looking to do my own excursions

[seabourndt]

hi in sept iam doing a group cruise on maxim gorky, almost all will be german but our group are english with one speaking gewrman as all the excursions offered on the ship is in german anyone have any contact numbers for booking something in english myself. its the norwegian fjords, bergen,geiranger, flam among others. amny ideas?

dave

[kaisatsu]

Most of the Norwegian coastal ports are fairly easy to do on your own.

 

Bergen is a very easy city to navigate, and there's lots of English-language information and support. You can explore the historic Bryggen waterfront area on your own, or I believe there are English-language tours available from the Bryggen museum. You can download most of the tourist brochures from the VisitBergen.com website, including the "Meeting Point Bryggen" brochure that includes a self-guided walking tour of the area. There are also a few guide services listed if you're interested in booking a private tour. Besides the famous waterfront and fish market, you can also ride the Fløibanen funicular up Mt.Fløyen for some nice views and walking paths.

 

In Flåm, the Flåmsbana railway is very popular and provides some great scenery. Also, the nearby Nærøyfjord leading to Gudvangen is the second UNESCO-listed fjord (Geirangerfjord is the other). You can by the Flåmsbana or Gudvangen ferry tickets at the tourist office when you arrive in Flåm, but to do both would require some very lucky scheduling (unlikely in September when the frequency starts to be reduced) or a private tour. VisitFlam.com has a lot of helpful information, including links and contact info for various guide and activity services (including fjord cruises). The site also has a list of downloadable brochures, including the walking route map that has a fairly good representation of the small port area. Since you'll be visiting Geirangerfjord, I would suggest trying to do the Flåmsbana, for a slightly different experience. You may be able to book tickets for your group (the website lists discounts for groups of 10 or more) by contacting them directly.

 

Unless you're interested in hiking, Geiranger might be a little more diffcult to do on your own. The drama of the fjord is created by the steep surrounding mountains, but this makes it difficult to get far on foot unless you're ready for a steady uphill hike! Of course, it is possible, and if you do plan to do some hiking, this is a very helpful trail map (and this version isn't quite as clear but includes estimated one-way hiking times). Since you'll sail in through the fjord, in Geiranger I recommend finding your way up to get a look at the fjord from above, which is a much different (and very pretty) vantage point. There are plenty of popular viewing spots, including the switchback Eagle's Bend road and high peak of Mt.Dalsnibba. There are a few Geiranger websites that might help you find or organize a tour: geiranger.no and VisitGeirangerfjord.com

 

One thing to keep in mind is that late September is very much the tail-end of the tourist season on the Norwegian coast, and many shops, services, etc. may end their season or greatly reduce their hours in late August or early September.

[seabourndt]

i was looking at 2 overland tours our ships ios doing vik-flam and alesund -geiranger any idea if i could book these myself as the ship's are all in german

dave

[Mexfolkart]

I don't remember which is the one with the railroad but that can be done with the German guide as it is mainly just riding the train and seeing the beautiful scenery..Sherry

[seabourndt]

dave