I late had the joy of doing the Kingdom of Norway inwards a Nutshell tour on my agency from Oslo to Bergen. It was recommended inwards Lonely Planet every bit a bang-up agency to larn into Fjord dry soil , thus I paid the hefty fee attached to the tour in addition to fix out.
I’ll live honest , though… I was frustrated trying to volume this. The website is a flake clunky in addition to confusing. Eventually I worked out that you lot tin volume extra nights in addition to form out your ain accommodation , which I highly recommend. I’ll larn to that inwards a infinitesimal though.
What tin you lot facial expression from the tour?
Firstly , I usage the term ‘tour’ loosely. It is arranged through a fellowship called Fjord Tours , but it’s to a greater extent than of a roundabout agency to larn from Oslo to Bergen. I know you lot tin hit other tours every bit good , but I mean value the Oslo-Bergen is the most popular.
Secondly , I don’t mean value it’s slow to larn a bad sight of Norway. Have you lot seen this country? It’s a photographer’s dream. Any tour , prepare trip , boat ride – anything – that you lot hit volition live breathtakingly beautiful in addition to create top degree photographs. So – is it worth it?
Choo-chooing through lush , light-green forests on the train
THE FIRST LEG
The get-go leg of the trip is the longest one. You larn on a prepare (early!) from Oslo in addition to it takes you lot upwards to Myrdal. You larn assigned seats for this role of the journeying , but you lot definitely desire to live on the left side inwards the administration of travel. Both sides offering first-class views , but at that spot is to a greater extent than to encounter on the left. We were lucky that some seats were empty inwards our wagon in addition to nosotros could flit betwixt both sides during the journey.
The get-go hr or thus , you’re only coasting through suburban/industrial Oslo , thus there’s non every bit good much to see. If you’re exhausted from getting upwards thus early on , you lot tin conduct maintain a nap hither without feeling every bit good guilty.
After this , things larn a flake interesting! You’ll start whizzing yesteryear beautiful , lush light-green landscapes in addition to larn a existent sense of beingness inwards the forest. Depending on the fourth dimension of twelvemonth you lot move (I went inwards May) things volition facial expression a flake dissimilar , though.
My favourite role of the journeying came only afterward the lush greenery passed by. Quite speedily , the landscape turned into a snowy desert , punctuated yesteryear little lakes in addition to pockets of sand. If you’re a Star Wars fan – similar me – you’ll desire to conduct maintain your photographic boob tube camera create for this part! Finse , the highest signal higher upwards body of body of water flat on the trip , is where they filmed the scenes on Hoth , the H2O ice planet. We were lucky that nosotros had 20-ish minutes to hop exterior in addition to explore hither , in addition to it’s definitely worth braving the cold. It’s beautiful.
Soon you’ll discovery yourself at Myrdal , in addition to you’ll outflow off in addition to alter for the Flåm railway. Even if it’s summertime , you’re a fair agency higher upwards body of body of water flat at nowadays , in addition to it’s worth bringing a sweater to article of apparel spell you lot hold off for the train.
Approaching the snowy dry soil close Finse - what a contrast to the forest!
THE SECOND LEG
From Myrdal , you lot larn on board the Flåm Railway. This is touted every bit an incredibly steep railway , but don’t facial expression a rollercoaster experience similar I did! Most of the steep bits are through tunnel , thus you’re inwards full darkness. No seats are assigned for this leg , in addition to I’d recommend finding a spot on the left side inwards the administration of travel. There are a twain of amazing views out the correct side for the get-go flake , but i of those you lot larn fourth dimension for a photo-op exterior the train.
The Flåm Railway is quite a brusk journeying (only almost an hour) , in addition to you’re going thus speedily it’s non worth taking pictures for the most part. I’d advise sitting dorsum in addition to enjoying the trip to Flåm!
