© Tommy Andreassen

Express and Local boats in Northern Norway

The express boats are fast and comfortable, and enable you to move efficiently between the regions of Northern Norway. However, local boats take you to Northern Norway’s smaller, secret spots.

Express boats link many coastal towns and cities in Northern Norway. The express boats are fast and comfortable and offer efficient transport, making them far quicker than the equivalent journey by road.

Express boats take you from one city to another

Express boats link many coastal towns and cities in Northern Norway. The express boats are fast and comfortable and offer efficient transport, making them far quicker than the equivalent journey by road. Departures are listed at the National travel planner En Tur.

Advance bookings are usually not possible. Refreshments are sold on board, and the necessary safety information is provided prior to departure. The express boat terminals are central located in the coastal towns and cities.

Local boats

Local boats take you to Northern Norway’s small settlements. They are indispensible when you travel off the beaten track. However, you need to plan ahead if you get off as it may be a couple of days before the boat calls again. An alternative is to go on the full round-trip, not leave the boat at the destination and treat it as a mini-mini-cruise.

A few recommended local routes to watch out for (the list is not complete). The route number is given, so that you find the boat routes in the national travel planner with all public transports in Norway, En Tur.

The Nordland Express Boat summer 2024. Photo: ReisNordland / Nordland County Municipality

Helgeland:

• 18-151: Rørøy-Brønnøysund – catamaran to the island of Vega from Brønnøysund
• 18-191: Trænaruten – cataraman via Lovund to Træna from Sandnessjøen
• 18-411: Rødøy – cataraman in the Rødøy basin to legendary calls like Myken Lighthouse and the old trading post of Selsøyvik

Salten:

• 18-433: Meløy – boat to the islands of Meløy and Støtt from Ørnes
• 18-539: Værran – island communities off Bodø. Excellent daytrip out of Bodø.
• 18-553: Nordfold – fjord boat schedule to small communities

Lofoten:

• 18-773: Reinefjorden – from Reine to communities in the Reinefjord (practical for hikers)
• 18-704: Øksfjord – Svolvær – boat to communities along the Øksfjord
• 18-837: Hadsel – ferry from Stokmarknes to small communities along on the islands of Austvågøy and Hinnøya islands (handy for cyclists)
• 18-866: Øksnes Vestbygd: Local boat from Myre to the islands in the west of Øksnes municipality (handly for clyclists between Bø and Myre).

Troms:

• 6: Harstad-Bjarkøystedene- Sør-Senja: Catarmaran from Harstad to the islands of Bjarkøy and port on Southern Senja.
• 4: Tromsø-Lysnes: Catamaran from Tromsø to Lysnes on the island of Senja
• 182: Bellvik-Vengsøy-Mjølvik: Ferry from Bellvik near Tromsø to the island of Vengsøy and other communities in the archipelago. Excellent daytrip from Tromsø, if you have a car.

Finnmark:

• 003: Bygderuta i Sørøysund connects Hammerfest with surrounding island communities
• 005: Måsøyexpressen connects the islands of Rolvsøy, Ingøy and Måsøy with Havøysund
• 010: Tanaruta goes to small communities along the Tana fjord from Skjånes.

The boats vary from small high-speed vessels to catamarans and ferries. All boats feature indoor lounges and as a general rule there is also deck space. Refreshments are often limited to a plastic cup of coffee, so it can be a good idea to bring a picnic lunch. The passengers and crew are well acquainted so information on board can be limited. As they say in the north, “it never hurts to ask”, so if you are in doubt about something just ask the crew.

Timetables are subject to change owing to public holidays, new vessels replacing older ones and public tenders. Consequently, we disclaim all liability for errors or changes.