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Norway's Arctic Highway

Norway's Arctic Highway

Excerpt:
Contents list


Contents list | Introduction | Planning your trip | Driving the Highway | Sample route guide


INTRODUCTION

PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP

Getting there
Vehicle ferries to Scandinavia and Finland 11 - Cargo ship 14 - Air routes 15 - International flights into Scandinavia/Finland 16 - Using public transport: road or rail 17

When to go
Climate 19 - Hours of daylight 20

Driving the Highway
General 21 - Accommodation 30 - Maps 34 - Time zones and telephones 35 - Language 35 - Getting advice 37 - Money matters 38

PART 2: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Physical setting: geology and topography 40

Flora and fauna
Fauna 43 - Flora 45

The history of the Arctic Highway
The early roads 47 - One hundred years ago 48 - The Highway completed 53 - The Highway in wartime 55 - The post-war period 56 - The future 59

The Sami 60

PART 3: GETTING TO THE HIGHWAY

The options
Approach Routes 65
Approach Route I: Oslo to Mo i Rana by road 66 - Oslo 66 - Dombas 72
Trondheim 74
Approach Route II: Larvik to Mo i Rana by road 79
Approach Route III: Bergen to Mo i Rana by road - a recommended route 79 - Bergen 80 - Voss 83
Approach Route IV: Bergen to Kirkenes or Kirkenes to Bergen, by sea - a recommended route 87
Approach Route V: Stavanger to Mo i Rana by road 89
Approach Route VI: Gothenburg to Mo i Rana (via Oslo) by road 90
Approach Route VII: Gothenburg to Mo i Rana (via Stockholm) by road 91
Stockholm 92
Approach Route VIII: Helsinki to Karasjok by road - a recommended route 97 - Helsinki 98 - Jyväskylä 101 - Kajaani 103 - Kuusamo 104
Approach Route IX: Turku to Karasjok by road 110
Approach Route X: Using public transport (rail or road) 111

PART 4: The guide - Mo I Rana to Fauske

Route guide introduction
Distances 113 - Journey time 113 - Accommodation 113

The guide
Mo i Rana 114 - Side trips from Mo i Rana 119

The Highway: Mo i Rana to Røssvoll 122
Side trips from Røssvoll 124

The Highway: Røssvoll to the Polar Circle and Saltdalen 128
Side trip from Saltdalen to Sweden 134

The Highway: Saltdalen to Fauske 135
Fauske 140 - Side trip from Fauske to the Bodø 142 - Bodø 143

PART 5: FAUSKE TO NARVIK

The Highway: Fauske to Ulsvåg 146
Side trip from Ulsvåg to Nordneset Peninsula 156

The Highway: Ulsvåg to Narvik 156
Narvik 162

PART 6: NARVIK TO NORDKJOSBOTN

The Highway: Narvik to Nygård 170
Side trip from NygÂrd/TrÊdal to the border 171

The Highway: Nygård to Bjerkvik 172
Side trip from Bjerkvik to the Lofotens 173

The Highway: Bjerkvik to Elverum 173
Side trip from Elverum along Route 87 179

The Highway: Elverum to Nordkjosbotn 180
Side trip from Nordkjosbotn to Tromsø 185 - Tromsø 187 - Side trip from Fagernes to Olderdalen 194

PART 7: NORDKJOSBOTN TO ALTA

The Highway: Nordkjosbotn to Oteren 197
Side trip from Oteren to Lyngseidet 198

The Highway: Oteren to Alta 200
Alta 218 - Side trips from Alta 225 - Kautokeino 227 - Altafjord 231

PART 8: ALTA TO KARASJOK

The Highway: Alta to Skaidi 233
Side trip from Skaidi to Hammerfest 237 - Hammerfest 238

The Highway: Skaidi to Olderfjord 242
Side trip from Olderfjord to North Cape 243 - Honningsvåg 247 - North Cape 252

The Highway: Olderfjord to Lakselv 254
Lakselv 258

The Highway: Lakselv to Karasjok 260
Karasjok 262

PART 9: KARASJOK TO KIRKENES

The Highway: Karasjok to Tana Bru 267
Side trip from Tana Bru to Lakselv 274

The Highway: Tana Bru to Varangerbotn 280
Side trip from Varangerbotn to Vadsø & Vardø 282 - Vadsø 283 Vardø 286

The Highway: Varangerbotn to Brannsletta 288
Side trip from Brannsletta to Bugøynes 290

The Highway: Brannsletta to Kirkenes 291
Kirkenes 295 - Side trips from Kirkenes 298

APPENDIX: LANGUAGES 302

INDEX 305

Norway's Arctic Highway

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