Plan your trip
Planning your trip to Bodø & Salten is easy with our help. Below you’ll find information about getting here, transportation options while you’re here, and and answers to frequently asked questions among our visitors.
How to travel to Bodø & Salten, and how to get around in the region?
If you want to travel here, you can choose between flying, taking the train, driving, taking the Hurtigruten coastal route, or taking a speedboat – all depending on where you are coming from.
Bodø is the capital of Nordland county and a natural starting point for experiencing the rest of the county. Here you will find Bodø Airport and the northern end station of the Nordland Train Line, also the Norwegian Coastal route “Hurtigruten” makes a stop in the city every day. To get around the rest of Salten, driving, taking a speedboat, or taking the bus are good options.
Bodø Airport has a range of flights and is an easy gateway to Bodø and the surrounding region.
From Oslo (the capital of Norway), it only takes 80 minutes getting to Bodø Airport, and then you are right in the city center. The airport is located 1.2 km from the city, so many choose to walk the short distance to the center.
Bodø Airport has daily connections to Oslo (Gardermoen, OSL), Trondheim (Værnes), Bergen (Flesland), Tromsø and Lofoten. SAS, Norwegian and Widerøe have regular flights to Bodø Airport. In the summer season so does Finnair and Discover Airlines.
International flights to Bodø Airport
Bodø offers direct flights to several major international airports with excellent connections to the rest of Europe and the world. Especially during the high season in the summer months, there are plenty of options available.
Munich, Germany
Starting in 2025, Discover Airlines will operate direct flights between Munich and Bodø from June to October. In June, the route will run once a week on Mondays. From July to October, the frequency will increase to two flights per week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
> Check departures and book here
Copenhagen, Denmark
Starting in 2025, SAS will operate direct flights between Copenhagen and Bodø from May 19 through October. The route will run twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the period.
> Check departures and book here
Helsinki, Finland
Flights between Helsinki and Bodø will operate from June to August. The route will run once a day on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays during the summer months.
> Check departures and book here
Nordlandsbanen, one of the world’s most beautiful train routes, winds its way 730 km northward from Trondheim to Bodø.
Bodø Station is the northern end station of the Nordland Railway, and is located in Bodø city center. The station is served by long-distance traffic to Trondheim, regional traffic to Mo i Rana and Mosjøen, and local traffic to Fauske and Rognan.
Book tickets at vy.no
Long-distance traffic
There are two long-distance trains between Bodø and Trondheim each day, one day train and one night train. The travel time varies somewhat, with day trains taking around 9 hours and 50 minutes, while the travel time for night trains is about 20 minutes shorter, as they stop at fewer stations.
Regional traffic
There are two regional trains between Bodø and Mosjøen Station daily in both directions, in addition to the long-distance traffic’s two daily departures. This train journey takes around 3 hours and 50 minutes, which is between 15 and 30 minutes shorter travel time than the long-distance trains.
Local traffic
The local traffic between Bodø – Fauske and Rognan, consists of eight daily departures from Bodø to the neighboring towns of Fauske and Rognan, of which half of them stop at Fauske Station. The route, under the name Saltenbanen, runs from Bodø Station to the Mørkved neighborhood in Ytrebyen, the village of Tverlandet, the village of Valnesfjord, and Fauske and Rognan Station.
Hurtigruten, also known as the Norwegian Coastal Express, stops in Ørnes and Bodø in the Salten region before continuing to Lofoten. The northbound route stops in Ørnes in the morning and Bodø in the midday, while the southbound route stops in Bodø and Ørnes in the middle of the night or early morning.
> You can find the schedule for the Hurtigruten on their website
The Hurtigruten terminal is located in the center of Bodø, opposite the train station
With a car, you can reach Bodø and Salten along the E6 highway or the scenic Coastal Route
Fra Trondheim til Bodø er det 700 km – en tur som tar 10 timer å kjøre.
> See the route here
European route E6 is the longest and most important
European route E6 is the longest and most important road in Nordland county, running through the county from south to north. National Road 80 is the road connection between Bodø and E6 at Fauske. County Road 17 is the Coastal Route from Steinkjer through Ytre Helgeland to Bodø. Parts of it are a national tourist route.
The 650 km long Coastal Route is a popular “detour” for those visiting the region and not needing to take the fastest route to their destination. Here, you can follow the impressive coastal landscape and take small detours along the way, for example to Svartisen in Meløy, the church site in Gildeskål, or to Saltstraumen.
