By plane
A 20-minute drive from Ålesund town centre, Ålesund Airport Vigra is located. The airport has good connections to/from Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Aberdeen (via Stavanger), London Gatwick, Copenhagen and Riga. There are also good connections from Ørsta-Volda Airport Hovden to/from most Norwegian towns and cities.
By train
The railway station in the region is at Åndalsnes, a good 120 kilometres from Ålesund, with a bus connection to/from Ålesund five times per day. Travelling time between Oslo and Åndalsnes is 5 hours and 30 minutes. The bus between Åndalsnes and Ålesund takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. For timetables and booking, please contact the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and Nettbuss.
By bus
Express bus services run throughout the region, with good connections to/from Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim. Travelling time between Oslo and Ålesund is approximately 10 hours, and between Trondheim and Ålesund approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes.
TIMEkspressen goes regularly between Volda, Ålesund, Molde and Kristiansund. Travelling time between Ålesund and Kristiansund is 3 hours, and between Ålesund and Volda 2 hours.
For timetables and booking, please contact Nor-Way Bussekspress and Nettbuss.
Hurtigruten (The Norwegian Coastal Voyage)
Many people describe Hurtigruten as "the world's most beautiful voyage". It calls daily at Ålesund and Torvik on both its northbound and southbound voyages. The northbound service also makes the Ålesund - Geiranger - Ålesund round trip daily from April to September.
Express boats and car ferries
Express boats and car ferries sail up and down the coast, in sheltered waters and across open seas, to towns and villages, and islands large and small. They provide perfect logistics for a holiday of island hopping, or an itinerary entirely of your own choosing.
Be warned, there may be queues in the summer months. For the most popular ferries, you are wise to queue early.
For more information about ferry and boat timetables, please contact the following companies:
By car
The drive to Ålesund and Sunnmøre can be a rewarding scenic experience in itself.
From Oslo, take the E6 to Dombås, then continue on the E136 via Ørskog and Skodje to Ålesund.
From Trondheim, take the E39 heading south.
From Bergen, there are several exciting routes to choose from, including the E39, the main road through the fjords. An alternative is to take the E39 to Byrkjelo, then the rv. 60 via Olden and Stryn to Ålesund. Rv. 61 will give you a view of the coast.
Distances:
- Ålesund - Oslo 520 kilometres (8 hours)
- Ålesund - Bergen 370 kilometres (5 hours and 30 minutes)
- Ålesund - Trondheim 285 kilometres (4 hours and 20 minutes)
- Ålesund - Kristiansand 747 kilometres (11 hours and 30 minutes)
Road and traffic conditions
Information about road and traffic conditions throughout Norway - call 175 whilst in Norway, and +47 23 23 78 63 from abroad.
Timetable information
Timetable information for buses, ferries, express boats and airport buses - call 177 whilst in Norway, and +47 71 58 78 00 from abroad.