Norway end of May

[maggieq]

Looking at a fjord cruise at the end of May. Would we be better off cruising in August or early September instead for better weather?

 

thanks! 

Edited November 24, 2018 by maggieq

[Ine]

It can be chilly but sunny in May and some places higher up in the mountains and some roads still might be closed. August would be better then September. But one never knows for sure about the weather.

[hallasm]

I do prefer Norway Fjords in June - still snow on the mountains and midnight sun above the Arctic circle. As said May a bit chilly but doable. 

[naturelovergirl]

I've been to Norway in August- and we were very happy with the weather. All roads were open. We saw snow capped mountains at times in the distance, and only saw snow on the ground once (but that was in an extremely high elevation)... but if someone really wanted to see snow while going through the fjords, August is past that time.

The main thing that you must be prepared for in August is rain, but I think that is par for the course at other times of the year too. We ALWAYS had our rain coats with us, just in case. We also wore layers so that we were comfortable no matter what the temperature was.

I think that May could be very beautiful and dramatic with the snow still being there... Norway is beyond stunning- a natural wonderland... I would just check on the itinerary of the cruise, and make sure that none of the excursions you would want would be limited because of road closures.

I think it will be very lovely whenever you choose to go.

[kaisatsu]

It depends on what you’re looking to do. I’ve cruised the fjords in mid-May, June, and August, and I wouldn’t say the weather was particularly better in one than the others. Weather in Norway is hugely variable and changes from year to year. One year it might be sunny and warm in July, and the next year it rains almost every day.

 

Instead, focus on what you want to do and see. In May and early June, the snow melt means that there are more small waterfalls through the fjords. The larger, famous waterfalls will be flowing all season, but there are lots of small seasonal falls in spring and early summer. Hiking is possible all season at the lower elevations you’d be at while cruising, but the trails may be a bit wetter (more muddy). Some of the mountain roads don’t open until mid-June. If you’re looking at scenic drives, look up the typical opening times for the roads.

 

July and August are the peak tourist season. July is the Norwegian summer holiday, and large numbers of locals will be away at cabins and other holiday destinations, so the cities end up with a tourist majority.

 

September is starting to get quite cool, and some of the tourist infrastructure shuts down in August. It’s a bit early for fall foliage, so I don’t really think it’s the best time to visit.

 

Personally, unless you have your heart set on some of the mountain roads, I think late May is a beautiful time to visit. It’s the end of spring, so everything is green, the streams are vibrant, and people are excited about the coming summer.

[gnome12]

You will also have longer days at the end of may than in August or September.

[kitkat343]

We traveled in late May due to needing to sail on Cunard since they have drop off daycare for our 2 year old.  The advantage of traveling in May is that the waterfalls are really full, and we were told by our tour guides that they don't look nearly as impressive when the snow finishes melting off in the mountains.  Another advantage is that the attractions that are open are easier to arrange.  We booked our trip 6 weeks prior to sailing, and luckily the Flam railway wasn't sold out.  In Olden, seeing the Loen skylift was our priority, and visiting the Briksdal glacier was much less important for us.  We were able to check the weather when we arrived and since it was better in the morning, we emailed Briksdal and they kindly moved our troll car reservation to the afternoon.  During the height of the tour season,  they might be booked and not be able to rearrange their schedule like that based upon weather at the last minute.  

 

