Bergen Questions Answered 2017

Good Afternoon,

 

We will be arriving via NCL Jade on July 2, 2017. Looks like we will be docked outside of the main area. We would like to visit the Stave Church as well as taking the cable car (depending on the weather). Is there a tourist map of Bergen that notes the different points of interest? Or is it possible for you to direct us? Thank you for your assistance

There will be tourist maps given out for free at the cruise port. These cover all of the main points of interest in town. Getting out to see the Stave Church at Fantoft is relatively easy, but will probably be outside the range of these tourist maps. If you refer to my previous post #35 on this thread it gives you all the info you need to get from the centre to see the Stave Church :)

We were in Bergen several years ago and took the special bus to Mt Ulriken on a beautiful clear day. I see that they now have a zipline which looks interesting but I cannot see past the bottom of the zipline . Does one have to back up the mountain from there?

Also, we will be there on 17 August on Holland America Rotterdam. Do you know where that one docks?

 

Thank you so much for your help

The zipline up Ulriken looks fun (I haven't done it myself but some friends of mine have). It's not as dramatic as it might seem, though; about a 60-second ride, then you walk back to the main viewing/restaurant area at the top of Ulriken.

HAL Rotterdam on 17th August is docking at Skolten Nord, which is one of the 'easy' berths - just a few minutes strolling along the waterfront and you'll be right in the city centre :)

We will be in Bergen on the Crown Princess on July 27. Where will we be docking?

Hi :) You'll be docking at Jekteviksterminalen, which requires a short shuttle bus to the city centre. Post #43 in this thread provides the info you need :)

You will be docking at Bontelabo, which is one of the more central berths. It's an easy 10 minute walk from the gangway to the historic waterfront, and another 5 minutes to the funicular station :)

Thank you! Can't wait.

The zipline up Ulriken looks fun (I haven't done it myself but some friends of mine have). It's not as dramatic as it might seem, though; about a 60-second ride, then you walk back to the main viewing/restaurant area at the top of Ulriken.

 

:)

Thanks so much for your answers

ShipsInBergen - this is a super thread. Thank you for putting in the time.

We have visited Bergen on a previous cruise visit and I loved the city. We did an organised walking tour from the ship through to the Mariakirken and on down into Bryggen then ended at the Hanseatic Museum - that is a fascinating place! Loved all that very old history of Norway.

That was half our day and we were then on our own so had plenty of time to go up the funicular and later walk around to the fish market and back to the ship.

I have noted details of the light rail route to get to the Fantoft Stave Church. This would suit us beautifully. However, I would also like to walk up to Skivebakken as I have seen this featured on another Bergen page I have subscribed to.

Is Festplassen still the best light rail stop to head for? How often do the trams run?

I would also like to mention that I tried to get to the English page for ship arrivals but every time I click the link for "Port arrival notification" it skips back to the home page in Norwegian. Am I trying to get to the wrong page? :o

We are not in Bergen until next year. Are ship arrivals up to August 2018 posted there yet? We are arriving on Serenade on 28 August. I like to plan ahead :)

One other thing I should mention is that Google Maps (certainly here in Australia) does not show the light rail stations (which I know are shown in other cities). I was able to 'find' the line and follow it to see where the line is in relation to Fantoft Stave Church and Edvard Grieg's house further along, but I do not know exactly where the stop is to plan the walk to each of these.

Also will I be able to do both the church and Grieg Museum on the one trip hopping on and off the light rain? We are in Bergen from 10:00-18:00, so obviously need to be back at the ship no later than 17:30, but would prefer 17:00.

Many thanks in advance.

I have been on and can highly recommend Bergen Food Tours. It is a very small group with a most knowledgeable and entertaining guide. It is listed as 3 hours (ours went longer by mutual agreement) and you will see, sip, and taste Bergen like a local. We rarely book tours or excursions, preferring to mostly ramble on our own. But this tour is one of the best things we've ever done and worth every penny. 🙂

ShipsInBergen - this is a super thread. Thank you for putting in the time.

