Alesund and Mt Aksla

We'll be on the Serenade in Aug with Alesund as one of our ports of call. Thanks for all the information.

 

 

 

Ine, I noticed in your signature that you were on the Millennium - Asia itinerary. We'll be sailing on the Millennium 4 B2B's in Mar 2018. This will be our first time to Asia. We would appreciate any information, advice, suggestions, excursions, tours, etc you could share with us. You can email me at Lmack2 at Gmail dot com.

 

 

Lynn

On its way!

Thank you. I ordered a Ford Focus but I ended up with brand new (17km on the clock) Toyota RAV4 Hybrid with an automatic gearbox although I didn't request an automatic gearbox. The car was powerful enough, the inclines were not too steep, you tended to zig-zag up the hills rather than go straight up. Some really large buses and camper vans go up the hills.

We decided to also rent a car, just booked a Ford Focus. Looking forward to this trip.

We decided to also rent a car, just booked a Ford Focus. Looking forward to this trip.

Great, I hope you enjoy your day as much as we did.

Great, I hope you enjoy your day as much as we did.

We sure hope so and of course we also hope the weather will cooperate. . My husband will certainly makes tons of photos.

Thanks again for your tips. As we have been to Alesund before, we might have stayed on the ship otherwise.

Decided to do the cruise tour of the troll path since it universally gets great reviews from people who have done it from various cruise lines, and since we are in docked in Alesund until 11, we will have plenty of time to walk up the stairs to Mt. Aksla after the tour.

Decided to do the cruise tour of the troll path since it universally gets great reviews from people who have done it from various cruise lines, and since we are in docked in Alesund until 11, we will have plenty of time to walk up the stairs to Mt. Aksla after the tour.

That is what we plan to do in our rentalcar. Since we are 4 persons it will be a lot cheaper then the cruise excursion.

Blocks -- thanks for the great info here. We're renting from the Avis too in a few weeks and I'm trying to play our day. How was the rental process at the Avis? Were there lines and how efficient was the rental? Trying to figure out if we can make a 9:10 ferry at Magerholm with an 8:00 port call -- looks like about a 30 minute drive so it likely will be very tight.

Blocks -- thanks for the great info here. We're renting from the Avis too in a few weeks and I'm trying to play our day. How was the rental process at the Avis? Were there lines and how efficient was the rental? Trying to figure out if we can make a 9:10 ferry at Magerholm with an 8:00 port call -- looks like about a 30 minute drive so it likely will be very tight.

Our ship was due to dock in Alesund at 08:00 but we were slightly early. We were 2nd off the ship and were waiting for them to open the gate, no need to show your passport. Assuming most ships dock at the same place, it was an easy and short walk to Avis, we stopped at a supermarket across the road just before Avis and bought some water and snacks.

There was one person in front of us when we arrived at Avis and in the time we were there only one other couple arrived. The office is small, just a single counter, but the woman who dealt with our car was efficient, she brought the car to the office and we were on our way very quickly.

Returning the car was also very easy, petrol station next door to fill up and then return the car.

Blocks, another question. I see you also drive to Trollvegen, which seems to be is a bit out of the way of the highway. Was there something special to see from there? In other words did you drive there for a special reason, maybe nice viewpoint?

Or do we just drive the Trollstigen?

Thanks again for your help

Blocks, another question. I see you also drive to Trollvegen, which seems to be is a bit out of the way of the highway. Was there something special to see from there? In other words did you drive there for a special reason, maybe nice viewpoint?

Or do we just drive the Trollstigen?

Thanks again for your help

Trollvegen is a vertical cliff face with a visitor centre and large car park. It is the tallest vertical cliff face in Europe and is quite famous amongst climbers.

However there is a railway line between the car park and the cliff face so I just took some picture but we didn't stay for too long. It is not much of a detour and you return back down the same road.

Trollvegen is a vertical cliff face with a visitor centre and large car park. It is the tallest vertical cliff face in Europe and is quite famous amongst climbers.

 

However there is a railway line between the car park and the cliff face so I just took some picture but we didn't stay for too long. It is not much of a detour and you return back down the same road.

Thanks, I had no idea what to see there.

Thanks, I had no idea what to see there.

Here are a couple of photos I took at Trollveggen

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Here are a couple of photos I took at Trollveggen

 

 

 

 

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Thanks, we are very much ooking forward to this daytrip!

If I had not read you renting a car and driving there, we might have stayed in Alesund whree we were 2 times before.

We were in Alesund on the Koningsdam earlier this month. We also rented a car through Avis, a few months in advance. It was a very easy process. We drove out to Trollstigen via Andalsnes, then back around to the island of Alnes to see the lighthouse, go to the beach, and then back to town. A gorgeous drive all around. Trollstigen was fantastic. We had a manual transmission, which, IMO, is far easier to maneuver in this type of driving to control speed. The road itself is pretty hairy - there are a few spots that are for one vehicle only, and we had 2 buses trying to pass each other. It took a while and traffic became very backed up. But, the view at the top was amazing, and the drive down the other side was very pleasant.:D

We were in Alesund on the Koningsdam earlier this month. We also rented a car through Avis, a few months in advance. It was a very easy process. We drove out to Trollstigen via Andalsnes, then back around to the island of Alnes to see the lighthouse, go to the beach, and then back to town. A gorgeous drive all around. Trollstigen was fantastic. We had a manual transmission, which, IMO, is far easier to maneuver in this type of driving to control speed. The road itself is pretty hairy - there are a few spots that are for one vehicle only, and we had 2 buses trying to pass each other. It took a while and traffic became very backed up. But, the view at the top was amazing, and the drive down the other side was very pleasant.:D

Thanks, so you drove clockwise and up the mountains and back more or less the same way?

