Very easy to purchase tickets using a credit card, and board the mini train. We started at the…read moreport with a history of the city & information about the devastating fire of 1904. The tour was informative we saw all of the cities highlights & even stopped for :15 at the viewpoint. I enjoyed the Norwegian music too. The only drawback was that we went around only once, the second circle tour was fully booked, this wasn't hop on & off. We had to take the train back to where we boarded.

Look it's a charming town but truthfully there's not a whole lot to see or do if you are a day…read moretripper. It happens to be a very hilly town with a decent port that must be cheap enough for NCL to tie-up in before entering the Norwegian fjords. Everything about this place (and most of the bits of Norway we experienced) is out of proportion to the money demanded. It's literally all cost with no real benefit. So instead of going up a very steep hill for a view, to risk going to a hill top cafe that may or may not be open, with a code on the door to use a toilet only provided you've given trade to the cafe, we decided on balance to walk around for a few hours and grab a coffee. I mean they are called public conveniences for a reason with convenience taken to mean no inconvenience. I had pictured a closed cafe ergo no access to a locked toilet and thought nope not my idea of a day out. We got up a few hills and got a darn good view without parting with £44 for the pleasure. I'm sure there's public transportation to go here if you've the inclination and time. Or you can walk up 418 steps to get there and the same back down. We saw many walking it. The dock side selling highlight for this red bus service tour (and the separate local road train tour competitor business) is to go up this very steep hill to the cliff top observation lounge to look back over the expanse of town/seascape/mountains and all for a mere £22 a head with the competition also offering a similar trek at this price. The observation place has no separate fee. The art nouveau town centre rebuilt after a 1904 fire is beautifully manicured and we visited twice about 6 days apart and it appears we were lucky to visit on two dry days as it apparently rains very often here.

Trollstigen, the Land of the Trolls…read more When our original cruise ship tour to Trollstigen was cancelled due to the road being closed for the season due to six major rockslides, our party needed to find an alternative plan. Trond and his small, but mighty, ice cream loving Troll assistant to the rescue. Trond from Local Trips is really a fantastic guide. He was able to coordinate our group to be with him on the same van as per my special request. So happy to be his co-pilot for the day. So easy to meet Trond upon arrival in the Ålesund cruise terminal. Love how adapted the tour, so that we really had an amazing day exploring the region in a small group with seven stops in under seven hours. I have never been on a tour where we were given an itinerary with descriptions of each stop including where we were on the map, what time we would arrive and leave and whether or not there was a WC/water closet. Coupled with Trond's amazing storytelling, knowledge and love of the area and sense of humor, this was the best tour on our vacation to Norway. Just perfect. After going through the tunnel from the cruise terminal, Trond made a stop to view the old Skodje Bridges. Loved the reflections that the bridges made against the water and the walk through a short tunnel on the other side of the road to meet him back at the van. The Liabygda Ringsetskiftet Viewpoint by the sea was so beautiful. To the left, you can see a salmon fish farm and to the right you can see the town Stranda where the Grandiosa pizza-factory is located. Nice to see the Geiranger and Hellesylt Fjords along the way. Gudbrandsjuvet is a river gorge in the River Valldøla. The watery river flows between gorges and cracks in the mountain. It meets in unexpected angles, before it flows under the bridge and plunges further down the valley. The gully is partly formed by several large potholes. Love the rustic platforms and bridges have been built in a mixture of glass and rust-corroded iron rails. Look for a rainbow. Trond also bought local strawberries and raspberries for us to sample. So fresh and juicy. The old bridge by Krikebrua is Trond's favorite stop and I can see why. So peaceful and serene with the river and goats along the trail created by Mother Nature. The old bridge was built in 1891 only of rocks, no concrete or steel. The waterfall along the short hike is gorgeous. The Trollstigen Viewpoints was our main reason for choosing this tour. Wow. Truly stunning scenery. There are a couple of viewpoints as well as trails up to the top of the mountain. Look out for Trolls along the climb. Interesting to hear about how and why this road was built in the 1930s and how the King and Queen of Norway visited and honored a nonagenarian that had helped with the construction in her home for tea as she could not travel to the Royal Palace due to her advanced age. The next two stops were so scenic. Loved the lake and the old church at Valldal. Grab a waffle with brown cheese for the ride back to the cruise terminal. The Aksla Viewpoint was our last stop. So nice to get a bird's eye view of Ålesund. Don't think. Just go to Trollstigen, The Land of the Trolls with Trond from Local Trips. From the filming of Mission Impossible (with the glasshouses that were rented for the cast and crew) to the Norwegian systems for education, taxes and healthcare to how the fjords and glaciers were formed, you will learn so much, see so much and just come away feeling like you have experienced a magical day.

Clive and Carole run a friendly hostel-style place. They live in the "big house," which also hosts…read morethe breakfast room; there are cabins, and a lodging-house with ~8 double rooms. Each one just-barely-fits a two-person bed, and has its own small bathroom. There's also a communal living room with some couches, and a kitchen/dining room; they're set up for "cold food prep" (so hit the grocery store and get sandwich fixings, bread and cheese, or the like) --- but there's no heating appliances besides a hot-water kettle, so no microwave dinners. (We did do an instant cup-o-noodles using the kettle, which is probably pushing the line a little). The wi-fi is severely problematic --- it only worked at all from part of the living room, and dropped out frequently from there. Nothing at all in the bedrooms. We were on Norway-friendly smartphones and isolated from the issue, but the other three guests had laptops and a pretty frustrating time of it. Tether off your phone, or hope Clive's improved matters. Clive does some airport pickup-dropoffs with prior arrangement; there's plenty of parking if you've got your own car. The nearest major grocery stores are across the bridge, on Valderøya island; same with petrol stations. It's just a short drive, but worth hitting on your way in. Good, comfortable (if small) rooms --- far more welcoming than the "Vigra Airport Hotel", and maybe even closer to the airport.

Information, maps & brochures here. We are able to take the city sightseeing train for 290…read morekroner's with the hop on hop off bus & nine stops for $450. Happy that everybody spoke English and Spanish. This is a bustling port with cruise ships & local ferries.

Ålesund is an atmospheric town in western Norway with plenty of charm, and it was the starting…read morepoint for our fjord adventures. An overnight stay at this low-key accommodation on the northern waterfront was included in our vacation package. As part of the global Choice Hotels chain, it didn't feel as charming as the town probably because it functions equally as a business hotel. That became obvious to Jamie W. and me at the breakfast buffet when we saw more suits than Bermuda shorts in the dining room. At an economic rate around $120 per night, our Standard Double room was still on the spartan side with awkwardly slanted walls as we were on the top floor (photo: https://bit.ly/3dODARR). I bumped my head more than once when I got out of bed in the dark. Basic necessities were handled well by the front desk, for example, they willingly kept our luggage while we waited for our midnight Hurtigruten cruise to Bergen. In fact, the hotel's location was a huge benefit because it was within rolling distance of the cruise port. RELATED - Exploring Norway? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3PEL4Fe

Today we had a Norwegian Christmas dinner at the Quality Hotel Ulstein. The company we are working…read morewith invited our team. Very nice Christmas dinner Norwegian style ( without "Lutefisk"). We also enjoyed some drinks at the bar Bar Ilje Piren cocktail lounge. The restaurant / bar has a good selection of wines. Nice relaxed atmosphere to spend an evening after a long working day.