 

We have visited Bergen on a previous cruise visit and I loved the city. We did an organised walking tour from the ship through to the Mariakirken and on down into Bryggen then ended at the Hanseatic Museum - that is a fascinating place! Loved all that very old history of Norway.

 

That was half our day and we were then on our own so had plenty of time to go up the funicular and later walk around to the fish market and back to the ship.

 

I have noted details of the light rail route to get to the Fantoft Stave Church. This would suit us beautifully. However' date=' I would also like to walk up to Skivebakken as I have seen this featured on another Bergen page I have subscribed to.

 

Is Festplassen still the best light rail stop to head for? How often do the trams run?

 

I would also like to mention that I tried to get to the English page for ship arrivals but every time I click the link for "Port arrival notification" it skips back to the home page in Norwegian. Am I trying to get to the wrong page? :o

 

We are not in Bergen until next year. Are ship arrivals up to August 2018 posted there yet? We are arriving on Serenade on 28 August. I like to plan ahead :)[/quote']

 

One other thing I should mention is that Google Maps (certainly here in Australia) does not show the light rail stations (which I know are shown in other cities). I was able to 'find' the line and follow it to see where the line is in relation to Fantoft Stave Church and Edvard Grieg's house further along' date=' but I do not know exactly where the stop is to plan the walk to each of these.

 

Also will I be able to do both the church and Grieg Museum on the one trip hopping on and off the light rain? We are in Bergen from 10:00-18:00, so obviously need to be back at the ship no later than 17:30, but would prefer 17:00.

 

Many thanks in advance.[/quote']

 

Hi Valerie :) I'll run through your questions in order...

 

- A stroll around Skivebakken should only take a few relaxed minutes, so when you head for the lightrail you can either get on at Byparken (right by Festplassen) or Nonneseter, which is only 1 minute down the line. These stops are both within a few hundred metres of Skivebakken.

 

- Bybanen (light rail) runs every 5-10 minutes throughout the day, so you won't be waiting long :)

 

- As far as I know Bergen Port only maintain the timetable page in Norwegian (link: http://bergenhavn.no/cruise/anlopsoversikt/). Hopefully the schedule information in the table still makes sense. The schedule is released one year ahead, so if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you'll see new ships added each day, all one year out. So you'll get your answer in a couple of months ;).

 

- English language information for the Bybanen (stops, timetables, etc.) can be found here: https://www.skyss.no/en/timetable-and-maps/bergen-light-rail/

 

- You should have no trouble fitting all of your plans in one visit, but will most likely be well outside the 90-minute window for riding on a single ticket, so you will be best buying a day pass from the ticket machines (all explained in English on the machine's touch screens).

 

Hope this helps. Let me know if anything else comes to mind :D

Hi Valerie :) I'll run through your questions in order...

 

- A stroll around Skivebakken should only take a few relaxed minutes, so when you head for the lightrail you can either get on at Byparken (right by Festplassen) or Nonneseter, which is only 1 minute down the line. These stops are both within a few hundred metres of Skivebakken.

 

- Bybanen (light rail) runs every 5-10 minutes throughout the day, so you won't be waiting long :)

 

- As far as I know Bergen Port only maintain the timetable page in Norwegian (link: http://bergenhavn.no/cruise/anlopsoversikt/). Hopefully the schedule information in the table still makes sense. The schedule is released one year ahead, so if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you'll see new ships added each day, all one year out. So you'll get your answer in a couple of months ;).

 

- English language information for the Bybanen (stops, timetables, etc.) can be found here: https://www.skyss.no/en/timetable-and-maps/bergen-light-rail/

 

- You should have no trouble fitting all of your plans in one visit, but will most likely be well outside the 90-minute window for riding on a single ticket, so you will be best buying a day pass from the ticket machines (all explained in English on the machine's touch screens).

 

Hope this helps. Let me know if anything else comes to mind :D

Thanks this helps me a lot with my planning.

However, I'm still seeking the exact location of the stops - on a map. So that we know where we have to go when we alight. I have noted that you suggested Paradis stop for the church, but I see there is a Fantoft stop too - without your guidance this is confusing if it is not possible to see where the stop is on a map.

