Getting There
There are many different ways to get to the Lofoten Islands. Regardless of the mode of transport, it’s always a long and relatively expensive journey. In any case, it’s recommended to head to the port city of Bodø. From there, you can easily reach the southern tip of the Lofoten Islands by ferry in 3-4 hours.
Getting There by Car
There are two possible routes. Traveling via Norway is definitely more scenic, but due to the winding roads in Norway, you’ll need a lot of patience, as the average speed is often only 70 km/h. At the same time, the road tolls will put a strain on your travel budget. If you have enough time, you can enhance the journey with many short detours along the coast. The west coast above Trondheim is particularly spectacular, and it would be a shame to simply speed past it, racking up the kilometers. I can especially recommend the Kystriksveien https://www.kystriksveien.no/. The coastal road is interrupted every few kilometers by inlets, where you’ll encounter rugged coastlines, small towns, and spectacular mountains.
Typical Norway route: Hamburg – Hirtshals – ferry to Langesund or Larvik – Trondheim – Mo i Rana – Bodø. This is approximately 2,000 km and takes about 28 hours.
The second route by car leads through Sweden to Bodø in Lapland. In Sweden, you drive mostly on highways and well-maintained national roads, so you’ll make faster progress, even if the route is slightly longer. There are also no highway tolls. This route is quicker to drive, but also somewhat more monotonous.
Typical Sweden route: Hamburg – Fehmarn – ferry from Puttgarden to Rødby – Copenhagen – Öresund Bridge – Stockholm – Sundsvall – Arjeplog – Bodø. Approximately 2,150 km with a travel time of 26 hours.
Arriving by train
You can also reach Bodø by train via Norway. It’s one of the few railway lines that goes this far north. The train journey takes between 35 and 39 hours.
Arriving by plane
Norwegian Airlines offers a well-developed domestic flight network, so you can fly from Oslo to all major Norwegian cities several times a day. Bodø and Narvik are easily accessible by air, and from there you can explore the Lofoten Islands either by rental car or ferry/bus.