Norway Excursions

[millybess]

Has anyone done the Forest Hike in Kristiansand?  
Or the half-day railway from Flam?  

We are spending a few days in Oslo before taking the train to join the ship in Bergen.  

[janetcbl]

1 hour ago, millybess said:

Has anyone done the Forest Hike in Kristiansand?  
Or the half-day railway from Flam?  

We are spending a few days in Oslo before taking the train to join the ship in Bergen.  

Check out “Norway in a Nutshell” which offers the train from Oslo via Flam to Bergen. It takes all day, but is a great way to get from Oslo to Bergen and leaves you the option of another excursion with Oslo. Any TA should be able to book it for you from Canada or the States.

[mhb1757]

I second the suggestion for Norway in a Nutshell. It is the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. If your schedule permits you can break the trip into 2 days and spend the night in Flam then complete the journey to Bergen the next day. The trip includes the Flamsbana train that Viking offers. Then a spectacular ferry trip from Flam to Myrdal then bus and/ or train on to Bergen. You can easily book it yourself online or get the TA to do it. 
Pre covid there was a service that would pick up your luggage in Oslo from your hotel or at the train station and deliver it to your hotel in Bergen. That was a huge help so we could just take a small overbite bag on the scenic journey and not have to mess with suitcases. I believe they were called Porter Service Norway. No idea if they are still around but it made for a great trip. 

[millybess]

Thanks to both of you.  We decided some time ago not to do Norway in a Nutshell because we want to spend more time in Oslo.  A couple of weeks ago we booked the train from Oslo to Bergen.  The excursion train goes from Flam to Myrdal/Vatndhalsen and stops at the waterfall at Kjosfossen.  I was just wondering if anyone had ever done that part of the trip by train.

 

And also, if anyone has done the 3 hour forest hike in Kristiansand.

 

Thanks again.🙂

[CurlerRob]

13 minutes ago, millybess said:

Thanks to both of you.  We decided some time ago not to do Norway in a Nutshell because we want to spend more time in Oslo.  A couple of weeks ago we booked the train from Oslo to Bergen.  The excursion train goes from Flam to Myrdal/Vatndhalsen and stops at the waterfall at Kjosfossen.  I was just wondering if anyone had ever done that part of the trip by train.

 

And also, if anyone has done the 3 hour forest hike in Kristiansand.

 

Thanks again.🙂

Not precisely your trip, but in 2019 we had a stop at Flam. As part of an excursion, we took the Flamsbana (the old train) from there to Myrdal. In Myrdal, we switched to the regular line and took that to Voss - return was by bus.

 

Wonderful scenery - highly recommended however you do it. I've attached a couple of pages from the photobook of that tour. 🍺🥌

[millybess]

Beautiful!  Thanks so much CurlerRob 😀  DH is going on a "Fjord Safari" in a RIB the day of the train journey.  I'm sure our photos will be very different!  

[Twitchly]

Would it be possible to do Norway in a Nutshell in a single day out of Bergen?

[millybess]

56 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

Would it be possible to do Norway in a Nutshell in a single day out of Bergen?

Yes, I think so. I believe it would take 8 or 9 hours return. 

[millybess]

1 hour ago, Twitchly said:

Would it be possible to do Norway in a Nutshell in a single day out of Bergen?

 

[CCWineLover]

On 2/18/2022 at 2:50 PM, millybess said:

Has anyone done the Forest Hike in Kristiansand?  
Or the half-day railway from Flam?  

We are spending a few days in Oslo before taking the train to join the ship in Bergen.  

Don’t know!  We signed up for the forest hike for our Shores & Fjords cruise in April.  Sounded interesting.

in July we are doing the train Bergen to Oslo on our own.  Stopping in Flam for a night sounds interesting!  Did not know you could do that!

 

[Twitchly]

42 minutes ago, millybess said:

 

We would do a round trip from Bergen. I’ll look into possibilities. Thanks!

[millybess]

13 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Don’t know!  We signed up for the forest hike for our Shores & Fjords cruise in April.  Sounded interesting.

in July we are doing the train Bergen to Oslo on our own.  Stopping in Flam for a night sounds interesting!  Did not know you could do that!

 

If you wouldn't mind letting us know about the hike, that would be great.  We cruise the Shores & Fjords in May.  It does sound interesting.

