Getting to Bodo for the football

There is no direct UK flight to Bodø, so fly to Oslo (OSL) and connect onward with SAS or Norwegian, roughly 1 hour 30 minutes to Bodø Airport (BOO) (source). The airport is about 1 km south of the centre, a 10-15 minute walk, and Aspmyra Stadion is walkable too. Away fans stand in section C of the Havert-Tribunen, behind the goal, uncovered (source).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

There is no direct UK flight to Bodø, so every route runs through a Norwegian hub. The quick option is to fly through Oslo (OSL) and connect straight on to Bodø by air, about 1 hour 30 minutes for the last leg (source). The slower option is to break the journey at Trondheim and take the Nordland Line train the final stretch, which is often cheaper when Bodø flights spike around a match and throws in an Arctic Circle crossing on the way (source). Here are the ways there and roughly what each costs and takes.

Book the Oslo hub leg and the Bodø leg on one ticket where you can, so a delay into Oslo protects your onward connection. The Trondheim train runs twice a day, including a night service with sleeper berths, and books up early on Minipris saver fares (source). All figures are estimates and vary by season and how far ahead you book.

Getting into Bodø: airport, station, port

Bodø Airport (BOO) is about 1 km from the centre and walkable: a flat 10-15 minute walk into town. City bus lines 1 and 4 stop just outside the terminal and reach Bodø sentrum in about 5 minutes (source). These are ordinary city buses, not a separate airport coach. On weekdays line 1 runs roughly every 10 minutes in the morning and afternoon and every 15 minutes otherwise, with a reduced weekend service (source).

Taxis wait at a rank in front of the terminal, and the ride to the centre takes 5-10 minutes (source).

Bodø railway station is the northern terminus of the Nordland Line, with VY and SJ Nord running services including to and from Trondheim. The station is about 5 minutes from the airport by car and sits at the north-east edge of the centre, near the harbour hotels (source).

Bodø is also a coastal hub. The coastal quay and the express-boat and car-ferry docks for Lofoten and the archipelago are about 5 minutes from the airport, useful if you combine the trip with Lofoten (source).

Getting out to the ground

Aspmyra Stadion is in the southern part of the town centre on Hålogalandsgata, close to the airport, so most away fans staying centrally simply walk to the ground (source). City bus route 1 runs from the airport and centre and passes the stadium, and four bus routes serve the ground on matchday (source).

Visiting supporters are housed in section C of the Havert-Tribunen, behind one of the goals on the left-hand side of that stand. It is open to the weather and designated safe standing, so expect to stand the whole match and dress for cold and wet even in summer (source). Facilities in the away end are basic, with a toilet but very little food, so eat beforehand in the harbour district (source).

Getting around town

Bodø is compact and walkable. The airport, harbour, station, hotels and stadium are all within roughly 2 km of each other, so many fans need no transport at all (source).

Local buses across Bodø and Nordland run under Reis Nordland. Plan journeys, see live departures and buy tickets in the 'Reis' app for iOS and Android (source). Fares are zone-based, and buying in the app is cheaper than paying on board. A single adult city bus ticket is around 44 NOK, with reduced fares for children, students and seniors; paying by card or cash on board adds roughly a 20 NOK surcharge (source).

Where visiting fans stay

Scandic Bodø is a harbour-side town-centre hotel close to the railway station, convenient for both the station and the ground (source).

Thon Hotels has two central options: Thon Hotel Nordlys by the pier, walkable with luggage, and the central Thon Hotel Skagen (source).

Smarthotel Bodø is a cheaper central option, close to both the ferry and the airport. Whichever you pick, staying central means you can walk to the airport, the bars and the ground.

Where to drink

Norway is expensive: expect roughly 90-130 NOK (about £7-10) for a half-litre in a bar, higher in restaurants, cheaper in a smaller local place a street or two off the main drag (source).

• Hundholmen Brygghus, Tollbugata 13. The brewpub the away support uses, about a 15-minute walk from the ground; own-brewed beer and a friendly matchday feel (source).
• Piccadilly Pub, Sandgata 4. Central, straightforward pub named in fan guides, easy for a pre-match pint (source).
• Kaptein Larsen, Storgata 4A. Central bar on the main street, handy for a round before walking down to Aspmyra (source).
• Bryggerikaia, Sjøgata 1. Waterfront bar and restaurant by the harbour, good for a relaxed drink with food alongside (source).
• Ohma, central Bodø. Better known for cocktails than pints, worth a stop if you want something other than beer (source).

Nothing in central Bodø is a no-go area for away fans; the town is small and low-crime. The main thing to avoid is drinking to supermarket-price expectations, as bar rounds add up fast in Norway.

Where to eat

The local region runs on seafood: fresh bacalao, grilled stockfish, fish soup, and further afield reindeer, moose or whale on some menus. The Nordland speciality to try is møsbrømslefse, a soft flatbread with a brown-cheese sauce (source).

