Getting There By Air:Bergen Airport, Flesland (BGO)
Tel: 5599 8000.
Website:
www.avinor.no Bergen’s well-equipped, one-terminal airport is the second most important in Norway (after Oslo). It lies 19km (12 miles) south of the city center. As there are no announcements over the public address system, travelers are advised to keep an eye on departure boards.
Approximate flight times to Bergen: From London is 1 hour 50 minutes; from New York is 8 hours 50 minutes;
from Los Angeles is 12 hours 50 minutes; from Toronto is 9 hours 40 minutes and from Sydney is 22 hours 50 minutes.
Airport facilities: There is an information office, a bank, a post office, automatic exchange machines and ATMs. Wi-Fi and Internet terminals are available. Other facilities include a newsagent, duty-free and souvenir shops, baggage lockers and several restaurants, cafés and bars. Car hire is provided by
Avis,
Budget,
Europcar,
Hertz and
National.
Business facilities: There are no airline business lounges. The
De syv fjell conference center (tel: 5599 7400) has telephone, computer and fax machines as well as a meeting room for up to 30 people. The center is open Monday to Friday from 0730 in the morning.
Transport to the city: The journey into Bergen takes 40-50 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. The airport bus (tel: 5555 9070; website:
www.flybussen.no) drops passengers at the bus station and at main hotels in town. Taxis to the center are also available. Driving from the airport into the center of Bergen is straightforward, as the R580 is well signposted to
Sentrum (City Center).
Getting There By Water:Due to the relatively mild Atlantic climate, Bergen has an ice-free harbor all year round; the passage between the harbor and the open sea is short and the fairway good. International ferry services dock at Skoltegrunnskaien. Onshore facilities include bunkering, showers, a launderette and power supply, which are available between May and September. Keys are available (a deposit and a fee are required) from the quayside tourist information office.
Ferry services: The ferry terminal at Skoltegrunnskaien has basic facilities with a café and snack bar.
DFDS Seaways (tel: 0870 252 0524 in the UK; website:
www.dfds.co.uk) operates a service between Bergen and Newcastle-upon-Tyne via Stavanger and Haugesund throughout the week.
Fjord Line (tel: 8153 3500; website:
www.fjordline.com) operates year-round, thrice-weekly services connecting Bergen and Egersund with Hanstholm in Denmark.
Smyril Line (tel: 5559 6520; website:
www.smyril-line.no) operates a service between Bergen, Shetland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland.
There is also an extensive network of domestic coastal services, including the
Hurtigruten coastal steamer (tel: 7696 7600; website:
www.hurtigruten.com) linking Bergen with other Norwegian ports and the North Cape. Many international cruise ships call at Bergen during the summer months.
Getting There By Road:The letter ‘E’ (plus a number) designates main routes, while the letter ‘R’ (plus a number) indicates lesser roads. Traffic drives on the right and overtakes on the left. The speed limit on motorways is usually 90kph (56mph), although in some places this increases to 100kph (57mph), while it is 80kph (50mph) outside towns, 50kph (31mph) in populated areas and 30kph (19mph) in certain residential streets. All passengers must wear seat belts. Motorcyclists must wear helmets. All vehicles must have dipped headlights on at all times. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.02%. Overseas national driving licenses and International Driving Permits are both valid in Norway. Third-party insurance is compulsory and a Green Card is recommended.
The
Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) (tel: 08505; website: www.naf.no) operates an emergency breakdown service which can be used by anyone who is a member of a major international motoring organization.
Emergency breakdown service:
NAF (tel: 08505).
Routes to the city: Bergen is connected to Oslo by the E16, which runs Bergen-Voss-Aurland-Lærdalsøyri-Fagernes-Hønefoss-Sandvika. From Sandvika, the road joins the E18 into the center of Oslo. This is the fastest route to Oslo, with the world’s longest road tunnel (24.5km/15 miles) linking Aurland with Lærdal and cutting out the need for a ferry. There is a shorter route, via the R7 through Geilo, but this involves some precipitous climbs across the Hardangervidda Pass (1,250m/4,125ft) and a ferry crossing from Brimnes to Bruravik, so it is slower.
From Oslo, it is possible to continue on the E18 to Orebro, from where the E20 leads to Stockholm.
The route to and from Trondheim is rather more complicated, with several alternatives of varying suitability according to the time of year (many mountain roads are closed due to snow from October to May). The shortest route to Bergen from Trondheim (summer only) is south via the E6 across the Dovrefjell range, turning west onto the vertiginous N15 at Otta and proceeding via Lom to Sogndal, from where the E39 links with Lavik, where a ferry crosses Sognefjorden to Oppedal. From there, the E39 continues south to Bergen. In winter, it is easier to travel via Oslo using the E6 and E16.
Driving times to Bergen: From Oslo - 8 hours 30 minutes; Trondheim - 15 hours; Stockholm - 17 hours.
Coach services: Nor-way Bussekspress (tel: 8154 4444; website:
www.nor-way.no) operates services between Oslo and Bergen, several services in each direction daily. The journey takes between 10 and 11 hours. Seats cannot be pre-booked. The Central Bus Station is located at Strømgaten 8. There is a free connection between Bergen bus station and the city center.
