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Tailor Made Rail · Independent rail and cruise holiday

Hurtigruten Coastal Express

London to Arctic Norway by train and Hurtigruten cruise ship.

Illustration of Hurtigruten Coastal Express

Tailor Made Rail operates this 12-day independent rail and cruise holiday combining travel by train across northern Europe with a three-night Hurtigruten coastal voyage up the Arctic. You depart London for Cologne by Eurostar and ICE, then travel by rail through Denmark to Copenhagen for two nights, cross into Sweden and Oslo for one night, and continue northward to Lillehammer and Trondheim. The train journeys feature scenic routes on the Dovre Line and Nordlands Line, with increasingly wild Norwegian landscapes of crystal lakes and forests. At Trondheim you board the Hurtigruten for a three-night cruise to Kirkenes, sailing past Bodø, the Lofoten Islands, and Tromsø along the Arctic coast with regular stops to disembark and explore. Nine hotel nights with breakfast and cruise meals are included. This trip suits independent travellers who want structure without a guide, first-time rail passengers, couples, and photographers seeking dramatic northern scenery.

What to know before you look closer

  • The final day's return flight from Kirkenes to the UK is not included; the package covers rail and cruise only.
  • Hotels are listed as 'or similar', meaning your final accommodation depends on availability in each city.
  • Optional Hurtigruten shore excursions cost extra and must be added to your booking.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Cologne

    London to Cologne

    Eurostar to Brussels, changing onto a German ICE service to Cologne, with a free evening in the Old Town.

  2. Day 2overnight: Copenhagen

    Cologne to Copenhagen

    A mid-morning service to Hamburg, changing for the Danish border, arriving into Copenhagen in the evening for a 2-night stay.

  3. Day 3overnight: Copenhagen

    Copenhagen

    A free day in Copenhagen, with the Little Mermaid, Nyhavn, royal palaces and a canal cruise among the options.

  4. Day 4overnight: Oslo

    Copenhagen to Oslo

    A service to Gothenburg across the Oresund Bridge into Sweden, connecting to Oslo.

  5. Day 5overnight: Lillehammer

    Oslo to Lillehammer

    A 2-hour journey (no seat reservation required) to the ski resort of Lillehammer, home of the Norwegian Olympic Museum.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Trondheim

    Lillehammer to Trondheim

    A train north with increasingly wild scenery, crystal lakes and forests, arriving into Trondheim for a 2-night stay.

  7. Day 7overnight: Trondheim

    Trondheim

    An historic city where the River Nidelva meets Trondheim Fjord, with traditional wooden houses and the Munkholmen island.

  8. Day 9overnight: Hurtigruten ship

    Trondheim and Hurtigruten departure

    A free morning in Trondheim, then head to port to check in for the Hurtigruten voyage, settle into your cabin and enjoy dinner onboard.

  9. Day 10overnight: Hurtigruten ship

    Hurtigruten voyage

    Sailing up the coast of northern Norway, passing Bodø, the Lofoten Islands and Tromsø, with regular stops to disembark and look around.

  10. Day 11overnight: Hurtigruten ship

    Hurtigruten voyage

    A further day at sea along the Arctic coast, with optional excursions available to add to the booking.

  11. Day 12

    Arrive Kirkenes

    Arrive into Kirkenes at the end of the cruise; fly back to the UK via Oslo (not included) or continue into Finland or Sweden by internal flight or bus.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Cross the Oresund Bridge from Denmark into Sweden on the way to Oslo.
  • Day 6Travel north on the Dovre Line through crystal lakes and forests to Trondheim.
  • Day 9Board the Hurtigruten in Trondheim and settle into your Polar Outside cabin for dinner onboard.
  • Day 10Sail up Norway's Arctic coast past Bodø, the Lofoten Islands, and Tromsø with regular stops to disembark.

Included

  • Standard Class rail travel with seat reservations
  • 9 nights' handpicked hotel accommodation with breakfast
  • 3 nights' Hurtigruten cruise in a Polar Outside cabin
  • Breakfast and dinner onboard
  • Easy-to-follow travel documentation
  • Despatch of tickets by email, post or collection

Not included

  • Flight home from Kirkenes (or onward travel into Finland/Sweden)
  • Optional Hurtigruten shore excursions

Questions travellers ask

Which trains are included?
Standard Class travel on the ICE (Brussels to Cologne), Dovre Line (Oslo to Trondheim via Lillehammer), and Nordlands Line (Trondheim area). All include seat reservations.
Is this tour escorted or independent?
Independent. Tailor Made Rail provides easy-to-follow travel documentation and despatch of tickets; you travel at your own pace with free days in Copenhagen and Trondheim.
What is the Hurtigruten portion?
Three nights in a Polar Outside cabin sailing from Trondheim to Kirkenes, passing Bodø, the Lofoten Islands, and Tromsø, with breakfast and dinner onboard and regular stops to disembark.
What hotels are included?
Nine nights in handpicked hotels with breakfast: Mondial am Dom or similar in Cologne, Hotel Absalon or similar in Copenhagen (two nights), Thon Opera Hotel or similar in Oslo, Aksjemøllen Hotel or similar in Lillehammer, and Clarion Trondheim or similar (two nights).
How do I get home from Kirkenes?
Your options are a flight back to the UK (not included), or an internal flight or bus into Finland or Sweden. Ask Tailor Made Rail for details.
What is the price?
From GBP 2,499 per person (approximately USD 3,337) based on two people sharing a twin or double room in Standard Class rail. Single supplements apply for sole occupancy; supplements may apply during peak periods.

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