In the north of Norway, the Lofoten Islands form a particularly exotic archipelago. Located north of the Arctic Circle, they feature fishing villages, fjords and other spectacular natural landscapes. And best of all, they're one of the destinations that can be reached without flying from France! Follow our guide to flying to Lofoten.
step 1: Take the train to Hamburg
The first step in getting to the Lofoten Islands without flying is to get to Hamburg. This involves boarding the Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train to Cologne. There are several departures a day from Paris, Brussels and Liège. The train journey from Paris takes just 3 hours 20 minutes.
Once you've reached Cologne, board an ICE, a German high-speed train, bound for Hamburg. Tickets can be purchased directly on the Deutsche Bahn website. The journey takes 4 hours and there are several departures a day.
stage2: Getting to Stockholm
To get to Lofoten without flying, the second step is to reach Stockholm. This can be done from Hamburg without a stopover. All you have to do is board the direct night train from Hamburg to Stockholm, operated by SJ, Sweden's main rail company, on whose website you can book your tickets seated, in couchette or in a room. The journey takes 12 hours to the Swedish capital. This train is also one of the most beautiful night trains in Europe.
stage3: Getting to Narvik
Once you've arrived in Stockholm, you'll need to make your way to Narvik, a town in northern Norway. Here too, there's a night train operated by SJ, which links Stockholm directly to Narvik on an 18:30 journey. Here, too, you can choose between a seat, a couchette or a more comfortable cabin.
stage4: Arrive in Svolvær, Lofoten Islands
Once you've arrived in Narvik, there's just one step left to reach the Lofoten Islands without a plane. All you need to do istake the 300 bus, nicknamed the Lofoten Express. There is one departure per day. It takes 4 hours to get from Narvik to Svolvær, the main departure point for visiting the Lofoten Islands.
Another option: travel to the Lofoten Islands via Oslo
Another option is to travel to Oslo. From Hamburg, take a Deutsche Bahn train to Copenhagena 4.30-hour journey. From there, take the 603 express bus to Oslo, for which tickets can be purchased on the SJ website. The journey is direct and takes 8 h 45. Once you've reached Oslo, you' ll head for Bodø, one of the most beautiful places in Norway. To do this, you'll need to take a direct 7-hour night train to Trondheim, where you'll board the Northern Line, a train renowned for its scenic views. This second journey then takes around 10 h to Bodø. Both trains can be booked on the Entur website. All you have to do then is take a ferry to Moskenesa town in the Lofoten region. The journey takes 3 hours. Book your ferry trip on the Torghatten website.
Read this article to discover other destinations you can reach without a plane.
Lofoten without a plane in a nutshell
The easiest way to get to Lofoten without a plane is as follows:
- 3 h 20 by train from Paris to Cologne
- 4 h train from Cologne to Hamburg
- 12 h night train from Hamburg to Stockholm
- 18 h 30 night train from Stockholm to Narvik
- 4 h bus from Narvik to Svolvær
- For a total journey time of 41 h 50, not including stopovers
There is also another option, via Oslo, which can be summed up as follows:
- 3 h 20 by train from Paris to Cologne
- 4 h train from Cologne to Hamburg
- 4 h 30 train from Hamburg to Copenhagen
- 8 h 45 bus from Copenhagen to Oslo
- 7 h night train from Oslo to Trondheim
- 10 h train from Trondheim to Bodø
- 3 h ferry from Bodø to Moskenes
- For a total duration of 40 h 35 excluding stopovers
Even though it's only a little longer, by just one hour, the route via Stockholm is by far the easiest, as it involves fewer stopovers and vehicle changes. It's also the cheaper of the two options, although prices vary according to various factors.
What is the approximate budget?
The budget for flying to the Lofoten Islands is difficult to estimate, as it depends on so many factors. To save money, you can read our guide to reducing the cost of train tickets, make your reservations as early as possible, plan your own meals rather than relying on the dining cars sometimes available, and choose a seat or berth rather than a cabin on night trains. However, here's a rough estimate of your budget. For a more precise idea, we advise you to visit the websites of the transport companies concerned:
- Direct from Paris to Cologne: from €40 to €170.
- Direct from Cologne to Hamburg: from €15 to €75.
- Night train from Hamburg to Stockholm: from €40 to €180 for a seat.
- Night train from Stockholm to Narvik: from €50 to €100.
- Bus journey from Narvik to Svolvær: around €25.
- For a total cost of between €170 and €550.
If you choose the alternative route, here's another estimate:
- Direct from Paris to Cologne: from €40 to €170.
- Direct from Cologne to Hamburg: €15 to €75.
- Direct from Hamburg to Copenhagen: €30 to €60.
- Bus from Copenhagen to Oslo: €60 to €100.
- Night train from Oslo to Trondheim: €50 to €140.
- Direct journey from Trondheim to Bodø: from €110 to €150.
- Ferry from Bodø to Moskenes: free for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Total cost between €305 and €685.
What is the carbon footprint of such a trip?
To calculate the carbon footprint of such a trip, we used the ADEME website. Here are the results:
- Direct journey from Paris to Cologne: 1.3 kg of Co2.
- Direct journey from Cologne to Hamburg: 1.4 kg Co2.
- Overnight train journey from Hamburg to Stockholm: 10 kg Co2.
- Night train journey from Stockholm to Narvik: 13 kg of Co2.
- Bus journey from Narvik to Svolvær: 7.7 kg Co2.
- For a total of 33.4 kg of Co2.
For the journey via Oslo, consider the following instead:
- Direct from Paris to Cologne: 1.3 kg Co2.
- Direct from Cologne to Hamburg: 1.4 kg Co2.
- Direct journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen: 1.5 kg Co2.
- Bus journey from Copenhagen to Oslo: 18.2 kg Co2.
- Night train from Oslo to Trondheim: 4.3 kg Co2.
- Direct journey from Trondheim to Bodø: 6.5 kg Co2.
- Ferry from Bodø to Moskenes: 13 kg Co2.
- For a total of 46.2 kg of Co2.
The journey via Stockholm is therefore less polluting, emitting around 33.4 kg ofCo2 for the whole route. By way of comparison, the same journey from Paris to Svolvær by plane would emit 424 kg ofCO2.
Fancy a trip? Book your train tickets now and take advantage of the best fares:
