Getting There -- If you're not driving or traveling by coastal steamer, you can reach Bodø from major cities throughout Norway, usually with connections through either Trondheim or Oslo, on SAS (tel. 75-54-48-00). The airport lies just over a kilometer (1/2 mile) southwest of the city center and is accessed by a bus (it's marked CENTRUMS BUSSEN) that departs at 20-minute intervals every Monday to Friday for 70NOK ($11/£5.75) each way. Passengers arriving on a Saturday or Sunday hire one of the many taxis waiting at the arrivals gate. Bodø is at the end of the Nordland rail line.

Two trains a day leave Trondheim for Bodø. The trip takes 10 hours, 20 minutes. Visit the NSB website for information.

For bus information, contact Saltens Bilruter in Bodø (tel. 75-54-80-20). Fauske is a transportation hub along the E6 highway to the north and Route 80 west to Bodø. From Fauske there are two buses a day to Bodø. The trip takes an hour and 10 minutes. If you take the train from Stockholm to Narvik (north of Bodø), you can make bus connections to Fauske and Bodø, a total trip of 5 hours. When asked about what and where Fauske was, an employee of the local bus company quipped, "All roads (in and out of Bodø) lead to Fauske." Know in advance that if you're taking public transportation, you are likely to pass through Fauske on your way to and from other parts of Norway's far north.

Motorists can continue north from Mo i Rana, our last stopover, until they come to the junction with Route 80 heading west to Bodø.

Visitor Information -- The tourist office, Destination Bodø, is at Sjøgaten 3 (tel. 75-54-80-00), in the town center. It's open January 2 to May 28 and August 28 to December 22 Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm; May 29 to August 27 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday noon to 8pm. The town is relatively flat, and bikes can be rented here for 50NOK ($7.70/£4.10) for 3 hours and 150NOK ($23/£12) for 24 hours.