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Old Jan 22, 2006, 4:55 am
  #2  
ph-ndr
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Programs: QR Plat
Posts: 2,450
Without trying to get too deeply into organizing someone elses trip, here's a few pointers:

* Take the train from Oslo to norway, it takes you straight therough some of the highlands and fjords and valleys on the west coast, avoid reantal cars at all cost (no pun intended, reantal car prices in Norway is the frontend of our local extorsion industry). Tickets found here for, even 1st class is inepensive and worth it, the trains are new: http://www.nsb.no/

* When in Bergen, spend a full day, that should cover most points, if you want a local guide and a car, I'm here; things are a bit spread out once you get outside the city, once again, rental cars are nice if you inherit Trumph, otherwise avoid. Website here: http://www.bergen-guide.com/

* From Bergen, you can easily catch Hurtigruten up to Ålesund, Kristiansund and Trondheim. Also, the summer route will get you into Geirangerfjorden and other nice parts of the coast. Website here: http://www.hurtigruten.no

* Also, from Bergen, you can get the "Norway in a nutshell" tour which gives you some ofr the most dramatic scenery western norway has to offer: http://www.norwaynutshell.com/default.asp

* Now, for national parks; they're all open 24hrs a day, we dont fence them in to hide the fact we need ot use curling irons to make our raindeer look cute, nor polish they huge blinking eyes of our baby seals. Seriously, In may you are still likely to have cold weather that far up, and you're more than likely to run into areas of snow on the ground. However, you can also get some spectacular spring weather, or you can get fogged ino for a few weeks. As for a good day hike, my favourite is this one: http://www.rallarvegen.no/default.as...ds=rallarvegen (by bicycle, it's easy).

Also, as far as Rondane and Jostedalsbreen, that is pretty much driving 2/3 of the way to Ålesund, and is also a real nice drive and gets you a ton more spectacular scenery, in terms of how to plug a road into a mountianside especially, since most of the old, WWII-era roads outside the tunnels that are now dug, still remains open.

An alternative to Jostedalsbreen would be both Bondhusbreen (http://www.imageshop.no/sunnhordland....aspx?doc=2115) and Hardangsjøkulen (http://impact.ii.uib.no/arnt/Peaks/h...rjokulen.html).

Let me know if I've avoided anything or left anything out or you need me to dig up more stuff.
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