The weather was generally okay, although terrible in Bergen (the weather is usually terrible in Bergen, but was particularly awful the day we were there).    The disadvantage to traveling in May is that not everything is running yet.  In Flam, we really wanted to do a tour of Undredal and visit a goat farm, but this tour isn't normally offered in the spring.  The goats are actually at different farms (they move when they finish the grass to their summer farm) and we weren't sure if we'd be able to arrange this excursion in the spring.  It took a couple of weeks for fjordsafari  to arrange this for our family, and we had a wonderful time, but they honestly cannot guarantee that they will be able to arrange it outside of the summer.  They were very nice and helpful and frequently communicated while trying to arrange it, but I don't think this excursion can always be guaranteed in the spring.  The one place we were strongly affected by traveling in late May was in Geiranger, where the roads to the Skywalk are not open until the plows clear them completely, and there is a big avalanche.  Unfortunately, that happened two days after we docked in Geiranger and we weren't able to visit the Skywalk.  So you'd need to research your trip carefully prior to booking to see if there are any seasonal roads that you'd like to travel on.  However, we couldn't see anything from the top of the funicular in Bergen due to rain and fog, and if the weather had been similar that day in Geiranger, we wouldn't have been able to see anything from the Skywalk even if it had been open.

 

This was the only sailing on Cunard that went to Flam (my oldest loves trains) and Geiranger and Olden turned out to be an unexpected highlight, so I was very glad we chose to go in May because we had no other options (my family can't survive without kids clubs so we don't travel until the kids are big enough for them).  Norway is beautiful and I hope you have a wonderful time no matter what you choose.      

[SandG]

We did a Norway Fjord cruise this past May and the weather was gorgeous!   Warm & sunny every day, EVEN IN BERGEN!   (Your mileage may vary.)

[Coral]

We went June 23rd last year and there was plenty of snow in several ports. There was snow skiing going on. For the most part - we had good weather except for maybe 2 days. 

Edited December 12, 2018 by Coral

[fordpickup]

What about early May (specifically May 3)? Is that too early? We're scheduled for an August sailing now, but I'm curious about what we'd see if we did May.

[hallasm]

21 hours ago, fordpickup said:

What about early May (specifically May 3)? Is that too early? We're scheduled for an August sailing now, but I'm curious about what we'd see if we did May.

Might depend on Itinerary and what you are planning in ports.

May is in general a bit colder than August - low 50 F in May while 70 F in August - but can vary and be the opposite.

In May you’ll still have a lot of sne on the mountains - and some mountain roads will be closed. Limited excursions in mountains.

[kaisatsu]

Early May is still low season, and a lot of things switch to spring/summer schedules and availability in mid-May. May is the transition month in southern Norway, starting off fairly cool and ending with significantly warmer temperatures (though there are major fluctuations throughout the month).

 

It can be fine if you don’t mind cooler weather and aren’t planning to do many activities that require getting up into the mountains. There’s less tourist infrastructure at that time of year but also far fewer tourists.

 

Also worth noting is that May 17 is the national holiday, and shops and some attractions will be closed, but it’s a unique chance to see Norwegian culture as several people will be out and about in traditional dress (especially in larger cities that host small parades and other festivities).

[CruiseLady88]

We sailed in May 2017. The weather was good although a bit colder. But we felt comfortable. Besides, the waterfall scene was better.

[fordpickup]

It sounds like May is a bit of a toss-up. Cooler weather doesn't bother me, it's more about having fantastic scenery. I'll do more checking on excursions and see what comes up.

[the links]

In Bergen, Is the funicular worth the trip up?

[wheezedr]

2 hours ago, the links said:

In Bergen, Is the funicular worth the trip up?

Yes if the weather is clear enough for you to see things.

[wheezedr]

We were on the same June cruise as Coral and had terrific weather.  Guides at some view sites pointed out that only a few days before the areas had been socked in by clouds.  So lots of variation even on a few days basis 

[Sea rabbit]

We have been in May, great weather, visited Stavanger in September ( son lives there) and weather varied from lovely cool sunny to pouring rain. Have visited Norway in June/ July and had rain. My clever husband says it depends on the position of the jet stream. 

I love Norway and would go anytime, just take the right ( waterproof) clothes. 

[katie64]

We did a curise at the end of May last year- sailed 21 May and the weather was amazing- 20 degrees in lerwick even ( I know this is Scotland but a rarity and demonstrates the point!) and so I think it very much depends. We had great sunshine every day but had brought lots of layers just in case.