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Above:  Land Ho!  The 'Queen of Scandinavia' has crossed the North Sea, and the rocky & scenic coast of Norway appears to starboard.  The ferry follows the coast all the way from Stavanger to Bergen, snaking through the many islands...

This is the most civilised and relaxing way to travel from anywhere in the UK to Norway.  DFDS Seaways' cruise ferry 'Queen of Scandinavia' sails twice a week from Newcastle to Bergen and Stavanger in Norway (3 times a week in high summer).  To check sailing dates, times & fares, see www.dfds.co.uk. 

IMPORTANT:  Unfortunately, DFDS have now announced that this ferry service will be withdrawn permanently from 1 September 2008.  This leaves no ferry at all across the North Sea to anywhere north of Denmark, after over a century.  Alternative rail service UK to Norway.

London ► Stavanger, Bergen & Oslo

• Travel from London to Newcastle by train, leaving London Kings Cross on either the 12:00 or 12:30 train departures, arriving Newcastle around 3 hours later.  Both departures give plenty of time to connect with the 18:30 ferry sailing from Newcastle.  On dates when the ferry sails at 15:00, you'll need to leave London earlier, on the 09:00 train departure.  If you're travelling from any other UK town or city, simply check train times and fares to Newcastle on the UK page or using www.nationalrail.co.uk, planning an arrival in Newcastle by around 15:30 (on dates when the ferry sails at 18:30) or 12:00 (on dates when the ferry sails at 15:00).

• Transfer to the DFDS ferry terminal at North Shields:  Walk out of the main exit at Newcastle Central Station onto the cab road and turn left along the station front for about 100 yards until you reach the bus stop marked 'Bus 327 DFDS ferry terminal only'.  Clearly-marked DFDS transfer buses leave Newcastle central station for the North Shields international ferry terminal at 15:30 & 16:15 (on dates when the ferry sails at 18:30), or correspondingly earlier on dates when the ferry sails at 15:00.  The bus fare is £3 adults, £2 child, and the journey normally takes about 40 minutes.  The buses are wheelchair accessible and have extra luggage space.  Alternatively, a taxi from Newcastle station to the DFDS ferry terminal will cost about £16, journey time 35 minutes.  Another possibility is to take the Tyne & Wear Metro to Percy Main station and walk from there, though it's quite a long walk.

• Sail from Newcastle to Stavanger or Bergen by cruise ferry:  The DFDS Seaways cruise ferry 'Queen of Scandinavia' sails twice a week, to the following timetable.  You arrive in Norway the day after leaving London & Newcastle.

Newcastle ► Bergen & Stavanger
Check sailing days & times at www.dfds.co.uk
Until 1 September 2008	Until 18 June & from 28 August:	19 June to 27 August:
Newcastle (North Shields) depart	18:30   Tues & Sat	15:00  Day 1, dates vary
Stavanger arrive	15:00   Wed & Sun	10:30  Day 2
Haugesund arrive	18:00   Wed & Sun	13:30  Day 2
Bergen arrive	23:00*  Wed & Sun	18:00  Day 2

* Passengers may spend the night on board and disembark next morning if they prefer, for supplement of around £25.

• Travel from Stavanger or Bergen to Oslo by train:  Modern, air-conditioned trains link Stavanger with Kristiansand & Oslo, also (on a separate and very scenic line) Bergen with Oslo.  The quickest way to Oslo is to disembark at Stavanger, walk to the station (25 mins walk or take a taxi), then catch the overnight sleeper train departing Stavanger 22:19 daily except Saturdays, arriving Oslo Sentral 07:26 next morning (in other words, day 3 from London).  The sleeper train has reclining seats and 1 & 2 bed sleepers.  Alternatively, stay on board the ferry until Bergen, stay on board an extra night and disembark the following morning.  In Bergen, it's only 10 minute's walk from the ferry terminal to the town centre, and another 10 minutes walk to the railway station.  Take a daytime train along the very scenic Bergen Line to Oslo, an experience in itself.  Trains leave Bergen at 07:58 (arriving Oslo at 14:32), at 10:28 (arriving 17:32), and at 15:58 (arriving 22:32).  There's also a Bergen-Oslo sleeper.  You can check train times and book Norwegian train tickets online, see below.

