Travelling to Ålesund
Ålesund is easy accessible - by plane, bus or boat. However, due to the Norwegian topograpy with mountains and fiords, travelling by road normally requires more time than for similar distances abroad.
By plane
Ålesund, which is located on the west coast of Norway, is easy to reach by plane. Ålesund airport, Vigra is located outside Ålesund centre. However, there are airport buses to/from Ålesund corresponding with all incoming and outgoing flights. Bus table available at http://www.flybussen.no/
a) to/from Oslo airport , Gardermoen
Two airlines with severaly daily flights between Oslo and Ålesund, travel time approx 45 minutes:
b) to/from Bergen and Trondheim
- daily flights with the airline SAS
c) to/from Copenhagen, Denmark
- flights some weekdays with the airline SAS
d) to/from Riga, Latvia
- flights some weekdays with the airline airBaltic
By boat
If you come through Bergen or Trondheim, you can take one of the modern passenger coasters ' Hurtigruten' from Bergen or Trondheim to Ålesund. If you travel from Bergen to Ålesund you can see the beautiful western coastline on your way. Ask for student discount. See http://www.hurtigruten.no/
By railway and bus
From Oslo or Gardermoen (Oslo Airport) you may also go by train to Dombås or Åndalsnes, and take a bus from there to Ålesund. This travel will take approximately 8 hours. For more information, see http://www.nsb.no/
You can also take an express bus all the way from Oslo or Gardermoen airport to Ålesund, see http://www.nettbuss.no/
Although travelling is expensive in Norway, most transport companies offer special prices for students. These are often not listed in the official price lists, and are not automatically granted - so you should make the company aware that you are student when ordering you ticket. In order to get at discount you must document that you are a student (letter of acceptance from AAUC or a valid international student identity card).
NOTE: there are normally no student discount on local buses.
By car
If you travel by car, the easiest route is to travel through Oslo via Gudbrandsdalen (and Lillehammer). When you reach Dombås, you take the route to Åndalsnes, and follow the road to Ålesund from there. This route crosses the Dovre mountain, and is heavily trafficked, being one of the main routes between the eastern and western part of the country. The distance from Oslo to Ålesund is 533 km - about 7-8 hours by car in summertime, more in wintertime.
The speed limit in Norway is 50 km/h in densely populated areas (towns and villages), 70 or 80 km/h on highways and 90 km/h on main highways. Some areas might have special speed limits, so make sure to observe the traffic signs - exceeding speed limits is very expensive.
Please observe that the use of seat belts is compulsory - both for drivers and passengers.
Petrol is expensive (at present approx NOK 13 per litre).
Driving in winter requires special winter tires and extra caution as the road conditions change between ice, snow and ice-free roads.
If you plan on taking your car to Norway, you should check the regulations for bringing your car, insurance and requirements regarding Driver's Licence with your local authorities before you leave.
