Senja-

Andøya
ferry

In summer there’s a fantastic ferry route that directly connects two of Norway’s national Norwegian Scenic Routes (Senja and Andøya). But it’s not all smooth sailing. Here’s what you need to know.

You can finish one spectacular Norwegian Scenic Route on the beautiful island of Senja, drive onto the ferry, and exit less than 2 hours later straight onto another Scenic Route, on the island of Andøya! The Routes even start/end at the ferry terminal to make it easier.

The ferry journey itself also an smashing trip, that joins two very different towns. Andenes, on long, thin Andøya island, is a flat, breezy and scrubbed-clean seaside town, famous for whales. Meanwhile, Gryllefjord, on Senja, is an active fishing village, sheltered from the open ocean by its location, tucked half-way down a steep and narrow fjord. As you sail between the two, hazy mountains and distant fjords hover to the south throughout the trip.

It sounds fabulous, right? There is a catch, though. There is no way to guarantee departure on a specific sailing, because the ferry cannot be booked ahead. You just turn up and drive onto the next available crossing. However, demand for this particular ferry route far outstrips supply. Throughout the summer, there will be some cars left behind on the quayside after each departure, who will have to choose between driving the long way round or waiting 5 hours or more hours for the next sailing.

On this page, I’ll discuss:

Planning the trip

Now that you are forewarned, you can decide how to approach the journey. The options available to you, and how long you will have wait, vary depending on time of year. The route is completely closed all winter (and bear in mind that “winter” up here is very long). In summer the ferry has two schedules: in high summer it sails 3 times a day each way. And in shoulder season it sails twice a day in each direction. So it’s important to check the timetables very carefully if you plan to use this ferry.

During peak summer season, when there are 3 sailings a day, it’s important to arrive well before your preferred targeted departure. It’s likely that at least one ferry will depart without you, while you are waiting, so allow enough time for this.
During shoulder season, the number of tourists reduces a little and there are two sailings a day. Make sure you arrive at least 3 hours before the sailing, preferably 4 hours. Based on my experience (in September) this will probably be sufficient to get you on the next sailing - but there are no guarantees.

‍ Below I’ll explain how the ferry terminal works and how to work out whether you will be boarding the next sailing.

Gryllefjord

Arriving at the ferry dock in Grylleford

The ferry dock on Senja is at Gryllefjord. The dock consists of a carparking area tucked in between the waterfront and a Joker supermarket. There is a small indoor waiting room with a sink and toilets, as well as the supermarket, and (in-season) a snack and coffee van. There are no ferry staff manning the dock itself except when the ferry is present.

Looking at the carparking area, you’ll see that there are 6 lanes painted on the dockside, all labelled by number. Lanes 1-5 are lined up parallel to each other on the dock, in front of the supermarket. Lane 6 sits behind these, alongside the main road next to the supermarket.

When you arrive, make sure to park in the next available space, strictly following the numbering (e.g., if lane 4 is full, do not try to squeeze into lane 3, even if you think there is space – you must park now in lane 5). If lane 6 is full, you should park up behind it, forming a queue (line) along the main road. Avoid blocking the road itself. Vehicles will board in the order in which they arrived.

About 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, the boat will arrive, the passengers and vehicles will disembark, and the ferry staff begin to move through the lines of waiting traffic. They will scan numberplates (registration numbers) of the vehicles they expect to be able to load.

When it is ready for boarding, ferry staff will start to allow vehicles onto the ship. Their task is to squeeze vehicles into the car deck as efficiently as possible. It’s like assembling a jigsaw. Larger vehicles go where there is available room, and smaller vehicles squeeze into around them. For that reason, sometimes the staff will ask you to wait while some vehicles behind you go first; they are trying to fill all available spaces and they need vehicles with a different size first. Don’t worry – they will come back to you once there is an appropriate space for you.

How to work whether you will be boarding the next boat?

You can make a rough guess whether you are likely to be able to catch the next boat, although this only applies to the Gryllefjord dock though – I haven’t taken the sailing from Andenes and I don’t know the dock there.

If you are waiting to take the ferry from Gryllefjord:

Vehicles in Lanes 1-5 should be on the next sailing
Some of the vehicles in Lane 6 will also board, potentially all of Lane 6. This might vary, depending on how many vehicles are in the lanes ahead of you, how tightly packed they are in the lanes, and their sizes (are they all large campervans or are they smaller cars?)
Vehicles outside Lane 6 may make it on board, or may have wait for the next boat

If you are intending to catch a sailing later in the day, arrive early for your sailing (at least 3 hours ahead during shoulder season, 5 or more hours in peak of summer) to obtain a spot in the queue, and be prepared to spend some time in Gryllefjord while you wait. Have some snacks and see my suggestions below of how to kill some time. The first sailing of the day is likely to be particularly busy, partly because many people with campervans stay here overnight, and partly because it’s, of course, more convenient if you want to explore Andøya.

If you arrive at the ferry dock and all the lanes 1-6 are already full with additional vehicles waiting, you will likely will have to wait for the second sailing.

Depending on the season, waiting for the next boat will mean a wait of 4-5 hours minimum – or even overnight.

Strategies

Waiting for the next sailing is annoying if you are not prepared for this, but if you can plan ahead it’s not the end of the world. Many of these options are easier if you are targeting the first sailing of the day.

If you are intending to catch the first sailing of the day, and you have a campervan, just arrive the evening beforehand, obtain a spot in the queue and stay there overnight. The ferry dock has a waiting room open during the daytime, with a sink and toilets. There is also supermarket right next to the terminal.
If you don’t have a campervan, and it is peak season, consider booking accommodation in Gryllefjord the night before your intended sailing.
If you don’t have a campervan, and it is well into shoulder season (when demand has fallen), you could just turn up early. In September we arrived around 4 hours early for the first sailing of the day, and we found ourselves near the front of Lane 5 and made our intended crossing.
In season, you will have to turn up well before your targeted departure

‍What to do in Gryllefjord while you wait

Gryllefjord is a perfectly nice place, with a few nice views to check out.

The town is long and thin, spread out along the side of the fjord. For a very short walk, you can walk right to the end of the road, from where you can see Andøya in the distance if it is clear. The sun shines straight into your face in the evening in this direction, and from behind – over your shoulder – by late morning. There are a few crumbling old overwater cabins and piers here.
There are couple of small cafes/restaurants in the village, where you could just sit down for a drink, meal or snack. Check opening hours/dates carefully. The supermarket also sells coffee and snacks.
You can walk out on the village breakwater for better views of the fjord – it’s right next to the ferry dock. There’s a little marina here, and the water in the fjord is very sheltered, so on a calm day there are great reflections, and it’s a nice place to sit with your coffee from the coffee van, or some lunch snacks. The view towards the head of the fjord is fantastic – just a little ruined by the industrial fishery buildings on the edge of the town. On a sunny day, the sun shines straight from behind you in the afternoon/evening as your walk out onto the breakwater; in late morning the sun will be shining on your face.
You could walk inland and up the hairpins to get a nice view over the fjord (a great viewpoint). In the late afternoon/early evening in late summer, the sun may even be shining into your face, down the length of the fjord, which creates some lovely lighting. The sun will disappear from here before sunset as it moves behind mountains, although alpenglow on the wall of the fjord persists longer than that.
If you know you have a long wait ahead of you and you’re a confident walker, you could try taking one of several walks in the area. Of course, check all timings very carefully so you don’t miss the boat.
Searchable bus timetables to Torsken are here.

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