Nutshell DIY Q: drive vs train Flam to Oslo. Private Driver Flam to Oslo. Private guides in Flam.

Posted by kim_riley on 03/28/26 02:38 PM

We'll be doing NIN DIY in reverse in mid Sept., taking the train/bus from Bergen to Voss, bus to Gudrangen, fjord cruise to Flam, staying overnight in Aurland. We are debating renting a car in Flam & returning in Oslo - there is a NOK 5000 fee for 1 way. It gives us more freedom, but do we miss the best parts of the scenery in going via road vs train?

Has anyone used a private driver to get from Flam to Oslo (vs car rental)? Can you recommend someone and how expensive would that be?

Has anyone used a private driver in Flam/Aurland to get to Borlund Stave church and Stegastein for sunset? Can you recommend someone and how expensive would that be?

We are not good tour bus people, so trying to avoid that. Would consider minibus tour, but based on schedules we can find, it doesn't look like we'd arrive in Flam (3pm) in time to make that. Most are 5 hours to do both.

Advice on any/all of the above greatly appreciated!

Posted by Frank II

Freedonia

03/28/26 04:03 PM

18842 posts

Stick to the train from Flam to Oslo.

The Flamsbana train from Flam to Myrdal is one of the highlights of NIN. The scenery is amazing. If you drive you miss it.

Take that train then transfer to one from Myrdal to Oslo. It's very simple. There are only two tracks at Myrdal. You go from one to the other.

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

03/28/26 05:38 PM

30603 posts

Flam to Oslo would be a 9-hour round-trip for a driver. Norwegian labor rates are extremely high. Daytrip.com quotes about $800 for the trip with no sightseeing stops along the way.

I'd think it would be possible to arrange private transportation to Borgund and the Stegastein viewpoint in the morning on the day you depart for Oslo, but I haven't checked travel times. Expect the price to be high.

The days are getting rather short by mid-September, and I assume you want to be able to see the (very good) scenery during the rail trip to Oslo. That may be an extra complication. It would obviously be considerably more expensive to pay for separate drivers, seeing one of the desired sights late on your arrival day and the other early on your departure day.

Posted by Ed

Houston, Texas

03/28/26 06:05 PM

1157 posts

Take the train from Flam to Oslo via Myrdal. Very scenic and easy. Where exactly are you staying while in Flam?

Posted by jeanm

Chicagoland

03/28/26 07:25 PM

2240 posts

The Norway in a Nutshell tour is best for travelers without a car. The entire premise is to use public transportation to get a taste of fjords and mountain scenery.

If you're willing to rent a car, why try to force a public transportation itinerary into a driving route? Pickup the car in Bergen, return it to Oslo and create your own more scenic route in between.

If you don't want to drive, DIY the Nutshell, spend a night in either Flåm and book the Stegastein Viewpoint and Borgund Stave Church tour or stay in Aurland and take the bus or hire a taxi to visit Stegastein and the Church.

BTW, clear skies at Stegastein is more important than sunset.

Posted by dpoweron

03/30/26 01:43 PM

284 posts

I was not able to rent a car in Flam. We ended up picking up/dropping off in Voss.

Posted by ec.barger

Portland, OR

04/18/26 11:20 PM

83 posts

We did NIN in reverse last year by car. We arrived in Bergen, spent a day and a half there (go up the tram to the park at the top).

We drove to Tvindefossen Waterfall and from there to Stalheim Hotel (for view) and from there past Gudvangen to Flam. We then took the bus to Gudvangen for the Fjord cruise. Arriving back in Flam we took the flamsbana to Myrdal late in the day (it was almost empty on the way back down). We stayed overnight at Heimly guest house (owned by the same company that runs the boats, buses and train). It was pleasant enough with a good dinner. One treat was waking up in the middle of the night (thinking it was morning because of the sunlight on the tops of the mountains outside our window) and taking in the fjord at night - just enough light to create a magical moment. From there we drove to Dalen (seeing a stave church along the way) and spent two nights at Hotel Dalen which was very nice (more stave churches, a sauna on the icy water, great dinners, etc.). After that we drove to Oslo, but just to drop the rental car and fly to Stockholm.

We got the rental car in Bergen and dropped it in Oslo and it was horribly expensive, but it was the only practical way for us to get to Dalen.