mmshah

I'm planning my trip in July.

Since I'm going solo taking an escorted tour...would do independent but to give my family peace of mind. It is what it is.

Anyways afterwards I am planning on taking hurtigruten...I want to see lofoten and the hegland coast etc but don't want to rent a car so this seems the only feasible. Correct me if I'm wrong.

So I have to fly from Oslo at tour end. I was originally going to go from tromso but it's a late departure and I really don't want to drag around luggage till I have to board.

Another option is hammerfest but the way flights are I'd have to arrive the night before as the earliest it puts me is at 2 in the afternoon.

Is it worth seeing hammerfest at all? Is there a place I could store luggage in tromso? The ship doesn't even arrive till 1145. I could arrange to leave from Oslo to get in around 9 but I still want to see tromso somewhat...mostly the cathedral from outside....I'm a photographer. and with getting from airport.....

BritishCaicos

We have been on the Hurtigruten between Tromso and Trondheim. I would plan carefully your route as some of the ports are very small and very functional. The boat doubles as a delivery vessel for local economies and doesn't plan it's route around tourists.

The route we took is simply stunning and you have the huge advantage of continual daylight. In winter we were a little upset to be sailing through famous areas in the dark.

Of the ports we visited, Trondheim was very stylish and very affluent with lots of up market shops, cafes, restaurants and quite photogenic.

We have been to Tromso a number of times, it's our little friend in the artic circle. It's quite a small place but it has a large university and so feels quite vibrant. There are plenty of photo opportunities and we liked the Polar museum.

We haven't hired a car but others have noted that the Norwegian interior can seem quite bland compared with the coast, lots of trees and little else. Look at Wideroe (I think) they are a small low cost airline which services very small airports but we have found some of their schedules to be very unsocial (6am starts) , they appear to focus on business trips to Oslo.



We absolutely love the place but all our experience is winter based and so clearly, snow piled up 20ft high, husky sledding and endless Aurora shows will be limited in July.

hetismij2

Hammerfest is small, but it has a lovely church with a brilliant stained glass window. There is also St Michael's church, built by German volunteers after the war (when Hammerfest was destroyed by the Germans, along with most other towns in Northern Norway), a Museum of reconstruction, and of course the Polar bear Club.

I don't know if they have luggage storage at the Hurtigruten terminals.
Why not contact Hurtigruten in Norway and ask about luggage storage in Tromsø? [email protected]

You could also ask if it is possible to joint the midnight excursion to the cathedral, if you are boarding at Tromsø.

Like BC we love Norway, and loved our Hurtigruten trips, but ours were autumn and winter trips too.

BritishCaicos

If you in Svolvaer, there is a very interesting WW2 museum, quite small but absolutely packed with information and exhibits. My knowledge of this theatre of action was quite limited but it clearly played a very important role in the war.

Hets

Have you been to Southern Norway. I had sort of written it off until we watched a Sky Atlantic (I think?) drama about town near Flam. In the drama, the local main employer was faced with closure and a young banker, who was born in the town, returned from Asia to save the company and face his past.

The main point is that the cinematography and scenery were incredible. Been to the town of Bergen but didn't have time to venture further.

Really missing Norway after a very disappointing trio to Iceland.

BritishCaicos

ps apologies for article 50 nothing to do with me!

mmshah

I think the tour I'm considering through with globus really cocuses on fjords it does even flam naerfjord geiranjerfjord haranjerfjord and goes to the telemark area

Authentic scandinavias dates worked out a bit more but it does sent actuallly stop at a stave church and what I've read stave churches can be hard to get to via public transit.i think it does a drive by in Lom. Yet globis stops at heddal.

I did want to see the article coast hence hurtigruten. Unfortunately none go to alesund. How hard to get to alesund from Trondheim?

The cost is more from hammerfest but not tons more than tromso so if it's worth the difference due to flights though I'd have to stay overnight. Flights from Oslo don't work in my favor.

Is it worth the extra from hammerfest or hound I see how to work out tromso? If storage works I could get a flight around 7 ish. That gives me about 6 hours..

menachem

I'd do Tromsø to Lofoten.

Hammerfest is nice, but small. Tromsø is a university town. More lively, more things to do.