Can help with Ålesund & Norwegian Fjords:-)

[murphyjl]

thanks I-Cruiser . I think my wife is in denial about going somewhere colder than Scotland. Seems to have packed mostly summer clothing for my boys. Hopefully the pools are heated on Caribbean Princess.

[Beckybuu]

This was posted on the Disney Parks Blog about DCL's 1st ever stop in Alesund: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/06/norway-cruise-director-voyage-report-fun-with-anna-elsa-and-kristoff-in-alesund/

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/galleries/2015/06/norway-cruise-director-voyage-report-fun-with-anna-elsa-and-kristoff-in-alesund/

[dee66]

Hi, We are going to be in Olden on 6/26 and want to see Lake Loen and Kjenndalen Glacier. The tour from our cruise ship is sold out. Any suggestions if we can book locally or do a self-drive?

 

Also, we have booked an 8 hour Path of Troll coach tour from Alesund which will take up all of our time in Alesund. Is it worth the time or better to see the sights in Alesund?

 

Thanks for your help.

[sippican]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth on the Troll Road. We had originally rented a car to do the drive based on the experiences of others who prefer DIY (we are those people who rarely do ship's excursions). After much debate, we decided to cancel the car and do the ship's bus tour. Best decision ever! My DH feels he would have missed the spectacular scenery while concentrating on the driving. The road is not for the faint of heart. We have a fair amount of experience driving in mountainous terrain, and in foreign countries, but we'd do this trip again on the bus. The time constraints were also very tight. We departed at 7:30 am, and returned with barely 15 minutes before departure.

Regardless - this is a not to be missed experience. One of the prettiest places we've been.

Lars, thank you for all of your wonderful advice.

[I-Cruiser]

Hi, We are going to be in Olden on 6/26 and want to see Lake Loen and Kjenndalen Glacier. The tour from our cruise ship is sold out. Any suggestions if we can book locally or do a self-drive?

 

Also, we have booked an 8 hour Path of Troll coach tour from Alesund which will take up all of our time in Alesund. Is it worth the time or better to see the sights in Alesund?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

I think its worth doing the Trollstigen drive. The scenery is well worth it and just might be the highlight of your cruise.

 

You can rent a car and drive the 17 km to the glacier. The car rental office is in Stryn so hopefully they can deliver to the pier. If you have to pick up the car yourself it will take to long as Stryn is a good 20-30 minute drive from Olden.

 

I am not sure if there are any local tours but you could try this email address:

mail@nordfjord.no

Edited June 11, 2015 by I-Cruiser

[I-Cruiser]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth on the Troll Road. We had originally rented a car to do the drive based on the experiences of others who prefer DIY (we are those people who rarely do ship's excursions). After much debate, we decided to cancel the car and do the ship's bus tour. Best decision ever! My DH feels he would have missed the spectacular scenery while concentrating on the driving. The road is not for the faint of heart. We have a fair amount of experience driving in mountainous terrain, and in foreign countries, but we'd do this trip again on the bus. The time constraints were also very tight. We departed at 7:30 am, and returned with barely 15 minutes before departure.

Regardless - this is a not to be missed experience. One of the prettiest places we've been.

Lars, thank you for all of your wonderful advice.

 

Thank you:) When the Serenade sail in to Ålesund I was on my way to work.

I had to stop and watch as it was such a beautiful and majestic ship.

We had our honeymoon on the sister ship the Brilliance.

 

Its always advisable to keep an eye on the road.:)

I actually bought a car with a panoramic roof thinking I would have such a great view...Hmm, guess not:D

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[itsanita]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth on the Troll Road. We had originally rented a car to do the drive based on the experiences of others who prefer DIY (we are those people who rarely do ship's excursions). After much debate, we decided to cancel the car and do the ship's bus tour. Best decision ever! My DH feels he would have missed the spectacular scenery while concentrating on the driving. The road is not for the faint of heart. We have a fair amount of experience driving in mountainous terrain, and in foreign countries, but we'd do this trip again on the bus. The time constraints were also very tight. We departed at 7:30 am, and returned with barely 15 minutes before departure.

Regardless - this is a not to be missed experience. One of the prettiest places we've been.

Lars, thank you for all of your wonderful advice.

 

Oh dear, we too are DIY and usually go off on our own, or go with a local tour. We have a couple cars rented for the Troll Road...hope we don't live to regret it!!

