007 Locations

Compare Nile cruise styles including Dahabiyas, luxury hotel ships and Uniworld river cruises. Discover which Nile cruise is best for your Egypt holiday and get expert advice from Suitcase Travel.

Which Hurtigruten Cruise Is Right For You? You’ve decided you want to see the Norwegian coast. You’re considering Hurtigruten. And now the difficult bit starts. The Original Coastal Express, the North Cape Line, the Svalbard Line, the Arctic Line, the Arctic Circle Explorer and the Inner Fjords Explorer can all look surprisingly similar when you first start comparing them. Some travel north, some south and some both ways. Some call at dozens of ports, while others spend much longer in fewer places. Some include drinks. Some do not. And the route names do not always tell you quite as much as you might expect. You may also be wondering whether Hurtigruten is really for you. Perhaps you have never been attracted to traditional cruising. You may picture formal evenings, crowded pool decks, casinos, theatre shows and thousands of people onboard. Hurtigruten is very different from that. I’m Mike Silford, Managing Director of Suitcase Travel. I have sailed the Original Coastal Express, while my daughter Penny has travelled on the Signature North Cape Line. Between us, we have experienced both sides of Hurtigruten and helped more than 1,000 customers plan these holidays. So our advice comes not only from our own trips, but from years of hearing what customers loved, what surprised them and what they wished they had known before booking. In this guide, I’ll explain how Hurtigruten works, the difference between Original and Signature, which routes I would consider for different kinds of traveller, the best times to go, what the Northern Lights are really like, which excursions are worth paying for and what life onboard is actually like. By the end, you should have a much clearer idea of which Hurtigruten voyage is likely to suit you, and which ones you can probably rule out. What’s in this guide? This is a detailed guide, so you do not need to read it from beginning to end. Use the links below to go straight to the section that is most useful to you. Why see the Norwegian coast with Hurtigruten? Understanding Hurtigruten: Original Coastal Express or Signature? Hurtigruten routes compared The Original Coastal Express The North Cape Line The Svalbard Line The Arctic Line The Arctic Circle Explorer The Inner Fjords Explorer Which Hurtigruten route should you choose? When should you travel? What are the Northern Lights actually like? Hurtigruten excursions: which are worth booking? What is life onboard Hurtigruten actually like? Let me help you choose the right Hurtigruten voyage FAQs

Feeling overwhelmed by river cruise options? You’re not alone. Every company seems to promise the same:...

Standing beneath the towering Bukhara Minaret, I feel as though I’m stepping into the pages...

Considering your first European river cruise? Do you have absolutely no idea where to start?