A few questions about touring in Norway.

[toroddf]

Whatever you do, don't do E6. Take the coastal road from Trondheim and up. Include Lofoten, Vesteraalen and Senja too on your way up (ferry to Gryllefjord and the ferry from Senja straight north).
Instead of doing the dead boring Porsangen and the tunnel, take the road to Havoysund instead and the coastal liner/catamaran to Honningsvaag at North Cape.

That is the consensus now on the Norwegian touring sides and those who has done it is raving about the finest cycling in the world. The mountains is like Scotland too so do that.

North Cape.......... I was there 21 years ago when the ferries was still ruling the ocean from Honningsvaag to the mainland. Feels like I am an old man.

 

[psmiffy]

Instead of doing the dead boring Porsangen and the tunnel, take the road to Havoysund instead and the coastal liner/catamaran to Honningsvaag at North Cape.

That sounds like a really good idea have never fancied the tunnel - talked to someone on the road who fell off on the slime in the bottom - from what I can recall I have also read about other people doing the same

 

[Anthony]

Whatever you do, don't do E6. Take the coastal road from Trondheim and up. Include Lofoten, Vesteraalen and Senja too on your way up (ferry to Gryllefjord and the ferry from Senja straight north).

What are your reasons for avoiding the E6? Is the scenery dull, road busy?

Instead of doing the dead boring Porsangen and the tunnel, take the road to Havoysund instead and the coastal liner/catamaran to Honningsvaag at North Cape.

Sounds like a good idea, but what is the cost of the liner and how often does it run?

 

[toroddf]

Good morning.

E6 is both dead boring and overpopulated with lorries and heavy traffic. We are talking about the main road in Norway; it's pulse. The scenery is at best........ dull.
The coast line with the ferries on the other hand both has little traffic and the scenery is just brilliant. There is not much tunnels there too. There is a lot of ferries though.
Think Scotland, but just a lot bigger. The hills are not that big though. It is pretty much the West coast of Scotland type of cycling.
Lofoten islands is brilliant. The same goes for Senja. You rejoins E6 at Olderdalen at Lyngenfjorden, 75 km after Tromso and that area probably have the finest mountain scenery in Europe. E6 is not that busy after Olderdalen. The 300 km or so between Olderdalen, past Alta to the beginning of Porsangen is good fun. Take off towards Havoysund which have little or no traffic.

The coastal liner and even the local catamaran (local service) goes to Honningsvaag 2-4 times a day. That is a one hour long sailing. You avoid two big tunnels (there is also a very narrow 3 km long tunnel in Porsangen) and the dead boring bit (50 miles) along Porsangen.
I have heard the 2009 fare was 128 NOK, which is around £ 10 - 15. For that, you avoid three big tunnels. The 3 km narrow one in Porsangen, the long subsea tunnel and the 4 km tunnel at Honningsvaag.

Yes, I have done North Cape to Tromso.......... but that is 21 years ago. I was in the army back then. Fit and dumb.

 

[Anthony]

Thanks for that information toroddf. I think i'll take your advice and follow the costal route for while after Trondhiem. Looking at the map there are loads of ferrys on that route. Are they expensive? Do they run often?

 

[shirokazan]

I'd recommend you start at Nordkapp and head south.

Davyo, what's the best/easiest/quickest way to get to Nordkapp, if that's where you want to start?

 

[toroddf]

Good afternoon.

The ferries are OK price-wise. They are not as cheap as CalMac here in Scotland. I am still in fits in laughter about the price they quoted me for the Western Isles tour. £ 42 for 8 ferries/13 hours. That's what I call value for money............
But the Norwegian ferries are not expensive.

Just so we are singing from the same hymn sheet (get our your maps now......), here is what I suggest to you from Trondheim:

Ferry from Flakk to Rørvik, bike over to Namsos and follow RV 17 (or just 17 or Kystriksveien as Multimap refers to it as) all the way to Bodo. You are passing the Polar Circle on the ferry between Kilboghamn and Jektvik.
You also need to bypass the long Svartisen tunnel with a local ferry between Vassdalsvik and Ornes.
The ferries are frequent, but research beforehand and take print outs and put them somewhere on your bike. The same as I do in Scotland.....

From Bodo, take the 5 hours ferry over to Moskenes (but learn the ferry times beforehand). The midnight ferry is less popular so go for that one. Remember; midnight = almost daylight. You can bike 24 hours a day. I once stood on guard duty in the army up there at midnight and it was 27 degrees warm. Bizarre........
Anyway; you are now in the Lofoten islands and you should be heading for Svolvaer unless you can swim. The road is OK. Not any hills worth mentioning. The tunnels can be bypassed. From Svolvaer, go to Fiskebol and take the ferry over to Melbu. Then head along the road and through some small towns to Andenes and the ferry over to Gryllefjord at Senja. Senja = Isle of Arran, landscape wise. It is Norway in miniature. Follow the small road north to Botnhamn and the ferry over to Brensholmen. From there, the road to Tromso.

