Alesund in 7 hours! Help.

[mousefan73]

Hello! Our family of 5 ( one who is mobile, but slow Grandma)  booked today the Disney Magic for this August. We will have a stop in Alesund from 7-2:30pm. All cruise port adventures are sold out. 

 

What can we do? Can anyone comment on my questions? thanks so much.

1. Is the cruise port really that close to the city center? So no stress there? 

2. Is the hike up to Fjellstua Viewpoint worth it? I figure that is a free and easy thing to do.

3. Now where i am confused is are there boat tours that run in that time in the Gierangerfjord? I would think Gieranger itself is too far. but do some boats go in a bit from Alesund to give a bit of a fjord tour experience? is this possible in our time frame? I have been looking at some websites, but I am a bit nervous seeing our limited time and google maps is dangerous to plan out how long it takes to get from A to B. 

 

any other tips would be great! Either we just do the town and hike up or see about a boat tour.. WWYD??

Edited June 20, 2022 by mousefan73

[Ine]

Just take the hopon off bus that leaves from close to the terminal. It will bring you a.o. to the Mt. Aksla viewpoint. https://city-sightseeing.com/en/66/alesund/71/hop-on-hop-off-alesund

[Turtles06]

We had a fabulous DIY day in Alesund a few years ago.  The dock is right in town, so no worries there.  We began the day on the City Train, which isn't a train at all; have a look at their web site linked below.  It takes you around town and up to the fabulous viewpoint on Mt. Aksla.   (As you've already noted, you can hike up and/or down on your own.)  

 

After that tour, we walked around town, and also had the best fish and chips we've ever eaten, anywhere.  

 

https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/Ålesund-city-train-sightseeing/227159/

 

 

 

(photos by turtles06)

[edinburgher]

yes, really do dock centrally.

 

there have been several threads about Alesund which you could use the search box under your user name to find, quickly and easily, but this quite recent thread may tell you all you want to know:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2826391-alesund-norway/#comment-62807291

 

[mousefan73]

Thanks everyone! great help

 

[nadeki]

The little train is right where the ship docks. It is a fun 90minutes.

 

There are shops you can walk around and have lunch etc.

 

 

[Travel Bear]

If you take the hop on bus you can go to the viewpoint and also the outdoor museum which is also a great stop. Check it out on line. There is also a local bus to the museum. If you email them they tell you which one, etc. 

[trinitygirl]

The HOHO bus looks great, but the fine print says it only operates when a cruise ship is in port, May-Sept.  our cruise is in October 2023; does anyone know if the website was written before cruising expanded to later in the year, or is the bus unlikely to be operating in Oct?

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, trinitygirl said:

our cruise is in October 2023; does anyone know if the website was written before cruising expanded to later in the year, or is the bus unlikely to be operating in Oct?

not operating in October.  
There are cruise ships calling Ålesund all year round but too few in the winter period.

[trinitygirl]

5 hours ago, hallasm said:

not operating in October.  
There are cruise ships calling Ålesund all year round but too few in the winter period.

Ok, thank you for this.  Disappointing, but i will look for plan B.

[NavyCruiser]

We did lots of research & decided to do this walk/hike loop, from the cruise ship port in Alesund:

1.  Destinasjon Ålesund & Sunnmøre, 5 minutes 0.2 miles

2.  Brosundet, 1 min, 0.1 mi

3.  Aksla Viewpoint, 15 min, 0.5 mi

4.  Fjellstua Aksla Viewpoint, 2 min, 0.1 mi

Then slow leisurely walk / sightseeing thru town back towards cruise port, 30 - 60 min, 0.6 mi

[Senga]

On 6/21/2022 at 7:44 AM, Turtles06 said:

After that tour, we walked around town, and also had the best fish and chips we've ever eaten, anywhere.  

What type of fish is served?  I couldn’t read the name of the place on the photo.  Easy to find from the port?

[Turtles06]

28 minutes ago, Senga said:

What type of fish is served?  I couldn’t read the name of the place on the photo.  Easy to find from the port?

 

It was cod.  And it was delicious. 

 

The place is called Jafs; here's their website.  No problem finding it, it's a short walk from the dock.  It's along the waterway that runs through the town.  (Their web site has a map.) 

 

https://jafsbrokiosken.no/

 

Enjoy!   

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I'm late to post, but just wanted to pop on here and say that I absolutely LOVED Aalesund...so, so beautiful.

[PhillyTravelBug]

We have this stop next summer for about 11 hours. The excursion for the Troll Road… is it worth it? Would there be enough time to do that and Mt. Aksla?

[wineoclock]

We’ve booked the Troll road excursion with the ship for our upcoming May cruise. Hoping we may be able to fit something else in as well if not too tired. 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Mount Aksla wouldn't be far by taxi.  And if nothing else, a short walk around the water in Alesund could be fit into just about any cruise stop there.  I found it very beautiful just seeing colorful houses reflected in the water.  And it was within easy walking distance from the ship's berth. 

[PhillyTravelBug]

On 11/16/2022 at 5:40 AM, wineoclock said:

We’ve booked the Troll road excursion with the ship for our upcoming May cruise. Hoping we may be able to fit something else in as well if not too tired. 

 That's what I've been debating. it's such a beautiful looking port, but Troll road is a desire I have too. It's going to come down to which one is more of a priority probably.

[shippmates]

How easy is it to get around Alesund using a mobility scooter.  I am visiting in May and do not want to be stuck on the ship and not see any of this wonderful port.