Getting There By Rail:Norwegian State Railways (NSB) (tel: 8150 0888); website:
www.nsb.no) operates clean and comfortable, although often rather slow, services. Bergen Jernbanestasjon (Bergen Railway Station), Strømgaten 4 (tel: 5596 6900), has a small shop and café/restaurant.
Rail services: Up to six services run daily in each direction between Oslo and Bergen, with a journey time of up to 8 hours. There is also a sleeper service every night except Saturday. A faster train called Signatur has cut the journey time on some services to about 6 hours 30 minutes. Heavy luggage is best sent in advance and seats on express and Signatur services must be reserved before traveling.
The
ScanRail Pass (website:
www.scanrail.com) offers 21 days of unlimited travel on railways and selected ferries throughout Scandinavia. Inter Rail tickets are valid in Norway and Bergen is linked to other Scandinavian cities and destinations in Europe via Oslo.
Transport to the city: Bus 100 is a free service for rail passengers that links the station, bus station and the city center (Olav Kyrresgate).
Getting Around:
Public TransportA travel information service operated by
Ruteopplysningen (tel: 177 from within Bergen
or 8150 0182 from abroad) provides advice on all aspects of public transport in the city. Bergen Busstasjon A/L (tel: 5555 9090) has an information center in
Bergen Storsenter (a shopping center), Strømgaten 8, that helps out with travel information, route fares and schedules, maps and so on.
The main
bus operator in Bergen is
Tide (tel: 05505
or 9526 1507; website:
www.tide.no). Buses operate throughout the day, but services to outlying parts vary greatly, so it is best to check details before setting off. Bergen is divided into zones and bus tickets are priced accordingly.
Night buses operate on Friday and Saturday nights until 0400 and are considerably more expensive. The
Bergen Card (see
Sightseeing) permits free day-time bus travel within the city limits.
More than 20
ferries operate out of Bergen to outlying settlements around the fjords. These tend to be used by the locals, while the
Flaggruten (tel: 05505
or 5523 8700; website:
www.tide.no) express catamaran attracts the tourists for trips linking Bergen with other coastal towns and the fjords. A passenger ferry crosses Bergen harbor from Dreggekaien to Munkebryggen Monday to Friday.
TaxisMost taxis look like any other private saloon car but are identifiable by a sign on the roof. Taxis with an illuminated sign can be hailed on the street. All are registered and very safe. Meters indicate the fare but there is a small extra charge for luggage. Taxis can be ordered by telephone (tel: 07000 instant service
or 5599 7010 advance bookings; website:
www.bergentaxi.no). Corporate bookings can now be made in advance via the website. A short ride within the city costs around NOK65 but this varies according to the time of day. Taxis cost more after 1500 and on weekend evenings. An additional charge is made for pre-booked trips. There are permanent taxi ranks at Bryggen, Strandkaien and Vågsallmenningen (by the main tourist information office). It is common practice to tip about 10% of the total fare.
Driving in the CityA toll, ostensibly financing road improvement schemes, is levied on all cars entering Bergen Monday to Friday 0600-2200 (excluding public holidays). When driving, visitors should anticipate vehicles pulling out from side turnings on the right - Norway operates a ‘priority from the right’ rule except on designated ‘priority’ routes indicated by yellow diamond signs. Roundabouts can also be hazardous, as Norwegian drivers generally do not indicate their intentions before entering them.
Bergen is a relatively straightforward city to drive in. There is a one-way system in the city center but only a small area (part of Ole Bulls plass and Torgalmenningen) is pedestrianized. Rush hours are Monday to Friday 0700-0830 and 1530-1630.
There are around 4,500 parking places in central Bergen. Full details are available on the online map (website:
www.bergen.kommune.no/parkering_/ekstern/Parkeringskart2005-2.pdf). There are three indoor car parks close to the town center.
Bygarasjen, Vestre Strømkai (tel: 5556 8870), is open 24 hours, provides parking for over 2,200 cars and is a 5-minute walk from the center. The other two (short stay with limited opening hours) are
Citypark, Markeveien 7, and Parkeringshuset, Rosenkrantzgaten 4. Parking is free overnight, all day Sunday and after 1000 on Saturdays.
Car HireRegulations about the age of the person hiring the car tend to differ between hire companies but generally drivers must be over 21 years old and have held a license for a minimum of one year. A deposit must be paid with a credit card. Insurance is compulsory and is included in the cost of the car hire. Major providers include
Avis, Lars Hillesgate 20A (tel: 5555 3955; website:
www.avis.no),
Budget, Vestre Strømkai 5 (tel: 5532 6000; website:
www.budget.no),
Europcar, Nygårdsgaten 59B (tel: 5536 7000; website:
www.europcar.com), and
Hertz, Nygårdsgaten 89 (tel: 5596 4070; website:
www.hertz.no).
Bicycle HireBicycle and scooter hire are not available in Bergen. Furthermore, the hills are so steep that it is not an ideal location for cycling.
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