From Tromso, one of the finest towns/cities in Europe, take the main road for 20 miles to Fagernes. Cross over and down to Breivikeidet, ferry over to Svensby, road over the frightening exposed Kjosen (remember to wear cycle helmet in case you get hit by a 100 tonnes boulder) to Lyngseidet, ferry over to Olderdalen and then E6 over the 400 meters/1200 feet above sea level mountain passes and then down to Alta, over the Sennalandet moor to Skaidi, the road over to Porsangen and then take over a small hill from Porsangen to Havoysund and then the coastal liner/catamaran over to Honningsvaag and the final, but very hard 35 km/20 miles to the North Cape where you get ripped off to the tune of £ 12 to get in there.

......Like tea in the park.

 

[Dayvo]

Davyo, what's the best/easiest/quickest way to get to Nordkapp, if that's where you want to start?

Not much help from me, I'm afraid, as I drove there in my VW van with my cycling partner and his brother, who then drove it back to civilisation.

Toroddf has it very well covered.

Or you could try flying from, say, Oslo to Honningsvag:

http://www.flysas.com/en/uk/?cep=15618

a little bit pricey, but direct and convenient,, and pricelsss if it helps you fulfill a dream!

 

[Anthony]

Good evening,

I just followed your (very accurate) directions on google maps. I've got a good idea of the route now. Thanks for the help.

 

[toroddf]

You are starting from Bergen, if I am not mistaken. What is your plans from Bergen to Trondheim ? I would go for the Coastal Steamer and forget the roads. Too many tunnels.

 

[Anthony]

I am starting from Bergen. My route is so:
Bergen - inland to Voss - north along 13 to Vangsnes - ferry to Dragsvik - follow 13 all the way to Moskog - E39 to Ovreset - 60 to Stryn - then to Geiranger - onto the Trollstigen - then the 62 and 65 to Trondheim.

I want to cycle through the fjords to experience the views and for a challenge. I'm not going to miss it all by taking the boat. As for the tunnels, I have a list of the banned ones and I can miss them out ok.

 

[toroddf]

I could not had chosen a better route myself............ with a big, big exception which you will love me for.

Instead of going over the 3000 feet high Vikafjellet from Voss to Vangsnes, go to Gudvangen instead and take the ferry through Naroyfjorden. This area is on United Nation's top ten list of the most beautiful places on this planet...... and with good reasons ! So that will save you for a 2000 feet climb.
Jump of the ferry at Kaupanger after a 2.5 hours long ferry trip and a solid jaw-dropping experience. Cycle over to Sogndal and the 30 miles out to Hella, bypassing two new long tunnels on the old roads. You will probably only loose a couple of hours on this because Vikafjellet is a hellish piece of camel dung.

But you would not miss out on one of the prettiest places on this earth, would you ?

 

[Dayvo]

See if you can find this, Anthony! And google 'Atlanterhavsveien'

 

[toroddf]

I agree with you, Dayvo. I did it in 1990 and my jaw dropped to the floor.

There is one big problem though............ or perhaps two problems. To get from Atlanterhavsveien and further north. Well, anywhere, you also need to go through Kristiandsund. Which means the new Atlanterhavstunellen (7 km subsea, very deep subsea) and another subsea tunnel to get out of Kristiandsund again. When I was there in 1990 coming from Trondheim and going over Atlanterhavsveien to Molde and then Sogndal, there was no tunnels. Kristiandsund was then approachable for us cyclists. Not any longer. Pity, because it is a very pretty town/city.

 

[Anthony]

I could not had chosen a better route myself............ with a big, big exception which you will love me for.

Instead of going over the 3000 feet high Vikafjellet from Voss to Vangsnes, go to Gudvangen instead and take the ferry through Naroyfjorden. This area is on United Nation's top ten list of the most beautiful places on this planet...... and with good reasons ! So that will save you for a 2000 feet climb.
Jump of the ferry at Kaupanger after a 2.5 hours long ferry trip and a solid jaw-dropping experience. Cycle over to Sogndal and the 30 miles out to Hella, bypassing two new long tunnels on the old roads. You will probably only loose a couple of hours on this because Vikafjellet is a hellish piece of camel dung.

But you would not miss out on one of the prettiest places on this earth, would you ?

Wow, you are an immense source of knowledge when it comes to Norway! I think I will take that route now. Just a few questions though (which your probably used too). How much and how often is that ferry?