Travel
Getting to TrondheimThis page contains information of how to get to Trondheim for the conference. Because some of the
participants in the ECDL2003 conference may like to more time in Norway, we have also included some information for travelling between Trondheim and
other parts of Norway.
Getting to Trondheim
Trondheim Airport Værnes is the airport of Trondheim. There are some international routes, but most people who come to Trondheim go via Oslo or Bergen.
If you come from England, taking Braathens flight from Gatwick, London via Bergen to Trondheim is the most likely choice. If you want to you can also go from Bergen to Trondheim with the cruise line "Hurtigruten". This lets you experience some of the coast line of Norway. See ECDL'2003's Unofficial Guide to Norway under the "tourist information" link in the left menu.
If you go via Gardermoen (Oslo) there is a long list of available departures for Trondheim. Check out Braathens, SAS, and Wideroe for details. If you want to you can also go from Gardermoen (Oslo) to Trondheim by train. The railway passes Oslo airport Gardermoen on its way from Oslo to Trondheim. (Travel time from Oslo airport Gardermoen is about 6 hours). This lets you experience some of the country side of Norway. See Travelling by Train below in the section Travelling between Trondheim and other parts of Norway.
If you would like to go directly from an intenational airport these are the available possibilities:
There is an airport bus shuttle going from the airport to the city center passing every major hotel on its route (Fare: about 55 NOK / 7 USD. Time: about 35 min). Taxi from the airport to the city is about 500 NOK / 60 USD depending on arrival time. There is also a airport taxi service wich cost 250 NOK pr. person. This service has to be ordered in advance. If you go take the bus the driver will help you get a taxi if your hotel is not passed by by the bus.
If you arrive in Trondheim by train, you arrive in the city centre. From the railway station to the venue and conference hotel there is a 10 min walk, but if you would like to take a taxi, there is a taxi rank right outside the station. Taking the taxi from the railway station to the venue and conference hotel is about 75 NOK/10 USD. Taking the train to Trondheim is easily combined with going to/from Oslo by plane as the railway passes the Oslo airport Gardermoen on its way from Oslo to Trondheim. (Travel time from Oslo airport Gardermoen is about 6 hours)
If you want to go by car, you will most probably want to travel by one of the ferries departing from England, Denmark or Germany (you can also drive via Denmark/sweden if you like). There are no international cruise lines calling at the port of Trondheim, but there are cruice lines from Sweden, Denmark, England and Germany calling at the ports of Oslo, Sandefjord, Larvik and Kristiansand. See Color Line and DFDS SEAWAYS for details. From England there are cruise lines calling at the ports of Bergen, Haugesund or Stavanger. If you want to departure from Island, the Faroe Islands or Shetland you can check out Smyril Line.
From Trondheim you can go northwards and southwards by train. Going northwards (The Northern Line/Nordlandsbanen) you can get as far as Bodø (9-11 hours). Going southwards (The Dovre Line/Dovrebanen) you eventually reach Oslo (6.5-8 hours). You can also from Trondheim travel across the border to Sweden, giving you access to the swedish railway system. In addition there are other lines giving you access to other parts of Norway in connection with these lines. The railways in Norway goes through dramatic landscapes and some (like the Rauma line/Raumabanen) are even travelled by old fashion steam trains in the summer. For a complete description of the various lines visit the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) at www.nsb.no/internet/en/travelplanner/routes/
If you want to you can buy a ScanRail ticket giving you unlimited access to all trains in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark for up to three weeks. There is also an extensive net of busses corresponding with the trains, so that you can take the bus to locations where there are no train connections.
There is an extensive net of busses available in Norway, both long distance busses and local extensions, giving you access to most parts of Norway. For routes of long distance busses, visit NOR-WAY bussekspress. There are overnight couches travelling between most major cities, but most local extensions only travel by daytime.
Norway is a costal country and in many parts of the country you can as easily travel by boat as by train or bus.
Most companies for high speed crafts are regionally based and make journeys for up to four hours from departure to destination. From Trondheim there are local high speed crafts travelling the fjord and the islands outside the fjord, and there is also a long distanse route to Kristiansund about 300 km soutwards along the cost (3.5 hours). For a map of all high speed craft routes from Trondheim, see Fosen Trafikklag. Just click on the red lines to get the timetable for each journey. Several of these routes are nice for a one day journey at sea with stops at islands along the routes. Click here for more information and pictures (Norwegian text only).
If you would like a longer cruise travelling along the cost, you may want to consider travelling with Hurtigruten. Hurtigruten is a cruise line with 11 ships travelling the cost from Bergen to Kirkenes almost at the border of northern Russia and back passing among other things the North Cape on it route.
If you like to you could also travel shorter distances. (For instance from Trondheim to Bergen) The ships are really like floating hotels with an unbelievable view. On their journey they call at 35 ports along the cost. The ships call at the port of Trondheim every day both going northwards and southwards.
Traveling by plane is by far the most effective way of travel in Norway, allthough rather expensive. There are 45 different destinations to choose from wich means that most travel destinations in Norway are well within reach from a local airport. For a graphical presentation of the distribution of airports in Norway, click here and follow the link in the upper bar called "Flyplasser".
There are several airlines flying in Norway: SAS, Norwegian Air Shuttle AS, Braathens and Wideroe are the major ones. There are also low-budget airlines like Ryan Air flying from Torp near Oslo to England, Scotland and Germany. Gardermoen by Oslo is the main international airport in Norway. There should be a bus leaving for the airport every 15 minutes from your hotel in Trondheim.
For the ultimate freedom, you may want to consider a rental car to travel around Norway. Most international car rental companies have offices in Trondheim. Be aware that you may need an international drivers licence to rent a car in Norway. Renting a car is more expensive than going by public transportation, but gives you greater flexibility when it comes to departure/arrival times, stops and destinations. The roadmap in Norway is rather extensive, but in some parts the roads are narrow and rather curvy due to the topography of Norway. Some places you will have to pay road toll and you have to pay for travelling with ferries, so alvays keep some cash with you. Crime is virtually non-existent along the roads of Norway. There should also be possibilities for renting a camper/motor caravan. Contact an international car rental service in your home country for more details.