With COVID affecting my vacation plans, last year was the year for trying new things, among those, traveling long-distance by bus in the homeland. I’ve done it several times abroad, so why not give it a shot in my own backyard. As with the train trips I took last fall/winter, the sceneries you get to experience along the roads are very nice perks.
Now, travelling by bus was not as straight forward as travelling by train, meaning you have to download apps or visit different websites for each region, to buy tickets and check departure times. Here is a list of the bus companies I’ve used so far, and I will update with future rides.
Update: These days you should be able to look up all public transportation needs on one website, entur.no. Buy tickets as well. For buses, street cars, trains, metros, ferries, city bikes, and e-scooters. I haven’t gotten around to testing it yet.
AGDER KOLLEKTIVTRAFIKK is for travelling in Agder county in Southern Norway. I used it for my trip from Kristiansand to Mandal. You will not find departure times far into the future, more like a week out, but I guess it is safe to assume schedule is the same year round, except for holidays, and maybe during summer. The bus station in Kristiansand is located about a block away from the main street, pedestrian Markens gate. Keep an eye on the departure board, so you know which platform to head for. In Mandal you get off at a bus stop outside the shopping mall, it will be a short walk to one of the two hotels in town. The ride takes 45 minutes only.
ATB covers Trøndelag county in Central Norway. I used it for my trip from Røros to Trondheim. This time, instead of downloading an app, I bought a ticket via text message. Actually very easy. Cost was included on my cell phone invoice. The bus stop in Røros is located next to the trains and taxis. Basically, just wait at the shed for the bus to arrive. In Trondheim you can get off at the final stop, which is the train station, or find out which stop is closest to where in town you are going. The ride takes close to 3 hours, and was pure joy considering the snowy scenery we drove through. Just make sure to pick the direct route.
SVIPPER is for Troms county in Northern Norway. It’s for all public transportation in the area. Buses, passenger ferries, and car ferries. I use it primarily for travelling on the passenger ferry between Finnsnes and Tromsø, and on buses within Tromsø. However, this time I had to get on the long-distance bus for the Tromsø-Finnsnes trip. Well, friends had to pick me up at Buktamoen, as not every departure corresponds with a bus going from Buktamoen to Finnsnes. I think it’s one per day only. The bus from Tromsø is heading for Narvik. The bus terminal in Tromsø is located at Prostneset, as is the passenger ferry terminal, just one floor up. Find your departure on the departure board, and head for the platform. People line up early. Free seating. Double decker bus, so front seats second floor will provide best views. Bus stop at Buktamoen is kinda hard to identify. An open space next to a gas station, in the middle of nowhere. Trip from Tromsø to Buktamoen is 1h 50min, and it says Buktamoen-Finnsnes is 35 min. Can’t say there’s much to see on the way. Rain pouring down did not help the matter. Note, taking the passenger ferry is only 50 NOK more than the bus. “Splurge”, take the boat. Quicker.
Travelling through Sweden to get home, last leg meant going by bus from Narvik to Finnsnes. This would be travelling on the same route as above, from Tromsø, just in the opposite direction. Svipper had me go to the bus stop closest to the train station, as I arrived by train from Luleå, Sweden. This is a steep uphill climb. I later saw I could have walked on, through town, to the bus station. Don’t think it would have taken long, and maybe I would have gotten a glimpse of the place. Nevertheless, waited at the bus stop Bromsgård, located next to the mall, for bus #100, which would take me to Buktamoen, via Bjerkvik. The latter I’m thinking would be the place where you’d need to change to another bus, if you’re off to Harstad, Lofoten, or Evenes airport (there’s most likely an airport express bus too). If you end up having to kill some time here, it is more or less a road intersection, you can try the «famous» bjerkViking burger. I did once, it is really not that special 😀 At Buktamoen I had to change to bus #110. It arrived 15 minutes later, so I had time to get a hotdog at the gas station. I was told by Svipper customer service, that as long as a route including change, is marked «Korrespondanse», the next bus will wait, if the first bus is a bit delayed. When I double-checked with the bus driver, he told me the bus for Finnsnes doesn’t leave before he arrives 🙂 3 hours, and 192 NOK, later, I was home. I got my ticket from the driver. Same price whether you get it online or on board. Svipper customer service also told me, booking a ticket online, will not make the bus wait for you, if the train is delayed. She said, you can call, if the train is a couple of minutes late, but it is usually on time. You have a 30 minute window only to make it, and it turned out to be more than enough 🙂
On a local note, RUTER is what we use for Oslo and its surroundings, which include parts of Viken county. This site/app you can use for all public transportation, not just buses, and not just for routes operated by Ruter. However you can buy tickets for the Ruter operated routes only. These tickets include free transfer between buses, metros, etc, within the validity of the ticket, meaning you’ll have to start the final leg before the ticket expires. Duration of validity depends on how many zones the ticket is valid for, and the type of ticket you get, for example single ticket vs. 24 hour ticket. A single ticket for zone 1 gives you an hour, after activation, not from time of buying. Buy a ticket that covers all the zones you will be travelling in.
