Ålesund Travel Forum

I'm going to be travelling with my family (wife, teen-age girl, boy in late twenties) and plan to take some variation of the nutshell tour from Oslo starting around July 16. I have only nine days from then and would love to go somewhat to the north, maybe to Alesund or evenTrondheim by boats. (Hurtigurte or Hurtigbat?) I don't know if it makes sense to rent a car to come back to Bergen (or perhaps directly to Oslo where I'm flying out of) or if it's better to take trains. Can I take boats without reservations? Is the driving ok? Am I trying to do too much? We'd really like to get up close to a glacier, by the way. Any help or suggestions about anything related to my trip would be appreciated. Thank you.

Check some of the travel-tips here on VT, and they'll give you some good ideas :-)
Driving north from Bergen and using the hurtigruten are two good alternatives, but they will give you two different expirences that both are good. You could take the hurtigruten up the coast and drive back down to Bergen.
If I was you I would eather take the train or fly between Bergen and Oslo.
Be sure to order everything beforhand, as this is the topp of the season.
Best,
David (Bergen)

I do agree with daarth, it is very convenient to take the train from Olso to Bergen, it is long and a bit tiring to drive all the way. You can then continue by boat, Hurtigruten, as far north as the time will allow you to. You can see much in nine days. Trondheim is nice but you could also stop in alesund and take some trips around there- it is maybe the most exotic area... You can find ticket even without reservations, I am not sure what is more economic though.
All the best,
Yiannis

I agree with David. Driving and traveling with boat gives you two different experiences.

Not that shure if there are organized any trips from hurtigruten to see any of the glaciers though. Think the best way to get to them is by car. Driving on some of the roads in Norway might be an experience in itself, but I do not advice you to drive from Oslo to Bergen. It can be tiresome. A litle peak at the old Stallheimskleiva or Trollstigen can be worth while. Don't rent a too big car. Big cars and small mountainous roads isn't a winning combinations.

Jon

Thank you all for your help.