[deec]

We were going to the hike but when I re-read the descriptions the Ravnedalen Park & Panoramic Coastal Drive seemed to do more in the area and we are so limited in time!! i may change my mind again!!!But then again it says "panoramic" and I usually try to avoid those.

[millybess]

19 hours ago, Twitchly said:

We would do a round trip from Bergen. I’ll look into possibilities. Thanks!

Here is what I found regarding a one day trip from Bergen return. This is an unguided tour but I’m sure you could get a guided tour if that is your preference. 

 

The trip is offered all year, takes around eleven hours and passes through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Fjord Norway. The trip comprises a fjord tour, the Bergen Railway and Flåm Railway and is Norway's most popular round trip.

Norway in a nutshell® starts from the railway station in Bergen with a trip on the beautiful Bergen Railway from Bergen to Voss. Bergen Railway is the highest altitude railway in Northern Europe, and around 100 kilometres of the line run through wild mountain terrain. The train station in Bergen only has a few platforms and the train is easy to find.

At the railway station in Voss, you will find the bus, which is clearly marked 'Norway in a nutshell®'. The train is very accurate, but should a delay occur, the bus will wait for the train.

The trip continues to Gudvangen. Once you have arrived in Gudvangen innermost in the Nærøyfjord, you embark on the boat that will take you to Flåm. The Nærøyfjord is one of the narrowest fjords in Europe, and the trip to Flåm takes around 2 hours. In 2005, the Nærøyfjord was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List together with the Geirangerfjord. The fjord is surrounded by tall mountains and is a beautiful sight in both summer and winter. The boat is easy to find in the small harbor area and the bus drops you off right by the harbor.

Flåm is a charming small village surrounded by steep mountainsides, cascading waterfalls and narrow valleys. It is lovely just to stroll around the village, or you can visit the Flåm Railway Museum.

From Flåm, the trip continues on the Flåm Railway, one of the steepest normal gauge railways in the world. The platform is beside the quay and is easy to find. The 20-km-long train ride is a fantastic journey that offers panoramic views of some of the wildest and most magnificent mountain scenery Norway has to offer, including the famous Kjosfossen waterfall. The train ride lasts for roughly an hour.

At Myrdal station, you change trains to Bergen Railway, which takes you back to Bergen. The Myrdal station only have a few tracks so the train is easy to find.

The tour is available all year round. There are no guides on the trip, but it is well marked and easy to find your way around.

[CCWineLover]

4 hours ago, deec said:

We were going to the hike but when I re-read the descriptions the Ravnedalen Park & Panoramic Coastal Drive seemed to do more in the area and we are so limited in time!! i may change my mind again!!!But then again it says "panoramic" and I usually try to avoid those.

Our thoughts exactly Dee!   We are quite active hikers/walkers and the word "Panoramic" says bus tour to us - which we also try to avoid if possible!   We'll probably wait to hear more on what the walk actually does.  We've also been on some walks that were a little too tame for us and didn't go very far, so we'll see!

[Twitchly]

1 hour ago, millybess said:

Here is what I found regarding a one day trip from Bergen return. This is an unguided tour but I’m sure you could get a guided tour if that is your preference. 

 

The trip is offered all year, takes around eleven hours and passes through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Fjord Norway. The trip comprises a fjord tour, the Bergen Railway and Flåm Railway and is Norway's most popular round trip.

Norway in a nutshell® starts from the railway station in Bergen with a trip on the beautiful Bergen Railway from Bergen to Voss. Bergen Railway is the highest altitude railway in Northern Europe, and around 100 kilometres of the line run through wild mountain terrain. The train station in Bergen only has a few platforms and the train is easy to find.

At the railway station in Voss, you will find the bus, which is clearly marked 'Norway in a nutshell®'. The train is very accurate, but should a delay occur, the bus will wait for the train.

The trip continues to Gudvangen. Once you have arrived in Gudvangen innermost in the Nærøyfjord, you embark on the boat that will take you to Flåm. The Nærøyfjord is one of the narrowest fjords in Europe, and the trip to Flåm takes around 2 hours. In 2005, the Nærøyfjord was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List together with the Geirangerfjord. The fjord is surrounded by tall mountains and is a beautiful sight in both summer and winter. The boat is easy to find in the small harbor area and the bus drops you off right by the harbor.

