Norway, where the ferry is part of the road.
Norwegian journey times are not a function of distance. They are a function of the ferry timetable, the tunnel network and the season, and a driver who knows that is worth considerably more than one who does not.
Where we collect
Oslo is the business and city airport. Bergen is the fjord gateway and the busiest cruise port in the country. Tromsø is the winter market, for northern lights and the polar season. We also collect from Stavanger, Ålesund and Trondheim, and from the cruise quays directly.
A large share of our Norwegian work is cruise related, which means it runs to a ship's clock and a short window ashore. Those are planned backwards from the sailing, with a real margin built in for the ferry crossings rather than an optimistic one.
The routes we run most
- Bergen to Flåm, Gudvangen and the Nærøyfjord
- Ålesund and Geiranger, including cruise excursions from the quay
- Oslo airport to the city, Holmenkollen and the business districts
- Tromsø for northern lights season, with the flexibility to chase clear sky
- Stavanger to Preikestolen and the Lysefjord
- Cruise port transfers at Bergen, Ålesund, Stavanger and Geiranger
Ferries, tolls and daylight
In fjord country the car ferry is not a detour, it is the road. Several of the best routes involve one or two crossings, each running to a published timetable, and missing a sailing by four minutes can mean forty minutes of waiting. We plan around the actual timetable for your date, and we build the margin in rather than hoping. It is also why a Norwegian quote can look longer than the map distance suggests: because it is honest.
Tolls are automatic and everywhere. The AutoPASS system reads plates at gantries across the country with no booths and no cash option, and city rings around Oslo and Bergen charge by time of day. All of it is inside your quoted price.
Daylight is a planning input. In Tromsø in December the sun does not clear the horizon, and in June it does not set. That changes what is worth doing and when, and for northern lights work it changes the whole shape of the evening. We would rather discuss the plan than sell you a fixed itinerary that ignores the sky.
Questions
What people ask us.
Why are Norwegian journey times longer than the distance suggests?
Because several routes cross a fjord by car ferry, and the ferry runs to a timetable. We plan around the actual sailings for your date and build in real margin, which is why our times are sometimes longer than an online map estimate and rather more reliable.
Are ferry crossings and tolls included?
Yes, both. Norwegian tolls are automatic under AutoPASS with no booths, and ferry fares for the route are inside the quoted price.
Do you do cruise excursions from the quay?
Yes, at Bergen, Ålesund, Geiranger and Stavanger. We plan those backwards from the all-aboard time, which is the number that actually matters.
Can you chase the northern lights from Tromsø?
Yes, and it works far better with a vehicle at disposal than as a fixed transfer, because the right answer depends on where the cloud is that night.
Are your vehicles equipped for Norwegian winter?
Yes. Winter tyres are standard for the season, and in the north that means proper winter equipment rather than an all-season compromise.
Do you cover Lofoten and the far north?
Tromsø and its surroundings, yes. For Lofoten and the more remote north, ask us with your dates and we will tell you honestly what we can cover well.
Travelling in Norway?
Give us the date as well as the route, because the ferry timetable changes the answer.