• Bryggerikaia, Sjøgata 1. Harbour-side and reliable for seafood, an easy sit-down before the game (source).
• Orion, Sjøgata 22. Central restaurant named in fan guides, close to the hotels (source).
• Brasilia Bodo, Sjøgata 31B. Central spot for a quicker, cheaper bite near the waterfront (source).
• LystPå, central Bodø. Award-winning kitchen with stockfish as the signature dish and a wide seafood menu, for a proper sit-down meal (source).
• BJØRK, central Bodø. Pizza, pasta and grilled stockfish, a good-value crowd-pleaser (source).
• Melkebaren, central Bodø. The place locals point you for møsbrømslefse if you want to try the regional speciality (source).

What to do

• Saltstraumen. The world's strongest tidal current, about 30 km from Bodø, where up to 400 million cubic metres of water force through a narrow strait at speeds up to 37 kph, throwing up whirlpools several metres across. The signature day trip (source).
• The moloen (breakwater). A stroll along the harbour breakwater is the local favourite, an easy walk with sea and mountain views right in town (source).
• Norwegian Aviation Museum. Bodø's biggest indoor attraction, covering WW2, the Cold War and civil aviation, good if the weather turns (source).
• Jekt Trade Museum. By the sea, telling the story of the jekt cargo boats that linked Northern Norway to the rest of Europe (source).
• White-tailed sea eagle safari. Around 20% of the world's white-tailed sea eagles are in Nordland, many around Bodø and Salten; boat trips run to see them (source).
• Bodin Kirke. The oldest church in the city, parts dating to the 1200s, a short trip from the centre (source).
• Lofoten day trip. Express boats and car ferries leave from the Bodø quay near the airport, so the archipelago is doable if you have a spare day (source).

Common questions

How do I get from Bodø Airport to Aspmyra Stadion?

The airport sits about 1 km south of the centre and the stadium is in the southern town centre nearby, so most fans just walk, 10-20 minutes depending on your hotel (source). If you would rather ride, city bus route 1 runs from the airport through the centre and passes the ground (source).

Which airport do I fly to, and is there a direct flight from the UK?

There is no direct UK flight to Bodø. Fly to the Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) hub first, then take a domestic connection to Bodø Airport (BOO) with SAS or Norwegian, about 1 hour 30 minutes onward (source). Both Manchester and London fly direct to Oslo, so Oslo is the natural connecting point.

Where do away fans sit?

Visiting supporters are in section C of the Havert-Tribunen, behind one of the goals on the left-hand side of that stand. It is uncovered and designated safe standing, so expect to stand throughout and dress for cold and wet weather even in summer (source).

What is the away allocation like?

Aspmyra is small, at 8,270 capacity, and away allocations are correspondingly limited, so tickets can be hard to come by for a travelling support (source). Sort your ticket through your club's official channel early rather than turning up hoping to buy on the day (source).

What time should I arrive?

Because the whole town is walkable and the away end is basic, you do not need to allow much travel time on matchday. Aim to be at your pre-match bar an hour or two before kick-off, eat in the harbour district beforehand, then walk the 15 minutes or so down to Aspmyra in good time (source).

Can I drink inside the ground?

Facilities in the away section are basic, with a toilet but very little in the way of food or bar service, so do your eating and drinking in town first (source). Hundholmen Brygghus, the away-fan brewpub, is about 15 minutes' walk away and a better bet before you head in (source).

How much is a beer?

Reckon on roughly 90-130 NOK, about £7-10, for a half-litre in a Bodø bar, and more in restaurants (source). A smaller local bar off the main street is usually cheaper than a tourist-facing one. Supermarket cans are far less, around 30-60 NOK, if you are watching the budget (source).

Is Bodø safe?

Yes. Norway is one of the safest countries for tourists and Bodø is a small, low-crime city, so there is no rough area to plan around (source). The bigger watch-out is the weather at an uncovered away end and the high cost of food and drink, so pack waterproofs and budget accordingly (source).

Where are the away-friendly areas to drink?

The central harbour district is where fans base themselves. Hundholmen Brygghus on Tollbugata is the established away pub, with Piccadilly Pub, Kaptein Larsen and the waterfront Bryggerikaia all central and easy-going (source). Everything sits within a short walk, so you can move between them without needing transport.

Does my match ticket include free local transport?

No. Unlike some European clubs, a Bodø/Glimt ticket does not double as a transport pass, so a bus fare is separate at around 44 NOK single (source). In practice this rarely matters, because the ground, hotels, bars and airport are all within walking distance of each other (source).

How far is the stadium from the town centre?

Aspmyra is in the southern part of the town centre itself, not out of town, so it is a short walk from central hotels (source). The whole of central Bodø, including the airport, harbour, station and ground, fits inside roughly a 2 km radius, which is why most fans walk everywhere (source).

Where should I stay?

Stay central, near the harbour. Scandic Bodø is by the waterfront and close to the station, Thon Hotel Nordlys and Thon Hotel Skagen are both central, and Smarthotel Bodø is the cheaper option near the ferry and airport (source). Any of them puts you within a walk of the bars and Aspmyra (source).

Will it be dark for an evening kick-off?

Not in early summer. Bodø sits just north of the Arctic Circle and the midnight sun is above the horizon from 1 June to 14 July, so early-season evening games can be played in full daylight (source). Later in the season normal darkness returns, so check the calendar rather than assuming.