thefengs

Hi, our family will be traveling in Norway for 9 days mainly to visit Lofoten and Bergen area. Can you all look at my itinerary and share your insight? Our trip is September 10-20, 2014.
Day 0- Leave US
Day 1- arrival in Oslo at 10:30 am from US, overnight in Oslo
Day 2- fly from Oslo to Harstad/ Narvik airport, pick up a rental car and drive to Svolyaer, overnight in Svolyaer
Day 3- Tour Lofoten , overnight in Reine
Day 4- tour Lofoten, overnight in Reine again Or any recommended place
Day 5- tour Lofoten, overnight in somewhere scenic but close to Harstad/ Narvik airport
Day 6- fly from Harstad/ Narvik to Bergen, overnight in Bergen
Day 7- tour Bergen surrounding area, overnight in Aurland or Flam?
Day 8- tour Bergen surrounding area, overnight in Aurland or Flam or Bergen?
Day 9- tour Bergen area one full day. Scheduled flight at 8:30PM from Bergen to Oslo, overnight in Oslo airport hotel
Day 10- fly home

Can you all comment on whether I should fly to Bergen on day 7 instead of day 6? Do I allocate too many days for Bergen and not enough days in Lofoten to do its justice? This is our first trip to Norway. We love nature and photography. Are sceneries very much alike from North to south end of Lofoten or is it diversely varied?
Thanks in advance for any input.

Cranachin

You can look at quite a few pictures on Google Maps to get an idea of how similar you thing the different areas are.

dyoll

September is late season and you won't find problems in getting accommodation or find crowds, though Bergen hotels can be full with business travellers.
You could consider flying arrival day to Harstad/Narvik - why waste a night in Oslo when you are likely to be too tired and jet lagged to do much and an extra travelling day with waiting at airports etc.
Stay in one place in Lofoten for all your nights there - perhaps rent a fisherman's cottage for a week. Distances aren't so great that you need the hassle of moving lodgings.
I'd recommend one day in Bergen + travelling day and do the Norway in a Nutshell trip through Flåm as a day trip - again will save moving lodgings.
Airport hotel in Oslo ok if you are flying early next day, but choose one on site - the off-site ones have an expensive shuttle bus and won't save you any time. Better perhaps to take an earlier flight and to store baggage at airport and take train in to centre and stay there - where you have choice of restaurants etc. Or again skip Oslo altogether and just transfer at airport same day.
If travelling on separate tickets make sure you have travel insurance that covers you for costs in case of delays.

thefengs

Thank you both for your prompt responses.
Dyoll- I agree with you that I should just fly into Harstad/Narvik the first day. But My concern is what if the flight is delayed and I miss the scheduled flight to Harstad/Narvik. Or is it possible to get the airline tickets when we arrive in Oslo? ( assuming the prices will not be outrageously expensive)?

thefengs

Dyoll- thanks for helpful advice about lodging. Which place you recommend is the best base for visiting Lofoten? Reine looks so beautiful but it is located down south. Is it practical or not too tiring to drive from Harstad / Narvik airport all the way to Reine?

Btw, is it stressful driving on Lofoten? Are they mountainous winding narrow roads?

Regarding a day trip from Bergen, is Hardangerfjord a good option beside going to Flam?
Thanks for any insight.

janewb

You also may want to consider flying home from Bergen instead of going back to Oslo to fly back, which is what I did. The cost was the same and for my flight, I made a connection in Reyjkavik each way from Boston and the cost was the same. But, depending on where 'home' is, it may not be practical for you as it may result in having to make another connection.

dyoll

Tickets bought on the day will be expensive - check the web sites and look at the difference in price with flexible full price tickets - that's what you'll pay on the day! Just make sure your travel insurance will cover costs of delays - and make sure you follow their conditions for transfer times etc.
GoogleMaps will give you reasonable travelling times, just allow extra for stops and sightseeing. Driving in Norway is generally relaxed, low speed limits and few vehicles on the road. Try GoogleMaps StreetView to get an idea of the roads.
The Nærøyfjord branch of the Sognefjord is more spectacular - the ferry ride is included in NiN - there are no cruise ships in Flåm in week before 20th Sept. so no crowds. Decide when you are there according to weather - there is nothing to save by paying in advance. If you only have two days in Bergen after a week in Lofoten then perhaps 2 day trips to fjords is overkill.

Mike_Buckley

The Moskenes ferry that goes to Bodo is only 5 minutes from Reine, so consider taking that and flying from Bodo to your next destination.

For a great place to stay 5 minutes in the other direction from Reine, Google "Aronbua." I stayed there last month and it's very nice and smack dab in the middle of unbelievable scenery. You look across the water to Reine. Anita is the owner and she'll take good care of you.

Anita's relative also owns a lot of cabins just another 5 minutes further on Sakrisoy, steps away from Anita's seafood store. Google "Sakrisoy Rorbuer." 2 minutes further away on Hamnoy are Rorbuer Eliassen.

Where the main highway (Route E10) does wind a bit, the speed limits are slow. Even so, it's generally not the kind of mountain road with steep drops on the side. I was there during the height of tourist season last month and there was very little traffic.

One point to keep in mind is that there is road construction at a place a little north of Hamnoy island. You can end up waiting for 30 minutes during the day (1 hour including both ways), a lot longer in the middle of the night. So, it's best to plan your days so you stay on one side or the other of that construction site. There's lots to do on either side of it but the mountain/water scenery south of it is the most spectacular in my mind.

menachem

Hardangerfjord as a day trip

http://www.hardangerfjord.com/en/Product/?TLp=690062

deladeb

We spent 2 weeks driving around Norway several years ago, but did not make it to Lofoten. What is a reasonable amount of time to spend in that region?