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GETTING AROUND |
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Norway's transport system is comprehensive and reliable. In the
winter (especially in the north), services can be cut back severely, but
no part of the country is isolated for long. A synopsis of all the main
air, train, bus and ferry services is given in the free NRI Guide to
Transport and Accommodation brochure, available in advance from the
Norwegian Tourist Board. This general guide can be supplemented by
detailed regional public transport timetables, available at all local
tourist offices. Train schedules are detailed in the NSB Togruter , free
at every station. In addition, Nor-Way Bussekspress co-ordinates and
harmonizes long-distance bus services across the whole of the country.
Trains
Train services are operated by Norges Statsbaner (NSB) - Norwegian State
Railways (tel 815 00 888, www.nsb.no ). Apart from a few branch lines,
NSB work on four main routes. These link Oslo to Stockholm in the east,
to Kristiansand and Stavanger in the southwest, to Bergen in the west
and to Trondheim and on to Fauske and Bodø in the north. The nature of
the country makes most of the routes engineering feats of some magnitude
and worth a trip in their own right - the tiny Flåm line and sweeping
Rauma run to Åndalsnes are exciting examples, and the journey from Oslo
to Bergen is an impressive six-and-a-half-hour cross-country ride,
taking in forests, waterfalls, mountains, bleak uplands and plunging
valleys. InterRail and Eurail passes are valid, as is the ScanRail pass,
which covers train travel in all of Scandinavia including Finland. The
ScanRail pass costs £125/US$200 (£95/$150 for under-26s) for five days
of travel within two months; £169/$270 (£125/$200) for ten days within
two months; and £195/$310 (£145/$230). Seniors (over 60) get a discount
of around fifteen percent on the full price of the pass. The ScanRail
and InterRail passes and, to a lesser extent, the Eurail pass also
provide large discounts on many major ferry crossings and long-distance
bus journeys. Rail passes are best purchased from travel agents before
you go. NSB also have tickets at discounted rates for off-peak travel,
pre-booked journeys and weekend excursions; details can be obtained from
any major Norwegian train station. Fares are bearable - the popular
Oslo-to-Bergen trip, for example, costs about 580kr one-way. Note that
most express and all overnight trains require advance seat reservation
(25kr for a seat) whether you have a rail pass or not. In high season
it's wise to make a reservation anyway as trains can be packed. Sleepers
are reasonably priced, starting at 150kr for a bed in a three-berth
compartment. It's somewhat more expensive for more private facilities:
290kr for a two-berth compartment and 580kr for a single compartment;
some trains also have ensuite compartments, they cost 740kr. Note that
these prices are additional to the cost of the train-ticket.
Buses
You'll need to use buses principally in the western fjords and the far
north, though there is also a network of long-distance express buses
connecting major towns. Tickets aren't too expensive and are usually
bought on board, although bus stations sell advance tickets too.
Information on specific routes and timetables, is available from local
tourist offices or from Nor-Way Bussekspress , Karl Johans Gate 2,
N-0154 Oslo 1 (tel 23 00 24 40, www.nor-way.no ). Students and rail pass
holders can get a fifty-percent discount on bus travel between the two
rail termini of Fauske and Bodø and Narvik among several other bus
routes. A long-distance bus, the Nord-Norgeexpressen , runs from Fauske
and Bodø, the northernmost reach of the railway, to Nordkapp once or
twice daily. The journey is divided up into four segments: Bodø/Fauske
to Narvik, Narvik to Tromsø, Tromsø to Alta, and Alta to Nordkapp. If
you have the stamina, you can change from one bus to the next at every
stop except Tromsø, where you have to spend the night. If you're doing
this much bus travel, you should invest in the NOR-WAY BusPas s, which
costs 1375kr for seven days and 2200kr for fourteen; you can buy it at
major bus stations. Another good option for getting to and from Norway
is the Säfflebussen which operate from Oslo-Stockholm and Oslo-Copenhagen
at very competitive prices. Booking is essential (tel 22 19 49 00,
www.safflebussen.se ).
Ferries
Travelling by ferry is one of the real pleasures of a trip to Norway.
All along the west coast, and especially among the fjords, you'd be hard-pressed
to find a journey of any length which doesn't include at least one car-ferry
ride, though on the main ("E") roads many of the ferries have been
replaced by tunnels. Ferry rates are fixed nationally on a sliding scale.
The tariff is reasonable, with a fifteen-minute ferry ride costing 15kr
for foot passengers, 80kr for a car and driver. Bus fares include the
cost of any ferry journey made en route. Drivers should note that almost
every ferry operates on a first-come, first-served basis. This presents
few problems for most of the year, but in high summer, you should arrive
one and a half to two hours before departure to be certain of a space.
Some of the busier routes have a control kiosk, where you pay on arrival,
but for the most part a sailor comes round to collect fares either on
the quayside or on board.
There's also the Hurtigrute (literally "rapid route"), a coastal ferry
service, whose several ships shuttle up and down the Norwegian coast
linking Bergen with Kirkenes and stopping off at over thirty ports on
the way. Tickets for short jumps are quite expensive, certainly compared
with the bus fares, and the full eleven-day return cruise (including a
cabin and meals) goes for anywhere between 8000kr and 23,000kr. However,
prices are reduced outside May to August, when under-26s can buy a
special coastal pass ( kystpass ), which costs 1750kr for 21 days'
unlimited travel. Get it on board on your first trip or at almost all
travel agents at home or in Norway. Although it's a cruise ship you
don't need to have a cabin: sleeping in the lounges or on deck is
allowed. Note also that the older ships are the nicest and they mostly
have showers you can use on the lower corridors, although they only have
room for five or six vehicles, so car drivers should use the newer
vessels. Bikes travel free. Each ship has a 24-hour cafeteria and first-rate
restaurants.
Driving
By and large, Norwegian roads are excellent, although you'll need to
take care on winding mountain passes and in the longer tunnels. However,
venture off the main roads, especially in the north and in the mountains,
and you'll need consummate driving skills. In winter, surfaces are often
treacherous, many minor roads are closed and for certain parts of the
network - like the E6 Arctic Highway - you need to be properly equipped
for Arctic conditions. It's worth noting petrol prices are very high in
Norway - around 10kr/ltr. EU driving licences are honoured in Norway,
but other nationals will need an International Driver's Licence. If
you're bringing your own car, you must have vehicle registration papers,
adequate insurance, a first aid kit, a warning triangle and a Green Card.
Vehicles should be driven on the right, with dipped headlights required
at all times; there's a speed limit of 30kph in residential areas, 50kph
in built-up areas, 80kph on open roads and 90kph on motorways. Speed
limits are rigorously enforced. Seat belts are compulsory for drivers
and passengers, and drunken driving is severely punished. If you break
down in a rental car, you'll get roadside assistance from the particular
repair company the car firm has contracted. If you are taking your own
vehicle, check with your home motoring organization that you have an
appropriate insurance policy before you go. In Norway, one of the major
breakdown companies is Norges Automobil-Forbund (NAF), whose 24hr
emergency number is tel 810 00 505. Car rental is expensive: from around
3900kr a week with unlimited mileage. |
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