The Rough Guide to Norway 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)
May 22, 2009 by Destination Guide
Filed under Travel Norway Guides
Product Description
The Rough Guide to Norway is the most comprehensive guidebook to this spectacular country. From Viking customs to Norwegian literature, the 32-page, full-colour section highlights all the ”things not to miss”. The guide includes up-to-date listings for all of Norway”s top hotels and restaurants, plus a new ”Author”s Pick” feature to highlight the very best options. There are lively accounts of the major cities and towns, including urbane Oslo and historic Trondheim, plus evocative descriptions of the magnificent mountains and fjords. The guide looks at Norway”s culture and history, from Viking longships to Edvard Munch and the contemporary art scene. There is plenty of practical advice for exploring the great outdoors, plus maps and plans for every region.
About the Author
Phil Lee is an experienced Rough Guides author and has written Rough Guides to Amsterdam, Brussels, Mallorca and Menorca, England, The Netherlands and Canada.
Phil Lee is an experienced Rough Guides author and has written Rough Guides to Amsterdam, Brussels, Mallorca and Menorca, England, The Netherlands and Canada.
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Most travel guides consist of lots of photographs taken on the best weather days, bumper sticker location descriptions, a few travel hints, and listings of high-end accomodations. The Rough Guide to Norway (2006 edition) aims at a somewhat more demanding audience, those readers who have already decided to visit Norway and want honest and substantive travel narrative, along with practical details about a range of accomodations and travel possibilities.
This rough guide is densely packed with the kind of information one gets from the locals or experienced travelers. It favors maps, graphics, and written description over photographs, although a nice selection is included. The guide is oriented on the principal regions of Norway, counting Oslo as its own major attraction, with enough description to allow the visitor to make his or her own choices about what to see. A useful amount of historical background is provided without overwhelming the reader; Norway’s Viking heritage plays prominently. The information about hiking and other outdoor activities is sufficient to permit advance planning while pointing the enthusiast in the right direction for more information. The discussion on accomodations includes the whole range of facilities, including hostels. The discussion on transportation should be followed closely; transportation means are limited in most of Norway and travel often requires linking bus, train, and ferry schedules.
This guide is highly recommended to those planning a vacation in the wonderful country of Norway.
I like this and and the Frommer’s guide best for Norway. They both have good maps and good information on a lot of the places you would like to visit and good info on the best tours. You do have to be careful that either a tour hasn’t been cancelled or the time has changed since the book was written. We found that in Bergen. I thought both the Rough Guide Norway and Frommer’s had much more specific info on tours and things to do than the Fodor’s and Lonely Planet books do. And the Rough Guide has interesting insights, eg. how you might want take the Lysefjord cruise and bus tour if you have the time because you see it from within the fjord and above it. Also, I generally like Rick Steve’s guides but his Scandinavia guide is not complete enough unless you are doing his intinerary. His book does have a lot on Oslo and Bergen. But, for example, it has nothing on Alesund (pronounced Oh-le-sund) which is a great coastal town to visit. And in general it has limited info on the coastal towns, which are pretty cool. Just as an aside, I really liked the Geiranger fjord. Lysefjord was neat with all its cliffs (and goats)but the Geiranger fjord is just beautiful and there are many excursions from the little town of Geiranger with fabulous views from above. Norway is a great place to visit. Most people speak English (though not all). In my mind it is still not quite as spectacular as Alaska but it is really beautiful. The views from the windy, hillside, hairpin-turn roads are breathtaking. Also, I found the views from a car or bus through the country better than the famous railroad from Flam to Myrdal. The views from the train were great but it moves so fast and you go through so many tunnels that I felt it was hard to really see the spectacular views.