I'm sure we will work it all out on the day and we will find a local tour map, though I have looked up my Bergen map from our last visit and that does not really help as it is only a city map. Obviously it does not go beyond the city.

I've also gleaned the information that your ticketing system is like ours in Sydney so after we have purchased the ticket we have to validate it on the light rail on boarding. Is this correct?

We plan on doing Norway in a nutshell in Sept from Oslo to Bergen before our cruise with Viking. Is it feasible to take luggage on the buses, etc. I don't think a porter service will deliver to our location in Bergen. Thanks for any advice.

Thanks this helps me a lot with my planning.

 

However' date=' I'm still seeking the exact location of the stops - on a map. So that we know where we have to go when we alight. I have noted that you suggested Paradis stop for the church, but I see there is a Fantoft stop too - without your guidance this is confusing if it is not possible to see where the stop is on a map.

 

I'm sure we will work it all out on the day and we will find a local tour map, though I have looked up my Bergen map from our last visit and that does not really help as it is only a city map. Obviously it does not go beyond the city.

 

I've also gleaned the information that your ticketing system is like ours in Sydney so after we have purchased the ticket we have to validate it on the light rail on boarding. Is this correct?[/quote']

 

Hi Valerie :)

 

Thats a good point about the maps; I hadn't noticed that before. I've done a little bit of digging, and found the follwing, which overlays most of the stops onto google maps...

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1jOYCxu9zOjVU6pbjmFSRF6zDl0E&hl=en_US&ll=60.355988008088815%2C5.342944999999986&z=12

 

Hopefully that helps. It might be worth noting for some that the bybanen has recently been extended to run all the way to Bergen Flesland Airport, though that won't impact on your sightseeing journey :)

 

You will need to validate your card on the reader. It's been a while since I used a temporary 'mini card' that you will be issued from the machine (I travel with a permanent card). If you have any issues validating it on the reader on the light rail carriage (and if there isn't a friendly local there to help ;)) then just be sure to keep the receipt with you, and any ticket inpector will be able to help you out if you do get 'unlucky' and have your ticket checked!

We plan on doing Norway in a nutshell in Sept from Oslo to Bergen before our cruise with Viking. Is it feasible to take luggage on the buses, etc. I don't think a porter service will deliver to our location in Bergen. Thanks for any advice.

Hi. Unfortunately I can't give you any first-hand advice on that, as I've never done this tour myself. It may be that someone reading here can 'chime in' with an answer, or you may be better posting the question as a new thread in the Northern Europe & Baltic Sea forum :).

Hi Valerie :)

 

Thats a good point about the maps; I hadn't noticed that before. I've done a little bit of digging, and found the follwing, which overlays most of the stops onto google maps...

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1jOYCxu9zOjVU6pbjmFSRF6zDl0E&hl=en_US&ll=60.355988008088815%2C5.342944999999986&z=12

 

Hopefully that helps. It might be worth noting for some that the bybanen has recently been extended to run all the way to Bergen Flesland Airport, though that won't impact on your sightseeing journey :)

 

You will need to validate your card on the reader. It's been a while since I used a temporary 'mini card' that you will be issued from the machine (I travel with a permanent card). If you have any issues validating it on the reader on the light rail carriage (and if there isn't a friendly local there to help ;)) then just be sure to keep the receipt with you, and any ticket inpector will be able to help you out if you do get 'unlucky' and have your ticket checked!

Thanks for the extra tips on the ticketing.

So far as Google Maps is concerned, I have been down on street view and it looks like the Bybanen was actually being built on some views. If I drop down on to street view the last updated date is recorded. It's weird as on one section of Kaigaten the map is dated 2010 and further along it is dated 2014. So the updating seems a little random. Be that as it may, there are no stations recorded and further along the line (Fantoft and Paradis and Troldhaugen) the maps are all dated 2010.

Looking at the street view at Troldhaugen and coming back along the 'lane' (Troldhaugvegen) it brings me to a car park (I did wonder if vehicles went all the way down to the point). Is the light rail station near there by any chance?

