I'm looking into the Norway In a Nutshell ride from Oslo to Bergen.
I looked on the FjordTours website and the cost seemed kinda high for my budget. I'm wondering if it would be cheaper if I book all the trains/buses/boats myself. This is my first time to Norway, so perhaps that would be hard to do since I don't have a good sense of the place. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding the more economical way to travel this scenic route? I want to be somewhat frugal, but I don't want to miss the scenic routes. Maybe purchasing the entire tour through this company would be worth the high cost, so I'd love to get the opinions of others on this.
I was thinking of staying overnight in Flam. Any recommendations on Flam? Is that a good place to stop on the route from Oslo to Bergen?
Also, I would be happy to hear some thoughts on Bergen. My family is interested in some moderate hiking trails. We have two kids (10 and 8) and we hike quite a bit.
Thanks.
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5835 posts
A DIY NIN should be cheaper than a packaged NIN. The NIN is basically a combination of travel modes from Oslo to Bergen or the reverse - Bergen Line train Oslo to Myrdal, Flåm Railway to the fjord, boat from Flåm to Gudvangen, bus to Voss then train to Bergen. You can book each leg yourself and especially if you can take advantage of advance purchase "Minipris" discount fares. However, note that the NSB website only sells tickets about 3 months out.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2335 posts
I followed the instructions on this page (https://trvlmorestore.com/blogs/travel-blog/35303745-diy-norway-in-a-nutshell-tour-book-it-yourself-save) and it worked like a charm - saved about $60 per person. We picked the route shown on the Fjord Tours website and purchased the tickets ourselves - some online, if available, the others in person. As mentioned in prior post some train tickets aren't available until 3 months out. I had some credit card challenges on the NSB train website, but it worked out eventually.
I stayed in Flam at the Flam Marina and Apartments. Great two bedroom apartment with kitchen and a five star view. We got a good deal through booking.com. It was worth the splurge to slow the pace down a bit.
As for Bergen, there are plenty of trails around the town. The weather prevented us from doing this, but you can take the funicular up above town and hike back down. Trails appeared to be well marked and traveled.
Posted by
Seattle
255 posts
If you really want a "moderate" hike in Bergen, instead of taking the funicular up and hiking back down (really easy), why not consider the reverse: hike up and ride down? We're in our mid 60s and regular summertime hikers. We did the "funicular up/ hike down". But when I realized the walk down took us only about 25-30 minutes, I estimated we could have done the "up" walk in 60 minutes. Or check these out - http://www.floyen.no/wp-content/uploads/pdf_turforslagbrosjyre_eng_juni-2012_01.compressed.pdf. Or look elsewhere online such as the Norwegian Trekking Association (https://english.dnt.no/) .
If there's one thing Norway has in abundance, it's hiking trails - they seem to be everywhere. The right to roam (“allemannsretten”) is enshrined in their national law. Norwegians must be the most outdoors-oriented people in the world. If you have time to hike, you can always find a good trail just about anywhere in the country.