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Slow Lane Magazine, August 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • Dancing with the devil on Lanzarote
  • Madeira - six of the best
  • A foodie in 'Sherry Country'
  • Slow Moments 2019 photo competition
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Into the Fjords

Bergen & Balestrand
 

Combining a discovery of Norway’s historic second city with a thrilling journey by express boat through the ‘king of the fjords’, this is a varied and delightful break. In both Bergen and Sognefjord, you stay in high-quality, waterfront hotels, and we include a Bergen City Card to help you explore.

Into the Fjords. 4 nights
Into the Fjords. 4 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A Norwegian city & walking break

Known as the gateway to the fjords, atmospheric Bergen is the perfect place to start your journey through this most spectacular of landscapes. Beautiful and intriguing in its own right, Norway’s second largest city is famously friendly, with a history that spans more than nine centuries. Stroll around its lively fish market – perhaps picking out a few delicacies to order later in one of the excellent harbour-front restaurants – and visit the brightly painted shops and warehouses of the wharf-front Bryggen, before heading out into the fjords on express boat.
Little can prepare you for the sheer majesty of the ‘king of the fjords’. At over 200km, Sognefjord is the country’s longest and deepest fjord, twisting dramatically inland through a series of magnificent steep-sided valleys, where an almost spiritual sense of calm presides. Along its shore lie fruit orchards, farmland and enchanting Balestrand – your destination for the final two nights. This tranquil, rural village is very different from bustling Bergen, offering a glimpse of another of Norway’s many faces.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • Arrival in Bergen
    Night 1: at Clarion Hotel Admiral or Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of exploration.
  • Explore Bergen
    You have a full day to explore the city at leisure using our self-guided walking tour and included 24-hour City Card, entitling you to reduced entry at many of the main attractions. Most of these are easily reached on foot from your hotel, and you can also take the funicular up the slopes of Mount Fløien for superb views across the fjords. Not to be missed is the famous Bryggen – the UNESCO-listed, Hanseatic harbour district with its characterful wharf-front warehouses and former merchants’ houses – or the large, glass-sided Fisk Torget (fish market) – a riot of sound and colour, especially when the catch comes in.
    Bergen's fish market
  • Into the fjords
    Leaving Bergen, you travel by express boat along the coast and into majestic Sognefjord. From water level, the mountains framing it seem even grander, and all you can see ahead is headland after headland plunging into the sapphire waters. Your destination is Balestrand, for two nights in Kvikne’s Hotel, offering sumptuous fjord-side views. (Journey time: 4hrs)
  • Explore Balestrand
    For a small village, Balestrand offers much to discover: stroll along the heritage trail that runs parallel to the shore to learn about the artists who have visited the area; explore the local aquarium; and call in at the Cider House – a distillery and restaurant run by a Norwegian-Turkish couple and set within an organic orchard with over 100 varieties of fruit trees. Walk up the slopes behind the hotel to gain a different perspective of the splendid scenery (9km, 3hrs) or take a trip to one or more of the area’s remarkable ‘stave churches’ – elaborate wooden structures which date back to the 12th century.
    Follow Balestrand's Heritage Trail
 

Accommodation

You stay in comfortable hotels where you will find a warm welcome. Norwegian hotels do not have star ratings, but those in our selection are typically of 3- or 4-star standard.

Occasionally, due to availability, we may offer an alternative hotel, as shown below. You will be informed of any change to the usual hotel (along with any price implication) prior to us confirming your holiday to you. Whichever Bergen hotel you stay in, we recommend an extra night here for longer to explore this relaxed and friendly city.
 

Prices for 2020

We are in the process of updating our prices for 2020. If you’d like to book now, please contact us – we’ll be happy to provide a quotation.
Get in touch >
 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter.
Currency converter

We can only accept payment in GBP, but you can use this converter to find out how much the holiday equates to in your own currency.

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NB: this should be used as a guide only. Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in significant variation by the time you come to pay.

  • 4 nights: 12 May - 30 September 2019

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    12 May - 18 June £785 £150
    19 June - 18 August £740 £120
    19 August - 26 September £785 £150
    3rd & 4th person discount £0
    Single traveller supplement £0

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Clarion Hotel Admiral, Bergen
    Deluxe with fjord view: 12 May - 30 Sep 2019 £36
    Superior with fjord view: 12 May - 30 Sep 2019 £25
    Kvikne’s Hotel, Balestrand
    'Demi-suite' in the historic building: 12 May - 30 Sep 2019 £36
    Fjord view in the historic building: 12 May - 30 Sep 2019 £12

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    You can upgrade your City Card in Bergen. For a 48hr Card add £9pp, for a 72 hr Card add £15pp.
    Clarion Hotel Admiral, Bergen (B&B) Double room Single room
    12 May - 30 Sep 2019 £90 £124
    Kvikne’s Hotel, Balestrand (with dinner) Double room Single room
    12 May - 30 Sep 2019 £130 £160
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Bergen

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we reccommend flying via Oslo. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Bergen SAS,  Wideroe 
    Aberdeen - Bergen (via Stavanger) SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Bergen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Birmingham - Bergen (via Copenhagen) SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Bergen Loganair 
    Edinburgh - Bergen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Edinburgh - Bergen (via CPH) Norwegian 
    Edinburgh - Bergen (via Oslo (Gardermoen) ) Norwegian 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Bergen Loganair 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Bergen Norwegian 
    Gatwick - Bergen (via Oslo (Gardermoen) ) Norwegian 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Bergen, via Copenhagen SAS 
    Heathrow - Bergen, via Oslo (Gardermoen) SAS 
    Heathrow - Bergen, via Stavanger SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Bergen Wizz Air 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Bergen Loganair,  SAS 
    Manchester - Bergen (via Oslo (Gardermoen) SAS 
    Manchester - Bergen, via Copenhagen SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Bergen Flybe 
    Newcastle - Bergen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we reccommend flying via Oslo. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £30 per person for our flight booking service (£50 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 2 dinners
    4 breakfasts
  • detailed documentation
  • 24-hr City Card in Bergen
  • return express boat between Bergen & Balestrand
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe and Morocco, there’s a £30 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £50 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport with at least three months' validity to travel to Norway, but not a visa (if you are travelling after 31 October 2019, see the Brexit question below for more information). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found through the following NHS link: www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/ You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). UK citizens should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by applying at a Post Office or at www.ehic.org.uk. The EHIC allows reciprocal health care but should not be seen as a substitute for travel insurance. EHICs may cease to be valid in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
  • The most widely spoken language is Norwegian. The currency is the Kroner. Norwegian time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • Even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it’s been confirmed that flights will continue as normal and that you won’t need a visa to go on holiday (the limit on stays is 90 days). What you will need if there’s no deal is a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival (extra months added because you renewed your passport early do not count) and adequate travel insurance to cover you for accidents and illness in case reciprocal health deals are suspended. If you are driving while on holiday, you will probably need an International Driving Permit (plus a Green Card if you are taking your own car to Europe). More information >
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 9/18/2019 12:32:39 PM