Flam Railway

[The Old Fogies]

We will be taking a bus tour from Flam up the mountain to Voss for a ride on the Bergen Railway. Then we get on The Flam Railway and ride down to sea level. What side of the railroad car should we sit on to see the best scenery???

 

Thanks!

Karen

[TLCOhio]

We will be taking a bus tour from Flam up the mountain to Voss for a ride on the Bergen Railway. Then we get on The Flam Railway and ride down to sea level. What side of the railroad car should we sit on to see the best scenery??? Thanks! Karen

 

Going down this rail route, there are lots of good views on BOTH sides. The train twists and turns, back and forth. Either can work well and there will be a stop for the large waterfall, up close and personal, as your travel down. Lots of good photo opportunities. Below are some of my visual samples.

 

Flam, with a population of about 500, is nestled in a tributary of the world's longest and deepest fjord. It is 128 miles long and has a maximum depth of 4,291 feet. On the question of how deep are these fjords, local say: “A mermaid could swim all the way to China.” Our chief attraction here is the 66-year-old Flam Railway. It is widely known as one of the world's best railroad journeys. It includes twenty tunnels and eight stops as it goes up the mountain. This rail lines rises from Flam’s gingerbread rail station going up 2,835 feet to Myrdal and this "Roof of Norway" rail station. Railroad website: http://www.flaamsbana.no/eng.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 61,736 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Here are a few highlights from the Flam train ride, including where you stop in a stone tunnel to get out and then see this dramatic 305-foot-high Kjosfossen Waterfall half-way on this 12.4 mile trip. Lots of great views on this routing.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a nice farm view along this great fjord and another Flam train view.:

 

 

[Ine]

En route the train stops at a big waterfall. Get out as soon as possible to avoid many people in your photos. Either sides are indeed beautiful in the train.

Voss also is a charming small town on a large lake.

[alexandra cruiser]

since most people allowed,,even encouraged,those on other side to see something special if better on THEIR side...so we went back and forth.Now we were with a ship tour,,so may NOT happen,,on own..

 

If not,,as said above,,both sides great,,and will even out in end..So don t worry,,,you ll have a good time,,either side.PS..again Terry, love the pics and brings back memories..thanks...:D

[TLCOhio]

since most people allowed,,even encouraged,those on other side to see something special if better on THEIR side...so we went back and forth.Now we were with a ship tour,,so may NOT happen,,on own.. If not,,as said above,,both sides great,,and will even out in end..So don t worry,,,you ll have a good time,,either side.PS..again Terry, love the pics and brings back memories..thanks...:D

 

Great tip from Alexandra on not being too restrained, getting up, leaning to the other side to see good things there, etc. Don't be shy, nor miss the greatness you will see on this scenic rail experience.

 

Always appreciate the kind and nice comments from our super smart friend from Florida. Keep it coming!! We just loved these areas so super much. My pictures are good because it's ALL really there and so interesting and enjoyable. I love this region that makes and helps me look like a good photographer. It's the "subject" there that is so wonderful.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 61,914 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[cannockfrodo]

Is it possible to do the Flam Railway independently ?

[Mairnealach]

Is it possible to do the Flam Railway independently ?

 

Yes, I did this last week when on Holland America's MS Rotterdam. Luckily we were the only ship berthed in Flam that day, so tenders were not required and there were seats available on all trains. The following two websites will list the cruise ships in Flam on any particular and if seats are available on the train.

 

http://aurlandhavn.no/en/cruise/skipsanlop-2012/

 

http://www.flambooking.com/booking.aspx

 

The railway station in Flam is only 100 metres from the harbour and the booking office opens at 08:15. Our ship berthed at 07:45 and I was at the station at 08:00 to find twenty five people ahead of me. Within a few minutes the queue had doubled in length, so get there as early as possible. An adult return ticket from Flam to Myrdal costs 360 kroner. Myrdal is only a railway junction and we stayed on the train and returned to Flam on the next departure.

