How to get to Lofoten

Is it hard to get to the Lofoten Islands?

Not hard, but it always takes a connection. No long-haul flight lands in Lofoten; you change in Oslo, Bodø or Tromsø.

Oslo is the hub: Visit Lofoten counts about 250 weekly departures from Oslo Gardermoen to Northern Norway. From there it's a flight to Bodø or Evenes and one more leg. In summer Widerøe also flies Oslo to Leknes and Svolvær directly.

The weak link is the last leg. Small planes, a ferry that cancels in strong wind and bridges that close in storms all add risk in winter. Leave a buffer day before anything you can't move, like a flight home.

What airport should I fly into for Lofoten?

Svolvær or Leknes if you can get a seat; Evenes if you want cheaper flights and a scenic drive; Bodø if you'll take the ferry.

Times are by car without stops. Distances come from Visit Lofoten and route planners.

How does the Bodø-Moskenes ferry work?

The direct crossing takes about 3 h 15 min. Foot passengers ride free; a car up to 6 m pays a fixed fare, plus a fee to reserve a space.

The ferry is run by Torghatten Nord on route 18-782, and some sailings call at Værøy and Røst, which stretches the trip to about 7 hours (check the timetable). Only part of the car deck can be booked in advance, and the operator advises booking online if you bring a vehicle. Booked cars must be in the lane marked “Reservert” at least 45 minutes before departure. Foot passengers can pay a small fee to guarantee a seat.

The Vestfjord is open sea. The crossing is often rough in autumn and winter, and sailings are cancelled in strong wind. Take seasickness tablets if you need them, and don't plan a tight connection on the far side. The ferry lands at Moskenes, a short drive from Reine and Å.

How long does it take to drive from Oslo to Lofoten?

About 20 hours to Svolvær, around 1,450 km via the E6 and the Bognes-Lødingen ferry. Most people split it over two or three days.

The figure often quoted online, about 1,200 km, is Oslo to Bodø: Nordnorge.com gives 1,197 km and about 16 hours for that, and about 1,450 km to Svolvær. Reine is another 121 km beyond Svolvær. Since the LOFAST road link opened in 2007, you can drive from the mainland onto the islands without a ferry.

Driving from southern Norway makes sense only as a road trip in itself. A middle way is the train: SJ runs the Nordland Line from Trondheim to Bodø in about ten hours, with a night train, and you continue by ferry or plane.

Can you take the Hurtigruten or an express boat to Lofoten?

Yes. The coastal ships call at Stamsund and Svolvær every day, and an express boat links Bodø with Svolvær in about 3 h 25 min.

Hurtigruten and Havila share the Bergen to Kirkenes coastal route. Northbound ships reach Stamsund in the evening, around 19:15 to 19:40 according to Havila, and continue to Svolvær. It is a slow and scenic way in, and a good one if you are travelling up the coast anyway.

The Bodø-Svolvær express boat (Boreal Sjø) is a passenger boat that stops at Skrova and other small ports on the way. It lands you right in Svolvær harbour, where most of the boat tours start.

What does the “Lofoten crossing” mean?

Two different things: the Bodø-Moskenes ferry across the Vestfjord, and the Lofoten Long Crossing, an unmarked multi-day hike along the islands.

If someone talks about the crossing in a travel context, they usually mean the ferry above. Hikers mean something tougher: an unofficial route of about 160 to 180 km with more than 6,700 m of climbing, done in 6 to 12 days, best in July and August. Trail sites such as hiking-trails.com rate it very demanding, with alpine sections and no waymarks.

It is a serious expedition, not a first trip to Lofoten. Camping is banned in parts of Moskenes and on most of Haukland beach, and fires are prohibited from 15 April to 15 September (Visit Lofoten), so plan nights carefully.

Do you need a car in Lofoten?

It helps. Without one, base yourself in Svolvær and book tours, because buses are slow and infrequent.

A regional bus runs every day from Narvik to Å along the E10, with timetables in the Reis app (Visit Lofoten). By bus, Svolvær to Reine takes about 3 h 40 min with a change in Leknes; by car, it is about 1 h 55 min (rome2rio).

Driving has its own catches. Wind can close the big bridges for hours, and the E10 Nappstraum tunnel is under repair until December 2027: convoys by day until 16 November 2026, then night closures. Parking on the E10 shoulder near Reine can earn you a parking fine.

The far end without a car: a local guide drives you from Svolvær or Leknes to Hamnøy, Sakrisøy, Reine and Å, with a meal and all parking included.

★ 4.8 · 9 hours

Explore the day tour to Reine and Å → Tour details

Which route makes sense for a round trip?

Arrive at one end, leave from the other: ferry into Moskenes and fly out of Svolvær or Evenes, or the reverse.

That way you drive the E10 once instead of twice. Ask your car hire firm about one-way fees before you commit, because dropping a car at a different airport usually costs extra. If you can't do one-way, Leknes is a fair compromise: about an hour to both ends.

Ending in Svolvær also lines you up for the boat trips that only start there, like the Trollfjord, which belongs to Vesterålen's Hadsel municipality (SNL) but is reached from Svolvær. How many days you need has sample routes.

Frequently asked questions