Alesund some advice please

[imacruizer]

Bearsfolks, thanks for the information about your planned excursions. I would be very interested in the response you get about the private excursion in Alesund.

 

TLCOhio, thanks for jumping. I have read some of your posts about the Norwegian ports. Your information is very detailed and helpful. All of us can learn from what others have done on prior cruises.

 

Oddjob16, what would be your suggestions for someone arriving by ship with one day to spend in Alesund? It is always great to hear from someone who lives in the area.

[bearsfolks]

I would love to hear the reply the give you.

Most of the 62Nord tours don't start until mid June.

I-Cruiser: Just to clarify, the 62Nord is from Alesund to Runde, and we have reservations on it--you're right, we're going to be there in late June. The company I've written to is the one that's offering the Hjørundfjord excursion.

 

Beth--could you let me know the hours of the Hjørundfjord excursion?

[I-Cruiser]

I-Cruiser: so far I have just scanned quickly thru this post and have at least found two recomendations that are totally wrong. If you don't think it is interesting for you, then just explain why. To say that Atlanterhavsparken is like seeing cod in an aquarium is stupid. Let people judge for themselves. http://www.atlanterhavsparken.no/english

 

Simply put; there are more interesting and rewarding things to spend you money and time on.

 

So "totally wrong" - well, compared to whose opinion....??

Edited April 17, 2013 by I-Cruiser

[I-Cruiser]

I-Cruiser: Just to clarify, the 62Nord is from Alesund to Runde, and we have reservations on it--you're right, we're going to be there in late June. The company I've written to is the one that's offering the Hjørundfjord excursion.

 

Beth--could you let me know the hours of the Hjørundfjord excursion?

 

Interesting - please do tell who the tour company offering this tour is:)

[oddjob16]

Simply put; there are more interesting and rewarding things to spend you money and time on.

 

So "totally wrong" - well, compared to whose opinion....??

 

I think most of your recomendations are fantastic, and that they are very helpful for cruisers arriving in Alesund. Just pointed out that while taking a trip to the lighthouse at Alnes or to the Atlanterhavsparken is not the best options in your opinion, the language should not be "like it is a waste of money". People have different interests and there should always be a sober way of explaining to people what they can expect.

Apart from that: Keep up the good work. You make many people happy:)

[oddjob16]

Oddjob16, what would be your suggestions for someone arriving by ship with one day to spend in Alesund? It is always great to hear from someone who lives in the area.

 

Just give me a day or two to check some things. Got some ideas for DIY walking the city and maybe a visit to the factory outlets across the fjord that also could be don on your own. http://www.devoldfabrikken.no/?lang=2

Be back:)

[bearsfolks]

Interesting - please do tell who the tour company offering this tour is:)

 

 

Still haven't heard from them, but the company is

Møre & Trøndelag Guideservice as .

and the tour is at

http://www.moereguide.com/index.php/en/towns/alesund/alesund-sights-and-fjord-cruise

Edited April 17, 2013 by bearsfolks

[roothy123]

I've hit the jackpot on this thread! I don't know how I missed it up until now, but I'm grateful for all the good info, especially from the Alesund resident! I have not had time to read the whole thread, but already I can see that it answers a lot of my questions. For example, how can my husband get up to Aksla without walking, and without spending a fortune on a cab. I am really, really looking forward to Alesund, as it looks absolutely gorgeous and my kind of place.

 

I did want to point out that if you contact the Alesund tourism office, they will mail you a booklet on the area, even if you live in the U.S. They will also, of course, answer any questions you may have.

 

For those who have stopped in Hellsylt (especially anyone on Oceania), were you allowed to get off the ship, I assume? We only have a couple hours there, but I'd like to walk around. I realize it's a very small place, but I still want to get off! Also, does that waterfall that spills down the rocks look pretty much the same year round, or is the water likely to be reduced to a trickle when I'm there in early August?

[I-Cruiser]

I've hit the jackpot on this thread! I don't know how I missed it up until now, but I'm grateful for all the good info, especially from the Alesund resident! I have not had time to read the whole thread, but already I can see that it answers a lot of my questions. For example, how can my husband get up to Aksla without walking, and without spending a fortune on a cab. I am really, really looking forward to Alesund, as it looks absolutely gorgeous and my kind of place.

 

I did want to point out that if you contact the Alesund tourism office, they will mail you a booklet on the area, even if you live in the U.S. They will also, of course, answer any questions you may have.

 

For those who have stopped in Hellsylt (especially anyone on Oceania), were you allowed to get off the ship, I assume? We only have a couple hours there, but I'd like to walk around. I realize it's a very small place, but I still want to get off! Also, does that waterfall that spills down the rocks look pretty much the same year round, or is the water likely to be reduced to a trickle when I'm there in early August?

