Norway and fjord cruising

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baffled

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I am thinking of taking my wife and offspring to Bergen for a week away (wifes fortieth actually). I have never been before and wondered if any forumistas have knowledge of the area. We would like to take in a trip up the fjords and wonder if Bergen would be a good base.

Flights are fine but accomodation seems to be a problem at the moment . Any recommendations?

Many thanks

David
 
Depends a bit what kind of fjord Cruising you want to do really... with planned cruises at this time of year (spring is better), there is limited "arranged" tours, but still very scenic and you can use the fast ferries (catamarans and wavepiercers cruising in high 30's) to travel in and out of the fjords with both Bergen or Stavanger as a base. Fast Ferries operating with regular intervals between Stavanger and Bergen. Both cities have deep fjords and plenty to explore.
Springtime will see start of arranged fjord cruises, and you will have longer evenings as well, as it is getting dark about 5PM Norwegian time now in Jan. Bergen may have the edge in the srong with the flowering Hardangerfjord, but Stavanger have got plenty, including Lysefjord and Pulpit rock. if you have time a cruise from Bergen and in to Geiranger is very nice, but best done in Spring/Summer..... Of course, you can charter own boat as well making it a bit more adventourus...
 
I haved lived over here for 11yrs now and travelled extensively around Bergen and Stavanger where I live, there is a lot to see but don't come in winter, especially Bergen which has Norways highest rainfall and is often locked in with thick clouds due to the steep mountains surrounding the town. Geiranger and Hardanger are fantastic in late spring with all of the orchards in bloom. And a trip to Voss and Sognfjord are a must, there is a train tour from Bergen or fast cat to these areas, or you can go up by boat and back by train on the worlds steepest railway, well worth it.
Stavanger is a much more charming town being Europes largest wooden city, and the harbour is not commercial like Bergens. There are many fjord trips in the summer months when we have 20 hrs daylight!
 
Not sure what you mean about the harbour not being commercial??? Stavanger is a commercial port and nowhere near as charming as Bergen IMO, though I may be slightly biased towards my birthplace

Bergen has the Bryggen, which is a picturesque wooden fronted Hanseatic harbour area. There is a funicular railway running up Mount Fløyen, from where there are many mountain walks and a stunning view of the harbour and surrounding islands. If you enjoy mountains there's also Ulriken (Bergen's highest mountain) with a cable car and more walks/hikes

Troldhaugen was Edward Grieg's home and now a museum and worth a visit, and the Grieghallen concert hall usually has something of interest if you enjoy music

The Hardangerfjord Express boat runs all year round from Bergen and takes in some fabulous scenery

But, as others have said Bergen is a rainy city and best visited in late spring or summer
 
I have to agree, Bergen is a much better destination that Stavanger* Bergen is a World Heritage City and the harbour has many leisure users both locals and tourists. Try the Norway in a nutshell site (http://www.fjord-tours.com/bergen/) but I can highly recommend the Bergen-Sogn-Flam-Bergen trip.

*This posters views are biased as Bergen is his ancestral home and Bergensers are the most fanatically proud & biased citizens in the world /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
As a Norwegian with Stavanger as birth place, having spent about 28 years "over there", and cruising the fjords from Spitsbergen and Kirkenes in the North to Oslo in the South East, I can assure you that the whole coastline, with the exception of Jæren is worth exploring irrespective. The further North you get, the more spectacular is the scenery with more drastic contrasts between the mountains and the fjords. Not that much in it between Bergen and Stavanger in real terms, unless you get into the details and time your visits excactly to co-incide with certain events. Both places are wonderful and have a certain charm about them. Bergen does have the drawback of being surrounded by 7 mountains that "trap" the clouds, with resultion prolonged wet weather, but yet again have those deep Fjords both to the North and South. Stavanger is a coming "City of Culture" and are gearing up towards this, and with loads of events during the spring and summer, can be a really lively place to visit, and it does have the cosy small wooden houses in the old part of town as Spannerman refers to. Stavanger is also sourounded by spectacular scenery in the deep fjords and perhaps the biggest difference is the basin that the fjords spring out from is closer to Stavanger than Bergen's equivialent. Stavanger is also one of the few cities which is surrounded by water on three sides within 20 min drive from one side to the other. Irrespective of which one you choose, you will be spoilt for choice in respect of scenery.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I had planned to take the fast boat from Bergen into Sognefjord, but found that it didn't start running until May 1. Since I arrived the last week in April, I was disappointed that I had to take the train and bus.

