The place is situated between Leknes and Svolvær, at the “yttersida” (to the northwest and the open sea – as opposed to the southeast side of the islands with a view to the mainland of Norway) of the Lofoten islands.
By road:
- Kystriksveien – the coastal route from Steinkjer to Bodø (includes 7 ferries), then continue either by ferry or the Lofast route.
- Lofast – the mainland connection and part of E10 (one ferry; Bognes – Lødingen)
Driving north and arriving in Fauske, you can either continue north to Hamarøy and drive to Bognes where you take the Ferry over to Lødingen (ca1 hour) and continue on the Lofast road. This way you don’t have to plan to reach a ferry as all ferries from Bognes is regualar. Check the time table.
The alternative at Fauske is to drive to Bodø (1 hour from Fauske) and go by sea with the “Hurtigruten“. Go ashore in Stamsund or Svolvær, or take the ferry (NB: not the Hurtigruten”) to Moskenes.
The boat trip from Bodø takes: 4 hours to Stamsund, 6 hours to Svolvær. The ferry from Bodø to Moskenes takes 3 / 4 hours. Tip: Order in advance if you want to bring the car.
The drive whole the way from Fauske via Bognes to Smedvik takes about 5 1/2 hours.
By sea:
- Hurtigruten – choose port of departure, and arrive either in:
- .. Stamsund (+ 50 min drive to Smedvik)
- .. Svolvær (+40 min drive)
- Or go by ferry to Moskenes (+ 1,5 hour drive)
If you want to go by bus – or even train (final stop Bodø), here is an overview.
By air: from Bodø
- With Widerøe – choose destination:
- .. to Leknes (+30 min drive to Smedvik)
- .. to Svolvær (+40 min drive)
Alternatively, go by plane to Harstad/Evenes and hire a car. The drive to Smedvik is about 3 hours, via Svolvær (for grocery shopping etc.). The drive to Svolvær is about 2 hours and 15 min. Grocery shopping can also be done at Evenskjær, some 10 min. drive from the Evenes airport.