Norwegian fjords - not a cruise?

[LordBridgerton]

Hi all,

has anyone done a fjords trip without going on a cruise? I’m a solo traveller and the price often jumps massively on these.

I’ve been looking at a company called Fjord Tours who put together an itinerary using bus/train, and you can add activities and accommodation. Does anyone know/can recommend other companies?

I’m interested in visiting Stavanager, Bergen, Flåm, and Gerainger so pretty much south > north along the west coast.

Driving doesn’t massively appeal because of the distances.

thanks!

Yes, I have. We just got a flight to Bergen and booked an Airbnb. Once in Bergen you can book a boat trip for the day to see the fjords. We did just that but I am pretty sure you can also get trains from there.

@LordBridgerton Can I ask your reason for not wanting a cruise - is it that you don't want to be on a massive commercialised cruise ship or just that you don't like being on the water in general?

I was going to ask this- Hurtigruten might work for you (although doesn't go to Stavanger I don't think) but would give you an immersive experience for a couple of days on the water and then can arrange day trips to place from the start and end. Flam was pretty easy (although long) by train/bus from Bergen, Geiranger would be covered by Hurtigruten. The fjords get increasingly spectacular as you go north so if you have time its worth continuing.
Hurtigruten wasn't super cheap but if you eat off at shore stops rather than on the boat it will give you easy transport without the cruise experience and on a nice small boat.

@Aussieland I was going to suggest Hurtigruten too! It is such a good compromise for those who want the benefit of cruising but without that massive ship/commercialised aspect. And as you say, they sail along the Northern coasts which the other ships don't, and due to the smaller size they can access the more narrow fjords.

I think OP’s reason for no cruise is the price jump for a solo traveller.

Interested in this as I wanted to visit Norway next year

The Hurtigruten Coastal Express ships are not technically a cruise but a passenger ferry up and down the Norwegian coast. You can plan to get off at various points and spend a few days if you wish.. There are excursions if you wish but not compulsory. Worth taking a look
www.hurtigruten.com/en-gb/voyages/coastal-express

I really fancy that idea and going to have a look!

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing As said above, the ships are also working ships and used to move people around and also deliver post/supplies to towns. Many of the stops are just for half an hour while things are loaded on/off the ship (some stops even happen overnight) but they do also stop at several locations for half days so you can get off the ship and explore for a few hours rather like a cruise excursion.

However there is still that holiday element and a subtle touch of luxury, the staterooms range from basic to premium - which are a decent size and nicely furnished. They also serve good quality meals/wines in a nice dining room space, but everyone will wear their casual day clothes so no fancy cruise attire!

It's well worth doing, it was a very memorable trip for us.

I've just come back from a guided coach trip.

Did the fjords and other stuff you wouldn't get on a cruise. TUI and Regent offer it.

Not sure about solo travellers with that but Regent are quite flexible.

.

We've just come back from a Norwegian cruise - the only place we didn't visit was Flam. If you can travel in term time, cruise companies often have incredible deals.

Havila is the same as Hurtigruten but more modern and very eco. We flew to Oslo and took the train to Bergen over the top of everything. The ships ,I think there are 4 ,and have had teething problems. The trip Bergen to Kirkenes does all the stops but on the return journey the stops previously at night are done in the day. Geiranger fjord is not open all year round and the road over the top there has been closed and will be for a couple of years through falling rock.

You can use Hurtigruten and Havila like a bus service. Also, Hurtigruten do regular solo traveller offers. If you are not keen on driving long distances, you can put your car on the boat for that too.

No, the closed road is the Troll Road , further up. The Eagle Pass out of Geiranger is open.

For those places, coastal ferries are the best option. You can get high speed ferries parts of the way. There are trains but not along the coastline so you will have to go back and forth from Eastern Norway which will be time consuming. If I were you, I would take the Hurtigruten from Bergen to Ålesund or Trondheim. Then you will cover most of what you want. South bound vessels are usually cheaper than North bound.

There's a solo cruise Facebook group that is brilliant, often they get to know about deals like no solo supplement. They also look after you as much or as little as you want as a solo

Thanks for replies!

I’m not against going on a cruise, but they’re often advertised as 700-800pp then it jumps to over 1k for a solo traveller, even for a single cabin/windowless one! So thought I’d check for alternatives.

Will keep an eye out for no solo supplement, and look into Hurtigruten as well as an Airbnb base on the coast that I can day trip from.

:)

Cruises are an ecological disaster. Hurtigruten is one of the better ones though

Do “Much Better Adventures” have anything?

Just returned from a fortnight in Norway. Our DIY road trip was inspired by the aforementioned Fjord Tour itineraries with airbnb accommodation in Bergen, Sogndal, Geiranger, Stryn & Balestrand. There were so many places that we stopped at which had so few people around, you wouldn't believe it was peak summer. If you don't want to drive, cruising is definitely the easiest way to access the fjords unless you have the luxury of time to use the bus/train/ferry due to the distances involved. Norway is so beautiful - we want to return and focus on the north next time.