It's known internationally as a cruise, but Norwegians have used the Hurtigruten coastal route as a local ferry for generations. Here's how you can do the same.
Taking the Hurtigruten coastal voyage is a bucket list item for many travellers. Many of our Norwegian American readers have taken the full journey, which takes 12 days to travel from Bergen to Kirkenes and back again.
Some people take a one-way trip from Bergen to Kirkenes, which is a shorter, cheaper way to enjoy the coastline. Kirkenes to Bergen is another popular option as it's typically cheaper than the first half.
But while some Norwegians do take the full coastal voyage, many others use the service as a local ferry. For generations, that's exactly what the Hurtigruten was.
It's only in recent decades with bigger, more comfortable ships that it's popularity as a round-trip “cruise” experience has come to the fore.
A critical transport link along the Norwegian coastline
The Norwegian coastline has long made ground transport challenging. Even with recent bridge and tunnel projects, driving between two points along the coast can still be a long and/or difficult experience.
Prior to 1893, traffic along the coastline between Trondheim and Hammerfest was busy but unreliable. Authorities decided a regularly scheduled express route was needed.
Captain Richard With and his steamer DS Vesteraalen took up the challenge and Hurtigruten (“the quick route”) was born. Soon the route was extended from Bergen to Kirkenes, and Hurtigruten became a critical transport link for cargo and people.
Who uses Hurtigruten as a ferry?
Despite the name, Hurtigruten cruises are not a particularly quick way to travel along the coastline. Even setting aside aviation, there are several speedboats operated by local councils that provide a quicker service, such as Trondheim to Kristiansund or Bodø to Svolvær.
Book a Hurtigruten Trip: Search availability and fares for a port-to-port trip with Hurtigruten in Norway
But there are portions of the coastline where Hurtigruten is the quickest option, or cheapest, or just the easiest.
When I took the full round-trip on the MS Vesterålen in January 2019, passenger numbers were well below capacity. This meant it was very easy to see if and when locals were using the service as a port-to-port ferry.
The reasons were many and varied! One large group of students travelled between Tromsø and Svolvær for an arts festival. Farther south, one person with a broken arm travelled from Rørvik to the regional hospital in Trondheim for a check-up.
I also used the Hurtigruten as a local ferry earlier this summer. Together with my parents, I travelled from Bodø to Svolvær. The journey took six hours including a short stop at Stamsund, and was an enjoyable, scenic alternative to the direct Bodø-Svolvær speedboat.
Pros and cons of travelling port-to-port
It's fair to say there are some very clear advantages and disadvantages of using the Hurtigruten in this way.
First of all, it's often the easiest way to get between two places, especially remote ones. For example, Stamsund to Finnsnes, or Honningsvåg to Båtsfjord. Flying is usually possible with Widerøe, but it can be expensive and often requires a change of planes.
While you can always drive, not everyone owns a car. This is especially true for tourists travelling along the coastline. So if you are car-free, Hurtigruten is a useful option.
Another strong advantage is the ability to take it easy on the trip. You can relax with a beer, enjoy the coastal view, or simply sit back and read a book.
On the flip side, the Hurtigruten is relatively slow and often expensive. Availability can be an issue in the summer months. You are also required to pay for a cabin if the journey involves an overnight stretch.
Scheduling is also an issue. The service runs no more than once per day in either direction. For example, the southbound service from Bodø departs at 3.30am. That's not convenient for most people!
Example timetables
Here are some example routes that are available right now on Hurtigruten. Note that times do vary seasonally and are subject to change, so this is purely for informational purposes. Check the schedules directly with the company if you are considering a trip.
Trondheim to Bodø: Leaves Trondheim at 12.45pm and arrives in Bodø at 1.05pm the following day. In the other direction, leaves Bodø at 3.30am and arrives in Trondheim at 6.30am the following day.
Tromsø to Svolvær (Lofoten): Leaves Tromsø at 1.30am and arrives in Svolvær at 6.30pm. In the other direction, leaves Svolvær at 10.15pm and arrives in Tromsø at 2.15pm the following day.
Trondheim to Ålesund: Leaves Trondheim at 9.30am and arrives in Ålesund at 00.30am the following day. In the other direction, leaves Ålesund at 8pm and arrives in Trondheim at 9.45am the following day.
Remember, these times are adjusted seasonally are only meant as a guide. To check the times applicable to your visit, use the Hurtigruten website.
What to expect when using Hurtigruten as a ferry
The process of booking and boarding the ferry is a little different when you are not taking the full voyage. When starting the roundtrip in Bergen, you check-in and board from the departure lounge.
But if you are using the service as a local ferry, you typically check-in on the ship itself. This must be done 15 minutes before departure, or 30 minutes before departure when boarding at Bergen. As I understand it, short trips must also be booked in advance.
When we boarded at Bodø, we arrived about one hour before the ship's departure. Upon boarding the MS Nordnorge, we showed photo ID at the ship's reception and were handed ID cards. These are used when paying for things onboard and when arriving/leaving the ship.