Oslo, Bergen & Stavanger ► London

• Train from Oslo to Stavanger or Bergen by train:  Trains link Oslo with both Stavanger and Bergen.  The 07:11 Mondays-Saturdays train from Oslo Sentral arrives Stavanger 15:02, in time to connect with the ferry (the ferry check-in closes 40 minutes before sailing), though there's also an overnight sleeper.  If you want to go via Bergen, you either need to take the Oslo-Bergen overnight sleeper train, or travel Oslo-Bergen the day before and stay in a hotel.  You can check train times and book Norwegian train tickets online, see below.

• Sail from Stavanger or Bergen to Newcastle by cruise ferry:  The DFDS Seaways cruise ferry 'Queen of Scandinavia' sails twice a week, to the following timetable:

Bergen & Stavanger ► Newcastle
Check sailing days & times at www.dfds.co.uk
Until 1 September 2008	Until 18 June & from 28 August:		19 June - 27 August:
Bergen depart	10:00  Mon	11:00 Thurs	09:00  Day 1, dates vary
Haugesund depart	14:30  Mon	15:30 Thurs	13:30  Day 1, dates vary
Stavanger depart	18:00  Mon	19:00 Thurs	17:00  Day 1, dates vary
Newcastle (North Shields) arrive	13:30  Tues	15:00 Fri	10:30  Day 2

• Transfer from the North Shields ferry terminal to Newcastle Central station:  A DFDS transfer bus leaves the ferry terminal about 40-50 minutes after each ferry arrival, for Newcastle Central Station.  The journey takes around 40 minutes, the bus fare is £3 adult or £2 child.  Alternatively, taxis are available, about £16 to the station.

• Travel from Newcastle to London by train:  Always allow lots of time for connections in case the ferry is delayed, especially if booking non-changeable non-refundable train tickets.  On dates when the ferry arrives 13:30, a train around 16:25 will arrive London Kings Cross around 19:20.   On dates when the ferry arrives 15:00, a train around 18:10 will arrive London around 21:15.   On dates when the ferry arrives 10:30, a train around 13:25 will arrive London around 16:45.  You can check train times on the UK page or at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Fares...

• London-Newcastle by train starts at just £11 each way if you book in advance (non-changeable, non-refundable at these prices).  A flexible, refundable Saver ticket costs £98 return.  You can check train fares and buy tickets online on the UK page or via www.nationalrail.co.uk.

• Newcastle-Stavanger/Bergen by ferry starts at £61 one-way or £122 return, per person, if two people travel together and share a cabin.  The fare includes a berth in a Seaways class inside cabin with private toilet and shower, but a range of cabins is available, including DFDS' famous and luxurious Commodore class.  Passenger fares vary by type of cabin, time of year, and how early you book.  Book early, as like airline fares prices now go up as cheaper tickets are sold.  Children under 4 free, children under 16 half price.  Bicycles go for £10 one-way.  Note that you cannot now book individual berths in shared cabins, you must book the whole cabin, making solo travel much more expensive.

How to buy ferry tickets...

• The cheapest way to book the ferry is online at www.dfds.co.uk.

• Alternatively, you can book by phone by calling DFDS Seaways on 0870 5 333 000, though there's a £10 booking fee for phone bookings.  DFDS phone lines are open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 08:30-17:00 Saturdays, 10:00-16:00 Sundays.

How to buy UK train tickets to Newcastle...

• Buy your UK train tickets online either on the UK page or via www.nationalrail.co.uk.

How to buy Norwegian train tickets...

• You can buy Norwegian tickets online at www.nsb.no.  In fact, it pays to pre-book your tickets this way, because cheap advance-purchase 'minipris' fares are often available, saving a lot of money over the regular fare that you will be charged on the day of travel.

