Getting to Nordkapp

Please,

I´m heading to Sweden in May and I really wish to get to Nordkapp. The problem is that the flight departing from Stockolm is so expensive. Is there a cheaper way to get to this fascinating place (by train or by bus). I´d be pleased to receive further information.

Cheers,

Fabiano.

Why do you think that Nordkapp, is this 'Fascinating Place'?

When we visited all there was a Caf'e and a smallish monument on a wind swept point on the coast, miles from anywhere.

That is, on a nice day (to be able to see miles from anywhere...)

What exactly were you quoted for - connecting flights to Hammerfest and then a bus? Connecting flights will often be expensive, it will probably be cheaper to break it down and buy the flights separately, as there can be competition on the segments.

Normally people on a budget getting to Nordkapp fly to Alta, and then take a bus from there. Hammerfest would be a closer airport, but it has only local flights, not even to Oslo, so is likely to be rather more expensive to get to. It may also be practical to take the bus from Tromso, though probably requires an overnight.

From Stockholm, the only useful flights to Norway for you are to Oslo or Tromso; the Tromso flight is summer only.

So consider the following, maybe they are cheaper:
(1) buy a flight to Stockholm to Oslo and a flight from Oslo to Alta, then bus
(2) buy a flight to Stockholm to Tromso (if dates make this possible, but there is no competition on this route so it may be expensive) then bus
(3) buy a flight to Stockholm Tromso then a flight from Tromso to Alta or Hammerfest, then bus

But as people say, Nordkapp is rather disappointing in itself, it isn't even the northernmost point of the piece of land it lies on. Visiting it makes more sense as part of a roadtrip to the region, so you can say you visited the northernmost point of the European road system.

Thank you Iviehoff! By fascinating place I mean watching the midnight sun. As I could see the chapest way would be flying from Oslo to Alta and then I take a bus till Nordkapp. I found this website http://www.farecompare.com
Do you or anyone here know it? I could find some cheap flights . Are there more websites you could recommend?
Cheers,
Fabiano.

You don't have to go to Nordkapp to see the midnight sun! For example, Tromsø has is from around May 18.

By fascinating place I mean watching the midnight sun.

What do you mean? If you want physically to see the disk of the sun at the local midnight (which will be about 1.30 in the morning), this is quite tricky, because of the necessity of having a sufficiently cloud free sky when the sun is low in the sky, which, given the local weather, can require a wait of quite a few days. Then you need to have an unobstructed view to the north. I was in the region of the midnight sun for 10 days and never saw it as a disk in the sky in the middle of the night, because it was just too cloudy for the entire time - even on a mainly clear day there were clouds low in the sky presenting enough of an obstruction. If you merely mean to be in a place where it doesn't get dark at night, then you don't even have to be north of the Arctic circle, Trondheim is plenty far enough north for that.

Hi bjornmu and iviehoff!

Thank you the advices you've given me. I didn't know it would be that difficult to watch the midnight sun. Pressure of time is the major problem I've got. I'll be travelling from May 10 to May 31. I think Trondheim is pretty much to the south, isn't it? Would you guys recommend Tromso? As I could see the city is much bigger than Nordkapp. There are three national parks in Tromson: Reisa, Øvre Dividal and Ånderdalen. I don't think I will have enough time to visit them all. Which one would you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

Fabiano.

Nordkapp isn't a city or even a town, it's a tourist trap. Just getting there will take you a whole day. Trondheim doesn't see the midnight sun, so if you want some Arctic scenery and a chance of midnight sun, I'd go for Tromsø. Even if it's cloudy, there will be daylight all night.

Since you're in Sweden, Kiruna might be an option but I don't think it will have got the midnight sun yet by May 31.

Thank you! Tromso seems to be a good option then. Can you please recommend cheap hostels and nice trips in Tromso?

Cheers,

Fabiano.

I will add my questions here :)

Has anyone been in Nordkapp in December? Is it a totally insane idea?

Has anyone been in Nordkapp in December? Is it a totally insane idea?

It's (approximately) dark all the time in December. Do you want to go there in the dark?

Yes, I really want to go there in the darkest time (grazy??). I´m from South-Finland, so in a way I can image how are the summer-nights. I´ve always wanted to experience the polar night.

I don´t have any clue if it is "possible" or easy to visit Nordkapp in winter....I mean with accomodation (Are there places open?), public transportation (I don´t have a driving licence..) etc. I can easily find info about visiting it during summer, but nothing about winter :P I wouldn´t like to go there in Christmas, but let´s say 1st or 2nd week of December.

The great majority of people would consider going to Nordkapp in the dark fairly pointless, but apparently the tourist facilities at Nordkapp are open all year. http://www.visitnordkapp.net/en/nordkapp/opening-hours-and-prices though I'd be surprised if the tourist buses still run.

Wouldn't it make more sense to go to an inhabited location in that region, with transport, services and tourist activities, such as Alta? You could probably also go to Honningsvag, the nearest town (pop 2700) to Nordkapp, it has an airport (flights to Tromso) and daily calls from the Hurtigrute ferry even in winter, though I imagine rather less to do. Alta has the advantage that it has a local microclimate that results in rather less cloud and rain than most other places in Norway, so you get clear skies to see the northern lights more often.

Thanks for your help. I decided to stay in Finland and visit the most northest place here, Nuorgam.

I'm also interested in the question about the national parks, specifically in winter. LP Norway mentions dog-sledding in Øvre Dividal -- has anyone done this? Any other recommendations for winter activities in the area around Bardufoss?