 

I am glad you find this thread informative - you know, we do try...:D:D

 

I have stopped in Hellesylt a few times with various cruise ships and I am sorry to say that the port is only to drop of for the overland tours.

Normally a stop in Hellesylt is 2 hours, maybe if your ship stays longer you could ask to go with the first tender to shore then the last back...??!??...It might be a long shot but if you dont try....:)

One option could be to get off the ship in Hellesylt and then you could take the ferry to Geiranger.

Here is a link to the ferry schedule and some more information.

http://www.fjord1.no/eng/tourist-services/geiranger-hellesylt2

The ferry takes approx 1 hour.

 

Regarding the waterfalls; they are at their strongest in the spring when the snow is melting. It will also depend how much snow arrived during the winter.

I think you will be in luck this year as friend of mine, local to Geiranger, says it fell lots of snow in the mountains this year.

Edited April 18, 2013 by I-Cruiser

[I-Cruiser]

Still haven't heard from them, but the company is

Møre & Trøndelag Guideservice as .

and the tour is at

http://www.moereguide.com/index.php/en/towns/alesund/alesund-sights-and-fjord-cruise

 

Thank you so much - I would love to do this tour myself.

[TLCOhio]

For those who have stopped in Hellsylt (especially anyone on Oceania), were you allowed to get off the ship, I assume? We only have a couple hours there, but I'd like to walk around. I realize it's a very small place, but I still want to get off! Also, does that waterfall that spills down the rocks look pretty much the same year round, or is the water likely to be reduced to a trickle when I'm there in early August?

 

In Hellesylt, there really is not that much to get off and see as also noted by I-Cruiser. The options there are slim and none. Sorry!! The beauty is seeing much as you sail enroute to Hellesylt, etc. As detailed in my live/blog below, the only ones who got off of the ship were those doing such to take the "up country" tour. Below is a picture of that waterfall in Hellesylt. I cannot speak to what Oceania does or not.

 

For our Hellesylt to Geiranger bus tour, there were 67 from the ship (out of 268 total) who took this eight-hour tour. Even with the various weather challenges, it was still very fascinating to see all that we did. It gave us a better feel some of the rugged areas that are farther back from the coast than what we would normally experience while on the cruise. With the added rain that morning, it made the waterfalls even more interesting and flowing.

 

We stopped at the Raftevold Hotel, overlooking the Hornindals-Vannet Lake. At approximately 1,700 feet, this crystal-clear lake is as deep as Lake Tahoe and is the deepest lake in Europe. We stopped at the Jostedalsbreen National Park with these great views, even on a cloudy and foggy day. At the Videseter Hotel where we had lunch on the way to Geiranger, we saw a spectacular waterfall and then a cute sheep.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 104,091 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Hellesylt is not a large village, but it was a starting point for our overland tour. In most cases, you don’t take the tender into this port unless you have a tour departing from this point. Its options as a village are very limited. As this picture shows, it was raining. Bummer, but in the overall cruise, this is really the only place where weather had any negative impact. And, by mid-day, much of the rain has lifted. :

 

[oddjob16]

Oddjob16, what would be your suggestions for someone arriving by ship with one day to spend in Alesund? It is always great to hear from someone who lives in the area.

 

Hi Beth, do you have a date for arriving in Alesund. If it's a sunday I would suggest to take a tour anyway,- lots of good suggestions here in this thread. If on a weekday I could suggest a walkingtour as DIY, also depending on the dates, - there are some festivals going on during summer and if you are lucky that should be part of your experience.:)

[oddjob16]

Nice pictures here:

http://www.jcmedia.no/openZoom/

:D

[TLCOhio]

Nice pictures here:

http://www.jcmedia.no/openZoom/

:D

 

YES!! Super nice pictures. Appreciate your sharing and posting. Brings back nice memories from this scenic and charming city.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 104,091 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Essexlass2]

Hi Beth, do you have a date for arriving in Alesund. If it's a sunday I would suggest to take a tour anyway,- lots of good suggestions here in this thread. If on a weekday I could suggest a walkingtour as DIY, also depending on the dates, - there are some festivals going on during summer and if you are lucky that should be part of your experience.:)

 

We'll be in Alesund on Sunday 26 May. Could you suggest a walking tour for an hour or so for us please, bearing in mind that we hope to do the town train in the morning at some time. Is there anything special we shouldn't miss that we may not have enough time to see from the train?

[bearsfolks]

Thank you so much - I would love to do this tour myself.

Well, I'm still waiting for a response from them, although I don't think I'll be able to fit it in with the 62 Nord to Runde.

Edited April 18, 2013 by bearsfolks

[oddjob16]

We'll be in Alesund on Sunday 26 May. Could you suggest a walking tour for an hour or so for us please, bearing in mind that we hope to do the town train in the morning at some time. Is there anything special we shouldn't miss that we may not have enough time to see from the train?

