How to get here and how to get around

There are many ways to get to Helgeland, depending on whether you are travelling by sea or air, by road or rail. Here is a partial overview.

By car, caravan, motorcycle or bicycle

When you travel to Helgeland or are exploring our magnificent scenery, you can choose between three main routes. The fastest road is highway E6 through the centre of Helgeland. Travellers eager for a scenic adventure generally choose either Coastal Highway Fv17, which is a Norwegian Scenic Route, or the inland Wilderness Road (Villmarksveien) through the mountains.

As you might have guessed, the Coastal Highway runs along the entire Helgeland coast, from Bindal in the south to Meløy in the north. On the way, this Norwegian Scenic Route passes the coastal towns of Brønnøysund and Sandnessjøen, and natural attractions such as Torghatten, the mountain with a hole through it, the mountain range called the Seven Sisters (De Syv Søstre), and the western portion of Svartisen glacier.

Highway E6 runs from Majavatn lake in the south, to Saltfjellet in the north. This route takes you through the towns of Mosjøen and Mo i Rana, and near attractions such as the Helgeland Stairs, the Okstindan mountains and Rabothytta cabin, and the eastern portion of Svartisen glacier.

The Wilderness Road, called Villmarksveien in Norwegian, is a shorter but incredibly beautiful drive, from Majavatn lake in the south to the village of Korgen in the north. It takes you through wilderness areas such as the Børgefjell National Park, and past Røssvatnet lake and the Okstindan mountains.

To Helgeland by plane

All of the four towns in Helgeland have airports with direct flights to and from Oslo, Trondheim and Bodø. To plan your flights and find tickets, please visit EnTur.no

The names of our airports are:

• Mo i Rana Airport Røssvoll
• Mosjøen Airport Kjærstad
• Sandnessjøen Airport Stokka
• Brønnøysund Airport Brønnøy

Travelling by train and bus

The Nordland Line, the railway that runs through the central part of Helgeland, passes many of the same places as highway E6. There are railway stations at Trofors, Mosjøen, Bjerka, Mo i Rana and at Saltfjellet. If you want to reach the Helgeland coast, there are buses from Mosjøen to Sandnessjøen and Brønnøysund, and from Mo i Rana to Nesna and Stokkvågen. The coastal towns and villages have express boat connections to many other destinations along the Helgeland coast.

Find bus schedule on ReisNordland.no

Ferries or express boat

You have to travel by ferry and speedboat to reach most of the islands on the Helgeland coast.

On some of the larger islands, such as Vega and Dønna, it can be an advantage to have a car for getting around. However, many other islands, such as Rødøya and Lovund, have very few roads, and they don’t necessarily have sensible places to park your car. For these and similar destinations, you should leave your car behind on the mainland and instead explore these islands on foot or by bicycle. Before deciding, please seek advice from the Tourist Information Office or people who live and work in the area, such as your hosts where you’ve booked your overnight stay.

Think of the ferry or express boat ride as a mini-cruise on the fjord or across open seas. It’s a great opportunity to relax and really savour the magnificent coastal and island scenery from a seaborne perspective. However, please note that some ferries and express boats are rather infrequent. Plan your trip based on departure times, and to ensure your spot, show up at the ferry quay well in advance. Have some extra beverages and snacks or food at hand, and perhaps a book or something to entertain yourself with in case you have to wait a while.

A good rule of thumb during the peak holiday season is to arrive at the ferry quay at least half an hour before departure for the shorter ferry routes, and a full hour in advance for the longer and popular ferries such as Kilboghamn–Jektvik and Tjøtta–Forvik.

Hurtigruten coastal steamers, and Nordlandsekspressen express boats

If you want to see some of the most exciting areas of the Helgeland coast, we recommend going “island hopping” with the Nordland Express that sails between Sandnessjøen to Bodø. The Summer Route has more frequent departures and calls at extra destinations, including the outer islands such as Lovund, Træna and Myken.

One of the best ways to explore Helgeland is to go “island hopping”, meaning you can jump off anywhere you like and continue your journey when you wish. When you travel north or south, you change boats at Myken.

You can also explore the Helgeland coast on board the Hurtigruten coastal steamer. It has regular calls at Brønnøysund, Sandnessjøen and Nesna – and at each of these places there are opportunities for exciting excursions. For more information, please visit Hurtigruten.com.

Travel Pass Nordland

With Travel Pass Nordland you have almost unlimited travel by bus, express boat and ferry (with a few exceptions) for seven days in Nordland County.

For detailed information and updated prices about Travel Pass Nordland, please visit reisnordland.com

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