[I-Cruiser]

Oh dear, we too are DIY and usually go off on our own, or go with a local tour. We have a couple cars rented for the Troll Road...hope we don't live to regret it!!

 

 

there is no need to be alarmed. I am sure you will have a great day driving.

[sippican]

Hi, We are going to be in Olden on 6/26 and want to see Lake Loen and Kjenndalen Glacier. The tour from our cruise ship is sold out. Any suggestions if we can book locally or do a self-drive?

 

Also, we have booked an 8 hour Path of Troll coach tour from Alesund which will take up all of our time in Alesund. Is it worth the time or better to see the sights in Alesund?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

IMHO, this is a tour not to be missed if you enjoy spectacular scenery, one of the top all time experiences.

 

Oh dear, we too are DIY and usually go off on our own, or go with a local tour. We have a couple cars rented for the Troll Road...hope we don't live to regret it!!

 

It is a doable drive. I'm sure you'll be fine. DH has driven the Rockies and Sierras in the US, but thanked me numerous times because he enjoyed not driving this time. In hindsight, the commentary of our exceptional guide was so enriching and gave us a deeper understanding of the land, culture, wildlife, politics, economy, history and folklore of the region - priceless!

[dee66]

Thanks for the information on the Troll Road.

 

In Molde we are planning to rent a car and drive the Atlantic Road. Is there a preferred route to getting on the road and exploring before and during the drive? Is the drive worth it if there is rain, which from the weather I have been checking it seems to be perpetually raining there? Thanks for all the help.

[FinnishFun]

Just wanted to thank everyone for all the great info I found on this thread (especially I-Cruiser). We just returned last week from our Voyage of the Midnight Sun on the ms Ryndam. we had a wonderful time.

 

Our itinerary included Flam, Alesund, Trondheim, Tromso, Honningsvag, Geiranger, Molde, and Bergen. We only did a ship's excursion in one port (Trondheim). In every other port we did DIY. I bought our tickets for the Flam railway online. I had pre-booked a car and driver for Alesund and Geiranger. In Molde and Tromso when we got off the ship, we hired a taxi to take us to specific sites. We had great luck with all the drivers. We rented a car in Honningsvag and drove to Nordkapp and then to another town (begins with a G) for a bird safari that I had also pre-booked online.

 

Lars, we really enjoyed Alesund. Our taxi driver got us up to the view point before any of the big buses. We then went out to see the Ilnes lighthouse (spectacular views) and to the church on the other island. Loved the tunnels although the one-way tunnel was a little interesting :) Our driver was then able to take us out to see the Rose Church in Stordal. A beautiful drive and well worth it to see the church.

 

My 84-year old mother has some mobility issues (she uses a walker) so a private car/taxi and driver are the best option for us when it comes to touring. We had a lovely time and really enjoyed the Norwegian people and the scenery.

[I-Cruiser]

Just wanted to thank everyone for all the great info I found on this thread (especially I-Cruiser). We just returned last week from our Voyage of the Midnight Sun on the ms Ryndam. we had a wonderful time.

 

Our itinerary included Flam, Alesund, Trondheim, Tromso, Honningsvag, Geiranger, Molde, and Bergen. We only did a ship's excursion in one port (Trondheim). In every other port we did DIY. I bought our tickets for the Flam railway online. I had pre-booked a car and driver for Alesund and Geiranger. In Molde and Tromso when we got off the ship, we hired a taxi to take us to specific sites. We had great luck with all the drivers. We rented a car in Honningsvag and drove to Nordkapp and then to another town (begins with a G) for a bird safari that I had also pre-booked online.

 

Lars, we really enjoyed Alesund. Our taxi driver got us up to the view point before any of the big buses. We then went out to see the Ilnes lighthouse (spectacular views) and to the church on the other island. Loved the tunnels although the one-way tunnel was a little interesting :) Our driver was then able to take us out to see the Rose Church in Stordal. A beautiful drive and well worth it to see the church.

 

My 84-year old mother has some mobility issues (she uses a walker) so a private car/taxi and driver are the best option for us when it comes to touring. We had a lovely time and really enjoyed the Norwegian people and the scenery.

 

Thank you for reporting back about your experiance ashore. I am really happy you had such a wonderful time.

[I-Cruiser]

Thanks for the information on the Troll Road.