We are thinking of making the whole circle like Blocks did, but probaly like you start uphill first.

The car is rented and we are very much looking forward to this trip.

My daughter in this case will be the driver, she has driven in many places in the world, it will be no problem for her. Either manual or automatic.

We were in Alesund on the Koningsdam earlier this month. We also rented a car through Avis, a few months in advance. It was a very easy process. We drove out to Trollstigen via Andalsnes, then back around to the island of Alnes to see the lighthouse, go to the beach, and then back to town. A gorgeous drive all around. Trollstigen was fantastic. We had a manual transmission, which, IMO, is far easier to maneuver in this type of driving to control speed. The road itself is pretty hairy - there are a few spots that are for one vehicle only, and we had 2 buses trying to pass each other. It took a while and traffic became very backed up. But, the view at the top was amazing, and the drive down the other side was very pleasant.:D

Your route sounds good too. Is there a map to show the route you took?

I have reserved a car at Avis too.

Thanks a lot for the useful info.

Blocks, I hope you will read this. I want to thank you again for all your replies re the rentalcar to Trollstigen from Alesund. We came back this weekend and we enjoyed our day from Alesund so much. Although we didnot book a large car, we got a nice luxury Lexus (!) for that day. If I hadnot read about you doing this we would not had such a great day. Thanks again!

Blocks, I hope you will read this. I want to thank you again for all your replies re the rentalcar to Trollstigen from Alesund. We came back this weekend and we enjoyed our day from Alesund so much. Although we didnot book a large car, we got a nice luxury Lexus (!) for that day. If I hadnot read about you doing this we would not had such a great day. Thanks again!

Hi Ine, my pleasure thanks for the feedback, I am really glad you enjoyed your day, really spectacular scenery and nice bonus with the car.

If Blocks is still around.......we are in port from 8-5. Was wondering if you think we would have enough time to rent a car and do the route you drove?

If Blocks is still around.......we are in port from 8-5. Was wondering if you think we would have enough time to rent a car and do the route you drove?

We were in port 8-6. We were quickly off the ship which docked slightly early and were leaving Avis by 8:15am and we were back at Avis before 4pm. We also went up to the Aksla viewpoint for 20 minutes or so on the way back to Alesund. We had time to wander around Alesund before returning to the ship.

I think you will be fine assuming the ship docks in time and there are no traffic issues. It is only 10 mins walk from the cruise dock to Avis and there is a petrol station right next to Avis to refuel when you return.

We were in port 8-6. We were quickly off the ship which docked slightly early and were leaving Avis by 8:15am and we were back at Avis before 4pm. We also went up to the Aksla viewpoint for 20 minutes or so on the way back to Alesund. We had time to wander around Alesund before returning to the ship.

 

I think you will be fine assuming the ship docks in time and there are no traffic issues. It is only 10 mins walk from the cruise dock to Avis and there is a petrol station right next to Avis to refuel when you return.

I noticed you told another poster who is in port the same amount of time to take the ship excursion....hence my question. I guess because we are closer in opening time at Avis it is doable?

What day of the week did you go?

Was there more traffic on the beginning half or ending half? Just trying to decide which direction to go.

Did you follow any buses or just pass them?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Like Block (he recommanded this to us) we rented a car at Avis and did the Trollstigen tour. Our ship was in port till 11 pm, so we were not in a hurry. We picked up the car at 8, made a lot of photostops. had a drink on top of Trollstigen and lunch enroute. Drove to the Aksla viewpoint and returned the car shortly before 5.

Traffic was never an issue. If you leave early you are ahead of possible touringcars with tourists.

We drove anti clock wise, that way we drove down Trollstigen, which we think was more relaxed to do instead of driving up (when you go clockwise).

Absolutely a great day and way to do it!

I noticed you told another poster who is in port the same amount of time to take the ship excursion....hence my question. I guess because we are closer in opening time at Avis it is doable?

What day of the week did you go?

Was there more traffic on the beginning half or ending half? Just trying to decide which direction to go.

Did you follow any buses or just pass them?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

I can't recall which day of the week it was but it was a weekday. Traffic was relatively busy leaving Alesund but we didn't encounter any traffic once out of town. When going down the Trollstigen road we occasionally had to wait a short time for cars and buses coming up the hill but that is to be expected. It is quite tight in certain places getting past the buses on that part of the road.

I didn't see many buses on the way to the visitor centre. We stayed there about an hour and it was very busy with buses and tourists by the time we left.

If tight for time you can skip Aksla when you return to Alesund. We also visited the Trollveggen (Troll Wall) for a brief stop.

Any recommendations for a lunch stop along the way driving to Trollstigen?

I’ve also seen some travelers recommend stopping in Volldall for strawberries. I’m picturing fruit stands along the roadside that will be obvious to see and pull over to purchase strawberries. Or do I need directions on where to go?

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