Travelling by Hurtigruten? Read this first!

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The Hurtigruten exemplifies Norway.  Whether it’s sitting inwards a Jacuzzi inwards the midnight Sun , passing past times snowcapped mountains in addition to dramatic fjords or sipping Hot Toddy’s nether the dazzling Northern Lights , the Hurtigruten provides the perfect mix of rugged landscape , luxury in addition to arctic intrigue.

Norway’s Hurtigruten has come upwards a long way since the ferries starting fourth dimension sailed inwards the 1890’s.  The cargo in addition to rider ships began to go upwards the length of the Norwegian coastline to enable little coastal towns a agency of transporting goods , in addition to moving about.  By the 1980’s , little airports had popped upwards all over Kingdom of Norway in addition to its roads were far to a greater extent than efficient , thus the component of the Hurtigruten changed.  Now it caters to a luxury marketplace lay , offering cruises from Bergen to Kirkenes amongst newer boats sporting Jacuzzis in addition to elegant bars. 

Even though the Hurtigruten is notoriously expensive – Norwegians I spoke to said it was pricey... fifty-fifty for Kingdom of Norway – in that location are ways to bask this iconic slice of Kingdom of Norway if you’re travelling amongst express funds.  On my stint inwards the fjords inwards June this twelvemonth , I journeyed upwards the coast on iii dissimilar vessels – the MS Richard With (named for the founder of Hurtigruten) , the MS Trollfjord (named afterwards an iconic narrow fjord) in addition to the MS Nordlys (Nordlys agency ‘Northern Lights’).

When organising my travels , I booked my leg on the MS Trollfjord specifically – this is quite a novel boat , in addition to it shows.  Glass elevators , huge windows , fairylights twinkling inwards the ceiling , ii hot tubs on the top deck… this boat had it all.  I spent ii nights onboard the MS Trollfjord , cruising from Ålesund through the Geirangerfjord , past times Trondheim in addition to Bodø in addition to upwards to the Lofoten Islands.

That’s the starting fourth dimension affair worth noting: the boats aren’t all the same.  If you’re afterwards something genuinely memorable , play your cards thus you’re on i of the Millenia boats.  That’s non to say that the other ships inwards the fleet aren’t decadent – they are – but beingness aboard the MS Trollfjord was something else entirely.

The 2nd affair is that you don’t select to mass a six or eleven twenty-four hours cruise.  In fact , I’d recommend against it.  Even if you’re planning a trip of verbalise luxury amongst no expense spared , you’re going to girlfriend some of the best bits of Kingdom of Norway if you lot don’t bask some longer stops along the way.   You tin forcefulness out mass port-to-port trips (for illustration , I went port-to-port from Ålesund to Svolvær inwards the Lofotens) which attain from a few hours to a few days , depending on the length of your journey.  When I was finished inwards the Lofoten Islands , I got some other port-to-port from Svolvær to Tromsø.  You tin forcefulness out oft score some slap-up deals when travelling port-to-port for a twenty-four hours or two.

If you’re travelling for a brusk amount of fourth dimension , consider your demand for a cabin. For twenty-four hours journeys , you lot definitely don’t demand one.  It’s perfectly rubber to piece of occupation out your luggage inwards the luggage agree , or proceed it on you.  The Hurtigruten website states that you lot demand to mass a cabin for overnight trips , but you lot tin forcefulness out however select ‘no cabin’ on trips spanning i night.  Whether you’re travelling inwards summertime in addition to tin forcefulness out soak upwards the midnight Sun , or travelling inwards wintertime in addition to tin forcefulness out pass the black gazing at the Northern Lights , a black spent without a cabin is perfectly fine (and I guarantee you lot won’t survive the simply i napping on a couch inwards the early on hours of the morning).  

I’d besides recommend booking through the Norwegian site.  Now I’m non certain if it was all downwards to the central charge per unit of measurement , but I saved a few hundred dollars past times booking through the Norwegian website in addition to letting Google interpret tell us what was going on.  Open it upwards inwards your native linguistic communication , brand certain you lot know what you’re booking (some of the translations were a chip questionable) , thus follow the same steps inwards Norwegian.

As for excursions , nutrient in addition to drink – create what you lot will.  I chose to salve my pennies on these things in addition to soak upwards the Lofoten goodness for 4 days , in addition to had a to a greater extent than magical fourth dimension than I could’ve anticipated.  These things are all overpriced , but extremely convenient.  You're totally welcome to convey your ain nutrient onboard , but are encouraged to consume it inwards your cabin.

 

I’d definitely recommend scheduling a trip on the Hurtigruten into your Kingdom of Norway itinerary!