 

In Molde we are planning to rent a car and drive the Atlantic Road. Is there a preferred route to getting on the road and exploring before and during the drive? Is the drive worth it if there is rain, which from the weather I have been checking it seems to be perpetually raining there? Thanks for all the help.

 

The straight forward route would be this:

https://www.google.no/maps/dir/Molde/Atlanterhavsveien,+6530+Aver%C3%B8y/@62.8772383,7.0104336,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x4611541dd7c6c259:0x92051488f8de33f4!2m2!1d7.1607306!2d62.7372352!1m5!1m1!1s0x461160045469ca95:0x202aa8c26cd5ce46!2m2!1d7.363565!2d63.01826!3e0

 

If its raining and foggy the visibility will of course be very reduced.

But you can still make out the majestic mountains and the scenery. The weather forecast for this summer has been really horrible and its not set to clear up apparently. But we are all hoping otherwise its going to be a very long autumn and winter.......

[dee66]

Thanks - I-cruiser for all the great information.

 

Question on Geiranger - Can you tell me what would be the best time of the day to go up to Dalsnibba Viewpoint? We will be there on 6/24. Also, since we arrive by cruise ship is it still worth it to do the sightseeing boat tour while in Geiranger? We have time to fit it in, but just wondering if we will see the same things from our cruiseship?

 

Thank you for your time and information.

[I-Cruiser]

Thanks - I-cruiser for all the great information.

 

 

 

Question on Geiranger - Can you tell me what would be the best time of the day to go up to Dalsnibba Viewpoint? We will be there on 6/24. Also, since we arrive by cruise ship is it still worth it to do the sightseeing boat tour while in Geiranger? We have time to fit it in, but just wondering if we will see the same things from our cruiseship?

 

 

 

Thank you for your time and information.

 

 

There is no prefered time to do the Dalsnibba. In case ️its lightely clouded in the morning you could wait inntil the Afternoon to see if it might clears up a little.

By doing the fjord sightseeing you will get closer look at the waterfalls and nature along the fjord. The guide will also tell you about the farms and the life along the fjord then and now.

[TMLAalum]

Also, since we arrive by cruise ship is it still worth it to do the sightseeing boat tour while in Geiranger? We have time to fit it in, but just wondering if we will see the same things from our cruiseship?

 

Thank you for your time and information.

 

We took the boat tour and it was disappointing- perhaps because it was a miserably cold rainy day. But the report from our roll call mates who took the RIB boat in the same conditions was that their experience was excellent. Small # of passengers and they got up close and personal with the Seven Sisters, etc.

 

You will see the same views from the cruiseship that the boat tour covers, although from a bit farther out.

[garf1108]

Just returned from a 7 day HA trip to Southern Norway. The scenery was fantastic but it was cold - temps below 8 degrees most of the trip and intermittent rain. Bergen had the best weather.

Went on a HA excursion on the Trollstigen drive and the guide, from Alesund, was an ex policeman and he was fantastic - knowledgeable - about many things, esp. sport - and funny.

 

Garf1108

:)

[itsanita]

Just returned from a 7 day HA trip to Southern Norway. The scenery was fantastic but it was cold - temps below 8 degrees most of the trip and intermittent rain. Bergen had the best weather.

Went on a HA excursion on the Trollstigen drive and the guide, from Alesund, was an ex policeman and he was fantastic - knowledgeable - about many things, esp. sport - and funny.

 

Garf1108

:)

 

Thanks for the news! We leave next week. Hope it warms up a bit.

[I-Cruiser]

Thanks for the news! We leave next week. Hope it warms up a bit.

 

 

Fingers crossed.

[emoji4][emoji106]

[axel26]

We are looking at doing a Norway cruise the summer of 2016. We are looking at either a 7-day cruise or a 14-day back-to-back cruise on the same ship, but with different ports. The first cruise goes to the ports of Flam, Stavanger, Kristansand, Oslo and includes scenic crusing of the Sognefjord & Oslo fjords. The second cruise goes to the ports of Eidfjord, Alesund, Geiranger,Bergen and includes scenic cruising of Hardangerfjord & Geirangerfjord.

 

Our question is whether we should do the back-to-back cruise or just one of the 7-days cruises. We are wondering if the 14-day cruise would result in too much repetition in scenery and quaint towns. We would appreciate any thoughts and which 7-day cruise may be a better choice. We enjoy museums, scenery, walking around, but not strenuous hiking.

