Norway by Train: The Bergen Railway & Scenic Norwegian Rail

Vy (formerly NSB) operates the national network:

• - Oslo → Bergen: 7h, 4–5 trains daily
• - Oslo → Trondheim: 7h, 3–4 trains daily
• - Oslo → Stavanger: 8h
• - Oslo → Kristiansand: 4h30
• - Trondheim → Bodø: 10h (spectacular Nordland Railway)
• - Myrdal → Flåm (Flåm Railway): 1h, steep descent to the fjord

All Eurail/Interrail passes cover Vy trains. The Flåm Railway requires a separate ticket (~€30 one way) as it's operated by a private consortium.

The 7-hour journey from Oslo to Bergen crosses four distinct landscapes:

• 1. Oslo suburbs → farmland and forest (0–1h)
• 2. Hardangervidda plateau — Europe's largest mountain plateau, 1,200–1,400m above sea level, reindeer herds, treeless tundra (1h–4h)
• 3. Finse — the highest point at 1,222m, often snow-covered even in summer, surrounded by glaciers
• 4. The descent to Bergen — through tunnels and fjordside cliffs to Norway's second city on the sea (4h–7h)

Take it in daylight if possible — the plateau section is transformative.

The Flåmsbana runs from Myrdal (on the Bergen Railway) down to Flåm at sea level — a 20km drop of 866m. It's one of the steepest normal-gauge railways in the world, spiralling through mountain tunnels and past waterfalls.

How to do it: Take the Bergen Railway to Myrdal, transfer to the Flåm Railway, descend to Flåm on the fjord, then take a ferry to Gudvangen or Balestrand and bus onward — the classic Norway in a Nutshell route.

Book ahead: The Flåm Railway is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions. Book on visitflam.com, especially in summer.

Oslo — The Viking Ship Museum (the best Viking artefacts in the world), the Munch Museum, the Vigeland Sculpture Park, and Aker Brygge waterfront. 2–3 nights.

Bergen — Norway's most charming city: the Bryggen (UNESCO-listed Hanseatic wharf), the Fløibanen funicular, and fresh seafood at the fish market. Base for fjord day trips. 2 nights.

Flåm — More a staging post than a destination, but the fjord scenery is extraordinary. 1 night if you want the sunrise over Aurlandsfjord.

Norway is expensive: Budget NOK 200–300 for a main course, NOK 1,500–2,500 for a hotel double room. Self-catering saves significantly.

Book well ahead: Bergen Railway trains in July–August fill up weeks before — reserve on vy.no as soon as you know your dates.

Nordland Railway: Oslo → Trondheim → Bodø (17h, with a change in Trondheim) — crosses the Arctic Circle. The most remote and dramatic rail journey in mainland Europe.

Midnight sun: North of the Arctic Circle (Bodø and beyond) in June–July, the sun doesn't set. Genuinely surreal experienced from a train window.