help needed - looking for norwaymike

Almoraboy

Hi all,

I am planning to go to Norway on a small trip during the August bank holiday. however, i have no idea of that country except that fjord is pronounced as jord (my geography teacher told me so)

I am planning on a trip of 9 days (london-roam in scandinavia - london).

the top level view of the itenerary will be -

1). Western Norway (Bergen and fjords)
2). Arctic Norway
3). Sweden

can some members from norway help me with the first two points? or direct me to a forum similar to indiamike (but focused on norway).

also, can we find real vikings in norway?
where can i see glaciers and some snow?
any igloos to be found at this time of the year?
which all places/regios in norway are similar to the good old kumaon region of india?

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Trek blog over here

Sadanand Kamath

Have you seen the Fodors Norway Forum ?http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...&keyword =145

Sadanand

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Sirf ek kadam utha tha galat rahe shauk mein
Manzil tamam umr hame dhunti rahi.

[Just one wrong step on the way of the quest
My destination looked for me all life long]

Almoraboy

thanks sadanand, i will check this up.

Mickey S

There are many excellent guide books available for Norway, including Rough Guide and Lonely Planet.

Norway does not need a website along the lines of this one because it is very easy to find information on accommodation and transport, and even easier to make a reservation on a train - no waiting lists, quotas or flaky websites to deal with.

There are no scams to be wary of, either, but you should be aware that Norway is probably the most expensive country in the world. The prices make your eyes water.

machadinha

Have a nice trip, Almoraboy

In the "travel links" link in my signature, you'll find a few more major travel forums. Or you can search the web for +norway +forum.

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Almoraboy

oh shucks, is it more expensive than london also?

ok, i will try to find some huts that offer cheap accomodation.
i am mostly looking for close to nature places near the fjords (which i think are mostly near bergen).
how about camping in a tent? that means the hotel cost is reduced
this is where the KMVN is tops - a dormitory costs just Rs. 100
what is the norway equivalent of kumaon mandal vikas nigam?

Almoraboy

will do so. thanks for the suggestion.

machadinha

Much of Scandinavia is very expensive yes, and Norway rumored to be the most so indeed, I believe.

I think Sweden used to offer free camping (i.e., you can plonk down your tent anywhere), but you'd better check if this is the case, or if it holds up for Norway. It's what we (partly) did there anyway, but this is quite some time ago.

No idea what a camping would cost here, nor a hotel, we stayed with friends. To bring down costs, avoid alcohol (absurdly expensive) and general nightlife, and if you go camping anyway, try and do your own cooking (even food is expensive -- Sweden's the only place where I ever saw half cauliflowers on sale ) If you just come to enjoy nature, it can be very pleasant and we didn't spend very much in all.

A place like Oslo should be interesting, but again, watch your expenses. In Stockholm btw we did just catch a subway to the end of the line, walked for a bit and set up our tent, bang in the middle of nature with forests and lakes and stuff, and the metro line and a grocery shop within handy walking distance. That's nice out there, nature is everywhere. (My friend now tells me Norway is like that, too.) Ah and we did stay in an affordable and very nice youth hostel on one of the islands here, come to think of it. Probably found it in some local tourist brochure or so. Tourist bureaus in these parts can be quite organized and helpful, so it can never hurt to walk in there and see what they have on offer by way of free maps and leaflets and stuff or can tell you, they'll usually also know about affordable lodging, if perhaps not the rock-bottom cheapest bracket.

For an "alternative"-type place in Oslo btw if it's your thing (usually translating to affordable as well), try http://www.blitz.no/english/index.html . I've known some people from here, nice folks.

Almoraboy

thanks for the information macadhina.

and how are the trains in scandinvia? i have gone from delhi to Patna on a waiting list (college days) and it is not an experience i would like to repeat on my second foreign trip. the thought of it gives me shivers.

i am planning to reach bergen and then make a trip of the fjords near difficult to pronounce Sognefjord, impossible to pronounce naerofjord and other places nearby with mind boggling names.

is it possible to take a train from bergen to these places? i mean, can we go to the station and book tickets and travel - or do we have to book in advance (like in India).

Then the next step will be the northern part of norway. i have not worked out those details, but wiull do soon. let me first sort out the western fjords area first.

Nordic J

Norway is very expensive when it comes to food and alcohol. I don't know about hotels and such since I mostly use camp sites.

In Hordaland County where Bergen is you'll find the two claciers Folgefonna and Hardangerjokulen in the Hardangervidda national park.

Which part of Sweden are interested in ?

Almoraboy

ok, we are absolute teetotallers. so expensive alcohol won't worry us
however, like a true kumaoni, i like my cup of tea (chai) when in cold places.

i have not decided on sweden plan yet.

but here is the plan for bergen ->

take the friday night flight from london to bergen, imemdiately after office.
reach bergen at midnight (will it be sunny?)

n the next 2 or 3 days, i will visit places with mind boggling names like sognefjord, naeroyfjord and geirangerfjord.

these names remind me of the comic asterix and the normans.
even the gauls were amazed the hear the names of the normans.

ok, from bergen, the next stop will be sognefjord. it can be done by bussekspress (i think that is norwish for bus express)
it can be done by train also, but i fell that bus will be more scenic. now let me figure out what to see in sf and then i will try to formulate some itenerary for nf and gf.

Nordic J

Info about trains to Sognefjord : http://www.sognefjord.no/Howtogethere

Almoraboy

thanks for all that help nordicj.
now my plan is begging to take shape.
london-bergen-sf.
day 1 - explore sf
day 2 - explore nf
day 3 - explore gf

now, what would be the best means of exploring these places? small hikes, boat rides, etc?

<**** to decide ***>

day 4, day 5 - northern norway

day 6 - come to sweden
day 7, 8 - check out sweden

day 9 - back to london.

Almoraboy

on second thoughts, i think this is getting too hectic.
i will cut the north norway part.
instead, i will explore the fjords nicely and then come to sweden.

Rapa-Ripa

Hello. You might find information from lonelyplanet.com and there thorn trees scandinavia forum.
I have lived in Norway, but that was in Oslo. Sorry dont know about Bergen.
Food is expensive. Cheapest places to eat out are pakistani owned kebab eateries.

Descendands of vikings are everywhere, luckily they are quite mild mannered today.
Igloos are hard to find. To see them you should go to Greenland. Havent been to Kumaon, so dont know if any place in Norway is similar.