Olden - getting around

[Canadian Guider]

I will be visiting Olden, on a cruise stop in September.  I prefer to use local bus transport when available. Can you advise if local bus tickets can be bought using a credit card or is payment accepted only in the local currency.  I am hoping to visit either or both the Loen Skylift and the Briksdal Glacier, depending on how convenient it is to get there and back to the port by local bus.  Can anyone give some advice on this.  Information on bus route, schedule and cost would be greatly appreciated.   

[John Bull]

Not all ships berth in Olden - only one berth and when two ships are scheduled priority is normally given to the larger ship so It's possible that you'll be tendered to Loen.

The port's own website is the most reliable & up-to-date

https://www.portofolden.com/Cruise list 2023.htm

 

There's a frequent local payable shuttle bus service between the two. - about 4 miles / 7 minutes.

The Loen tender pier is right by the Skylift.

 

I did research the local bus to Briksdalbreen - it's a very limited service and because there's only one local bus back that suits most cruise itineraries (& seats can't be reserved in advance) you might find yourselves begging to join a tour just for the drive back.  From where the road ends at the bus stop / tour parking area it's a hike of 40 minutes e/w to the glacier viewpoint - "trollcars" (golf carts) can be hired for most of this part but do book out early.

 

We found the whole thing difficult to research, including bus options, the walk (we're both getting older) and how close the viewpoint is to the glacier. So we gave up on Briksdal and just tendered into Loen to see what could be seen.

In the parking lot by the tender pier we signed-up for a much more convenient glacier 

https://www.oldencruise.com/loen-lake-and-kjenndal-glacier/ and it was excellent.  A short bus ride to a long lake named Lovatnet / Lake Loen where we met another of the operator's buse bringing folk from Olden port and joined up with them for a leisurely boat ride up to the top of the lake. At the top of the lake, a 15-minute van ride then a level 6-minute walk to a viewpoint close to Kjenndal Glacier - smaller than Briksdal but we were much closer to it & it was spectacular enough for us. Back on the van to the lake for included coffee and waffles in the lakeside restaurant, then back on the boat and bus to Loen.

Our favourite trip. 

 https://goo.gl/maps/7Gu6akeCmBeZ9zhMA  (Mr Google doesn't do boat-trips - the googlemap route takes the road beside the lake 😏)   

 

JB 🙂                                                                                                                                                      

 

 

[jrmende63]

6 hours ago, Canadian Guider said:

I will be visiting Olden, on a cruise stop in September.  I prefer to use local bus transport when available. Can you advise if local bus tickets can be bought using a credit card or is payment accepted only in the local currency.  I am hoping to visit either or both the Loen Skylift and the Briksdal Glacier, depending on how convenient it is to get there and back to the port by local bus.  Can anyone give some advice on this.  Information on bus route, schedule and cost would be greatly appreciated.   

We had to tender  to Loen. We took a bus...No charge to go into Olden. We walked back to Loen. Easy walk. We then caught another bus to our booked excursion.

I don't know if the cruise line hired the buses or not.

[BURNSMN]

On 8/6/2023 at 3:32 PM, Canadian Guider said:

I will be visiting Olden, on a cruise stop in September.  I prefer to use local bus transport when available. Can you advise if local bus tickets can be bought using a credit card or is payment accepted only in the local currency.  I am hoping to visit either or both the Loen Skylift and the Briksdal Glacier, depending on how convenient it is to get there and back to the port by local bus.  Can anyone give some advice on this.  Information on bus route, schedule and cost would be greatly appreciated.   

We used Olden Adventure when we were there in June. They has busses going to the glacier or sky lift or even both places along with Troll Car ad ons at the glacier available.

[kitkat343]

We easily did both the Loen Skylift and Briskdal Glacier using transportation provided by Olden Adventures (we had small children with us so couldn't take the risk of the public bus selling out) 

[floridianny]

On 8/17/2023 at 8:47 PM, BURNSMN said:

We used Olden Adventure when we were there in June. They has busses going to the glacier or sky lift or even both places along with Troll Car ad ons at the glacier available.

