Norwegian Coastal Voyage

Rugged yet bewitchingly ethereal. It is difficult to think of a more succinct description of the often unearthly surroundings to be encountered on an odyssey taking in the vast majority of Norway's coastline – from the thriving yet pleasingly villagey port of Bergen to the stony wilds of Kirkenes deep inside the Arctic Circle. Inbetween these two compass points lies a world which, to coin one of the most hackneyed of travel guide clichés, you probably never knew existed – and one which you can follow via a path steeped in tradition and history.

The journey is known locally as the Hurtigruten – and there are 13 ships which take this name and transport travellers and those with more prosaic tasks in hand between 35 different ports, oscillating between the relatively bustling south of the country and the isolated, stark north which skirts the very furthest reaches of this continent. At least one ship departs Bergen each day to begin the 11-day return journey to Kirkenes, with the vessel carrying important goods to be ferried to its various stops along with a range of increasingly bedazzled tourists.

From Bergen, the ship winds it way north through a range of chasm-like fjords, calling in at the spirited town of Alesund before progressing to Trondheim, one of Norway's largest cities and notable for its extensive wooden structures. One of the Hurtigruten's most attractive points is that excursions – either organised or at your own leisure – are possible for all of the bigger or more notable stops and time is usually plentiful.

Beyond Trondheim lies the long stretch northwards towards the Arctic Circle, whose beginning is marked by a small globe on the islet of Vikingen. It is arguably from this point that the true romance of the trip makes itself felt to even the least sentient of those onboard. After a call at the fishily aromatic city of Bodo, the boat crosses the Vestfjord to the staggering Lofoten Islands, a 100 kilometre-long range of mountains soaring from the sea and bathed in the curious, almost eerie light which pervades this part of the world and will become yet more beguiling as the ship heads further north.

Look out for the hundreds of racks of drying fish which line the sides of some of Lofoten's smaller settlements before the boat docks at Svolvaer ahead of its hair-raising foray into the "Troll Fjord".

The stretch between here and Honningsvag – Europe's northernmost town – is perhaps the trip's most awesome; with the harsh, snowy peaks and islands to either side of the vessel softened by the other-worldly light which becomes almost day-long in the spring. The feeling of being in quite another world is only dulled slightly, and possibly even increased, by the stark presence of tiny radar stations and isolated settlements occasionally announcing themselves as specks on an otherwise-empty horizon.

A notable exception to the feeling of near-solitude is Tromso – dubbed the "Paris of the North" by some. While perhaps not quite worthy of this epithet, the four hours typically allowed for a stroll around are always well spent – with the spectacular Arctic Ocean cathedral a quite unmissable experience.

On the sixth day of the voyage, the boat reaches Honningsvag, from where it is possible to take an inevitably-snowy excursion to the Nordkapp – the northernmost point of Europe. These days home to a museum and visitor centre, the site itself prompts extraordinarily strong feelings upon looking northward into the vast, open sea – although it may be advisable to negotiate your own excursion upon arrival in Honningsvag rather than taking the official Hurtigruten-led tour if finances are tight.

Day seven, and via an increasingly-bleak range of settlements such as Batsfjord and Berlevag the voyage finally arrives in Kirkenes, which lies tantalisingly on the border with Russia and also within touching distance of Finland. Kirkenes itself possesses little of note – and with affordable accommodation scarce it is wise either to ensure that you have a return ticket to Bergen booked or to make a swift bus getaway south towards the densely-forested areas of northern Finland.

One of the beauties of the Hurtigruten is that it can be a temporary home to anyone. Cabins of several grades are available to those who wish to see through the voyage in comfort and style, but backpackers are never turned away provided that they make themselves unobtrusively comfortable in one of the lounge areas. With enticing student deals available, it is surprisingly amenable to young independent travellers.

Another of the boat's advantages is that it is almost literally a hop-on, hop-off service. You may join or leave the boat at any of its many ports, and alight at whichever you wish.

The Norwegian Coastal Voyage provides a slice of a world, its history and its devastatingly-hewn characteristics, which lies very close to home - but one which we rarely see or even imagine.

To enjoy this fantastic voyage of discovery you will first need to get there which is where we come in with our choice of cheap flights to Norway.