Travelling by Hurtigruten? Read this first!
Norway’s Hurtigruten has come a long way
since the ferries first sailed in the 1890’s.
The cargo and passenger ships began to travel up the length of the
Norwegian coastline to enable small coastal towns a means of transporting
goods, and moving about. By the 1980’s,
small airports had popped up all over Norway and its roads were far more
efficient, so the role of the Hurtigruten changed. Now it caters to a luxury market, offering
cruises from Bergen to Kirkenes with newer boats sporting Jacuzzis and elegant
bars.
Even though the Hurtigruten is notoriously
expensive – Norwegians I spoke to said it was pricey... even for Norway – there are ways to
enjoy this iconic piece of Norway if you’re travelling with limited funds. On my stint in the fjords in June this year, I
journeyed up the coast on three different vessels – the MS Richard With (named
for the founder of Hurtigruten), the MS Trollfjord (named after an iconic
narrow fjord) and the MS Nordlys (Nordlys means ‘Northern Lights’).
When organising my travels, I booked my leg
on the MS Trollfjord specifically – this is quite a new boat, and it
shows. Glass elevators, huge windows,
fairylights twinkling in the ceiling, two hot tubs on the top deck… this boat
had it all. I spent two nights onboard
the MS Trollfjord, cruising from Ålesund through the Geirangerfjord, past
Trondheim and Bodø and up to the Lofoten Islands.
That’s the first thing worth noting: the boats aren’t all the same. If you’re after something truly memorable,
play your cards so you’re on one of the Millenia boats. That’s not to say that the other ships in the
fleet aren’t decadent – they are – but being aboard the MS Trollfjord was
something else entirely.
The second thing is that you don’t have to book a 6 or 11 day cruise. In fact, I’d recommend against it. Even if you’re planning a trip of utter
luxury with no expense spared, you’re going to miss some of the best bits of
Norway if you don’t enjoy some longer stops along the way. You can book port-to-port trips (for
example, I went port-to-port from Ålesund to Svolvær in the Lofotens) which
range from a few hours to a few days, depending on the length of your journey. When I was finished in the Lofoten Islands, I
got another port-to-port from Svolvær to Tromsø. You can often score some great deals when
travelling port-to-port for a day or two.
As for excursions,
food and drink – do what you will. I
chose to save my pennies on these things and soak up the Lofoten goodness for
four days, and had a more magical time than I could’ve anticipated. These things are all overpriced, but
extremely convenient. You're totally welcome to bring your own food onboard, but are encouraged to eat it in your cabin.
I’d definitely recommend scheduling a trip on the Hurtigruten into your Norway itinerary!
About the Author
0 comments