Norway in a nutshell

If you can't find anywhere to stay in Flåm I'd suggest looking for a place in Aurland.

I am mobility impaired senior citizen

Info: A very comfortable way of exploring Norway are the coastal route cruises provided by Hurtigruten and Havila. The ships are much smaller than other cuise ships and take routes closer to the shore.

Try to avoid large cruise ships in Flåm port (see list).

Flam books up early. You might find something in Gudvangen. There's a decent chance there are still options available in Voss. Gudvangen and Voss are both spots along the Nutshell route where you change mode of transportation. Check specifics carefully to be sure you can walk to the lodgings.

The Hurtigruten ferries do give a very good view of the Norwegian coast.

Thank you all for your helpful replies. I will look at the NIN times for different modes of transportation. What would be the best place to search? My only reason to stay in Flam is the convenience of the location. But being mobbed by thousands of tourists when the ferries come in is not something I can handle any more. Is there some driving alternative if I do Bergen to Bergen. I am interested in the fjord cruises, if I have to make a choice.

Use Vy.no for the train segments, including the Flamsbana. You can book from Oslo to Flam on a single ticket--or from Bergen to Flam if you're traveling eastward. You may need to pay with PayPal; as of a couple of years ago, Vy didn't accept US credit cards. PayPal will let you charge the ticket to your credit card. Be sure to pay in Norwegian currency (NOK) rather than US dollars. If you let PayPal charge you in dollars, you'll get a really bad exchange rate. Buying early will probably save you money on the Oslo-Myrdal part of that ticket, and there can be sellouts on this part of the trip; don't wait too long.

Although you can also book the Voss-Bergen train on Vy.no, there's no need to do that. It's a regional train with fixed prices and I think no reserved seats.

For the Naeroyfjord ferry between Flam and Gudvangen, I bought the ticket from NorwaysBest.com. There's a second ferry company serving that route; I'm not sure where to find its schedule (I think just 2x daily), but I'm sure you can find it by Googling.

Although I believe you can still pay for the Gudvangen-Voss bus with a tappable credit card, others have reported the tickets can be bought online (maybe on vy.no?). No one has reported sellouts on those buses.

Aurland is a small village that will probably be less overrun by tourists if there is a large cruise ship in the fjord. And the Gudvangen-Flåm boats stop in Aurland so it's easy to stop there. (Just not that the stop in Aurland is a request stop.)

Although I believe you can still pay for the Gudvangen-Voss bus with a
tappable credit card, others have reported the tickets can be bought
online.

www.skyss.no, or their app.

Thanks acraven and badger for such detailed information on NIN.

Hi Everyone,
After receiving some very valuable advise from all of you, I decided on a Sognefjord in a nutshell tour. I will be based in Bergen,
Begin the tour by taking the ferry from Begen at 8 am. Stopover at Balestrand at 11.58 am. Take the ferry again next day going to Flam at 11.58am. Reach Flamat 1.40 pm. Take the Flam train to Myrdal at 2.55 pm ( if possible), arriving at Myrdal at 3.51 pm. Take train back to Bergen. If I have to include Oslo, I will change. This route doesn't include Naeroyfjord of course but let's me have a stopover and avoids Gundvangen and Voss changes. Is it ok, do I still see the beauty of the Fjords. Please advise. Planning on September, there seems to be availability as of now. Thanks in advance.

Honestly, I would not do that. I'd want to include the Naeroyfjord ferry. That fjord is very narrow, so it's a lot more scenic than the wider parts of the Sognefjord you'll see on the express boat from Bergen.

I realize that if you want to stay in Balestrand, and that complicates matters a lot (this is why I decided not to stay in Balestrand), but I'd try to work the Naeroyfjord ferry in there somehow. I haven't dug into the transportation schedules, but it seems to me you should be able to fit the Naeroyfjord trip in, because you are heading back to Bergen. Bergen is a lot closer to Flam/Balestrand than Oslo.

Hi All,
Sorry to pester you again but will the following NIN trip work?
Trip plan
1. From Bergen Central Station to Voss: Express train
Departure: from Bergen at 8:08 am—arrival at Voss Railway Station at 9:17
Cost for all 3 adults: $162
( Possible alternative time: 8:30 am departure—arriving at Voss at 9:42 am)
2. Bus from Voss bus station ( next to Voss train station) to Gudvangen harbor ( see note above)
Departure: From Voss at 10:10 am—arrival at Gudvangen harbor at 11:25 am.
3. Fjord cruise from Gudvangen to Flam 12:15-2:15 pm at flam ( information from Norway’s best – full timetable page seems missing where the time was from 12 to 2)
Cost ?
4. Connecting to Flams Bana: Walk 5 minutes to Flam station
Departure from Flam Station: 2:30 ( may be tight) Arrival at Myrdal at 3:14 pm
Cost for 3 : $225
Alternative departure: 2:55 from Flam –arrival at Myrdal 3:51 pm
Cost for 3: $300
5. Return to Bergen from Myrdal
From Myrdal 3:56 – Arriving at Bergen 6:17 pm ( Express train) Cost for 3: $216
From Myrdal 5:04—Arriving at Bergen 7:10 pm ( Express train) Cost for 3: $174
( If we cannot get 2:30 train from Flam then it seems we have to take 5:04 train from Myrdal.
Question: is there a waiting room in Myrdal?)
All these question since I have serious mobility issues that I am trying to overcome. Thanks in advance.