Just curious, how far in advance did you book with them? We are going next July and it looks like no one is taking reservations for next summer yet.  

[BURNSMN]

We booked in January for June. 

[floridianny]

Great, Thank you.

 

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

Just a note- if you intend to use the Loen Skylift check to see how many cruise ships are in with you that day because if it’s 2 or more getting on the skylift will be harder.

 

Just got off a Princess Cruise. There was also the IONA berthed in Olden and we were tendered into Loen. We went straight from the tender to the skylift (directly in front of us) and were only waiting 15 minutes to get into a cable car, having ordered a ticket online that morning.

 

When we came back down, early afternoon, the queue was over 2hrs long & that was If you already had a ticket.

 

We came across some disappointed people who thought they’d do the skylift when they returned from exploring Olden, before they got back on the tender boat.

 

just outside the school holidays, you might be ok because ships won’t be as packed and if it’s only one ship in too, that will help. Just wanted to give you a heads up though. If you really want to go on the skylift, do it first.

 

Shuttle buses were provided by Princess to get into Olden, and there was a local clearly marked shuttle bus between the two too.

 

[LeeW]

Sky tendered in Loen a week or so ago right next to skylift.  Long lines on that.  Free buses ran continuously between Olden and the lift parking lot. 

 

Olden Adventures did a pickup right at Sky Princess for the Troll Car tour.  We booked mid-June for late August visit for non-car tour but once we found out they were picking up at Sky Princess we switched just by sending them an email.  Very nice folks to work with.

 

By the way, VERY steep walk up to the the glacier viewing point, with the Troll Car eliminating 90% of that.  We had 11 cars booked up (7 people each).  Had about an hour after the Troll Car trip back to shop or get food.  People trying to get Troll Cars on the spot had two hour waits.

[Poipu04]

On 8/21/2023 at 12:17 AM, floridianny said:

Just curious, how far in advance did you book with them? We are going next July and it looks like no one is taking reservations for next summer yet.  

We booked the day before we docked on our iPhone with Olden Adventures for the Loen Lake and Glacier tour. We booked day of for the Olden Adventure RIB boat tour. I highly recommend both of them. The key is the weather. It was very cloudy when we were there so if you pre booked the sky lift, it was a waste as there was no view. On the Loen Lake tour, they offered tickets to the lift at the end of the tour but advised against it due to the lack of a view. Very honest tour guide!

Edited September 7, 2023 by Poipu04
Forgot detail

[Canadian Guider]

Thanks everyone for all the great advise and tips.  We are looking forward to our visit in 2 weeks. Hoping for clear weather.  

[Poipu04]

One random piece of advice: we brought rain pants with us and Gortex rain jackets. We never have worn rain pants before and sort of thought it was a silly thing to bring, but all the travel blogs for Norway suggested them. It was the best advice. We wore them to walk around Skjolden in the pouring rain. We were dry and comfortable.

[floridianny]

Really appreciate everyone who shared all this great info 

[pink845]

For our trip, we arrive in Olden on June 4, 2024 and we will be accompanied by the Iona with 6600 passengers according to the Olden Port website. We are on the Caribbean Princess.  We are to be tendered so I guess Iona will be docked.  Anyhow, we have booked our glacier tour with troll cars directly with Princess and if I were doing the the Loen Skylift, (which I am not) I would be booking directly with Princess as well.  Remember, there are 6600 other passengers in addition to the 3600 on Caribbean Princess (yes, not everyone doing tours), but for a small town, I would want to hedge my bets and do everything as efficiently as possible and guarantee my passage back to the ship.   So, accordingly, in this case, a ship tour is the way to go.  We are all set as we were when we went to Scotland and Ireland last year with our Gortex from head to toe, ready for inclement weather, never having to use them.  Oh what a shame. Maybe, I will get to use them on that Briksdal glacier tour.   We are usually DIY when it comes to tours, but with so many other passengers scheduled into Olden, a ship tour is what we have booked and thank heavens as I hear prices are going up on Jan 22, 2024.  Princess needs more cash obviously to pay their Covid bills.