[alphadog]

Norway seems to be an amazing place to go on a road trip.
Each photo and vista is better than the previous.
I really do appreciate you guys for being brave enough to take little kids on long distance trips. My wife and I always held back on going on international trips till child was 3 years old and more manageable.
But, I suppose, as you said, the issue is manageable if the kids are fed watered and rested (sleep).
I am hoping there will be more pictures to come.
waiting for the next post, to continue my vicarious journey....

Cheerio!

[mathranik]

Day 5:

Drive : Molde - Alesund

Distance : 155 kms

All of previous evening was spent going around the pretty coastal town of Molde, exploring its cafes and promenade. Didn't carry the camera along, as we wanted to chill for a bit.

Today was an extremely relaxed drive to Alesund city, where we would be putting up for 2 days, the only place where we did so. It was even more relaxed, as it involved driving up your car in a ferry, putting your feet up and relaxing.

The process itself to load the car onto the ferry is pretty straightforward too. Right off the highway, well-marked signs will guide you to the correct queue (GPS would say so too). There, huge digital signages indicate the time to next ferry and ETA at destination. As the massive ferries pull up to the loading point, the front of the vessel slides up, first allowing the cars to exit and then the lights go green for the waiting cars to drive up the vessel. Marshals there indicate you to the correct lanes in the ferry (Yep, they are huge!).





And of course, you can then choose to relax at one of the decks, and go have a snack in the restaurant inside



The marshals would then lazily come to sell you the tickets - One for the car, that includes the driver, and additionally for the passengers. They accept cash and card.

After a 30-minute ferry 'drive' and another 45 minutes or so of driving by some now-regular mesmerising scenery of greens and blues, we reached Alesund - the third largest city of Norway, and unlike any other! We had booked ourselves for two nights at Quality Hotel Waterfront, which was right by the Cruise dock.

*Continued*

[earthian]

Great TR. On our bucket list. Thank you for sharing. Keep it coming, please.

[Unavowed_X9]

@mathranik. Exquisite TL! Pictures are spellbinding. The Citroen looks surprisingly similar to the new Innova. If you take away the road conditions, there are certain locations in India too which come close, but the ambience you must have achieved is phenomenal.
Keep revving!
Warm Regards
Unavowed_X9

[mathranik]

Day 5 *Continued* + Day 6

Alesund is the third largest city of Norway, but more than the size, it is the charm that excites. Surrounded by water, it also is a Cruise ship port and that's where our hotel was, too.

The agenda for the next day was to explore the town on foot, have some Indian food (plenty of restaurants), take in the charm of the city and generally take it slow. This was planned in a way that the kids take some well-deserved rest and it acts as a buffer day too.

The first thing visitors do in Alesund is to go up the peak of Aksla to get a panoramic view of the city, and it is unlike any other.










Day 6 was again planned relaxed, and Alesund deserves it too. Enjoy the ice-creams and pizzas at the road-side kiosks, sit by and enjoy the street musicians surprise you with an old Bollywood number, stroll past the boulevard and just do nothing in particular.

In the second half, we drove up to Strandafjellet that is 55kms up, and involves another ferry transit. It is known for its ski slopes and the gondola that takes you up the mountain. Vistas there need to be seen to be believed, and I can only imagine what a sight it must be in winters!








We stopped at a farm on the way to pick some fresh fruit, and then drove back to the hotel to call it a night.

The best of the trip lied ahead, and we saw stuff none of us had seen before - Stay Tuned!

[mathranik]

Day 7

Route : Alesund - åndalsnes - Trollveggen - Trollstigen Mountain Road - Geiranger

Distance : 240 kms (With a few detours)

Although Atlantic Ocean Road is the poster boy of Norway Tourism, Trollstigen HAS to be the highlight of any road trip across Norway. It is a driver's delight, with numerous hairpin bends, steep inclines and massive waterfalls right by it. The mountain road opens in May and usually shuts by October. The twisties are super fun!

We moved towards åndalsnes, and and after crossing the town there's a fork - one road goes towards the mountain road and the other leading you to Troll Wall. The latter is the tallest vertical rock face in all of Europe, at 3600 Feet. We decided to have a look at it, and then backtrack to Trollstigen.


Glacial lake near åndalsnes



Mesmerising Beauty



Troll Wall stands towering over you - It's monstrous



Partly above the clouds



Clouds working magic






Spent some time capturing the beauty of this place, and proceeded towards Trollstigen.

Other side of the wall



Greeted by this scene, as we began the ascend



Reminded us of the Doodhsagar Falls. This is the Stigfossen Falls, that drops 320 meters from the top of this peak.



It is literally by the road








Halfway through the top, there's a viewing platform with some parking space, that offers these views.







**Continued**

[kraft.wagen]

Excellent travelogue. Norway is definitely a paradise on earth, such beauty everywhere you see.

Only thing I hated was food is EXPENSIVE

[libranof1987]

Lovely travelogue!

I have a trip lined up to Tromso this weekend.

Any suggestions on what I can do there during the day?

Also, what currency works in Norway- apart from NOK, is Euro generally accepted? I'm currently on CHF payroll so considering if I should convert to Euros or directly to NOK.