The biggest difference when using the vessels as a day ferry is the lack of a cabin. There is a luggage room available although this was jam-packed with baggage. There was just about room for our bags!
The rest of the ship is available for you to use, including the restaurants, bars, lounges and sun deck. During the booking process we were offered the chance to book a meal in the main restaurant.
However the three-course meal would've set us back about NOK 550 each, not including drinks. We opted instead to eat at the bistro and pay onboard. This was a much better option for us and the food was more reasonably priced.
I should add that for one-way trips that include an overnight stop, you are required to book a cabin. There is no option available to sleep in the lounges, for example.
How you book a port-to-port trip with Hurtigruten
It probably surprises some people that you can use the Hurtigruten as a local ferry. One of the reasons for this is the promotion of the roundtrip cruises on the English language versions of the website.
Book a Hurtigruten Trip: Search availability and fares for a port-to-port trip with Hurtigruten in Norway
When using the website as a Norwegian, you are presented port-to-port options much more prominently. These options are available on all language versions of the site. You just have to dig around a bit to find them! Look for “short voyages” or equivalent terminology, or use the links above.
The booking process is relatively straightforward. You select the two ports and then are presented with date options. You select the type of cabin (if appropriate), whether you want to book meals in advance, and book.
Prior to sailing you receive all the information you need to know about the trip via email. You will be reminded, but it's important to remember to take photo ID with you.
Using Havila as a coastal ferry
Hurtigruten now has a competitor on the coastal route. Havila Voyages are now up and running on selected days instead of Hurtigruten.
The company also offers a port-to-port service and operate one of their four vessels on the days that Hurtigruten does not sail. The ships are similar in amenities to the Hurtigruten vessels, but more modern.
So, if you want to sail port-to-port and there is no Hurtigruten departure available, check out the options with Havila. There will always be an option on a specific day with one of the two operators.
We went as a party of 4 on the Polarlys in June booking the round trip Bergen to Kirkenes and back. It was an incredibly expensive trip. Considering what we paid there were a number of issues which future passengers should be aware of. As foot passengers joined the vessel they took up a great deal of seating, putting their luggage on seats and sleeping across the couches
This meant that the cruise passengers like us who had paid a lot of money were left with nowhere to sit. Our cabin could not be enjoyed for long periods as the air conditioning was full on and could not be turned down. On boarding our friends luggage was put outside someone else’s cabin. He had to go and find it himself. We were treated at times by the reception staff when we asked for problems to be sorted like children. I would not recommend this way to see the beautiful Norwegian coast. Sorry Hurtigruten you need to up your game. We contacted the company but the reply was in the same vein as our experience with the reception staff. To balance this criticism the cabin staff and the restaurant staff were exceptional.
My husband and I first travelled the Bergen to Kirkenes on the Hurtigruten in 2019. We had a magnificent experience! We enjoyed it enough to book shorter trips (Trondheim to Ålesund, then Ålesund to Bergen) when we returned in 2020. We especially liked traveling this way because we enjoyed how relaxing the trip was. Yes, there were local groups using the shorter legs but it was temporary and we understood that this boat was one of the few options for the northern cities to travel to and from. Everything was made so easy and there were plenty of free informational session along with the paying excursions. The staff always seemed so happy and accommodating. We’ve recommended the Hurtigruten to many people since our first trip. We look forward to another trip in the future.
For people living in Norway using the Hurtigruten boats to travel along the coast is also an advantage if you, for example, have additional items with you which you couldn’t transport easily on a train or plane. (Oops, mom got me a large carpet for Christmas…)
Living in Trondheim and planning a kayak holiday at Helgelandskysten? You can just put your kayak on the ship and take it with you!
Regarding costs, remember that prices are cheaper when booking over the norwegian webside and using a norwegian bank card to pay.
Can’t find out from the internet how to book short journeys using Hurtigruten port to port as advised on the website above. We would like to use Hurtigruten as a ferry service between Bergen and Trondheim or between Bergen and Bodo sometime in June 2023, using the service one way and a stop off for a few days in some popular port stops en route then for the return trip using Norwegian Rail to return to Bergen for a flight back to UK. Please can you send an up to date schedule for the ferrys going north and also south an an indication of fare prices for outside view berths (not suites) so that we can plan our trip and organise our stays in various locations. Thank you for your help. Regards, Kevin and Ruth Speed
The port-to-port options are here: https://global.hurtigruten.com/port-to-port/#/
So helpful – thank you! I was sure port-to-port must be an option but couldn’t find it on the website.
Just a note though – actually there *is* an option to book one-way trips that include an overnight stop without a cabin – for example Bergen to Alesund. Presumably these people would then sleep in reclining seats in a lounge area?
I also note that it’s not possible to book port-to-port more than six months ahead. I wonder whether I’m likely to find it fully booked with longer-journey passengers, for an August sailing?
I am hoping to sail from Bergen to Aesund in May. Preferably the 24th. port to port. Two people. How do I find out the schedule and see if this is possible?
Check with the websites of the two companies that run the route to see which one operates on that day: Hurtigruten Norway and Havila Voyages.