As part of our long summer in Europe we will visit Norway for a day or two, using our Eurail pass to ride between Oslo and Bergen. What I'm trying to figure out is whether it's worth taking the spur line to visit Flåm. It's obviously very scenic, but I'm thinking that the smell of distillate fuel from the cruise ships and the crush of tourists in August might dampen the appeal. Is this a reasonable perspective, or is Flåm truly a can't-miss attraction? Avoiding the village will make for a better overall schedule, as I'm now thinking about flying directly from Bergen to Gdansk, something that looks to be pretty painless.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2429 posts
Flåm itself isn't a must see, but the Flåmsbana train is well worth doing.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8178 posts
We went on the full day Norway in a Nutshell trip. The best part of the trip was the one hour Flåm Railroad side trip down into the fjord. We also enjoyed the fast ferry ride out to Bergen and got there about an hour before sunset the end of August. No fumes were experienced.
We loved Bergen too. Absolutely the most beautiful people we've ever run into--and sweet too.
Posted by
Berlin
2369 posts
Flåm is for train travellers key to
- World nature heritage Nærøyfjord (by fjord ship to Gufvangen)
- Aurlandfjell with viewpoint Stegastein
- Flåmsbana (Myrdal)
On Flåm port list you can view when ships are there.
If you are only travelling by train and can make a day without ship in port, do it.
Posted by
Washington DC
27245 posts
I'd do the Nutshell trip if at all possible. The scenery is stunning, and it's carefully calculated to be done in a day. To go to Norway and travel between Oslo and Bergen without getting into the fjord area seems a real shame. That said, there's considerable extra cost in comparison to just taking the mainline train straight between the two cities, and all the more so when you already have a rail pass. (Though I don't know whether the pass gets you some sort of discount on the Flamsbana.)