The Flam & Bergen Railway

The Flåm and Bergen Railway has been named one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world and is one of the leading tourist attractions in Norway. It was the highlight of our short trip and a must for anyone visiting. We were blessed with clear blue skies for most of the day, which made the already spectacular scenery utterly breathtaking. You can book all of the relevant train and boat tickets directly, but this isn’t a particularly simple process. Booking via Norway In A Nutshell is really very easy, and they were extremely helpful when I needed to speak to them on the phone regarding a couple of details. You can pick up your tickets after you arrive at the train station in Oslo, from the airport.

The tour also starts from Oslo station, but the start time is very early morning, so you will need your tickets before the day itself. The first leg of the journey is on a westbound train through scenic mountain terrain on the Bergen Railway to Myrdal.

On arrival, you change trains to the legendary Flåm Railway, and you’ll see stunning views of the Norwegian fjord landscape.

 

 

The train makes a short 5 minute photo stop on the viewing platform at the Kjofossen waterfall. It is an impressive sight, with the water roaring down the rocks. It does get a little ‘Eurovision’ however, when a mysterious, long haired woman appears right next to the waterfall, swaying to a Norwegian folk song!

 

 

After a short stop for lunch in Flåm, you then take a fjord cruise on the picturesque Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord, which is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

 

 

After the cruise you arrive in the small village of Gudvangen, nestled in the innermost part of Nærøyfjorden. From here the journey continues with a bus trip through Nærøydalen, with its charming villages and scenic nature landscape, to Voss. We visited in September, and so the bus travelled down the steep hairpin bends of Stalheimskleiva – not for the faint hearted!

 

On arrival in Voss, you can continue the tour by train on the Bergen Railway to Bergen, however we went back to Oslo at this point rather than continuing on, as a 17 hour round trip was enough for us. It is an incredibly long day, but so worth it. The most wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.