Most of the tours coming into the Nordic countries are either flying to the main traffic hubs Helsinki Vantaa airport (HEL) or Copenhagen Kastrup airport (CPH). From there, the trip goes to Oslo or Bergen to see the fjords of Norway. There is, however, also the possibility to arrive in Ålesund on the first day and approach the fjords from the north. In the coming season, both KLM and SAS will be starting direct flights to Ålesund Vigra airport (AES) from Amsterdam Schiphol airport (AMS) and CPH, allowing same day arrivals to Norway from Asia.

KLM will fly a Fokker 70 with 72 seats (12 business, 60 economy) between AMS and AES starting from April 4th 2013 with the following schedule:

06:30 departure AES, 08:45 arrival AMS (daily)
14:25 departure AMS, 16:30 arrival AES (daily except Saturday)
17:05 departure AES, 19:15 arrival AMS (daily except Saturday)
20:40 departure AMS, 22:45 arrival AES (daily)
SAS will fly between CPH and AES with a 90-seater aircraft with the following schedule:

12:35 departure CPH, 14:10 arrival AES
14:40 departure AES, 16:10 arrival CPH

Ålesund lies on the Norwegian coast, just outside the Storfjord, which ends in the famous Geirangerfjord about 50 kilometers inland. With a same day arrival, tourists can enjoy this UNESCO World Heritage site already on the second day of their tour. For guests seeking to experience the magnificent fjords of Norway, this route can take them the quickest to one of the quintessential sceneries. From there, the tour can go on south to Sognefjorden and to Bergen or Oslo.

Ålesund is also a destination in itself, known for it’s Art Nouveau style architecture, dramatic panorama of the town and the Sunnmøre Alps and the Atlantic Sea Park.

Photo courtesy of Visit Alesund