Flåm is a charming small village surrounded by steep mountainsides, cascading waterfalls and narrow valleys. It is lovely just to stroll around the village, or you can visit the Flåm Railway Museum.

From Flåm, the trip continues on the Flåm Railway, one of the steepest normal gauge railways in the world. The platform is beside the quay and is easy to find. The 20-km-long train ride is a fantastic journey that offers panoramic views of some of the wildest and most magnificent mountain scenery Norway has to offer, including the famous Kjosfossen waterfall. The train ride lasts for roughly an hour.

At Myrdal station, you change trains to Bergen Railway, which takes you back to Bergen. The Myrdal station only have a few tracks so the train is easy to find.

The tour is available all year round. There are no guides on the trip, but it is well marked and easy to find your way around.

This is extremely helpful! Thank you!

[millybess]

17 hours ago, deec said:

We were going to the hike but when I re-read the descriptions the Ravnedalen Park & Panoramic Coastal Drive seemed to do more in the area and we are so limited in time!! i may change my mind again!!!But then again it says "panoramic" and I usually try to avoid those.

The description says it's a 3 hour hike and is "demanding".  I mapped it and it's actually about a 1/2 hour walk from Baneheia to Ravnedalen return.  So the hike must go off on many trails and up to the "vantage point".  I suppose the 3 hours includes the waffles.  

[janetcbl]

18 hours ago, millybess said:

Here is what I found regarding a one day trip from Bergen return. This is an unguided tour but I’m sure you could get a guided tour if that is your preference. 

 

The trip is offered all year, takes around eleven hours and passes through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Fjord Norway. The trip comprises a fjord tour, the Bergen Railway and Flåm Railway and is Norway's most popular round trip.

Norway in a nutshell® starts from the railway station in Bergen with a trip on the beautiful Bergen Railway from Bergen to Voss. Bergen Railway is the highest altitude railway in Northern Europe, and around 100 kilometres of the line run through wild mountain terrain. The train station in Bergen only has a few platforms and the train is easy to find.

At the railway station in Voss, you will find the bus, which is clearly marked 'Norway in a nutshell®'. The train is very accurate, but should a delay occur, the bus will wait for the train.

The trip continues to Gudvangen. Once you have arrived in Gudvangen innermost in the Nærøyfjord, you embark on the boat that will take you to Flåm. The Nærøyfjord is one of the narrowest fjords in Europe, and the trip to Flåm takes around 2 hours. In 2005, the Nærøyfjord was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List together with the Geirangerfjord. The fjord is surrounded by tall mountains and is a beautiful sight in both summer and winter. The boat is easy to find in the small harbor area and the bus drops you off right by the harbor.

Flåm is a charming small village surrounded by steep mountainsides, cascading waterfalls and narrow valleys. It is lovely just to stroll around the village, or you can visit the Flåm Railway Museum.

From Flåm, the trip continues on the Flåm Railway, one of the steepest normal gauge railways in the world. The platform is beside the quay and is easy to find. The 20-km-long train ride is a fantastic journey that offers panoramic views of some of the wildest and most magnificent mountain scenery Norway has to offer, including the famous Kjosfossen waterfall. The train ride lasts for roughly an hour.

At Myrdal station, you change trains to Bergen Railway, which takes you back to Bergen. The Myrdal station only have a few tracks so the train is easy to find.

The tour is available all year round. There are no guides on the trip, but it is well marked and easy to find your way around.

This is so easy to do on your own! You don’t need a guide. All of the modes of transportation wait for the arriving transportation. The “ stations” are tiny, no chance to get confused. I was a guide in Scandinavia for many years, and not one of “my” guests who went off on their own ever had a problem. Book early; the trains often sell out. A TA in the States or Canada can usually book the trip for you, or you can do it on line yourself. 

[MamaFej]

Just now, janetcbl said:

This is so easy to do on your own! You don’t need a guide. All of the modes of transportation wait for the arriving transportation. The “ stations” are tiny, no chance to get confused. I was a guide in Scandinavia for many years, and not one of “my” guests who went off on their own ever had a problem. Book early; the trains often sell out. A TA in the States or Canada can usually book the trip for you, or you can do it on line yourself. 

