Featured image: An expedition to see the Northern Lights requires some extra planning | Photo by Caroline Slåttland Solheim / Hurtigruten

Where to stay and how to get to Norway

For many women, a trip to see the Northern Lights is the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Even if you’ve seen the lights before, it’s a thrill that excites the emotions. The realization of how powerful nature is — and that we are connected to the entire universe through these small particles that somehow find their way to dance and shimmer above our heads.

JourneyWoman’s Northern Lights trip with Hurtigruten to Norway may just become an annual adventure, so here are our top tips from women joining this year’s 30th Anniversary Northern Lights Expedition Cruise in Norway on the Coastal Express with Hurtigruten in December 2024.  To see our route and what’s included in this trip, click here. For a FAQ on the trip click here. Please note, all guests must present a valid passport with a validity of six months post-voyage when they check in to a voyage.  (If you are booking future trips, please use our exclusive code and mention JourneyWoman for special perks and discounts.) 

Apps for your journey

Itinerary: TripIt to store any necessary itineraries and travel documents. Find it here. 

Cruisemapper: To track the route of the ships. Download it on the Apple Store here.

Aurora apps: There are many apps available to track the auroras, and SkyView Lite will show you the constellations.

Money: Having the Wise app on your phone can be very helpful to when purchasing products in Norway because you can convert funds right on your phone. Basically, 1,000 NOK = $100 USD (just remove a zero). Set up a Wise account here, and then download it on your phone.  Tipping is not required in Norway, so you don’t need much cash.

eSIM: Similarly, an eSIM can also save money. Note that once on the ship, there is not much cellular service and the wifi is intermittent. You will have every opportunity to connect with nature! Get an eSIM for Norway here. Use code JOURNEY15 for 15% off it’s your first purchase.

Whatsapp: Download Whatsapp before you leave to make sure it’s set up properly.

What to Pack

While on the ship, you can dress comfortable and casually. It’s going to be cold, so bring layers for those nights staring up into the skies. You can take great photographs of the Northern Lights with your smartphone, and make sure you have an extra battery, like this one from Anker, and an electrical adapter on hand.  

Our packing list includes:

• A puffy jacket like this one, from Helly Hanson (originally a Norwegian brand)
• Merino wool underlayers
• Neck warmer
• A base layer, turtleneck and warm wool sweater
• A shell jacket or poncho over your puffy jacket for the wind and rain
• Rain proof pants to wear over your clothes
• Arctic boots like these Sorel Joan of Arctic boots, and crampons if you need them
• Wool socks – we like the Smartwool or Darn Tough brands
• Nordic walking sticks for icy weather or outdoor hiking
• A wool hat, gloves and liners and handwarmers to put in your gloves or boots
• Super warm PJs, slippersand a bathrobe to be comfortable
• A small backpack like this one from Gregory, made for women

Bring some mini-binoculars to see ocean life during the day.  The rooms have hairdryers, but you may want to bring your own eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner. See our list of eco-friendly products here.  

Gear to get started: Celestun 15 x 70 Astronomy binoculars, SkyView App, 2023 Night Sky Almanac: A Month-by-Month Guide to North America’s Skies from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 

Don’t forget to pack medication, contact lenses, and any other health supplies that might be hard to get. We will be in remote areas and while there is a shop on the ship, you may not find what you need. 

How to get to Norway

From North America: There are direct flights from New York and Toronto on Air Canada, American Airlines, and KLM. We recommend SAS to get to other destinations in Norway. Check for flights here! 

From Europe and Africa: We recommend SAS, KLM or a Nordic-based airline to ensure the frequency of flights in case of cancellation or changes. Check for flights here! 

Where to stay in Oslo

If you arrive early, you can take the Airport Express to Oslo Central Train Station and find several hotels nearby. 

Hotel Options in Oslo

Oslo Tourism recommends the Amerikalinjen Hotel, The Thief or Sommerro, Oslo Grand Hotel, Hotel Bristol, Hotel Continental, or Karl Johan Hotel. If you want to stay close to the Oslo forest and have more chance of snow/winter wonderland, try Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel or Lysebu.  

This is also Christmas market season – the Christmas Fair at Norsk Folkemuseum (the Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy)takes place the first two weekends of December every year.

Getting to Bergen 

You can fly from Oslo to Bergen. The journey from the airport to Jektevik Terminal is approximately 45 minutes. To get to the terminal, take the Flybussen (the official airport shuttle bus) from platform A5 in front of the arrivals hall. You can find the transfer times on the official timetable. Click here for a map of the terminal.

For the city center, the closest Flybussen stop for each hotel is as follows. Click here for a map of Bergen.  

 From Oslo, you can take the Oslo-Bergen train, which includes a stop at Finse (the highest point), and it is for sure quite spectacular to be up on the high mountains. See Hotel Finse1222 here. 

As you disembark the train, exit the railway station under the archway to your right. The Hurtigruten Transfer Service Bus to the city center and Jektevik Terminal will be waiting outside – please do not go to the central bus station. The bus will leave 20 minutes after your train arrives. 

Other options are Geilo, Voss, or doing a “Norway in a Nutshell” tour including Flåm and the Flåm railway. Read more here.

Where to stay in Bergen

Bergen has many hotels that are walking distance to the port. Recommended ones include the Grand Hotel Terminus, Clarion Bergen, Moxy Bergen, Hotel Skosteredet, Scandic Byparken, Thon Bristol, Scandic Bergen City and Hotel Norge. Check booking.com for good rates.

Bergen also has a Christmas market, learn more here.

Departing at Kirkenes

The Barents shuttle operates from the airport to Thon and Scandic Hotels and then to the port. The departure time from the airport being between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. This schedule is aligned with all Norwegian and SAS flights arriving from and departing to Oslo. Please be aware that these timings are subject to change.

The cost is $18 and you can book it on the ship. Please be sure to have your transfer voucher ready to show the driver.

If you stay, try the Kirkenes Hotel (an additional excursion provided by Hurtigruten). 

There is a daily flight on SAS from Kirkenes to Oslo at 11:30 am. If you need to spend a night in Oslo before your flight home departs, airport hotels include the Radisson Hotel, Clarion Hotel and the Quality Hotel Gardermoen. Most have a free shuttle bus to the airport. Check booking.com here.

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