Kjosfossen Waterfall - a halt on the Flåm railway
THE THIRD LEG
Once you lot become far inwards Flåm , it’s fourth dimension to larn on a boat through the Aurlandsfjord to Gudvangen. The boat ride takes a trivial over 2 hours , in addition to it’s a bang-up fourth dimension to conduct maintain lots of pictures of the dramatic scenery. You’re going to desire to stand upwards exterior for this flake of the journeying in addition to marvel at the cliffs , the beautiful H2O in addition to the trivial villages in addition to boathouses dotted around the place. It’s unreal , in addition to a perfect agency to experience the magic of the fjords , peculiarly if this is your get-go fourth dimension seeing them. You’ll larn to cruise through the UNESCO-listed Nærøfjord , which is consistently listed every bit a must-see inwards Norwegian tourist brochures.
It powerfulness live mutual depression temperature in addition to windy hither , thus definitely choose a sweater in addition to a rainjacket , thus you’re non tempted to sit down inside. There are lots of mutual porpoises swimming inwards the H2O hither , thus continue an oculus out for them , too!
UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord from the ferry
THE FOURTH LEG
From Gudvangen you lot outflow on a bus. Both sides of the double-decker are pretty spectacular at dissimilar points of the journeying , thus you’re inwards for a bang-up sight no thing where you lot sit down , but I recommend the left again. The right-hand side seats seem to conduct maintain the wages at get-go , but sitting on the left-hand side gives amend views of the valley afterward the get-go one-half an hour. There’s a department amongst a serial of spectacular hairpin bends that I loved , but definitely felt similar a double-decker shouldn’t live doing!
THE FIFTH LEG
The double-decker volition conduct maintain you lot to Voss , where you lot receive the 5th in addition to lastly leg of the trip. You’ll larn dorsum on a prepare in addition to caput right away into Bergen. There are assigned seats for this role of the journeying , but hope that you’re sitting on the right-hand side! The views are actually spectacular in addition to underrated for this role of the trip , I think. It’s some other brusk leg – alone an hr or thus – in addition to you’ll discovery yourself inwards beautiful Bergen! If you lot similar , you lot tin larn dinner inwards Bergen in addition to and thus conduct maintain the overnight prepare dorsum into Oslo.
The beautiful UNESCO-listed laneways of Bryggen inwards Bergen
Phew! So there’s a breakdown of the journeying itself. Now , it is expensive to hit the tour , peculiarly when you lot consider it’s alone a one-day trip. I chose to mass the tour out a trivial flake yesteryear adding an overnight halt inwards Flåm… I definitely recommend adding an overnight stay! If you’re doing it on a budget , endeavor your luck at finding accommodation on AirBnB earlier you lot volume inwards amongst the hotels they recommend , which are all on the pricey side. However , you lot hit larn a complimentary FJORDCARD when you lot volume the tour , which gives you lot a discount on some hotels , every bit good every bit AVIS machine hire.
Flåm , where I stayed , also has a youth hostel in addition to a campground , where you lot tin pitch a tent for around 200NOK. If you’re either , a) stingy or , b) looking for something a flake to a greater extent than scenic , you lot tin walk for almost an hr inwards whatever administration in addition to pitch a tent. The camping ground laws inwards Kingdom of Norway are extremely unloosen – you lot only request to live 150m away from a edifice , away from drinking H2O in addition to non on cultivated/farmland. We hiked upwards to a waterfall that overlooked Flåm in addition to flora it to live a near-perfect campsite.
Our campsite upwards on top of Flåm
I actually loved the Kingdom of Norway In Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Nutshell , but it had its downsides. It did experience really touristy , at times the bus/train/boat felt really crowded , fifty-fifty though nosotros were at that spot earlier summertime started. In high summertime , I’m certain the carry is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than crowded , in addition to you lot powerfulness conduct maintain to volume farther inwards advance.
Two of my favourite bits of the trip were the get-go in addition to lastly leg , which are on the train. If you’re actually pushing the limits of your budget , the prepare is a fantastic compromise. If you lot volume to a greater extent than than a solar daytime inwards advance for the Oslo-Bergen prepare , you lot tin larn the minipris (small price) , which is almost 399NOK , every bit opposed to 1600NOK for the Nutshell tour. The prepare journeying solitary is however incredibly beautiful.
Finse - a halt on the Oslo-Bergen train
Have you lot e'er done Kingdom of Norway inwards a Nutshell? Got whatever other suggestions or anything to add?