Also if I search for Bybanen it drops me down in an area near what I presume is your mainline station in a spot between Lars Hilles gate and Fjosangerveien. From satellite view it looks like that is a Bybanen headquarters.

As the street view of Kaigaten shows the tram running along there I presume that is where I will find a stop. We'll manage on that basis.

Thanks also for the overlay. I've just had a look and that will be really helpful. :)

Thanks for the extra tips on the ticketing.

 

So far as Google Maps is concerned' date=' I have been down on street view and it looks like the Bybanen was actually being built on some views. If I drop down on to street view the last updated date is recorded. It's weird as on one section of Kaigaten the map is dated 2010 and further along it is dated 2014. So the updating seems a little random. Be that as it may, there are no stations recorded and further along the line (Fantoft and Paradis and Troldhaugen) the maps are all dated 2010.

 

Looking at the street view at Troldhaugen and coming back along the 'lane' (Troldhaugvegen) it brings me to a car park (I did wonder if vehicles went all the way down to the point). Is the light rail station near there by any chance?

 

Also if I search for Bybanen it drops me down in an area near what I presume is your mainline station in a spot between Lars Hilles gate and Fjosangerveien. From satellite view it looks like that is a Bybanen headquarters.

 

As the street view of Kaigaten shows the tram running along there I presume that is where I will find a stop. We'll manage on that basis.[/quote']

 

The best Bybanen station to use for Troldhaugen is 'Hop', which is a little east of where you've been looking. This is around a 20min walk. The station at Hop is shown on the overlay map I linked to before.

 

Yep, you've got it; The first two bybanen stops (Byparken & Nonneseter) are along Kaigaten. I've just had a quick look and they're both showing up on streetview. They are also both as positioned on the overlay map (though for some reason the stop at Nonneseter is marked as 'Jernbanen', just to confuse things a little bit ;p)

The best Bybanen station to use for Troldhaugen is 'Hop', which is a little east of where you've been looking. This is around a 20min walk. The station at Hop is shown on the overlay map I linked to before.

 

Yep, you've got it; The first two bybanen stops (Byparken & Nonneseter) are along Kaigaten. I've just had a quick look and they're both showing up on streetview. They are also both as positioned on the overlay map (though for some reason the stop at Nonneseter is marked as 'Jernbanen', just to confuse things a little bit ;p)

Thank you :D

Don't you just love tech for trip planning!

The overlay was most useful. I'd figured out Hop was right for Troldhaugen. Looks like a lovely lane to walk down too. Looking forward to it.

Now I'm all set.

Thank you so much for this thread! We plan to be in Bergen for a day or two next month. You mentioned automated ticket booths. Will those need a PIN number, or can we get by without one?

What a great thread. We a cruising on Queen Elizabeth arriving Bergen August 1st barring any unforeseen adjustments not sure of what time we arrive and leave all itinerary states is arrive early morning leave afternoon. We have booked quite a number of ships excursions (creditcard groaning) so hope we can do Bergen on our own which from some of your suggestions sounds very do-able. Can you glean any information about when and where our ship arrives. Thanks in advance

ShipsInBergen, thank you so much for starting this thread! I haven't had a chance to read the entire thing, but will definitely spend some doing that. It's so helpful when a local answers questions!

I won't be in Bergen until May 2018 so I have plenty of time to plan. With what little I know so far, we'd be interested in seeing the town, shopping for those gorgeous sweaters, going up the funicular (not hiking! LOL), and the highest priority will be a fjords tour. We'll be there from 10 a.m to 8 p.m. on a Sunday and the next day we'll be in Alesund from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Which would you suggest for doing a fjords tour? If we do that in Bergen, will there also be time to do the funicular and explore the town a bit?

Thanks so much for your advice!

QC

Thank you so much for this thread! We plan to be in Bergen for a day or two next month. You mentioned automated ticket booths. Will those need a PIN number, or can we get by without one?

Hi :). I'm not sure if the ticket machines will work with a PIN-less card, but they do still accept coins, so you can ask for change at a convenience store and do it that way.