Thank you so much!

 

We will be flying into Stockholm five days before a cruise that boards in Bergen. I've been considering a Norway in a Nutshell type adventure for the day or two before boarding. I'm working on how to get to Norway over those few days. Train, rental car? It will be nice to see the areas between the big cities. If you are comfortable sharing suggestions, I'd appreciate it. If you feel this would be taking advantage of your expertise without renumeration, I will understand completely. 

[janetcbl]

6 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

Thank you so much!

 

We will be flying into Stockholm five days before a cruise that boards in Bergen. I've been considering a Norway in a Nutshell type adventure for the day or two before boarding. I'm working on how to get to Norway over those few days. Train, rental car? It will be nice to see the areas between the big cities. If you are comfortable sharing suggestions, I'd appreciate it. If you feel this would be taking advantage of your expertise without renumeration, I will understand completely. 

I would suggest train over driving in Norway. The roads are fine, BUT, to avoid having to “climb” mountains, the Norwegians  dug their roads through the mountains! If you drive, instead  of viewing magnificent mountain scenes, you spend much of your time in long tunnels, with no views. The train offers you views! Driving in Sweden is different;  from Stockholm to Oslo, no mountains…just lots of cars! No outstanding scenery, but lots of towns. Swedish roads are good. The Swedish train was okay the last time I took it. If you have time, Oslo is definitely worth a couple days to explore. Hope this helps!

 

[MamaFej]

2 hours ago, janetcbl said:

I would suggest train over driving in Norway. The roads are fine, BUT, to avoid having to “climb” mountains, the Norwegians  dug their roads through the mountains! If you drive, instead  of viewing magnificent mountain scenes, you spend much of your time in long tunnels, with no views. The train offers you views! Driving in Sweden is different;  from Stockholm to Oslo, no mountains…just lots of cars! No outstanding scenery, but lots of towns. Swedish roads are good. The Swedish train was okay the last time I took it. If you have time, Oslo is definitely worth a couple days to explore. Hope this helps!

 

Thank you so much! We had one glorious day in Oslo on a previous cruise. We were guided by a dear friend of my cousin, who had been a foreign exchange student in his home nearly 30 years earlier. We would definitely enjoy spending more time there. We appreciated the underground tunnels in Oslo to avoid traffic, but outside of the city, the scenery is more important.

Your information is very helpful, and we will absolutely keep it in mind as we decide how to meander to the port. Thanks, again!

[millybess]

Any opinions on doing a return ferry ride — 2 hours each way — from Flåm to Gudvangen. From what I understand, this is the most scenic part of the fjords. 

[janetcbl]

13 minutes ago, millybess said:

Any opinions on doing a return ferry ride — 2 hours each way — from Flåm to Gudvangen. From what I understand, this is the most scenic part of the fjords. 

IMO, it is best to go from Oslo to Myrdal, train down to Flam, ferry ride to Gudvagen. Isn’t there still a coach that goes from Gudvagen, via Stalheim, to Voss? Then take the train from Voss to Bergen. That is the way it has worked for many years….don’t know if it has changed since COVID hit.

[millybess]

27 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

IMO, it is best to go from Oslo to Myrdal, train down to Flam, ferry ride to Gudvagen. Isn’t there still a coach that goes from Gudvagen, via Stalheim, to Voss? Then take the train from Voss to Bergen. That is the way it has worked for many years….don’t know if it has changed since COVID hit.

Thanks. We are taking the train from Oslo to Bergen after a few days in Oslo. Jupiter’s first stop after departing Bergen is Flåm. I had booked the 1/2 day train journey from Flåm to Myrdal with a stop at the waterfall at Kjosfossen. DH had booked the fjord safari which travels from Flåm to Gudvangen in a RIB. Upon further research, we think the ferry from Flåm to Gudvangen and back would be more scenic than the railway tour and more relaxing than the RIB trip to get good photos. 
 

I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on this particular journey. From everything I’ve read, the ferry trip from Flåm to Gudvangen is supposed to provide the best fjord scenery in Norway. 

Edited February 22, 2022 by millybess
Edit for clarity

[duquephart]

It appears the Flam rail excursion out of Eidfjord is no longer offered as part of the Homelands cruise. What other options are available to still do this sort of excursion on our own?