 minutes walk.

The best and easiest would be to take a taxi to the location.

Eurocar is a 20-30 minute walk from the cruise terminal. Only a minute or two with a taxi.

Will the rental companies not deliver the car for you?

I live in Ålesund and are more than happy to help you with any questions you might have visiting Ålesund and the Norwegian Fjords.

 

 

There are some really informative threads already on the board and I have compiled a few here.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1781806

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1965567

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1350812

 

 

Hit me with those questions:D....either here or start another thread.

Lets start planning your perfect stay in Norway.

So glad to find your post, I-Cruiser. I shall be doing a NCL Cruise visiting Bergen and Alesund only insofar as Norway is concerned :). Am wondering how I should best spend my days in these two beautiful cities. Specifically, if I wish to see your country's wonderful fjords, which City would you recommend me to do it from, realizing I would then miss the opportunity to see the City itself......?? Any advice you can give me in how best I should spend these two shore days (about 8-9 hours shore time available in each City) will be greatly appreciated!!

can't seem to find any answers so I hope you can help me out, we will be visiting Kristiansand for a day ( cruise ship ) and I noticed it is a lovely place to walk around we love to explore and hike on our own

someone told me to get the steam train Grovane-Royknes that would be a beautiful train ride.

( we have already booked a train ride in Flam ) I see the cruise agent offers this train ride but I wonder if we can book it ourselves. I found their website Setesdalsbanen but cannot figure out if we can book it on our own

Any idea ? and is it really worth doing this ? or would it be similar as the one we booked in Flam

( there is a lot to see in Kristiansand for a day )

thanks for your time

best regards from Belgium

Hi again Lars!

Well our 2nd trip to Norway is soon to begin and I am hoping I can get some more ideas and help since you have been so helpful in the past. This trip we have booked a local tour to Giske and then stopping at Sunnemore Museum and Mt Aksala. We are going to walk back from the viewpoint on our own. Can you give some advice on what to see and where to stop for a drink. Also since we will have 2 hours before the tour we plan on walking around the other side of Alesund in the morning. We are avid photographers and so your ideas will be most helpful to us to capture the town . I see that there is a lighthouse is it worth the walk? A place for a morning snack? Thanks so much again. Karen

Hi Lars-

 

The Avis/Budget locations in town by the terminal are sold out for our date (7 Jun). Do you have any experience with the Hertz location located ~10k east of the terminal? What method of transportation would you recommend other than the obvious taxi? Any buses? It's always frustrating trying to secure a taxi to go 6 miles when most of them are hoping for all day fares. And might have similar issues trying to return after dropping off the car after a long day's drive.

 

We did look at Europcar which was only ~2k east, but they were $100 more expensive.

FYI for others, we just walked into Avis that's walking distance down the street from the port and even though they showed sold out online, they rented us a car no problem even without a reservation. Was a nice automatic hybrid, ended up about ~$160 for the full day, a bit steep but saved us taxis both ways to Hertz. We did stop by the Hertz location to let them know we were cancelling and they seemed friendly too, another family from the ship was renting there when I walked in.

Hi everyone

This thread is great, thank you for all the information, especially you Lars :)

We are going on a Northern Lights cruise with CMV in October. I'm just wondering if we are likely to see the lights from the ship or if we should book a Northern Lights land tour aswell. Any advice?

Cheers, Susan

So glad to find your post, I-Cruiser. I shall be doing a NCL Cruise visiting Bergen and Alesund only insofar as Norway is concerned :). Am wondering how I should best spend my days in these two beautiful cities. Specifically, if I wish to see your country's wonderful fjords, which City would you recommend me to do it from, realizing I would then miss the opportunity to see the City itself......?? Any advice you can give me in how best I should spend these two shore days (about 8-9 hours shore time available in each City) will be greatly appreciated!!

You will find the answers within these pages;p;)

But the best place to catch a fjord is from Ålesund.

in 8-9 hrs and by renting a car you can manage to visit the Storfjord and possibly also Geiranger (however briefly)

Expect to use 2,5 hrs without stop each way to Geiranger. Stay in the village for 2 hrs or less and then back track to Ålesund.

If you stay shorter time in Geiranger you can still explore Ålesund for a short while after delivering the rental back.

You could also do a circle by taking the ferry from Geiranger to Hellesylt and then back out to Ålesund. This route will take you at least 6 hrs without any stops. It will be a fantastic day but maybe to rushed?

Backtracking will for sure allow for a more relaxed tour.

Hi again Lars!