What a great thread. We a cruising on Queen Elizabeth arriving Bergen August 1st barring any unforeseen adjustments not sure of what time we arrive and leave all itinerary states is arrive early morning leave afternoon. We have booked quite a number of ships excursions (creditcard groaning) so hope we can do Bergen on our own which from some of your suggestions sounds very do-able. Can you glean any information about when and where our ship arrives. Thanks in advance

I definitely think you'll have a great time seeing Bergen without an official (expensive!) tour :) According to the current schedule, QE will be alongside from 08:00 to 17:00...of course this could change, but they do tend to stick to these times.

Schedule here...http://bergenhavn.no/cruise/anlopsoversikt/

ShipsInBergen, thank you so much for starting this thread! I haven't had a chance to read the entire thing, but will definitely spend some doing that. It's so helpful when a local answers questions!

 

I won't be in Bergen until May 2018 so I have plenty of time to plan. With what little I know so far, we'd be interested in seeing the town, shopping for those gorgeous sweaters, going up the funicular (not hiking! LOL), and the highest priority will be a fjords tour. We'll be there from 10 a.m to 8 p.m. on a Sunday and the next day we'll be in Alesund from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Which would you suggest for doing a fjords tour? If we do that in Bergen, will there also be time to do the funicular and explore the town a bit?

 

Thanks so much for your advice!

 

QC

Glad it's coming in handy :).

I can't speak for the fjord tours available around Ålesund, but you should be able to fit in all of your plans in Bergen, plus a tour. I recently went on a Rødne Fjord Cruise when I had familiy visiting. It goes from the centre of Bergen right into Osterfjord, with some really beautiful scenery, then heads back to Bergen. It's a 3hr round trip, and they depart each day at 10:00 and 14:00. For us it was perfect, and it would definitely leave time for the rest of your sightseeing, but I'm sure there are plenty of other option too :)

Glad it's coming in handy :).

 

I can't speak for the fjord tours available around Ålesund, but you should be able to fit in all of your plans in Bergen, plus a tour. I recently went on a Rødne Fjord Cruise when I had familiy visiting. It goes from the centre of Bergen right into Osterfjord, with some really beautiful scenery, then heads back to Bergen. It's a 3hr round trip, and they depart each day at 10:00 and 14:00. For us it was perfect, and it would definitely leave time for the rest of your sightseeing, but I'm sure there are plenty of other option too :)

Thank you! I'll take all of that into consideration as I put our plans together. I'm likely set up a fjords tour for our roll call so want to be sure and do sufficient research so everyone gets to do what they want. This is going to be an amazing cruise! Your city looks absolutely beautiful!

Hei ShipsinBergen,

can you suggest anything for an afternoon in Bergen in February? We are planning to take the morning train from Oslo and should be in Bergen around 15:00 (unless of course NSB changes their schedule), our hotel is right around the corner (Scandic Byparken) from the train station and I am really just looking for something to do before dinner.

We have been to the Hanseatiske Museum/Bryggen/Fish Market, I have been to Fantoft Stavkirke (and I think it's closed to the public that early in the year?), the aquarium closes at 16:00 as we are in Bergen on a Friday. Sunset is around 17:30 so I guess Fløyen and Ulriken are out? Or do you think grabbing a bus to Haukelandsbakken and doing Ulriken that day would make sense (weather permitting of course)? It was on our agenda for the Saturday (as Hurtigruten departs late in winter) but we could move it to Friday. Do you know if Sky:skraperen restaurant is open all year and if they offer their "Ulriken by Night" all year round? Over priced lunch on Ulriken might actually be an option (if I promise DH Peppes for lunch on Saturday).

Also, can you recommend any hotels close to a Flybuss or Bybane stop (for the way back)? We stayed at Havnekontoret last time but I am unwilling to shell out 3000+ NOK for a night. We paid half of that last time (of course that was a decade ago) and enjoyed not having to drag our luggage through half of the city to catch the bus but the price just isn't worth it to us. Thanks :)