• Bergen-Oslo costs between 199 Kr & 399 Kr (£17-£34) one-way with a limited-availability minipris fare or 728 Kr (£63) each way full fare.  Return fares are twice the one-way.  Stavanger-Oslo also costs between 199 Kr & 399 Kr (£17-£34) each way with a limited-availability minipris fare or 846 Kr (£73) one-way full fare, return fares are twice this.  Anyone over 67 (or married couples where one partner is over 67) get a 50% discount.  Children under 4 free, children 4-15 (inclusive) half price.

• Booking tips at www.nsb.no:  The 'English' button is top right.  When you reach the fares page, use the drop-down list of fare types to see if you can change 'ordinaer' (full fare) to 'minipris' (cheap advance purchase fare, only appears if there is a minipris available, either 199Kr, 299Kr or 399Kr depending on availability).  'Okonomi' means standard class, any fare including the word 'Komfort' means first class with larger seats, more space, laptop power points and complimentary tea and coffee.

• Any feedback from booking this way and using these trains would be very welcome!

On board DFDS ship, the 'Queen of Scandinavia'

The 33,730-ton Queen of Scandinavia can carry over 1,700 passengers.  All passengers travel in private cabins, each with en suite toilet and shower, with clean bedding, soap and towels provided.  All cabins have plug sockets (European 2-pin type) which can be used to recharge mobiles or even laptops. Choose between a Seaways class standard cabin with 1-4 berths, or DFDS' famous Commodore Class suites with hotel-style facilities and access to a deluxe lounge with complimentary tea & coffee and internet access.  Other on board facilities include a small swimming pool & sauna on deck 2, the 7 Seas buffet restaurant, the Blue Riband à la carte restaurant, Navigator's Bar, Café Latitude, Bake 'n Coffee Café, Columbus Night Club with live entertainment, Casino, conference facilities, shops.  The ship is very child-friendly, with baby changing facilities, children's play area (next to the cafe on deck 4), paddling pool on deck 2, and organised children's activities.  Prices on board are in Norwegian Kroner, but you can also pay in pounds or by credit or debit card.  The buffet breakfast costs around 129NOK (£12) per person, the famous Smorgasbord buffet dinner in the 7 Seas Restaurant costs 230NOK (£23) per person for as much as you can eat.  If you're sailing to or from Bergen, the ship sails along the well-populated coast and between the islands between Stavanger and Bergen, so enjoy the voyage.

Great white liner:  The DFDS cruise ferry 'Queen of Scandinavia'.		All passengers travel in comfortable private cabins.  This is a standard Seaways Class cabin, with private toilet & shower.		The excellent smorgasbord buffet in the Blue Riband restaurant, 230 NOK (£23) per person.  About as far from EasyJet or RyanAir as you can get...

Stavanger harbour, seen from the deck of the Queen of Scandinavia...		Bergen harbour, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, seen from the deck of the Queen of Scandinavia.  Note the 3-masted sailing ship.

This is the fastest way to travel from London to Oslo without flying.  It's also comfortable and affordable.

Train times London ► Oslo:

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:57, arriving in Brussels at 16:03.

• Travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Brussels at 17:25 and arriving in Cologne (Hauptbahnhof) at 19:45.

• Travel from Cologne to Copenhagen on the City Night Line sleeper train 'Borealis', leaving Cologne at 22:28 and arriving in Copenhagen at 09:59 next morning.  This train has seats, couchettes (6-bunk & 4-bunk) and a modern sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments, either standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.  See photos below.

• Travel from Copenhagen to Oslo, leaving Copenhagen at 12:23, changing trains at Gothenburg and arriving Oslo at 20:45 on Saturdays or 21:45 on other days.  You can confirm train times for your date of travel at http://bahn.hafas.de.

Introducing the Cologne-Copenhagen City Night Line sleeper train...

The Cologne-Copenhagen overnight train 'Borealis' is one of the German Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains.  It has a modern sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower and toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, there's a shower at the end of the corridor and all rooms have power-points for laptop computers), modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4- or 6-berth compartment), and ordinary seats (not recommended for an overnight journey).  Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation.  Click for more pictures and information about this train.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.		4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.		6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...		Above:  One of the new 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars used on the Cologne-Copenhagen City Night Line sleeper train.  More pictures...

