Europe for Visitors Blog

Hurtigruten, which operates year-round cruise ferries on Norway's North Cape route, now offers "port-to-port pricing" between any of the 34 cities and towns on its west coast itinerary.

The new fare system makes it easier and cheaper for foreign visitors to build custom itineraries that combine Norwegian coastal cruising with add-on tours or independent shore stays.

Hurtigruten's U.S. public-relations firm writes:

"Hurtigruten has 11 ships serving 34 ports daily, creating a choice of 1,122 possible sailings.

"With daily departures, online booking, and an array of optional excursions (which start at US $32 and range from dog sledding to Sami culture experiences), guests are able to design the itinerary that best fits their needs and preferences."

Fares:  

Nightly rates for an unspecified cabin during the winter, autumn/spring and summer are US $119, $142 and $202, respectively; rates for guaranteed outside cabins are $127, $158 and $250.

For more information, visit www.hurtigruten.com. Normally, you'll be redirected to a localized site for the country where you're located, but if necessary, you can pick from a list of nearly two dozen country sites or visit Hurtigruten's global site in English.

MAP: Hurtigruten ASA. For a larger version, click the image.

ABOVE: Italian flags in Venice, Italy.

On Thursday, March 17, 2011, Italy celebrates 150 years of nationhood with Unification Day, which commemorates the merging of states throughout the Italian peninsula into a single country on March 17, 1861. (See Wikipedia's article on Italian unification).

In Venice, where we're writing this, householders and apartment-dwellers began hanging out italian flags before the weekend. You can see an example in the photo above.