Bergen Travel Guide

Bergen, Norway — Travel Tips

Getting There By Air

Bergen Airport, Flesland (BGO)
Tel: 6703 1100 or 5599 8000.
Website: www.avinor.no/en/airport/bergen

Bergen's well-equipped, one-terminal airport lies 19km (12 miles) south of the city center.

Approximate flight times to Bergen: From London is 1 hour 55 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, 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, cafes and bars, as well as an on-site hotel, the Clarion Hotel Bergen Airport, which opened in 2007. Car hire is provided by Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt. The De syv fjell conference center (tel: 5599 7400) has telephone, computer and fax machines as well as a meeting room for up to 36 people. The center is open Monday to Friday from 0730 in the morning.

Transport to the city: The journey into Bergen takes 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. The airport bus (tel: 05505; 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 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; 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 services
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.
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.

Coach services
Nor-way Bussekspress (tel: 8154 4444; 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); www.nsb.no) operates clean and comfortable, although often rather slow, services. Bergen Jernbanestasjon (Bergen Railway Station), Strømgaten 4 , has a small shop and cafe/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 (although most services take between 6.5 and 7 hours). There is also a sleeper service every night except Saturday. Seats on express services must be reserved before traveling.

Transport
Bus 100 is a free service for rail passengers that links the station, bus station and the city center (Olav Kyrresgate).

Getting Around in Bergen, Norway

Public Transport

A 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 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; 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; 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.

Taxis

Taxis can be ordered by telephone (tel: 07000; www.bergentaxi.no) or hailed in the street. Corporate bookings can now be made in advance via the website. A short ride within the city costs around NOK90 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 City

A 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.

Parking details are available on the online map (www.bergen.kommune.no/bergenparkering). 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 five-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 Hire

Regulations 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; www.avis.no), Budget, Vestre Strømkai 5 (tel: 5532 6000; www.budget.no) and Hertz, Nygårdsgaten 89 (tel: 5596 4070; www.hertz.no). Europcar (tel: 5522 7320; www.europcar.com) also has a desk at the airport.