 

Dermot

[KirkNC]

Is it possible to do the Flam Railway independently ?

 

Yes, we did but I would recommend buying your tickets before hand either via Rail Europe or if you stop in another Norway port before Flam. The line to buy tickets on the day you stop can be very crazy.

[TLCOhio]

Is it possible to do the Flam Railway independently ?

 

As noted by Mairnealach and Kirk, it is possible to do it on your own. BUT, it depends so much on your total time in this port and how many ships will be in port that day. As we were going on to another nearby fjord port in the afternoon, we only were there in Flam from 8 am to noon. Short time window!! We didn't want to take any risks of getting shut out and/or missing the exciting train trip or boat sailing out. Second, it depends on how many others ships will be in the port that day. Maybe you'll be the only ship there that date. There could, however, be two or three ships in Flam, all of them the larger 2000-3000 passenger size. Those are the two key variable affecting if and how you want to "gamble".

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 77,690 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Mairnealach]

Yes, we did but I would recommend buying your tickets before hand either via Rail Europe or if you stop in another Norway port before Flam. The line to buy tickets on the day you stop can be very crazy.

 

Hi Kirk,

 

Our first port of call was in Oslo and I walked to the central railway station there to buy tickets for the Flam train. You can buy the tickets there, or at any rail station in Norway, but they will charge two single fares of 260 kroner; that is 520 kroner for a return ticket. The only way of getting the special return fare of 360 kroner, other than being part of a group booking, is to buy the tickets in Flam itself.

 

Dermot

[Eastsidebuddies]

Did everyone do the 3.5 hour trip? HAL has a 7.5 hour best of Flam with a bus trip and stop at the waterfall. Suggestions?

Sheila

[karenbeanpole]

I booked the Flam railway independently - to book in advance directly with Flam railway itself, you need to book minimum 12 people in your group. That guarantees you a place in the train there and back, in your own reserved carriage! You do not need to pay in advance, just email Flam railway. To get 12 people to go with you, there should be no trouble if you just advertise yourself in your roll call. It works out so much cheaper than a ship's arrangement, and it is also much more spacious in your carriage than being jam packed with hundreds of people going with the ship.

I emailed them to reserve my carriage, got myself 12 people, met them all on the ship before hand to collect money, then when we got into port, all I had to do was go to the ticket office to pay for the booking. My group met me in a special line for the train and we were escorted into our carriage. It is very easy.

Well worth doing! No need to queue on the day or worry about getting tickets.

[Eastsidebuddies]

Thanks for the information Karen. I am trying to get a group together for the Fllamm railroad and for the Northcape via private van.

Sheila

[Globaliser]

I booked the Flam railway independently - to book in advance directly with Flam railway itself, you need to book minimum 12 people in your group. That guarantees you a place in the train there and back, in your own reserved carriage!

The fact that there's reserved space, and there's so little hassle, means that it could be worth doing this even if you have fewer people than the minimum for a group. You just need to book for the minimum size. The discount for a group booking (compared to the price for individual tickets) can partially offset the fact that you have empty space.

 

I think the minimum for a group is actually 10 people. When I did it last year, we had 8 in the group, and (after the 10% discount) basically paid for 9 people. That was worth doing.

[Eastsidebuddies]

I will follow both Globaliser and Karenbeanpole's advice and book a car on Flamm Railway.

 

Thanks

Sheila

[Selfish Cook]

I read that if the weather is nice and you want to stretch your legs a little, that you can get off the return train at Berekvam and take a leisurely stroll back to Flam. Estimated 2 to 3 hours. Has anybody done this? I don't think you save any money walking back partway, but if it is a beautiful day and you are in shape, why not? Can anybody tell me if the walk is on the road or a path? Can you get back on the train at a later stop if you find you are short on time or energy? Any information would be helpful.

 

Thank you in advance!

[Globaliser]

Hi, Selfish Cook, and welcome to (posting on) CC!

Can anybody tell me if the walk is on the road or a path?

The map suggests that the road runs close to the railway line all the way back to Flam.