SJUSJOEN SKIING....HOW TO GET TO SJUSJOEN

AIR

From a UK and Ireland perspective most people will elect to get to Norway by air. The easiest destination in Norway for access to Sjusjoen has to be Oslo Gardermoen airport, however increasingly people are using Torp (Sandefjord) and now a new airport at Rygge near to Moss. Stop Press  September 2009 Ryan Air to fly into Rygge (Moss) from Stanstead.....Also Stop Press  Ryan Air will be extending its flights into Torp (Sandefjord) from Edinburgh and Dublin as well as Glasgow Prestwick.    I usually go from a Scottish airport. KLM flys from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin and Belfast to Oslo via Amsterdam as I am sure British Airways does as well as SAS.    SAS from Aberdeen is a good option too.  SAS has cheap deals too.   Book online at www.flySAS.com    Ryan Air stumbles into Torp but be aware there is a sting in the tail as you get stung for carrying skis and 6 Euro per kilo too.     Norwegian.no, the Norwegian equvialent of Easy Jet flys from Edinburgh to Oslo Gardermoen and now from September 2009 to and from London Gatwick 3 times per day. The London flights are very well timed but the Edinburgh flight is a night flight on the return.    SJUSJOEN is now so easy to access from SE England.    Norwegian.no has also launched flights from Dublin to Oslo Gardermoen and advertise then as 39 Euro!

Be careful about just going for the lowest price as the transport links at the destination, Sjusjoen, have to be taken into account.  Assuming you are going to rail it to Lillehammer which is a great option you will need to get to Lillehammer by 17:15 at the latest unless you are happy to pay for a taxi, which has to be the most expensive taxi ride in the world.  The last bus runs upto Sjusjoen at 17:20 and in 2010 is 43NOK (€5) as opposed to 550NOK (€64) in a taxi!  So it might cost you €17 with Ryan Air and  €69 for a 15 minute taxi ride. Be careful.   It is certainly worth exploring the possibilities of taking a better timed flight which may be more expensive but all works out cheaper in the long run.

How ever you fly in, the views flying over the fjords of western Norway and the Hardanger Vidda can be magnificent.   Get a window seat.

Hardanger Fjord from 30,000ft

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RAIL                  

Take the train, it's a great option and a green option.

If you have flown into Oslo Gardermoen it is very easy. Its's simply a case of clearing the baggage hall, turn right and after about 150 metres in the arrivals hall on the right is the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) ticket office.  Pick up your ticket and simply take the elevator down to platform 1.    Tip of the day is to buy a minipris ticket off the internet.   www.nsb.no  It will be 199NOK (€23) each way. You still have to take your print out to the NSB ticket counter to pick up a proper rail ticket.  If you have a booking on a particular train allow at least 45 mins from landing to catch the train.   If you have flown direct from the UK or Ireland you will have to endure the tiresome customs formality, so allow for this nonsense. If you have flown in via a Schengen country ie Holland with KLM you can be on your train in 20 minutes.  (No customs time wasted as Norway in within the Schengen area even though Norway is outwith the EU)  The UK still continues its age old traditions while the rest of Europe moves on.....Another practical and useful European Union initiative the good old UK has rejected as has Ireland so far....Terror or some obscure scare, as an excuse so as "they" can monitor our movements?

 As said before you will need to arrrive in Lillehammer at 17:15 at the latest to catch the last bus to Sjusjoen.     The latest train from Oslo Gardermoen for this is 15.05 Sun- Fri and 14.45 Sat.   The run is about 1 hour and 50 mins.

If flying into Sandefjord, with Ryan Dare, (Torp) there are direct trains to Lillehammer, it takes around 4 hours via Oslo. The latest train to catch the last bus to Sjusjoen is 12.41 Sun - Fri and 11.41 on Sat.

Lillehammer Station

Here are the train times for all trains from Oslo Gardermoen to Lillehammer accurate as at March 2010

Mon to Fri.   07.05    08.05     08.33 Express to Trondheim.   09.05     10.05     11.05      12.05    13.05      14.05     14.45 Express to Trondheim.   15.05    16.05    16.33 Express to Trondhiem.   17.05    18.05     19.05    20.05    21.05    22.05     23.46 Express Sleeper to Trondheim.   00.05.

Saturday     08.05    08.33 Express to Trondheim.  10.05   11.05   12.05   13.05   14.05    14.45 Express to Trondheim.  15.05   16.05   18.05   20.05    22.05    00.05.

Sunday      08.33 Express to Andalsnes.    10.05   12.05    14.05    14.45 Express to Trondheim.    15.05    16.05    16.33 Express to Trondhiem.  17.05    18.05     19.05     20.05     21.05    22.05     23.46 Express Sleeper to Trondheim.     00.05.