Train times Oslo ► London:

• Travel from Oslo to Copenhagen by train.  On Mon-Fri, leave Oslo 07:00, change at Gothenburg, arriving Copenhagen 15:37.  On Saturdays, depart Oslo 09:00, change at Gothenburg & Malmö, arriving Copenhagen 17:17.  No service on Sundays.  Check train times for your own date of travel at http://bahn.hafas.de.

• Travel from Copenhagen to Cologne by City Night Line sleeper train 'Borealis', leaving Copenhagen at 18:53 and arriving Cologne at 06:56 next morning.  This train has couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth) and a modern sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-bed rooms, standard with washbasin or deluxe with private shower & toilet).

• On Mondays-Saturdays, a high-speed Thalys train leaves Cologne at 07:14, arriving Brussels at 09:35.  On Sundays, a high-speed Thalys train leaves Cologne at 07:40, arriving Brussels at 10:01.

• A Eurostar leaves Brussels daily at 11:59 and arrives London St Pancras at 13:03.

Fares:

1. London to Cologne  by Eurostar + Thalys:	London to Cologne by Eurostar+ Thalys or ICE starts at £79 return.  Book in advance to get the cheapest fares, as the fare rises as cheaper seats are sold.  One-way fares will probably be more than a return, so check return fares and throw away the return half if necessary.
2. Cologne to Copenhagen:  by sleeper train:	In a seat	In a couchette		In the sleeping-car (standard room *)
		6-berth	4-berth	3-berth	2-berth	single berth
Savings fare one-way:	£21	£36	£44	£51	£59	£103
Savings fare return:	£42	£72	£88	£102	£118	£206
Normal fare one-way:	£88	£99	£107	£114	£127	£159
Normal fare return:	£176	£198	£214	£228	£254	£318
Child 0-13 with own berth:	£8	£15	£22	£29	£37	£76
Child 0-5:	Child 0-5 (inclusive) sharing berth travels free...
Savings fare = cheap fare, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.  Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time. * A deluxe sleeper with shower & toilet is 10-20% more than standard sleeper. Couchettes are sold individually in shared 4 or 6 berth compartments, but as from December 2007, only whole sleeper compartments on this route can be booked, it will no longer be possible for solo passengers to book one sleeper berth in a 2 or 3 bed compartment and share with other passengers.
3. Copenhagen to Oslo	Booked with www.raileurope.co.uk, fixed price, £83 one-way, £166 return.  Booked with www.bokatag.se, price varies, £40-£83 one-way, £80-£166 return.

How to buy tickets by phone:

You can book through a number of UK agencies, but for this trip the best is probably Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083.  Click here for a list of agencies and more info on how to book.

How to buy tickets online:

The cheapest way to book train travel from London to Copenhagen is online, although you need to use two or three separate websites.  Do a dry run to check availability and fares on both sites before starting to book.  Remember you can't book until 60 days before departure.

• Step 1, go to the German Railways night train site, www.bahn.de/citynightline, select 'English' top right.  Book a sleeper or couchette ticket from Cologne (Köln Hbf) to Copenhagen (Koebenhvn H) and back, looking for the cheap 'Savings' fares.  You pay online and print out your own ticket in .PDF format on your own PC printer.  Easy!

• Step 2, now go to www.raileurope.co.uk and book a London-Cologne Eurostar+Thalys ticket, using the train times on this page as a guide.  On the Rail Europe home page, you simply select 'London' and 'Cologne' from the drop-down lists and enter your dates of travel.  Book early to see the cheapest fares, bookings open 90 days in advance.  One-way fares can be higher than returns, and if so, just buy a return and throw away the return portion after using the outward.  Make sure you allow plenty of time for the connection in Cologne, preferably between 1½ & 2 hours when connecting with a sleeper train.  It's obvious, but remember that your return departure date from Cologne will be the day after your departure date from Copenhagen!

