NiN

1. No, that would be a very late arrival in Oslo. There is the overnight train that leaves a bit later than that though.

2. Both options exist, the sleepers are pretty nice in my opinion.

Thank you. Looked into the sleeper car etc and did all the math.
Also discovered you can have your luggage portered from Bergen to Oslo, also it's not too difficult to take with you. Am now leaning towards flying into Bergen and doing NiN Bergen to Oslo, and having bags transferred.
Oslo to Bergen with sleeper car for return would be choice #2.
Thanks for your help.

I had no trouble at all managing my own luggage when I did the Oslo-Bergen NiN itinerary in 2022. I was 71 at the time. I'm a short female with little upper-body strength, and my suitcase was larger than carry-on size, probably 24" - 25".

The most scenic part of the mainline rail trip (not speaking about the other travel segments, which are all very scenic) is the eastern end after you pass Myrdal. I'm not sure about sunset time in September, but I'd try for an early departure from Bergen if it gets you to Myrdal earlier for that final rail segment--which it may not, because there are limited departure times for the various segments of the NiN trip.

Thank you. Sounds like we could manage our own luggage.
I checked sunrise and sunset for Sept 2024. On the same date: 06:38. -- 19:45.
I checked Fjordtours.com (quickest way to check)
Bergen to Oslo leaves either 07:04 or 08:30 but either way it arrives Oslo 22:27, so 2.5 hours of the trip is after sunset.
Sounds like we would be missing a nice part of the journey due to darkness.
They also have a trip Oslo to Oslo, with return from Voss instead of Bergen that would be all in daylight. We will have a day in Bergen a few days later.
Q 1. Would we be missing a lot by not going Voss to Bergen?
Q 2. Would we be missing a lot of scenery Myrdal to Oslo with last 2.5 hrs after sunset?
Hmm.......maybe the overnight train back to Oslo is the way to go.
Decisions, decisions.

There may still be some visibility for a while after the time pegged as sunset. Honestly, it's not something I've ever paid attention to.

I don't know what NorwaysBest itinerary you are looking at. There are several variations. The classic one involves these segments (which could be in a different order if traveling Oslo-Bergen rather than Bergen-Oslo):

• Mainline train Bergen to Voss (or to Myrdal if you are OK with a bit of doubling back)
• Bus Voss to Gudvangen
• Naeroyfjord ferry to Flam
• Flamsbana to Myrdal
• Mainline train to Oslo

The least scenically interesting part of the trip is the Bergen-Voss train ride. I imagine there could be a bit of disagreement about how to rank the other segments, but people are willing to pay good money for the Naeroyfjord ferry and the Flamsbana, so let's say they're #1 and #2 in some order. So you're talking about probably missing out on part of the #3 or #4 leg of the trip. The world will not end if that happens, though obviously you'd like to see it all.

If the itinerary you're looking at has components not on my list above, I'd assume it's a less good itinerary.

I recall thinking when I was planning my own trip in 2022 that it seemed the puzzle pieces fit together a bit better for traveling Oslo-Bergen rather than Bergen-Oslo. It appeared there was more layover time when you traveled west to east.

Thanks again! Yes, that is the itinerary. The Norway in a Nutshell that RS has promoted for years.
Oslo-Myrdal by train, Myrdal-Flam by train, Flam-Gunvangen by ferry. Gudvangen-Voss by bus, Voss-Bergen by train (or reverse for Bergen to Oslo).
I agree, travelling Oslo to Bergen connects a bit better and is a shorter trip overall. It looks to be the preferred direction.
The summer schedules are not available for me to see at the moment, so I'm just going by the Fall/Winter schedule.
We do have lots of time before committing, but I just am trying to figure out my flight dates for arrival in Europe (we will be visiting Stockholm then family in Denmark before Norway/Iceland finally stopping in London afterwards. It's quite an expensive trip so I'm trying to be as efficient as possible. I'm feeling like I should be tracking my international flights and booking them soon for best price.
That being said, I could just add the extra day and start looking for international flights based on that. We can relax and enjoy the NiN at a more leisurely pace (staying overnight in Bergen).
I checked flights from Bergen to Oslo and they are quite affordable. That is another option.
So am considering Oslo to Bergen NiN, stay over in Bergen and fly back to Oslo--that gives us more time to sightsee in Oslo and at the same time makes the NiN day less hectic and we will be in daylight. We will be returning to Bergen on the next leg of our itinerary.
I'm leaning towards bringing our luggage with us in any case. We usually travel with 1 carryon case, and 1 large backpack. I think we can manage that for the NiN day trip.

Hi there, I'd take the overnight train if I was you. It's quite comfortable, and if you show up a bit early and get settled in you can almost be asleep when the train departs, and get sufficient hours of sleep.

Reclining seat is also an option, but you'll arrive less rested (I would think)

Enjoy!
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