How to get to Briksdal Glacier

Hi

When you get off the ship what options are there on getting to Briksdal Glacier we do not mind walking?

Thanks

We recently went to Briksdal Glacier by public bus. It departed from Olden Harbour at 10:02 am from a clearly marked bus stop, next to a crosswalk and to the left of the cruise pier. The trip to the glacier took about 40 minutes through absolutely gorgeous scenery of waterfalls and crystal clear lakes. The bus was modern with large clean windows and very comfortable. Our driver made a quick stop along the way (I think for a smoke) and we hopped out to snap some pics. Upon arrival, the bus waited at Briksdalen until 1:30 pm which gave us lots of time to walk to the glacier. You could also take a troll car if you wished. On the return, the bus didn't go into Olden Harbour right away but made a brief stop at the town centre, about a 10 min walk from the cruise pier. Cost was NOK 68 pp on the outbound and NOK 60 pp on the return. Can't beat it.

There was also a Glacier Express Shuttle Bus that ran from in front of the Visitor Info Centre at the cruise pier. Similar to the public bus, it also went direct to the glacier and waited there for about 2 hr before heading back. You could book in advance or purchase on the day. Cost was €45 pp. Do the math and make your decision!

We are renting a car so we can get to both glaciers and the Skylift.

We are renting a car so we can get to both glaciers and the Skylift.

We loved both Briksdal and the Loen skylift. I cannot speak from personal experience with the public bus (we were traveling with small children and couldn't risk waiting) but others have reported on the forums/trip reports that they needed to stand in line a long time to ensure they got a seat on the public bus. Those weren't recent reports, and perhaps people on tripadvisor or at the norway tourism office can give you a better sense of what your chances are of getting on the public bus now. Olden adventures runs bus shuttles to both attractions, but it is quite possible a rental car is cheaper than two shuttles through Olden adventures.

Yes are actually going to do both glaciers Briksdal and Kjenndal and the Skylift. Hopefully we can do it all. Since there is 8 of us it made sense to rent a car at the dock and try to beat some of the bus tours.

We were in Olden last month. There were around 12 people waiting for the bus to Briksdal but obviously this will differ by cruise. We left the ship and went to the tourist office to book the bus and ticket for Loen Skylift as it was a clear day. The bus took 10 mins and we waited a few mins for the lift. It was so quick and smooth. At the top there are walks and a cafe and we were up there for 2 hours. The ship trip only had 45 mins and this included a coffee! We had a quick look round Loen and returned to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon we walked to the village and new church. A great day topped off by the people if the village who turned out to wave us off.

... I cannot speak from personal experience with the public bus (we were traveling with small children and couldn't risk waiting) but others have reported on the forums/trip reports that they needed to stand in line a long time to ensure they got a seat on the public bus. Those weren't recent reports, and perhaps people on tripadvisor or at the norway tourism office can give you a better sense of what your chances are of getting on the public bus now....

When we took the public bus to Briksdal Glacier last month, there were a grand total of 4 other pax from our ship waiting to do the same. The bus was virtually empty when we got on and remained that way for the entire trip. No long lines, no jockeying for position, no scramble for seating. In fact, both DH and myself took separate rows of double seats in both directions so we could optimize our photo-taking. It was a very pleasant and comfortable trip.

Right - Norway seems very invested in keeping tourists happy and hopefully they resolved the issues the bus had in the past.

Right - Norway seems very invested in keeping tourists happy and hopefully they resolved the issues the bus had in the past.

FWIW, here is the website for the public bus in which they guarantee seating. Having now done it, I think it's a wonderful alternative to Olden Adventures Glacier Express Shuttle Bus at a significantly lesser price.

https://www.fjordnorway.com/things-to-do/glacier-bus-stryn-briksdal-glacier-p3523413

Having just returned from a cruise round the fjords I was unaware of the public bus. This is significantly cheaper than the excursion price from the ship and the Glacier bus that is run by the tourist information office from the port. We decided to just explore Olden as I unfortunately was recovering from an operation on this cruise (unexpected but required before I sailed) and therefore was anxious to travel too far from the ports. Great to hear of alternatives at reasonable prices as we found Norway expensive - though we knew it would be....

Kitkat, where did you read reports of past issues with the public bus to Briksdal? Before we went on our cruise, I did a search on TripAdvisor and couldn't find any substantive negative comments about it. If it was bad, we never would have considered it.

We recently went to Briksdal Glacier by public bus. It departed from Olden Harbour at 10:02 am from a clearly marked bus stop, next to a crosswalk and to the left of the cruise pier. The trip to the glacier took about 40 minutes through absolutely gorgeous scenery of waterfalls and crystal clear lakes. The bus was modern with large clean windows and very comfortable. Our driver made a quick stop along the way (I think for a smoke) and we hopped out to snap some pics. Upon arrival, the bus waited at Briksdalen until 1:30 pm which gave us lots of time to walk to the glacier. You could also take a troll car if you wished. On the return, the bus didn't go into Olden Harbour right away but made a brief stop at the town centre, about a 10 min walk from the cruise pier. Cost was NOK 68 pp on the outbound and NOK 60 pp on the return. Can't beat it.

 

There was also a Glacier Express Shuttle Bus that ran from in front of the Visitor Info Centre at the cruise pier. Similar to the public bus, it also went direct to the glacier and waited there for about 2 hr before heading back. You could book in advance or purchase on the day. Cost was €45 pp. Do the math and make your decision![/quote

 

Thanks can you use credit card on local buses or do you need Kroner?

Can you use credit card on local bus or do you need Kroner?

Thanks can you use credit card on local buses or do you need Kroner?

We visited (July 2023) Olden recently by ship and can report that the public bus still operates to take passengers up to the glacier. On the day we visited there were less than 10 passengers accessing the bus from the ship and everyone had a seat. The price is 40 NOK (each way) and payment is in cash or card. The bus waits at Briksdalen and returns as previously posted at 1.30 pm. Great value.