Tip of the day........Try to take the express trains.    They are fast, more comfortable and arrive at platform 1 at Lillehammer Station which means you don't have to hump your luggage through the tunnel under the tracks.

Train times from Sandefjord (Torp) to Lillehammer

Generally they run at 40 mins past each hour, running up the west side of Oslo Fjord via Tonsberg and Drammen.      The station at Torp is accessed by the airport shuttle bus, a frequent service to and from the airport.   Torp station is very rural. Quite a surprise!

Train times from Rygge to Lillehammer via Oslo

Rygge is the new airport south of Oslo in Ostfold near to Moss on the east side of the Oslo Fjord.    There is talk of "cheap" airlines going into there soon so a bit of information. Stop Press.... September 2009.  Ryan Air is to fly into Rygge (Moss) from Stanstead.   This is a serious option for S England based skiers.   An hourly train service from Halden and some trains from Gothenberg calling at Rygge at generally 6 minutes to each hour.    These trains run into Oslo Central for the more than hourly connection to Lillehammer.

Which ever train you take its a run upto Eidsvoll, along the riverside, over the bridge and a long scenic ride up the east side of Lake Mjosa.  Look out for the wonderful Stave Chuch at Tangen.   There are extensive views across the frozen lake and often people are out ice fishing.       Tip of the trip......Get a left side seat for the views.

To reiterate......Another Tip of The Trip.     Dont be conned by cheap flights.   Timing is most important or you will end up being fleeced by the most expensive taxis in the world.

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At some point you are going to need to go home.    Rather than me typing out all the return train times pick up a train time table on arrival at Lillehammer Station.    Once again it is generally an hourly service back to the south and Oslo area.    From Lillehammer it is around but not consistently between 10 and 20 minutes past each hour.     Tip of the trip. Dont hang about airports.....I have found arrival by rail that one hour is more than enough at Gardermoen

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BUS

 Around the Lillehammer area is a pretty good bus service. Up to Sjusjoen the service is reasonable but could do with running more frequently and later on in the evening.      Opplands Trafikk runs the service and with sensible use can be used well to link in with ski tours. However to get to and from the station here are the times.

           

From Lillehammer Station to Sjusjoen    Winter Timetable   (Summer there are less Busses)

Mon - Fri.      06.20   08.25  10.00  12.10  14.00  15.00   15.30  16.20   17.20

Sat & Sun.            08.25      10:00      12.10     14:00    15:00    15:30     17:20

From Sjusjoen to Lillehammer Station

 Mon - Fri      06:55   09:05   10:40   13:05  14:45    15:40   16:15  17:05  18:00

 Sat &Sun     09.05   10:40   10:45   13:05    14:45    15:40   16:15  18:00

The bus is good value. Lillehammer to Sjusjoen was 43NOK (€5) in 2010 as opposed to 550NOK (€64) for a taxi!   

For ski tours making use of the bus gives you some great opportunities to extend and enhance ski trips.

For example the bus back from Nordseter to Sjusjoen runs at 10:25  14:25    15:25 and 17:25   every day inc Sat and Sun.

A bus runs from Sjusjoen to Nordseter at (10:35 Sat and Sun only)and 16:09 every day

From Mesnali to Sjusjoen 12:35   15:50 and  16:40  Mon to Fri.   10:20  12:35 and 15:50 Sat and Sun

USE THE BUS!

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CAR

Of course it is always an option to hire a car at the airport of your arrival.

I am sure many people do, but for me a big part of the getaway is to remove myself from the everyday aspects of life like a car.

Look up Europcar, Sixt, Hertz etc. Its an efficient hire service.

You will need to be prepared to drive on snow covered roads maybe all the way and please don't dither along in typical British and Irish fashion when it snows, as Norwegians have an attitude to snow....Just keep going.  Remember this is not Birmingham or Dublin where everything stops when it snows!

 

Be ready to drive in snow and keep going!

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TAXIS

If you arrive outwith the bus times and you must use a taxi the taxis are easy to find.     Simply turn right immediately outside the railway station and the rank is only about 30 meters walk away.

You can also book a taxi by calling Lillehammer Taxisentral on (0047) 61 22 20 20.         Why not call from the train?    

Tip of the day.     Look about on the train for other ski looking people. There are usually quite a few and share the taxi.      Also at the rank if anyone has skis or look the skiing type there is a good chance they are going to Sjusjoen.      Dont be shy as remember these are seriously expensive taxis!     Keep a note of the number as you may need a cab........Who knows.

 (0047)  61 22 20 20     Lillehammer Taxisentral