Nordland fylkeskommune

Reis Nordland is the public transport service run by Nordland fylkeskommune (Nordland County Municipality), overseeing a comprehensive network of bus, express-boat and ferry routes across the Nordland region of Norway. Its remit is to keep both residents and visitors moving, connecting scattered communities and coastal attractions the length of the county.

Travellers get an online journey planner, detailed timetables and line maps, and most bus and express-boat tickets are bought through the dedicated Reis mobile app. Notable initiatives include the Reis Ung fare for young people, the Travel Pass Nordland for visitors, and free travel on most county-owned ferry routes since August 2023.

Fares and payment

Fares on Reis Nordland are refreshingly low-friction. On the county car ferries there is no ticket to buy and nothing to reserve — you join the queue at the quay and drive aboard, and payment is handled automatically by licence-plate recognition. You settle up through an AutoPASS ferry agreement, by registering a card with FerryPay, or simply by card on board. Charges are based on vehicle length (with extra for a trailer or caravan), and foot passengers always travel free. Most of Nordland's county ferry crossings have been free to use since August 2023, and through summer 2026 (1 May–31 August) a seasonal scheme means you pay for only the first six vehicle trips on each crossing, then travel free for the rest of the season.

On the express boats (hurtigbåt) fares are distance-based, so the price depends on how far you travel — the exact fare for a route appears when you search it in the Reis app. Day tickets and 3-, 7- and 30-day period passes cover the frequent traveller, and passengers can pay in the app or, on the boats, on board.

Ferjeruter i Nordland — the network in local terms

Locally the network is known as fergeruter and båtruter i Nordland: the county car ferries (ferger) and the passenger express boats (hurtigbåt). Live departures, cancellations and service deviations (driftsavvik), together with ferry-queue status, are published under the 177 Nordland traffic service and in the Reis app. The busiest corridors follow the Helgeland coast — the Helgelandspendelen and Helgelandsekspressen express-boat services linking Bodø, Sandnessjøen and the outer islands — with further car-ferry and hurtigbåt crossings running north through Lofoten and Vesterålen.