I'm thinking of a holiday to Norway. Never been there and don't know very much about that part of the world so any info would be great.
I'd like to cruise the fiords, see the Northern lights. What are the must see attractions ?
What time of year is best ? How do I get there from Perth, Australia ?

Hi

In my opinion it is best to visit Norway between May and September. Check out the capital Oslo and the beautiful Vigeland park (http://gardkarlsen.com/oslo_vigeland_park.htm ). Many people also go to the west of Norway to check out the fjords. If you want to do a bit of hiking you can check out Preikestolen ( http://gardkarlsen.com/preikestolen.htm ) and Kjerag ( http://gardkarlsen.com/kjerag.htm ) near Stavanger. Many people also head for Bergen and go for a Norway in a nutshell trip (see http://www.norwayinanutshell.com ). Bergen is also when you can take the Norwegian coastal liner (see http://www.hurtigruten.com/no/default.aspx ). It will be difficult to see Northern lights in the summer time but you might experience midnight sun if you go far north

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Hi Chop,

We are going to Norway during our holiday in May. We are flying Perth to Amsterdam with Singapore Airlines and then using SAS for all our internal flights which we booked easily online.

I think you will have to get to Bangkok then pick up SAS or Singapore and pick up something from there. Also you can go on Qantas, Perth, London, Oslo. Or a quick trip to your local Flight Centre and pick their brains.

We are going on the Hurtigruten round trip, as well as a couple of days in Bergen each end. But if you are going to do this - start saving!!! Or you can just do a couple of days not the entire trip.

Goodluck with your plans.

Norway is one of the lowest density countries in Europe. It has Fjords and loads of money. So how does this effect you.

Everything is expensive, towns are generally small and far apart and the view is startling like South Island NZ. Trains and ferries run on time and are clean.

So what to visit. In the winter the skiing is excellent. In the summer the walking is good.

Oslo itself is worth a 2 days to visit the museum area then move on to the countryside.

Bergen is city number 2, again small. You can cruise or take the post boat up along the fjords.

N Lights is a winter thing

Language, generally very good english it is spoken. But some people only speak norweigen.

If looking for cheap accomadation do what the locals do and book into a Hutte which range from garden sheds to bungalows.

Since you don't seem too sure about Norway or what it has to offer, I'll play devil's advocate and offer that it's horribly expensive, the winters are cold, grey and generally miserable, and it's never going to be labeled "exciting." There's a reason why I don't waste my vacation time going to Norway to see my parents, who moved back after decades in the States. We meet up in England or some other place (QEII cruise in '05 and Cornwall in '06). Norway has beautiful scenery, to be sure, but it's boring in many ways. If you want Scandanavia, head to Copenhagen, a beautiful city with much better weather and continental flair. I haven't seen the Tivolli since I was young, but it made a lasting impression and my parents regularly head down there for relaxation and fun.

May to September is a good time to travel, but crowds build up quickly then, particularly in Oslo (as 17th May is the National Day). I would go with April if you can, especially since high season doesn't really begin till 1st May. Nearly everything is open, as well.

Fjords: Depending on how much time you have, you may want to fly to a west coast city such as Bergen, Aalesund or Trondheim (you can get internal flights easily: www.wideroe.no, www.norwegian.no) and catch the Hurtigruten. Be warned: it is not a cheap way to cruise, but you'll get a positively unparalleled view of them. I would personally recommend the Aalesund to Trondheim end (I travelled it often when I lived in Norway), as it weaves in between several small coastal islands as well as venturing back out to the coast. You don't have to take the entire voyage (Bergen to Kirkenes, I believe); you can hop on and off depending upon your ticket. Again, check the previously mentioned website for further details. Alternatively, you could travel to Hardanger and visit the spectacular Hardangerfjord. In the late spring and summer, there are cruises through this incredible, mountainous fjord, and they run the gamut from expensive to affordable.

As for must see attractions, the whole country! I'm partial to the west, since I lived there, but also because of its dramatic coastline and snow-capped, jagged mountains. Aalesund is an art nouveau town which was rebuilt after a fire devastated it in 1904; it has a unique atmosphere, but it is still small and not quite on the tourist track. There, you can take in the entire city and look out to the Atlantic at a hill-top building called Fjellstua. Trondheim is a beautiful city and its jewel is Nidaros Domkirke (Nidaros cathedral). It's a fantastic place to visit and, if you're so inclined, they do conduct Anglican services in English during the week. For Oslo, Gard mentioned Vigelandsparken, which is worth a visit. Other points of interest are the Kon-Tiki museum, the Viking Ship museum and the Folk Life Museum. And you would be wrong to miss the Stavkirke.

Thanks for all the great info, looks like I have some homework to do.

As a Norw. I don't recognize Norway in Roundtrip's description. Possibly expensive, yes, but boring ? If this is a once in a lifteime trip to Nrway, travel around in all the 5 countries, including Finland and Iceland, at least Stockholm Sweden and Copenhagen Denmark. To get from perth your local travel agency will knw the best way.

I have traveled to 30+ countries and Norway has to be one of the most exciting, gorgeous, clean, and expensive countries I've ever been to. If you are going to spend that kind of money, you need to decide between seeing the fjords scenery at its best; May thru September, or The Northern Lights--winter thing.

Do it right-- don't go in one of those cruises that drop you off for a day in Oslo. Get on their transportation system or rent a car and explore.

I can imagine Norway would be boring for big city people who hate nature...

We toured Scandinavia for several weeks last summer. We had a wonderful trip. Norway was our favorite country. It is so beautiful, especially the Bergen area and fjords. Unless you are a skier, I suggest going in the summer when the days are longer and the weather is better for sightseeing.

Unfortunately, because of the mild weather, the skiing has been horrible/non-existent this year