Briksdale Glacier - Book through p&o or get the public bus?

[Dallen123]

Would be interested to hear what other people's experiences of either of these have been.

 

 

Thanks in advance

[Dennis-The-Menace]

Hi D123

 

As with most excursions, it'll be way cheaper I'm sure doing it DIY (and, shock, horror, may not include your free hot beverage and cakes at the end) but it's doable. Hopefully someone with personal experience of the DIY version will post full pro's and con's.

 

Personally, I always edge towards the P&O organised excursions, especially when any distance is involved between port and location of destination, but the place where you get the troll cars, or walk from, includes shops and eateries aimed at catering for both the pre-booked trips and independent glacier seekers.

 

Whichever you do, enjoy. :-)

[Host Sharon]

I would opt for the P&O one here as the bus timetable may not be suitable. Whichever you get, there is a long walk at the end to the glacier unless you can get onto the trucks that drive part of the way. The walk is beautiful through stunning scenery so well worth it. and cakes and coffee will be available at the café whichever way you do it.

 

 

[Dallen123]

Wow! The pictures look amazing! Can't wait!!

[1160451]

For that tour take the ships trip. Simples.....:-)

Why, because it's a 30 minute drive and the bus timetable appeared to us a dangerous option.

I would be on tenterhooks up and down the trail, take the trip. We would and did.

It's fantastic.....

[Dallen123]

Thanks for your advice - My other half is a worrier so thinking more in favour of p&o excursion then at least we won't have to worry. It just seems to be a lot cheaper to do this yourself.

[groovechick]

When I was researching the Briksdal Glacier trip for myself two years ago, I seem to remember reading somewhere on this forum that the public bus does not go as far up as the tourist coaches, so you have a walk to get to the area with the shop/café/troll cars. It's a fantastic excursion - our guide was a young English girl who'd been a hairdresser on the cruise ships and had fallen for a Norwegian engineer and come to live with him. Consequently she was able to give us a lot of information that wasn't the usual tourist guide patter AND "got" the British sense of humour! The scenery is stunning, but if you opt to walk it is quite long and sometimes steep, although I thought it was worth it because it gave you more time to drink in the grandeur.

[AlanCruise]

We were there last summer. There is a public bus, which is cheap but does not run that often. You can find schedule online.

 

There is also a minibus service that you can book in an office on the quay after you get off. Cheaper than the Cruise organised trip (can't remember exact price) Drops you at the same spot as the bus and the cruise trip and will pick you up in about 2 hours for the return. We took this option.

 

Note that it is quite a long and steep walk from the end of the road to the glacier. The overall trip is say three hours, just don't leave it until late in the day in case of delays.

[ParCan]

There is also a Shuttle bus.

It's about £35. Book at the Bar on the R as you get off the ship.

 

The trip is 45 mins. 2 hours at the Glacier and 45 mins back.

 

Be warned. It's a good 45 mins hard walk from the drop off to the Glacier.

You can also pay for the Troll Cars if you wish. That still leaves you 15 - 20 mins gentle walk up some fairly steep slopes.