• Occasionally, if there are no affordable London-Cologne through fares shown, it can be worth splitting the journey into separate London-Brussels and Brussels-Cologne sections, looking for cheap fares for each leg at www.raileurope.co.uk.  Give this a try if you don't see any cheap fares for the throughout London-Cologne journey.  First, ask for 'Brussels' to 'Cologne' and your dates of travel.  'Koeln Hbf (DE)' is the destination you want, if the system asks you.  After booking the Thalys from Brussels to Cologne, click 'add another ticket' and book a Eurostar from London to Brussels and back to connect.  Note that this system will book Thalys trains but not (being French!) the German ICE trains between Brussels and Cologne.  Make sure you allow for the 30 minute Eurostar check-in at Brussels on the return journey.

• Step 3, there are two options for booking the Copenhagen to Oslo train.  The easy way is to stay with www.raileurope.co.uk, click 'continue shopping' and book a ticket from Copenhagen to Oslo and back online.  Rail Europe charges a standard fixed price for Copenhagen-Oslo trains for all dates and departures, this is the international tariff made available to other European railway operators by the Swedish Railways.  The second, cheaper way is to book the Copenhagen-Oslo train using either the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se (no booking fee) or www.bokatag.se (small booking fee, English button bottom right).  If you can't get your credit card to work, call SJ telesales on +46 771 75 75 75 (touch tone 6 for English).  www.sj.se, www.bokatag.se & SJ telesales sell tickets at actual Swedish Railways prices, which vary like budget airline fares.  If you book several months in advance you can find really cheap fares available, much cheaper than with Rail Europe, rising to pretty much the same level as Rail Europe closer to departure.  You collect your tickets from the Swedish Railways (SJ) ticket machines installed at Copenhagen main station.  Note that although www.raileurope.co.uk sells tickets for the 12:23 departure from Copenhagen easily enough, www.bokatag.se for some reason won't sell tickets for this particular service, but see what it offers you.  SJ telesales can sell all trains on this route.

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe, plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873 and costing £13.50, it's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery, or buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change).  Or buy the independent traveller's edition from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter 2007/8 edition (December 2007 to June 2008) or Summer 2008 edition (June to December 2008). 

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

Make sure you take a good guidebook.  For independent travel, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both guidebooks provide the same excellent level of practical information and cultural and historical background.  You won't regret buying one..!

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

Or buy direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.

Find a hotel anywhere in Norway...

It's easy to book hotels online to go with your train tickets, but there are almost too many hotel booking websites to choose from.  The answer is to use www.hotelscombined.com (or use the search box below).  This is not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool which searches all the main hotel booking sites for you (Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms, Opodo, Venere and many others) to find the cheapest hotel rates on the net.  Set up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.

Search all major hotel booking sites at once...

Powered by Hotels Combined

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• Try www.laterooms.com, which will list a huge number of hotels in any given town or city on a single page showing price and availability for your specific dates.  www.laterooms.com gets significant discounts over normal rates for many hotels, and these discounted prices are shown in orange.  As its name suggests, www.laterooms.com gets discounts for hotel rooms booked within 3 months of travel, making it ideal for anyone booking train travel within the normal 90 days booking horizon.

• www.venere.com Norway hotels is worth a look.

• www.tripadvisor.com is a huge resource, and the best place to browse for independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

Budget backpacker hostels...

• If you're on a tight budget, don't forget the hostels.  For a dorm bed or an ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most European cities use www.hostelbookers.com.

Compare quotes from both Direct Line & Columbus...

Travel insurance..

Travel insurance is a boring subject, but it's a real necessity, so make sure you budget for it.  Make sure you get adequate cover - for example, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover, from a reliable insurer.  Remember that an annual multi-trip policy is often cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just two or three trips a year.  Here are some suggested insurers to try.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy after clicking these links.

  If you live in the UK, get quotes from Direct Line (whom I've used myself) and Columbus Direct.

      If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct Australia.

  If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

EU health card...

UK citizens travelling in Europe should carry a European Health Insurance Card.  This replaces the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available free from www.ehic.org.uk and entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the UK's NHS.

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