Well our 2nd trip to Norway is soon to begin and I am hoping I can get some more ideas and help since you have been so helpful in the past. This trip we have booked a local tour to Giske and then stopping at Sunnemore Museum and Mt Aksala. We are going to walk back from the viewpoint on our own. Can you give some advice on what to see and where to stop for a drink. Also since we will have 2 hours before the tour we plan on walking around the other side of Alesund in the morning. We are avid photographers and so your ideas will be most helpful to us to capture the town . I see that there is a lighthouse is it worth the walk? A place for a morning snack? Thanks so much again. Karen

The walk to "moloveien" is a must with a visit to the lighthouse. (its actually a hotel room now).

Also walking in the area of Apotekergaten which is just behind the canal that runs through town is a good place for taking photos. Head up to the church and the school (a huge yellow building) the views to the islands are super from there.

My favorite places for beverage are "Racoon coffee and more" - situated in at the beginning of the pedestrian road (Kongens gate).

A snack is best had at "Invit" - they have the best seating in town as they have a small barge right in the canal.

Hi everyone

This thread is great, thank you for all the information, especially you Lars :)

 

We are going on a Northern Lights cruise with CMV in October. I'm just wondering if we are likely to see the lights from the ship or if we should book a Northern Lights land tour aswell. Any advice?

 

Cheers, Susan

The northern lights are known to happen in October but your best bet is further north then Ålesund. I would think the best place would be in northern Norway.

If you are so lucky to get to see the Aurora Borealis I would think you also could see it from the ship. However, the best would be on a tour, on land in total darkness.

Hello

I have read several pages of the post....and enjoyed it greatly. However I'm taking the lazy way out (instead of reading each page) and wanted to ask your help in both Tromso and Trondheim. I am cruising on Princess August 12th and looking for non cruise excursions or activities in these ports. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Hello

I have read several pages of the post....and enjoyed it greatly. However I'm taking the lazy way out (instead of reading each page) and wanted to ask your help in both Tromso and Trondheim. I am cruising on Princess August 12th and looking for non cruise excursions or activities in these ports. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Well, not to familiar with those 2 ports.

I cant remember the last time I was in Tromsø.

But always trust Google to find the easy way out;)

https://www.visitnorway.no/reisemal/nord-norge/tromso/

https://www.trondheim.no/

I live in Ålesund and are more than happy to help you with any questions you might have visiting Ålesund and the Norwegian Fjords.

 

 

There are some really informative threads already on the board and I have compiled a few here.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1781806

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1965567

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1350812

 

 

Hit me with those questions:D....either here or start another thread.

Lets start planning your perfect stay in Norway.

We are in Oslo from 2:30pm to 6:00 pm the next day, do you think there is enough time to see any of the beautifl Fjords? If so, any recommendations?

Hello I-Cruiser Lars,

We are six family and friends planning our 11-day cruise from Hamburg to North Cape and return next August on NCL Jade. We prefer independent visits and not ship excursions and have started to prepare for our trip. Could you please send me a copy of your brochure? My email is Julie.Ginger.Pepper@gmail.com

Thank you very much!!!

Hello I-Cruiser Lars,

We are six family and friends planning our 11-day cruise from Hamburg to North Cape and return next August on NCL Jade. We prefer independent visits and not ship excursions and have started to prepare for our trip. Could you please send me a copy of your brochure? My email is Julie.Ginger.Pepper@gmail.com

Thank you very much!!!

quote=I-Cruiser;53445661]Well, not to familiar with those 2 ports.

I cant remember the last time I was in Tromsø.

But always trust Google to find the easy way out;)

https://www.visitnorway.no/reisemal/nord-norge/tromso/

https://www.trondheim.no/

We are in Oslo from 2:30pm to 6:00 pm the next day, do you think there is enough time to see any of the beautifl Fjords? If so, any recommendations?

Honestly, I think that will be to rushed.

If you plan on driving it is a 5-6 hrs drive (one way) from Oslo to the nearest fjord - Sognefjorden and the village of Flåm.

Of course you can take the 1 hrs flight from Oslo to Ålesund and then rent a car to explore the area.

The easiest would be to hire a helicopter to take you from Oslo straight to the fjordland.

Hi I- Cruiser Lars.

I'm loving this thread. I've read quite a few of the questions and answers, but forgive me if this has already been covered.

I'm going on my first ever cruise with P & O

Azura in early September calling at Stavanger, Flam, Olden and Bergen. I have mobility issues and we're taking my 84 year old mum. So far I've looked at the Loen Skylift, the Flam railway and the funicular in Bergen. Would I be better off going with the cruise ships organized tours or going independently? I would love any further suggestions you may have. Thank you.