 

Thanks…Brandon

[I-Cruiser]

We are looking at doing a Norway cruise the summer of 2016. We are looking at either a 7-day cruise or a 14-day back-to-back cruise on the same ship, but with different ports. The first cruise goes to the ports of Flam, Stavanger, Kristansand, Oslo and includes scenic crusing of the Sognefjord & Oslo fjords. The second cruise goes to the ports of Eidfjord, Alesund, Geiranger,Bergen and includes scenic cruising of Hardangerfjord & Geirangerfjord.

 

Our question is whether we should do the back-to-back cruise or just one of the 7-days cruises. We are wondering if the 14-day cruise would result in too much repetition in scenery and quaint towns. We would appreciate any thoughts and which 7-day cruise may be a better choice. We enjoy museums, scenery, walking around, but not strenuous hiking.

 

Thanks…Brandon

 

HI Brandon,

 

These two itineraries are really good as a B2B because the first itinerary hits mainly some of the large cities and only one fjord. This one fjord with the stop in Flåm is really stunning with touring possibilities to the even more breathtaking Nærøyfjord.

The Oslo fjord is beautiful but not a fjord in the sense of high mountains and narrow fjord.

The second itinerary is the best due to the fact that it stops in Geiranger and Ålesund. You will have lots of touring options from there.

Hardangerfjord is very quaint.

 

Sure, the scenery will be the almost the same but I doubt it will be very much repetitive and boring.

 

If you can do the B2B with the mix of fjords, cities and archipelagos it would be my choice.

If you have to choose one do itinerary 2.

Edited June 19, 2015 by I-Cruiser

[garf1108]

Thanks for the news! We leave next week. Hope it warms up a bit.

 

I hope that it does as most days were less than 10 degrees and it was freezing on Mount Dalsnibbawith more than 2 metres snow.

[pinkpanther52]

Hi, sorry if this is already in the thread somewhere.

 

I am leaving next week for a Norway cruise, I have ideas for all the ports except Kristiansund. Don't fancy any of the ships tours, but I do plan on taking the Sundbaten round the bay. Any other suggestions on what to do? I will not be hiring a car so would need to be local.

Is there any place to hire a bike as that may be nice depending on the weather. Thanks

[I-Cruiser]

Hi, sorry if this is already in the thread somewhere.

 

I am leaving next week for a Norway cruise, I have ideas for all the ports except Kristiansund. Don't fancy any of the ships tours, but I do plan on taking the Sundbaten round the bay. Any other suggestions on what to do? I will not be hiring a car so would need to be local.

Is there any place to hire a bike as that may be nice depending on the weather. Thanks

 

Not many ships stop in Kristiansund so I doubt this has been asked before.:)

 

 

I know the tourist office used to rent out bikes.

Please contact the tourist office for prices and booking.

I know the price used to be NOK 200 for a day per person but this has probably changed.:)

 

E-post: info@visitnorthwest.no

 

The tourist office is located at:

Kongens plass 1

 

Here are some options for what to do in Kristiansund.

 

 

KIRKELANDET CHURCH (1964) - One of Norway's most unusual and modern church buildings.

Close to the church is the 200-year-old listed family burial site of the Brodtkorbs.

SVANEDAMMEN - Its a pond/lake with lots of various birds.

VARDEN - A lookout tower with a 360 panoramic view.

On a clear day you can see the islands of Averøy, Grip and Smøla. You can also see the fjord cutting into the land towards the Trollheimen and Dovre mountain ranges.

You can walk to "Vågen" where HANDELSHUSET P. VOLCKMAR is located. The Museum has a café and its own coffee roasting plant.

NORSK KLIPPFISKMUSEUM (the Norwegian Klippfish Museum) might be interesting as Kristiansund was a huge producer and export town of Klippfish.

 

I will highly recommend taking SUNDBÅTEN from "Piren" to the Town Hall. This quaint little passenger boat has 130 years of history.

You could disembark on INNLANDET for an idea of what Kristiansund was like before the bombing in 1940.

 

The tourist office will have maps and marked walking routes.

[I-Cruiser]

I hope that it does as most days were less than 10 degrees and it was freezing on Mount Dalsnibbawith more than 2 metres snow.

 

You where there on a warm day:D:D

 

The weather forecast for Mt. Dalsnibba the next few days are -1C to -3C!!!!

Edited June 23, 2015 by I-Cruiser