Hello,
We will be starting and ending in Bergen on a Saturday this July and would like to do the norway in a nutshell from that direction. We do have the Scandinavian Rail passes and plan to use one of our train days to cover most of this. Bergen to Voss, then bus Voss to Gudvangen, then boat to Flam , then back on train to Myrdal, and then Myrdal back to Bergen. Since we are doing it backwards, will it be less crowded? However, since it will be a Saturday in July, I am thinking we should still make reservations? If so, which legs of this would be highly recommended to reserve. I am aware not all of this is covered by rail pass. There will be 5 of us traveling so just trying to stream line as much as possible! thanks for any pointers! Laura.
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5837 posts
Bergen Line train required seat reservations. I'm not sure if reservations are still mandatory. Your plan is to take the Myrdal to Bergen leg. Since most are departing at Myrdal to take the Flam Railroad down I would expect that seats should be less in demand.
For a definitive answer, contact the NSB by email: [email protected]
or in English call +47 61 05 19 10 and press 9
https://www.nsb.no/en/about-nsb/contact-us/do-you-have-a-question
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
There are several regional trains on the Bergen-Myrdal route which don't require reservations (and don't continue all the way to Oslo).
Regarding your other thread, that may have disappeared:
There are usually only 2 or 3 direct trains per day between Stockholm and Oslo, which take 5.25 hours. It's too early to reserve now for July. 60 days ahead was the standard across Europe for a long time, and only some countries have moved it longer. In the case of the planned construction work, they may open sales later, as well as the June 10 schedule change causes some booking delays, which seems to be the case now. Wait a couple of weeks before checking again.
Sleeping compartments always cost extra on the night trains but what's different in Norway is that they're all doubles (with the option to fit two kids under 16 into the same two bunks, which they don't really recommend for bigger kids). It sounds like you'd have to book 3 compartments. 930 kroner is about $120 US, which is on the high end (like everything in Scandinavia), but not completely unusual for a double sleeper (and would be the same price with a regular ticket). I have not taken this night train. In the seating area, they provide a pillow and blanket, but it's unlikely to be much more comfortable than trying to sleep on an airplane. Yes, booking by phone with NSB is the typical method, or you can usually do it at another Scandinavia rail station, such as when you have the pass activated. They've often not been available for US agents to handle.
If you didn't want to book a sleeper on the night train, then you could solve both of these questions by flying from Stockholm to Bergen.