Northern Europe

Amsterdam

Bergen

Norway’s west coast offers spectacular scenery and world-class facilities for yachts. Land at Bergen International Airport, which has direct connections to Paris, Amsterdam and Madrid as well as a range of destinations in Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and the UK. Pick up your yacht as it’s offloaded in the port, then sail her straight to one of dozens of small marinas and guest ports that proliferate in the many natural harbours on this rocky coastline.

The main city marina is situated on the 1200-metre-long bay of Vågen, cheek-by-jowl with the Bryggen UNESCO World Heritage Site and Bergenshus Fortress. You will find lots of distinctive cafés and restaurants from which to gaze over the charming port here, including Bare, 1877 and Enhjorningen, which serve delectable local and European food with fresh seasonal ingredients amid an impossibly cosy ambiance.

Finally, get some well-deserved rest as you let the Nordic design, comfort and service provided at Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz or Hotel No 13 take your breath away.

Southampton

The United Kingdom’s yachting capital has history and scenery in abundance. Founded more than a thousand years ago, the city blossomed during the Victorian era, when the docks were laid and the railway to London built, and Southampton became known as the Gateway to the Empire.

Once you pick up your yacht in the harbour, you can park her in a range of marinas, not least in the legendary Southampton Water in the heart of the city, home to outstanding recreational facilities and the Royal Southampton Yacht Club. This is also the location of the outstanding seafood restaurant The Jetty and sumptuous Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa.

Other excellent dining and accommodation options include Carnicero Steakhouse and room2 Southampton a stone’s throw away in the historic centre, and Ennios Boutique Hotel next to the terminals for the ferries to the Isle of Wight.