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Norway Nutshell experts : Is this feasible ? Oslo to Borgund to Gol by car and then train to Myrdal

I am thinking of arranging for a car to take us from our hotel in Oslo to the Borgund Stave Church and then on the way back drop us off at the Gol station on the Oslo - Myrdal line (Gol appears to lie right on the route from Oslo to Borgund). From Gol, I would board the train to Myrdal and the take the Flamsbana to Flam.

vy.no says train from Gol to Myrdal departs Gol at 5:20 pm. Google maps says drive time of 5 hours 15 minutes for Oslo to Borgund to Gol station. So I am planning to leave at about 10:45 am from Oslo (about 6.5 hours before my 5:20 rendezvous with the train at Gol; so should get an hour or so at Borgund).

1) Is this logistically feasible or are there some potential gotchas

2) how scenic is drive from Oslo to Borgund (especially part from Gol to Borgund )

Posted by
6998 posts

I am thinking of arranging for a car to take us from our hotel in Oslo
to the Borgund Stave Church and then on the way back drop us off at
the Gol station on the Oslo - Myrdal line

Have you checked what that would cost and if it fits your budget? That sounds expensive. If you only want an hour at the church, the bus from Flåm to the church is a cheaper option.

Posted by
10 posts

I expect it will be expensive. But I dont have flexibility to do it from Flam. I can make my budget expand to the extra cost (there is 4 of us and train tickets from Gol are a decent bit cheaper, that helps a bit).

But is it feasible ?

Posted by
6998 posts

Just be aware that when i say expensive, I mean expensive even by Norwegian standards.

Feasible? Yes, but it is a very strange itinerary and I'm wondering what you are actually trying to accomplish? You don't have the flexibility to visit Borgund from Flåm, but have no problem travelling from Borgund to Flåm via Gol and Myrdal?

Posted by
10 posts

Yes, because I will be in Flam in the late afternoon/evening and then cannot make it to Borgund before it closes. Even if I leave by 10:30 ish train from Oslo to Myrdal, I will only get to Flam by 4:30 pm.

My other alternative would be to rent a car in Oslo and return it in Bergen. But then I miss out on the famous train ride.

Posted by
28134 posts

Your plan doesn't seem to allow for lunch. You can eat on a train but almost certainly not in the car of your private driver. An hour will be enough time to see the church but may be rushed if you want to make a complete visit to the stave church museum. Incidentally, you buy your church ticket in the museum building, so you need to stop in there first. There's food available in that same building; I think RS makes a positive comment about it.

Doing even part of the Nutshell itinerary en route from Oslo to Bergen makes for a long day, so I'm not recommending that you do the drive, but in the interest of full disclosure, plenty of folks off cruise ships do the Flamsbana round-trip. At least starting from Flam there used to be a bit of a price break.

You're going to miss out on the Naeroyfjord ferry between Flam and Gudvangen. Are you sure seeing the stave church is worth all that you're giving up? There's a stave church at the open-air museum in Oslo (which I haven't seen). The stave church at Fantoft (on the Bergen light-rail system, though a considerable uphill walk is required) is a faithful reproduction of the original, which was torched by some idiots about 30 years ago.

Posted by
6998 posts

When are you planning this trip? There are also morning trains from Oslo that will allow you to be in Flåm by lunchtime.

Also note that the driving times shown on Google maps tend to be on the optimistic side.