However, the overland route turned out to be spectacular. We took the train out of Bergen first then transferred to a bus that went up and over the mountain range (with 8 feet of snow). On the way down, the view of Sognefjord was beautiful.
 
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A good summary, but you wouldn't expect an echter Bergenser to entirely agree, now would you?

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Thanks, trying to be objective, something which a true Bergenser never can be... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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Thanks, trying to be objective, something which a true Bergenser never can be...

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Hah! That's rich coming from a siddis!!!/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif .... Well I did spend my youth cruising those areas, so do speak with some authority, not just biased opinions... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
With you all the way Divemaster1, Stavanger now has events all through summer, the Handball tournament, Maijazz, the International Food Festival, and others. Bergen is a souless place like Oslo, too many drab concrete buildings and paved plazas, could be a city anywhere in Europe, the whole place looks commercial, whereas Stavangers Vågen is quaint and the commercial bit is round the corner.
I have been to Bergen more times than I can remember, but what I do remember is that there was blue sky only 3 times. And Fløyen is usually out of sight in the cloud.
I have friends in Bergen but they sure have big opinions and big mouths.
And as we all know Bergenser 'kommer ikkje fra Norge men fra Bergen', and isn't the rest of Norway glad about that! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
HEI .... I am a Yorkshire expat and have been here for the past 25+ years based in Stavanger but have lived/- worked in Bergen & Olso.
Sad to say the weather here from October thru April is not for the tourist (we now have a lot of rain, sleet, freezing temperatures during the nights and slick conditions for walking). We only have approx. 6 hrs of daylight ... and the tourism "industry" is closed down with none of the fjord tours running, mountain walks are "off limits" and there has already been a number of deaths due to folk falling thru thinly iced lakes/- inner fjords.

And coming over by car to tour yourself is unwise as studded tyres are required off the main roads and "winter tyres" at all times (without them and in an accident you are to blame regardless)

If you must come I would suggest the southern area of the country (Østfold) which borders with Sweden and making use of the local public "transport" (trams, buses, ferries, etc) which is very efficient.

There are plenty of museums, city parks and local ferries with bus links to the islands/- across fjords.

Ryan Air do great deals into Sandefjord (2hrs from the capital) and is a gateway in its'self to the south and east of the country.

But really ... this is not the time and would suggest waiting until late spring (May & June are our best months ;-))

Martin
 
Now you're asking for it! Stavanger is the oil capital of Norway, which says it all - the equivalent of Aberdeen and not much prettier. And if you think Bergen is souless then you don't know the place at all
 
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif This could become fun .... subjective opinions are great as there is no right or wrongs really... but I would dare to suggest that you are being a bit subjective when you compare Stavanger with Aberdeen. Stavanger is much more quaint than Aberdeen and is surrounded by much better nature experiences, as does Bergen, which by the way is not without soul.

Bergens Vågen is, at the face of it, bigger and more commercial than Stavanger, but the reality is that Stavanger area is spread around a bit more and is a bit sheltered from the Islands around Hundvåg, making it appear smaller and more intimate. As a result the centre of town in Stavanger also appears smaller and more intimate than Bergen, which is not limited by the sea on threee sides, but utilises the valleys between the mountains to spread out. Both harbour areas are exposed in Northerly winds. Perhaps the fact may be that Bergen centre is more logically spread out than Stavanger. Both places started out with fishing industries, and became great centres for the countrys maritime history, and as both cities are on the West coast, there have always been rivalry between them for tourists and business etc. Bergen have in respect to tourism done much better than Stavanger, and no doubt the access by rail in towards Voss etc., is hard to rival, whilst Stavanger became the centre for Oil Operations in Norway, detracting from the tourist industry in the area.

Bottom line is that both places are great to visit and have wonderful sights on offer to those choosing to visit..... expensive yes, but very scenic indeed. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
You are right of course. Here's a picture from my sister's house just outside Bergen taken July 05. We were there for a week and it was HOT with blue skies and no rain throughout
Aastveit.jpg
 
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