Practical information

If you have time, take the Nordlandsbanen to Bodø and speed boat or Hurtigruta from there to Lofoten. You can also take a bus from the south from Moskenes, which has a car ferry from Bodø.

However, Lofoten is far away for many people, and most end up flying. Then Svolvær is the nearest airport, alternatively you can also fly to Leknes.

Flights to Svolvær or Leknes mostly go via Bodø, and are possible with Widerøe, SAS and Norwegian.

You can also fly directly from Oslo to and from Harstad/Evenes airport, and then take a bus, taxi or rental from the airport to Lofoten and Svolvær.

Henningsvær is a 40-minute bus/taxi ride from Svolvær, which is the “main center” of Lofoten. See travel advice above.

Tromsø – the Paris of the North! To and from Tromsø in the high north, flying is the fastest and easiest, check out SAS and Norwegian.

But if you have time to travel slowly, it is something we recommend. To and from Tromsø. you can take a bus, ferry or Hurtigruten southwards to Lofoten, or to Bodø and train south from there.

The train, Nordlandsbanen, goes all the way to Bodø, and together with the night train from Oslo to Trondheim, it’s a great journey from southern Norway. If you live along the coast, high-speed ferry or the Hurtigruta itself can be a possible way of travel, either from the north or the south. You can of course also fly to Bodø and there are quite a few reasonably priced tickets.

Alta is a small town in Finnmark, even further north than Tromsø. Check SAS, Norwegian or Widerøe for flights to and from Alta. If you are traveling to or from a city up in the north or want to extend your journey by one or more days, Hurtigruta has departures north and south every day. You can also take a bus, ferry or drive to Bodø, and then the train south. Traveling slowly adds a different dimension to your holiday than flying over all the beautiful places our country has to offer, and saves the environment.

There are several ways to get here! Take the train from the south or north to Grong station, this train corresponds with a bus to Brønnøysund. With Hurtigruten/Kystruten ferry: Take the Hurtigruten from the south or north to Brønnøysund. If you have to fly, it is Widerøe from Trondheim and Bodø that applies.

Traveling along the Norwegian coast is incredibly beautiful, but not always straightforward. How was it with those ferry times again? Can we bring the dog on the express boat, and is there a place to dock the sailboat?

The island Ylvingen is located just outside Brønnøysund, halfway to the Vega archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The express boat docks right next to our pier, while the car ferry stops 1 km away, making it easy to visit us on two or four wheels. Whether you take the express boat or car ferry, remember that Ylvingen is an on-demand stop, so you need to inform the crew that you intend to embark or disembark at Ylvingen.

But first, you need to get to Brønnøysund

There are many alternatives to get to Brønnøysund. The combinations of different routes are numerous, so they are not listed here, but the transport options include:

• Train from the north or south to Grong station and bus further to Brønnøysund center. Alternatively, to Mosjøen or Trofors and bus from there.
  
• By plane, Brønnøy Airport (BNN) is the nearest airport located in Brønnøysund. (It is a short runway, and only Widerøe operates flights from Oslo, Bodø, Sandnessjøen, and Trondheim to Brønnøysund). From the airport, you can take a taxi (about 5 minutes), local bus, or walk (about 30 minutes) to the speedboat pier.
  
• Hurtigruten makes daily stops in Brønnøysund just a few meters from the speedboat that goes to Ylvingen and Vega. Check the schedule here!
  
• Speedboat from Sandnessjøen to Brønnøysund center.
  
• Bus, various bus connections. Check out https://177nordland.no or entur.no
  
• By car, drive E6 to Grane (about 34 miles north of Trondheim) and take FV76 via Tosenfjorden to Brønnøysund (about 10 miles). Alternatively, you can drive along the Coastal Route (FV17) from Steinkjer or southwards from Bodø.

To and from Bergen, the Bergen Railway over the mountain to Oslo is an obvious choice if you are traveling that way, with a selection of daily departures including night trains. There are a number of buses and speedboats running north and south along the coast, if you’re going that way. And Bergen/Flesland has flights both domestically and internationally.

