Bergen

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<map lat='60.432831853362394' lng='6.1248779296875' zoom='8' view='0' float='right' /> Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and the largest in Western Norway, with a population of 255,490 as of 1 October 2009. Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, which includes rural areas, has a population of 377,116 as of January 2010.

File:HHBergen.JPG
Gutuater hitching in the rain from Bergen north to Førde in March

Except for a few periods of the year (notably in the early winter when it snows a lot), Bergen is very rainy and good waterproof gear is recommended, as things can get pretty soaked! Given the somewhat long waiting times that you'll have to face (even in good spots), finding a covered bus stop (busslomme in Norwegian, different from bussholdeplass meaning simply bus stop) to hitch from and having a waterproof sign is vital!

As in whole of Norway, but especially on the West Coast, a smart thing to do before setting off for hitchhiking is checking the road conditions (especially in the spring when all the snow is melting down from the mountains onto the roads) and traffic by calling 177 (active from 10 a.m. though). Especially if you're taking secondary roads, it's a good thing to check whether they're open and if there is any traffic at all.


Hitchhiking out

From the City

The extensive network of tunnels make hitching out of the city close to impossible. The motorways almost completely go through the city, so it's quite hard to find an exit point. If you don't find it right inside the city, you'll have to walk a lot North, because of the long tunnels and the strange shape of the city.

You may try to get a ride from the city centre. Behind the central bus station there is the Goods Terminal of Schenker, a big freight company. There is also a bigger truck parking spot where trucks stay overnight. You can ask drivers in the evening when/where they are going and ask them for a lift in the morning. You could also try your chance at traffic lights and hopefully succeed, but nobody reading or writing this ever has! There is a big junction close to the central lake (Byparken Smalungeren) where the E16, E39 and 555 meet, which is the main exit of Bergen, but the place is not pleasant to hitch from.

If you are willing to walk 20 minutes from the city center, or are somehow in the northern part, try Sandviksveien junction with Sjøgaten. It is about 1.5 km north from Central Bay (Vagen). Just next to Kristiansholm there is a Shell gas station in the junction with Sandviksveien and 585 road where you can ask the people directly. Otherwise, just next to it there are some really good traffic lights where you can show the sign Nyborg from the gas station and cars can stop really easy. Abreycierra was in this spot just 5 minuts and a car picked him up.

Another option would be the several entries from Breiviken village - this seems the most legal place to hitch, there isn't much traffic, and it's 3 km away from the bay, but more cars will turn on the main road and that place seems more friendly.

If you are South from the big bay (Store Lungegardsvannet), try the crossing of Fjosangerveien and Ibsensgate, where the traffic lights are. The problem is always that there are many directions from there (including the centre).

If you can get a lift to Nyborg, then you won. They have a huge roundabout. It is 12 km North from Bergen.

Hitchhiker Capy has found a lift at Bryggen by asking somebody stepping into a car if they were going North. They took him all the way to Nyborg (2020).

Some people working in Bergen seem to live up to 50km away from the city, so it might be a good idea to try to hitch out of the city in the afternoon when they are going home.

From Outside the City

North towards Ålesund E 39 and east towards Oslo E 16

There are plenty of CouchSurfers in the northerly Sandviken suburb, so you might want to hitch from there in the morning. But unlike it may look like from the map, it's impossible to hitch a ride from the juncture between Sandviksveien and the many tunnels on Åsaneveien leading north. It's better to take a bus to Åsane Senter (a huge mall half an hour North of the city, which is very close to the juncture between the E39 (North) and the E16 (East), good dumpsters at ICA). From Bryggen you can take bus number 50, 71, 80, 90, 270 and 285. Or you can use free IKEA bus going every full hour from Busstasjon(platform I) and Bryggen exactly there. Check the timetable, if it's too late you can blackride one of usual buses going the same way. checked in July 2016. Close to the bus terminal there is a Statoil gas station where you can ask drivers, or just take a nice walk further to the next big roundabout, where you'll find two nice hh spots perfect both for hitching North and East. It's quite a walk, but considering the rain and the not excellent hitchability of Western Norway, reaching those two spots does pay off! Update: Since july 2015 spot for hitchhiking East after roundabout is no longer available ( because of crash barrier). You have to go along the road and you'll find a bus stop, which is still a good spot to catch someone to Voss or further.

A good alternative for going East is taking a bus or train to Arna or Takvam and hitchhike just before the point where the E16 and and the RV7 meet. There is a bus station where cars can pull over easily since they slow down for the forthcoming roundabout. There is a good flow of traffic even in winter. But if that doesn't work you may still try the Tourist Info & fastfood place across the motorway. It's advisable to find rides at least to Voss where you can continue further.

South towards Stavanger E 39

Hitching south of Bergen implies hopping from island to fjord to island and involves a minimum of two ferries (to Stavanger) that charge for additional passengers. As of September 2018, the first passage is 72 NOK for each extra passenger. The second passage is 43. It is the same price if you arrive on foot, so you don't need to be in a car to cross over.

There are a lot of trucks leaving Bergen in this direction. This is very slow, but you have no expensses for the ferries and you do not have to worry so much about the route.

You may start from the big roundabout in the city centre just south of the train station (more info needed).

There's an ok spot just in the middle of the Fjøsangerveien. There are two traffic lights and two bus stops so people can stop quite easily.

Another option is to take tram line 1 and get off at the stop Skjoldskiftet. Just past the roundabout is a bus-stop lay-by (in front of the Kiwi supermarket) from where it should be easier to hitch at least to the ferry (and then ask people in the ferry lounge for a lift going further).

Hitching In

Hitching in is not a problem, since the city is not so big and nice to walk in. A good spot to be dropped off coming from Oslo is next to the Bus Terminal, which is behind the train station and very close to the Schenker truck terminal.

Public transportation

Within the region of Bergen there is a one price policy (40 NOK for an adult in 2022) which will take you for quite a distance, also giving you access to some boats like the boat to Knarvik.

  • Skyss regional public transport
  • Tide, the local public transportation company

Other Useful Info

Once in Bergen it might become impossible to find a public toilet that you don't have to pay for. While you can find a good shelter from the rain in the bus terminal (not in the train station, it doesn't rain on the benches but it's open so cold in the winter months), if you need a toilet you might want to try one of the many university buildings scattered around the city (the faculty of psychology is on the main street close to the pond). Or just ask at a Restaurant, people are usually friendly and won't deny your emergency ;) trash:Bergen nomad:Bergen