Andalsnes

In Andalsnes you will be docked in the center of town, with on all sides stunning views of the Fjord and the mountains. On occasion when 2 or more cruise ships are expected tenders will be used.

Åndalsnes itself is merely a village, but the valley and surrounding mountains and fjords are among the greatest in Norway.

Webcam of the port.

Although situated in one of the most scenic regions in Norway, Andalsnes itself is rather plain. That's because the invading Nazis in 1940 bombed it out of existence. The king and his family used Andalsnes as their exit route in their dramatic escape from Norway, following the German invasion of their borders. The royals made it, but Andalsnes was destroyed. The town today is modern, and pleasant enough.

There is a new cable car called Romsdalen Gondola right by the port to the top of the mountain including a restaurant at the top. There is a viewing platform.

Andalsnes is the starting point for one of the great motor drives in Norway: the Trollstigvegen, a 2-hour drive along Route 63 south to Geiranger. The highway climbs to 620m (2,034 ft.) over a distance of 8km (5 miles). The Orneveien or "Eagle's Road" down to Geiranger was a marvel of Norwegian engineering upon its completion in 1952.

Rauma Rail Line, one of the most spectacular train journeys of Norway The Rauma line passes right under the massive Trollwall. A fantastic train ride with slow driving and photo stops at the most spectacular sceneries. Guiding in several languages, comfortable modern trains with large windows, traveling over the old stone bridge “Kylling brua”, over the wild waterfalls and into the Stavem tunnel here the train makes an 180 degree turn inside the mountain and so to continue with an unforgettable view over the Romsdals valley. Note: If you decide to book the train on your own, do so well in advance. On occasion an extra train will be scheduled…

The train station and tourist office are right across the cruise dock.

Both Bjorli and Dombas have not much to offer in close vicinity, so you might as well buy tickets to Dombas, where the stop is about an hour. The ticket prices are all the same. Please note the 67+ travelers receive a 50 % discount. Dombas train station is quaint and has clean sanitary facilities and nice views.

As the weather in Norway can be very unpredictable, make sure to check the cancellation policies in case of inclement weather. It is no fun doing an excursion in the clouds.

• Vegmuseum, Trollstigen, is a little museum at the pass, with exhibitions relating the story of how this incredible road came to be.
• Another grand highlight of the area is en route to Dombås (Rte. 9). Both road and train lines follow the Troll Wall or Trollveggen, a major challenge for mountaineers, rising 1,800m (5,905 ft.). A combined Norwegian and British team "conquered" it in 1965.
• The visitor center distributes more than a dozen leaflets outlining the best hiking trails through the Romsdalen Alps, a string of mountains enveloping Åndalsnes. The most dramatic route -- and our all-time favorite -- is the full-day jaunt that begins 50m (164 ft.) north of Åndalsnes and climbs to the summit of Nesaksla Mountain, rising 715m (2,345 ft.) over Åndalsnes. At the top, you're rewarded with another one of those awesome panoramas. On a clear day, you can see down to the Romsdalsfjord. From here the climb continues to the summit of Høgnosa at 991m (3,251 ft.) and on to Åkesfjellet at 1,215m (3,986 ft.).
• The Romsdalsfjord is one of the most scenic in western Norway, cutting a deep gash into the earth and extending west of Åndalsnes. The tourist office (located in the train station) can arrange 4-hour fishing tours of the fjord at a cost of 250NOK ($36) per person. An annual local license can be obtained for180NOK ($25) from the tourist office.

The Norwegian currency is the Norwegian crown (Norske krone), abbreviated kr. A 1/100th krone is called øre. 1.00 EUR = about 9 NOK. Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world!

ATMs in Norway are called Minibank.

Nearly all stores accept major credit cards such as Master card and Visa (Bring your passport/driver's license, as you are required to identify yourself when using a credit card).

Norwegian is the official language of Norway. The language is very close and mutually intelligible with the two other Scandinavian languages, English widely spoken.

On the forward decks of your ship the free wifi of Andelsnes has good reception. At the train station, you can use their internet station for 10 minutes (free)

Opening hours in Norway are better than they used to be but many smaller stores still close early on Saturday (1 PM or 3 PM is typical) and nearly everything is closed on Sundays. You'll often see opening hours written as "9-21 (9-18)" on doors, meaning 9 AM to 9 PM weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM Saturday.