Sunday is the worst day. All shops will be closed apart from some souvenir-shops. What you need to do is to get to the viewpoint Mount Aksla and maybe see some of the museums. The Atlanterhavspark aquarium is also an option.

Good news is that there is a new hop-on hop off bus starting in may, and you should be able to get around most of the sights with that. The town train might be running, but probably not since the season starts in june. The train costs 140 NOK for the roundtrip and it is a better option to take the ho-ho bus for 200 NOK. The ho-ho takes you to sunnmøre museum , Mount aksla, the aquarium, the Alesund church etc

There are plenty of suggestions in this thread as to what other daytrips can offer.

I haven't found details on the web about the ho-ho bus but it starts at the bus terminal which is next to the cruise port.

There is a guided walking tour in the streets of Alesund every day at noon. (100 NOK)

Cafe for lunch? Invit by the water, or Lyst (fish soup to die for).

some web:

http://www.visitalesund-geiranger.com/en/

http://www.lystmeny.no/

http://www.invit.no/default.aspx?menu=626

[sparkieplug24]

according to the website the tourist train runs in summer and when most cruise ships dock. However as its a Sunday they might not run it not sure though :confused:

[sparkieplug24]

alesund hop on hop off bus website

 

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/en/tours/norway/alesund.htm#tourlandingposition

 

cannot recommend them or anything as never been with them but thats the site if anyones interested

[roothy123]

alesund hop on hop off bus website

 

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/en/tours/norway/alesund.htm#tourlandingposition

 

cannot recommend them or anything as never been with them but thats the site if anyones interested

 

I won't be there on a Sunday, so I'll be able to take the little tourist train if I don't want to walk up to the Aksla viewpoint. However, just out of curiosity, the Hop On Sightseeing bus is different from the bytoget train, right? Also, it DOES go to the viewing point, right? I'm trying to determine the differences between the two different sightseeing options! In case anyone's interested, it looks like the "train" is 50 DOK cheaper, stops at the viewing point for 10 minutes but makes no other stops, and doesn't start until 11. It also does not run on Sundays. It looks like the HOHO makes stops (but check on the frequency of buses!), goes to the Atlantic Park, costs 50 DOK more, and runs on Sundays when a cruise ship is in town. I THINK both vehicles stop at the cruise port, but without going to their web site, I don't know when it starts, or when it passes the port area.

 

On a related but different port: My cruise line, at least so far, has not listed any excursions for our 2 or 3 hour visit to Hellsylt. We DO stop in Geiranger earlier in the day, with tours offered. Someone above mentioned that most ships just stop in Hellsylt long enough to let people off for excursions, but there may not be any excursions offered there for us. Therefore, I'm trying to figure out if we'll be allowed to get off the ship at all. I know there's not much there, and the waterfall, if it's still running in any strength the first week in August, is viewable from the ship. However, I can amuse myself with very little, so I'd like to go off and explore a bit if possible. I'm going to be on Marina - has anyone seen people from Marina walking around in Hellsylt before?! She will be there in June, so perhaps I can get information then, but in case anyone knows more about that port, I'd love to know about it!

Edited April 24, 2013 by roothy123

[Essexlass2]

according to the website the tourist train runs in summer and when most cruise ships dock. However as its a Sunday they might not run it not sure though :confused:

 

The local tourist office have told me by email in reply to my enquiry that the tourist train runs every day there is a cruise ship in port and it will be running when we arrive on a Sunday in May.

[roothy123]

Hooray for a moving train on ALL days a ship is in port!

 

As far as suggestions for things to do (and obviously there are many), if you're a photographer, you might want to do what I plan to do first thing in the morning: walk slowly along the canal (Brosundet) and hopefully get a nice photo of the reflection of those beautiful art nouveau buildings on the other side in the water! (Would anyone happen to know if there is a better time - morning, afternoon, a time with a little bit of sun (although I'm not counting on that) versus a cloudy day?)

Edited April 24, 2013 by roothy123

[bearsfolks]

roothy123:

 

While I cannot tell you when the best time is to take the photo with reflections, but if you miss the perfect time to do so, you can always make them appear with a touch of Photoshop! :-)

Edited April 24, 2013 by bearsfolks

[roothy123]

roothy123:

 

While I cannot tell you when the best time is to take the photo with reflections, but if you miss the perfect time to do so, you can always make them appear with a touch of Photoshop! :-)

 

Maybe YOU can do this, but I haven't a clue as to how to do that! I only know how to crop, lighten/darken, etc.! I wish I DID!

Edited April 24, 2013 by roothy123

[bearsfolks]

Look at

from about 43:13 mins to about 44:36. He shows how to go from the first picture to the second.

 

Now I've got to figure out how to insert pictures into the text on Cruise Critic from my computer, as opposed to attachments!

Edited April 24, 2013 by bearsfolks