Hurtigruten - Bergen to Kirkenes
 

My daughter (14) and I are planning a trip on the Hurtigruten for the end of April. Any advice on what to see along the way? Packing information? I've been told to prepare for all kinds of weather.

Have you been to the internet site for Hurtigruten? You will find a lot of information there, also practical information: http://www.hurtigruten.com/uk/<BR>

We did this several years ago. Every day at one stop there are tours from the ship. We took them all and liked mostly Ringve Museum in Trondheim, and the North Cape.

I did the trip a few years ago in April. It was cold but not unbearable. There was snow, rather than rain, which is prettier. Coach tours are organised at many of the ports of call. I only did two: to the North Cape, but we didn't get there because the road was closed, and to the Russian border near Kirkenes. Most days were dry whereas in summer, it is likely to rain a lot. The ships have a courier who organises excursions and events for the round-trip passengers.

I only did the part going from Kirkenes to Bodo. But the best way to see anything is to do what the ship offers. The boat is never anywhere very long, and it usually docked well away from a downtown area, which necessitates figuring out how to get around. The tour they offer at each stop will give you the most bang for the buck. We did it the last week of June and it was incredibly rough. I somehow avoided seasickness, but when I went down to dinner one night -- literally being thrown against the hallways as I tried to make my way on the rolling ship -- there were only a handful of us eating. Most of the passengers and even a bunch of the crew were very, very sick. And it was bitter cold on the decks (but realize I only did the northern portion). The final day it turned simply beautiful (but still very cold) and at long last we could get out and see the midnight sun touch the water and head back up, before landing in Bodo about three hours late at three in the morning in full daylight.