One day Norway in Nutshell book package or individual tickets to save money?

We have done NIN twice, and both times used https://www.fjordtours.com/en/norway/tours to book it. The first time we did it in one day, but this past summer we spread it out over a week +.

I know you can book things yourself, but there are so many legs to it and if you screw up one, the rest of it is screwed up. At every stop we saw people get turned away because they had messed up their booking. One poor family with young kids stood in the lien to board the ferry for a long time (long line) and were turned around because they booked the wrong date. I have no idea if they found a place to stay or not, as that was not in Flam but in the teeny town heading to Flam. Another mom and adult kids made an error in their first bus ticket, so the rest of their trip was messed up. So I just prefer to lessen my risk of making a stupid booking:)

I am not sure what the cost savings is, but have heard that it really isn't much. Others can probably tell you first hand though.

If you can, I highly recommend taking at least 2 days for the trip. We did it in one day the first time and it was a very long day!

No matter what, you will need to coordinate the segments of NiN with your train
schedule coming from Oslo. Obviously, you would most likely choose going
counterclockwise from Myrdal to Voss to reduce the amount of backtracking
you will otherwise have to do.

Since you will need to bring your luggage with you for the entire NiN journey,
be prudent about how much you take.

When I did it, I booked myself but started from Voss and then went to Bergen
at the end of the day. If you can do that, you probably get a little more flexibility,
less concern about finding your lodging, and no toting around your luggage (I left
my bags at the lodging in Voss and then came back and got it before getting on
the train to Bergen).

Here's a link (from Tripadvisor, hope this is allowed) that shows the schedule
someone booked for a DiY NiN. It does take more or less the entire day and you
get to Bergen in the evening.

DiY NiN

You will definitely save some money if you book ahead of time (I don't know when
various segments get posted online), but as noted, you need to be careful about
joining the segments together.

Yes, booking it yourself from the companies involved will save you a lot of money. There is no reason to involve a third party.

The trip report above also made the classic mistake of booking two of the three train legs through Rail Ninja.
The Oslo to Flam train can be booked as one ticket with vy, without involving any agency. You do not book it as Oslo to Myrdal, and Myrdal to Flam.
Doubtless FOMO going on there.
And Voss to Bergen there are also quite frequent local trains, apart from the long distance ones. They are a fixed price and cannot sell out so why the need to book through Rail Ninja.
Also booking this as a package, you travel on the tourist boats between Flam and Gudvangen, not the service boats.
To my mind that is a good thing in keeping all the Nutshell people together, but maybe makes for a poorer travel experience.

You do not have to schlep your luggage. You can use Porter Service and they will take it between Oslo and Bergen or vice versa. We used them this summer and it was so nice to not have to deal with our bags! We only had carryons, but still those are a pain when doing all the legs. The cost is $35 per bag, which we felt was a bargain for freeing us up.

We booked our own tickets for our 2023 trip. We were able to take advantage of the senior discount and travel in first class on the Myrdal to Oslo train with reserved seating and still saved a bit of money. We also used the porter service to transfer our 2 suitcases from Bergen to Oslo carrying only our day pack for our overnight in Flåm. Worked perfectly.

All these responses are fabulous. Two follow ups. Any suggestions for a porter service? also the comment that booking from Oslo through to Flam on VY is a great tip. I was doing research and was planning on booking only a ticket from Oslo to Myrdal. I am aware it would be a long day, but the good thing is that the sunset on May 27th is almost 11 PM (23:00) that day. And we plan on spending the next day and night in Bergen. Any suggestions what to do with our full day and night in Bergen (May 28th).
Thanks again all!

The porter service is called Porter Service:)

In Bergen, take the funicular up and hike around up there. There are some beautiful trails. The fish market is interesting as well. The Fortress is interesting to wander around for a while as well.

I didn't check the pricing carefully, but it was my impression buying the package from NorwaysBest.com would cost at least an extra $100 per person. I found it easy enough to book things myself, piecemeal. As of 2023 Vy wasn't accepting US credit cards, but I just paid with PayPal, which charged the fare to the credit card I wanted to use. Read the PayPal screens carefully for that option, and also be sure you are being charged in NOK rather than US dollars. The rail fare between Oslo and Flam will escalate as the travel date approaches; I believe it's only the Oslo-Myrdal segment that's changeable. Those trains can sell out, so don't wait too long to buy those tickets. I've seen varying information about the Flamsbana segment, but I suspect that can also sell out, especially when there's a large cruise ship in port and a bunch of passengers want to take a round trip.

