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Scandic Hotels – in all major cities from north to south
Nordic Choice Hotels – a different hotel company
Thon Hotels – with fantastic breakfast
Hostelling International – the door to Norway
Radisson Blu Hotels – discover your favourite destinations
Widerøe – the largest regional airline in Scandinavia
AutoEurope – always a smooth car rental experience
Vy express – travel with bus throughout Norway
DFDS – Europe’s leading ferry operator 2012-2020
Rent-A-Wreck – the smart car rental alternative
Arctic Campers – Norway’s camper van rental
NOR-WAY Bussekspress – travel green with express busses
Vy – it should be easy to travel green
Hurtigruten – "The World’s Most Beautiful Sea Voyage"
Authentic Scandinavia – exciting Norway tours
Up Norway – tailored journeys
Norrøna Hvitserk – expeditions and adventure holidays
Fjord Tours – experience Norway in a nutshell® with one ticket
50 Degrees North – unforgettable tailor-made and small group tours to Norway
Discover Norway – skiing, biking and hiking tours in Norway
Norwegian Holidays – low-price package holidays with Norwegian. Flight, hotel and rental car
DanCenter – your specialist in holiday homes in Norway
Norgesbooking – book your perfect cabin stay in Norway
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Named one of the world’s most beautiful night train journeys by Lonely Planet, the Nordland Railway offers fantastic views and vistas.
The Nordland Railway is a 729-kilometre long railway line between Trondheim and Bodø. Most of the trip goes through the county of Nordland.
The railway line is operated by SJ.
According to Lonely Planet, who named this line one of the world’s best night train journeys, it really is wonderful to take the Nordland Railway from Bodø to Trondheim. Just as the poet Sveinulv Jarnæss described the Nordland night in his poem from 1950:
At 729 kilometres, the Nordland Railway is Norway’s longest. The journey presents a huge variety in landscape, culture, and climate. It will take you through fertile farmland and great forests in Trøndelag, across the majestic Saltfjellet range, and down to the coast between Rognan and Bodø.
At Saltfjellet mountain range you cross the Arctic Circle, marking the boundary of the polar region. In winter you can experience the magical northern lights here, and in summer you’ll see the gleaming midnight sun.
On the southward journey, the train passes through Mo i Rana, with its industrial history. From there, you continue down Børgefjell where those with a thirst for adventure can make their dreams come true.
The train then carves its way through massive forests, past wild mountain scenery, alongside rivers teeming with fish. It passes Namsskogan Familiepark, narrow fjords, Stiklestad, and eventually arrives at the 1000-year-old university town of Trondheim.
The Nordland Railway takes you deep into the polar regions, where the northern lights play across the sky in the winter nights.
Between late September and late March, it is dark from early afternoon until late morning. This is the best time to see the northern lights. In this period, it gets quite dark in the middle of the night, and you have maximum chances of spotting the lights.
Download the free NorwayLights app for iPhone, Android or Windows – a forecast that helps you find the best time and place to see the northern lights.
iPhone: Download NorwayLights for iOS
Android: Download NorwayLights for Android
Windows: Download NorwayLights for Windows
In 2012, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation presented a ten-hour documentary about Nordlandsbanen, which gave millions of viewers a real-time sense of this beautiful railway journey. Here, you can watch the short version.
En route, the train stops at Mo i Rana, one of the oldest habitations along the Helgeland coast. Up until 1988, the iron and steel manufacturer Norsk Jernverk was the dominant industry in the town and the region. More recently, there has been a boom in employment, not least at Mo Industripark, which is one of Norway’s largest industrial clusters with 1,850 employees serving 115 companies.
A number of governmental bodies have also been established in Mo i Rana, including the National Library of Norway.
In Bodø, there is no shortage of experiences awaiting the visitor. This location is an excellent base for glacier hiking on Norway’s second largest glacier Svartisen, or for a trip to the world’s most powerful natural whirlpool: the Saltstraumen maelstrom.
Bodø is also the ideal stopover for a ferry trip to the Lofoten Islands.
Norway has a well-developed railway network stretching from Kristiansand in the south to Bodø above the Arctic Circle.
Planning your trip will help you get what you want and find the experiences you wish for.
Norway is far larger than most people realise. We recommend focusing on one region at a time, If you only plan one trip to Norway, take your time as you travel; make the journey itself your destination.
Most parts of Norway offer diverse accommodation, ranging from historic fjord hotels and urban boutique hotels to camping, glamping, and mountain cabins. Rates are often fair when booked in advance.
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