We will be in Alesund as a Hurtigruten stop in mid-October. I'd like to get a copy of your pdf for the area. Please send to: jokarjen at sbcglobal dot net. Thank you so much for all of your helpful comments on this thread.

Hi I- Cruiser Lars.

I'm loving this thread. I've read quite a few of the questions and answers, but forgive me if this has already been covered.

I'm going on my first ever cruise with P & O

Azura in early September calling at Stavanger, Flam, Olden and Bergen. I have mobility issues and we're taking my 84 year old mum. So far I've looked at the Loen Skylift, the Flam railway and the funicular in Bergen. Would I be better off going with the cruise ships organized tours or going independently? I would love any further suggestions you may have. Thank you.

Thank you for your kind words.

By going with a ships organized tour you are sure to get help if needed.

Going on your own you will have to rely on the the goodness of others.

As far as the sights you have looked into, I think they will give you a very interesting experiance. They are all spectacular.

You will have to navigate some steps at all the sights but as long as you are ok with that I am sure you will have a great time.

Hi I-Cruiser Lars,

In your view which of these ports in Norway is worth a better visit - Flam or Skolden ? What would I be missing in each of these ports as my cruise ship itinerary/choice does not include both ports in their route? Your knowledge will be important for me and my party to decide which cruise ship to take, - thanks

Hi I-Cruiser Lars,

 

In your view which of these ports in Norway is worth a better visit - Flam or Skolden ? What would I be missing in each of these ports as my cruise ship itinerary/choice does not include both ports in their route? Your knowledge will be important for me and my party to decide which cruise ship to take, - thanks

Well, no pressure;p:'):'):')

Skolden is a relatively "new" cruise port. Flåm is a very established tourist machine.

Both offer spectacular scenery.

Flåm has the most to offer in regards to sights, things to do, tours etc.

Many many thanks Cruiser Lars !! for the info regarding Flam/Skoulden. Will most probably decide then on Flam with the railway trip among other things to do.

Hi I- Cruiser Lars

Can you help me too, I know that Bergen is not in this thread but I asked in another one a no one knows/replied.

Are there any places in Bergen where we can dress up as a viking and have our photos taken, the kind of thing you do in a theme park (hope that makes sense)

Tia

Susan

Many many thanks Cruiser Lars !! for the info regarding Flam/Skoulden. Will most probably decide then on Flam with the railway trip among other things to do.

Sounds like a very sensible thing to do. I know you cant go wrong visiting Flåm.

Hi I- Cruiser Lars

Can you help me too, I know that Bergen is not in this thread but I asked in another one a no one knows/replied.

Are there any places in Bergen where we can dress up as a viking and have our photos taken, the kind of thing you do in a theme park (hope that makes sense)

 

Tia

Susan

Not that I am aware of unfortunately.

Your best bet would be to contact the tourist information as they are better equipped to answer this question.

I booked a 14 night HAL cruise on Koningsdam next June and I'm looking for advice on stuff to do. While we don't visit Alesund, this seems to be a popular thread (and I didn't want to start yet another thread).

Here's the itinerary.

Haugesund

Eidfjord / Scenic cruising Hardangerfjord

Bergen

Flam / Scenic cruising Sognefjord

Geiranger / Cruising Geirangerfjord

Molde

Honningsvag / Scenic Cruising North Cape

Stavanger

Of significance is that between Haugesund and Molde, we have 6 straight days of ports. When I did too many long excursions on consecutive days on our British Isles cruise this year, I felt it was too much and we should have done less, so I am trying not to overdo it (on the other hand, this is likely a once in a lifetime trip so i don't want to miss any must-see's). As a rule, I don't book the ship's tours and given that my HAL roll call thread is me and one other guy, it's not looking good for sharing private tours, so I may have to do public tours. HAL hasn't released their list of excursions, so I don't have that to get ideas from. I'm not interested in anything with serious hiking, although walking is fine.

So far, I think that I want to do these tours:

Bergen - Bryggen Walking Tour

Flam - Norway in a Nutshell (I will probably book it in one piece, not worth the hassle of buying the individual pieces to save money since there are 2 ships in port)

Geiranger - The Herdal Goat Farm tour that also does the road with the hairpin turns (https://www.norwayexcursions.com/en/activity/48662/geiranger-herdal-farm)

Honningsvag - the tour to the North Cape (http://www.nordkapp.no/en/services/transportation/item/ko-sand-travel-as)

We're only in Molde from 7a-3p so the Troll Road tour doesn't seem doable so we will probably stay local. I haven't looked into Haugesund,

Eidfjord or Stavanger.

Looking forward to advice and comments on my itinerary and tours.