If you are not going to sail with us to Træna, you can take a fast boat out to Træna from both Bodø and Sandnessjøen. There is also a ferry from Stokkvågen. If you are not going to participate in the Træna Festival and are thinking of going out to Træna on the same Sunday as the tour starts, it is possible that we will set up a RIB departing from Sandnessjøen.

Nordlandsbanen goes to Mosjøen, and from Mosjøen you can take a bus to Sandnessjøen or Stokkvågen. For timetables by bus, check out the route planner at Nordland County Council. Another “slow” and great way to get to Sandnessjøen is with Hurtigruta from Bergen/Trondheim or Bodø/Tromsø. However, most people fly, and you can fly either to Sandnessjøen or to Bodø and get on from there.

For other trips to Træna, the Træna Festival publishes information on how you can get to the archipelago via other operators, and here you can also pre-book a place, see: www.trena.net

If you want to check the route planner in Nordland, you will find it here, You can also call traffic information on 177.no if you have any doubts. You can also try www.entur.no for good suggestions.

How do I get home from Træna?

Home from Træna, most people first travel to the mainland by ferry either to Bodø or Sandnessjøen, and get on from there. You can also join one of Seil Norges sailboats or RIBs if we have space, or you can take one of the boats set up by the festival. Trænafestivalen publishes information about this well in advance of the festival.

In general, you should book a flight or train home from Bodø or Sandnessjøen as late as possible on Sunday, preferably Monday morning.

A very few row to Svalbard, a few more sail, but most fly. Norwegian and SAS fly to Longyearbyen from Tromsø or Oslo. Remember Passport – Since Svalbard is actually outside “Schengen” an ID check is carried out on entry and exit for everyone traveling to/from Svalbard.

This also applies to Norwegians. All guests, both from Norway and abroad, must bring a passport or national ID card.

Read more about Svalbard here.

There are a few different routes to and from the island of Iceland. There is a ferry to/from Denmark via the Faroe Islands, or for most visitors, there are many daily flights to/from Reykjavik to the rest of the Nordic countries, Europe and America. Internally in Iceland, it is easy to get around by bus, domestic flights or rental car.

If you want to sail more, then perhaps you can join us further on the expedition, whether it should be from Svalbard to Iceland via Greenland, or on the next legs from Iceland all the way home to Norway, via the Faroe Islands, Scotland and Shetland.

Most people travel to and from Greenland with Air Greenland from Copenhagen or Reykjavik, to Nuuk or Narsarsuaq. In Greenland, the easiest way to travel is by boat (Targa) or by helicopter. If you want to sail to and from Greenland, you can also join us on all or part of this expedition, whether it be from Svalbard to Iceland, Iceland to Greenland, or on the next leg from Greenland all the way home to Norway, via Iceland , the Faroe Islands and Shetland.

Read more about Greenland here.

Oban and Mallaig on the northwest coast of Scotland are fairly easy to get to/from. There are both trains and buses from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, where it is easy to fly to/from Norway. There are also day and night trains from London all the way to Oban/Glasgow. The train journey to Mallaig is an adventure in itself, in true Harry Potter style.

To Ålesund, there are numerous public transportation options. Buses run from Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim; the train goes to Åndalsnes (with bus connections to Ålesund); Hurtigruten sails both north and south; and there are flights to Ålesund Airport/Vigra to various destinations.

Trondheim boasts of being “in the middle of the country,” and while it may not be entirely accurate geographically, there’s some truth in terms of infrastructure. The train to or from Trondheim is excellent, with direct connections from Oslo, Bodø, and Sweden/Stockholm! Various buses operate to/from Trondheim. If you’re traveling to or from the coast, Hurtigruten also stops in Trondheim. If you still need to fly, Værnes has plenty of departures and arrivals from both domestic and international destinations regularly every day.

All roads lead to Oslo, at least here in Norway. Oslo is the main hub coming from abroad, and has a wide range of train, bus, and flight routes to most major and minor places around Norway regularly every day. The main airport is called Oslo Airport Gardermoen (OSL). If you’re driving your own car, be aware that parking in the city center can be quite expensive.

Oslo is a very nice city, well worth a visit on it’s own, you should consider a day or two here before or after your adventure.