Hurtigruten Ahoy! Bergen – Trondheim by boat

“But only pensioners do that!” Almost every second person I told about my plans to travel to Norway slammed this statement on my head. It’s almost as if I’m going to waste my life on the ship as a young sniffer.

But first things first. Our plan was as follows: take the train from Bergen to Oslo (with a fjord detour in between) and then from Bergen with the Hurtigruten to Trondheim. The traditional mail boat line still runs daily between Bergen and the northernmost point of Kirkenes. The entire trip takes about a week. Our stage, on the other hand, takes just under 36 hours. Two nights and a full day on the ship. Why should this type of travel only be for pensioners?

The Hurtigruten terminal is located behind one of the hills that surround the core of mountains. The pro tip: At Østre Muralmenningen there is an underground lift that relieves you of having to carry your suitcases. As soon as we checked in at the terminal and took a seat for the presentation of the obligatory safety video, we realize that our friends were not so wrong in their assessment. The room fills up with seniors. The percentage of rollators is on the rise. Are there actually no people under the age of 50 on the ship?

First evening on the ship – Standing on the railing and looking at the passing picture-book Norway

After the ship has left Bergen behind and most guests are looking at the coastal landscape from the deck, we can give the all-clear. It actually has other younger couples and even families. But one thing is indisputable: pensioners have the upper hand. What could be the reason for this? We explain the phenomenon from the high prices for the intermediate stages due to the lack of competition. Our ticket cost 554 euros per person – booked directly on the Hurtigruten website – (outside cabin incl. breakfast). The cheapest price for this route is around 260 euros in the summer months, depending on the ship. In addition, there is the cost of dinner. Since we only spent a full evening on the ship, we decided not to eat in the restaurant and treated ourselves to a burger (150 crowns) in the bistro.

The Discovery of Slowness

After a pleasant night, we start the next day early on the railing. After a short stop in Alesund, the highlight of this stage follows. The trip in the Storfjorden and from there to the farthest tip of the magnificent Geirangerfjord. This is one of the main reasons why we chose this route. We secure two sun loungers at a wind-protected corner on the sun deck and put our feet up for the rest of the day. For once, you can drive through wonderful landscapes without the hustle and bustle and not move a meter. But the unstable weather still provides some action and when passing the famous Seven Sisters waterfall, nothing keeps us on our seats anyway.

Morgenstimmung vor Alesund

Norway in perfection – Storfjord and Geirangerfjord

Seven sisters brave the storm

Rainy Art Nouveau architecture in Ålesund

The way back towards Ålesund is on the same route as the outward journey. In Ålesund, it is possible to leave the ship for just under 45 minutes and take a short walk to see the Art Nouveau architecture. However, the torrential rain makes us flee back to the ship after about 30 minutes.

Hurtigruten hamburgers and dramatic evening atmosphere

Later in the evening, shortly before Molde, we cruise the sister ship MS Nordkapp with our MS Midnatsol (one of the newer ships). There is a lot of honking and waving. In order to underline the clichés with the right backdrop, Norway suddenly conjures up a rainbow in the dark clouds.

Arrival in Trondheim

Punctually at 08:30 we reach Trondheim the next morning, where we leave the ship. The crowd of guests who remain on the ship await the crossing of the Arctic Circle on this day. The guessing game of the day: what time will it be?

Apart from the miserable breakfast buffet, we found the two nights on the ship perfect. Just putting your feet up for a day, reading a book and looking at passing landscapes is also good in between. And no, in my opinion, you don’t have to wait until you have a walker to take the mail boat northbound. More information about the routes, the current prices, the different prices and other interesting details can be found on the Hurtigruten website.