Getting around on a Haugesund port day

From Garpeskjærskaien you can walk into town, use a cruise-day hop-on hop-off bus when it runs, take a taxi, or rent a car. SIXT offers Meet & Greet at Harbour Park (~20 m from the ships); Hertz is on Karmsundgata. Steinsfjellet is about 5–10 minutes by car from the centre.

Last updated: 1 November 2026 (Europe/Oslo).

Hop-on hop-off bus

Is there a hop-on hop-off bus on cruise days?

A red hop-on hop-off bus is marketed for Haugesund cruise calls. Buses and staff wait at the cruise terminal / quay. One full loop is about 60 minutes; tickets are sold as a day ticket aligned with ship times.

⏱ Hours: blank (follow ship day; often ~10:00–16:00 on marketing pages — re-check) 💰 495 NOK per ticket (Visit Norway listing) 📅 Seasonal / cruise-day only

Stops named by Visit Norway / Strømma include the cruise terminal, city centre, Visnes Mining Museum, Avaldsnes, City Hall, Vår Frelsers area, Haraldshaugen, and Dokken / city park.
Buy on the quay (Strømma) or book ahead via the operator links below.
hopon.no has also advertised a Haugesund product and at times shown “closed for the season” — treat service as ship-day / seasonal, not a year-round city bus.

Sources: Visit Norway · stromma.com · city-sightseeing.com · checked 2026-11-01. Exact first/last departure left blank — confirm on the call day.

Car rental

No major desk sits on the cruise pier itself. Closest verified options:

Hertz — Haugesund centre

verified

Karmsundgata 63, 5531 Haugesund

In-town desk. Book via Hertz; centre location is the practical pick if you are already ashore without going to the airport.

⏱ Mo–Fr 08:00–15:00; Sa–Su closed (Hertz page) 🚶 From pier: not measured here — Karmsundgata is on the centre side of the bridge

hertz.no — Haugesund

Source: hertz.no · checked 2026-11-01

SIXT — Haugesund Cruise Port (Meet & Greet)

verified

Haugesund Harbour Park (tourist-information building) · ~20 m from the ships · cruise passengers only · 5527 Haugesund

No fixed branch counter — Meet & Greet at Harbour Park. Staff meet you in the tourist-info building (Sixt beach flags). Pre-book and give email/mobile. Closest rental option to the cruise quay.

⏱ Mo–Fr 07:00–15:00 (SIXT page) 📍 Harbour Park · ~20 m from ships 24 h return noted

sixt.com — Haugesund Cruise Port

Source: SIXT Haugesund Cruise Port · checked 2026-11-01

Airport desks (HAU / Karmøy)

verified

Helganesvegen 350, 4262 Avaldsnes — Haugesund Airport

Hertz, Avis, Europcar and SIXT list airport counters. Useful if you plan a longer drive; not a short walk from the cruise quay (airport is outside town — allow a taxi/transfer).

⏱ See each brand’s airport page

Hertz · Avis · SIXT airport

Brand station pages · checked 2026-11-01. Europcar also listed at the airport address via 1881.no.

Taxi & local bus

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Taxi

Taxis are the usual fallback for Steinsfjellet, the airport desks, or anyone skipping the bridge walk. Rank / phone numbers on the quay: blank here — ask the cruise desk or tourist tent on the call day.

No quay taxi phone verified in this pass · 2026-11-01

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Kolumbus (local bus)

Regional buses in Rogaland run under Kolumbus. Useful for town–airport style trips; not a substitute for the cruise hop-on product. Check live departures in the Kolumbus app/site.

kolumbus.no

Source: kolumbus.no · checked 2026-11-01

Drive tip: Steinsfjellet viewpoint

Panoramic view over Haugesund from Steinsfjellet — View from Steinsfjellet - Haugesund, Norway 2021-08-04 (03).jpg — photo: Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Steinsfjellet — city panorama

Hilltop viewpoint east of the centre (about 226–227 m above sea level — Peakbook / local listings) with panoramic views over Haugesund, islands and the North Sea.

Drive from centre: a short drive — about 5–10 minutes by car/taxi from central Haugesund (OSRM routing ~2.3 km / ~5 min; allow a few extra minutes from the cruise quay). You can drive nearly to the top.
Parking: park in the designated car park about 100 m before the top (Fjord Norway). Visit Norway also notes parking right before the viewpoint, with a trail map at the car park. Do not leave the car on the summit plateau — municipal signs have restricted plateau parking (Haugesunds Avis / Dagbladet coverage).
Walk to the view: short walk from the marked park to the viewpoint / mast area. Trails from the top continue into Byheiene (e.g. Kringsjå cabin ~15–20 min — Fjord Norway / Visit Norway).
Road / season: Fjord Norway lists the area for all four seasons (spring–winter). Formal municipal “road open year-round” notice: blank beyond that all-season listing — check weather and surface before driving in winter.
Without a car: Visit Norway: walk from centre ~1 h 30 min (steep finish); or Kolumbus bus 202 to Skåredalen then 30–40 min uphill walk.

Add to a 6-hour plan Add to an 8-hour plan

Sources: Fjord Norway — Steinsfjellet · Visit Norway · Peakbook (226 m) · OSRM drive estimate · parking-plateau rules via Haugesunds Avis / Dagbladet · checked 2026-11-01

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Prefer to stay on foot?

Port → town Architecture walk All walks

FAQ

Is there car rental at Haugesund cruise port?

SIXT lists a Meet & Greet at Haugesund Harbour Park (~20 m from the ships) for cruise passengers. Hertz has a centre desk on Karmsundgata 63. Airport desks are at HAU / Avaldsnes.

Does a hop-on hop-off bus run every day?

No. City Sightseeing / Strømma market a cruise-day / seasonal product from the quay — confirm on the call day.

How long to Steinsfjellet by car?

About 5–10 minutes from central Haugesund (OSRM ~2.3 km / ~5 min). Park about 100 m before the top and walk the last bit.