> Read more about The Coastal Route
If you need a rental car, you can get one at Avis or Budget in Bodø. They have pickup locations in several places in the city, including at the airport.
> See charging stations for electric cars in Bodø & Salten
Travelling by express boat along the coast of Salten is both convenient and a fantastic experience in itself. From the Sentrumsterminalen in Bodø, you can quickly reach the fantastic island world in the area, as well as travel north or south along the mainland in Salten.
It is also a great way to travel further north to Lofoten and Vesterålen or south to Helgeland.
In 2021, Bodø became one of the first cities in the world to launch a fully electric bus service. All buses in the city center of Bodø are electric, allowing you to travel around with a clear conscience. In addition to brand new buses, most buses also have charging points, seat belts, and plenty of space.
The regional buses are equipped with integrated child seats as well as Isofix. They also have a seat lift so that disabled passengers can travel in their own adapted seat.
Bodø Taxi is the taxi company that serves the Bodø area. The company is affiliated with Nordland Taxi for tour booking and related services.
Phone number: +47 07550
Our recommendations
Things to do in Bodø & Salten
Frequently asked questions
You can travel to Lofoten by ferry, express boat, Hurtigruten, Havila Voyages or plane.
Are you traveling by ferry you need to register before traveling.
Bus number 200 and 300 run between Bodø city center and Saltstraumen. Plan your trip and find your bus schedule at Reis Nordland.
Saltstraumen er på sitt sterkeste fire ganger i døgnet, The Saltstraumen tidal current is at its strongest four times a day, every six hours. The times vary from day to day. Check the Saltstraumen timetable to find the right time on the day you plan to visit.
> Time table for bus
You can also drive or bike to Festvåg and take a ferry from there to Misten/Kjerringøy (approximately 10 minutes ferry ride).
> Find ferry times between Festvåg – Misten
Mostly, but there are a few things to remember:
- You are not allowed to be on private property without consent from the landowner.
- The tent must be at least 150 meters away from any buildings, so that you are not disrupting people living and staying in the area.
- You are allowed to camp for up to two nights in uncultivated land without permission from the landowner.
- Toll stations are automated.
- The registration number of all cars that pass without an AutoPASS tag is photographed. An invoice is sent to the owner of the car by post and without an extra fee. This also applies to foreign vehicles.
- Here you can see an overview of toll stations in Bodø.
Alcohol with up to 4.7% alcohol by volume (ABV) can be purchased at regular grocery stores between 9:00 am to 8:00 pm (6:00 pm on Saturdays). Other alcoholic beverages with higher ABV can only be purchased at Vinmonopolet, the government-owned liquor stores. Vinmonopolet has limited opening hours and is closed on Sundays and holidays. To purchase alcohol at Vinmonopolet, you must be at least 18 years old and present a valid photo ID.
In Bodø you can find Vinmonopolet at these three shopping centers: KOCH, City Nord and Hunstadsenteret.
Most grocery stores are open until 11:00pm. Some stores are also open on Sundays.
In Bodø, the midnight sun is between June 4th and July 8th, while the Northern Lights can be experienced from the beginning of September to the middle of April.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to exchange currency in Bodø.
Tourist informations in Salten
Tourist Information Bodø
+ 47 75 54 80 00
turistinfo@bodo.kommune.no
Dronningens gate 15, Bodø city center
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 08.00 – 15.30
Opening hours 17. june – 25. august 2024:
Monday – Friday: 08:00 – 17:00
Saturday – Sunday: kl. 10:00 – 14:00
Tourist Information Gildeskål
+47 75 76 06 00
postmottak@gildeskal.kommune.no
Servicekontoret, Inndyr
Opening hours phone:
Mon – fri: 10:00 – 14:00
Visiting adress:
Inndyrveien 72
8138 Inndyr
Tourist Information Sørfold
Øyra camping, Nordfjord
Tourist Information Hamarøy
Tourist Information Beiarn
+47 475 18 022
+47 900 12 477
Tourist information and salmon office
Beiarn kro & hotell, Storjord
Sale of fishing permits and equipment, disinfection of fishing gear, guidance and information, free loan of SUP boards, lavvu, fishing equipment, etc.
Opening hours:
June 15 – August 31
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 – 16:00
Sunday: 12:00 – 16:00
September 1 – September 15
Wednesday – Saturday: 12:00 – 16:00
Tourist Information Steigen
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