I bought the Flam-Gudvangen ferry ticket from NorwaysBest.com and paid the driver of the Gudvangen-Voss bus directly--almost certainly by credit card (it's pretty hard to use cash in Norway).

I'm a small female (71 at the time of my trip to Norway) with little upper-body strength. I didn't have any trouble moving my larger-than-carry-on bag along the Nutshell route. I also has a good-sized tote bag and cross-body purse. Three years later I would still feel no need to pay $35 to avoid handling my own luggage.

There is also the Mount Ulriken cable car which you reach on Line 2 of the Bergen Light Rail (tram/streetcar).
You can take the cable car up and walk down. Or a return trip and walk around the top.
The other walk you can do, which is beyond my fitness levels, is the 6 hour, 12 mile walk from the cable car too station to Mount Floyen then come back down the Floibanen funicular.
There is also a very over priced bus to the cable car from the Fish Market.
Be aware that Bergen is a very wet place. So also have an indoor plan. One of these could be Troldhaugen- Edward Greig's house (the well known composer).
You may well catch a concert there as the two week long Bergen International Festival will be on when you are in Bergen- a music and cultural festival.

While we are able to handle our own luggage, using the porter service allowed us to immediately depart the ferry in Flåm and join our minibus tour to the Stegastein viewpoint that we booked through Fjord Tours. We had a fabulous driver/guide. Well worth the money for both the the porter service and the tour.

jeanm--Same here, we could certainly manage our luggage ourselves, but why? For instance, on the ferry to Flam we could wander all over and not worry about our bags. We did not have to load them into a bus, or on a train, etc. For us, it was well worth the price.

I should have mentioned this is what my research produced thus far on do-it-yourself NIN from Oslo to Bergen: Feel free to further comment.
Norway in Nutshell
1. Morning VY train from Oslo to Myrdal depart 8:25 AM(?), arrive Myrdal 1:04 PM
2. Change to Flamsbana Train from Myrdal to Flam (The Flam Railway) Is this booked through VY or different ticket?
3. Depart Flam Ferry/ Fjord cruise on Naeroyfjord-Two hour Fjord ferry cruise from Flam to Gudvangen (Bought in advance?-name of ferry company?)
4. Bus ride from Gudvangen to Voss- one hour 15 minutes- buy tickets in advance or from driver? (are there Multiple companies and bus lines?)
5. Train from Voss to Bergen 90 minutes, buy in advance or already part of original VY ticket form Oslo?

Thanks again!

winnm, We traveled this route in reverse Bergen to Oslo. We booked standard seats on the Bergen to Voss train through Vy.

At Voss there is only 1 bus company with lots of busses. Lined up at the bus stop, paid on boarding with credit card for our senior fares. I believe there were other dedicated busses for official NIN travelers. I would expect a similar setup on boarding in Gudvangen for the bus to Voss.

We booked the ferry from Gudvangen to Flåm through Norways Best. I believe there may be another ferry service, but the times did not line up for us.
We booked the Flåm-Myrdal-Oslo ticket through Vy. The Flåm-Myrdal train is unreserved. The official NIN travelers have assigned cars. We were able to choose our car upon boarding and in May 2023 there were only about 10 riders in our car.

The Myrdal to Oslo train we booked Plus seating for the longer journey. But the Flåm-Myrdal-Oslo was all 1 reservation through Vy.

Hope this info is helpful.

As Jeanm's post suggests, the Oslo-Flam journey is purchased as a single ticket although it includes both the mainline train from Oslo to Myrdal and the Flamsbana train from Myrdal to Flam. The Voss to Bergen ticket is a separate one. So that's two tickets you buy from vy.no, most likely paying via PayPal.

I'm not sure about the name of the ferry company whose tickets are sold by NorwaysBest.com, but that's the one I used. Its schedule worked better for me. And I paid the bus driver in 2022.

I think I took the same train from Oslo you're looking at. There was just enough time in Myrdal to grab something quick from the food counter in the little train station. I chose a chicken sandwich and was surprised at the reasonable price in expen$ive Norway. The sandwich was good. Food from the station seems a reasonable option if folks in your party are hungry by the time you get to Myrdal.

The train tickets open up 90 days before travel (to the minute).

Looking now for travel on 3 April the Oslo to Flam ticket is 972 Kr- a price that goes up as the seats are sold.

The Oslo to Myrdal train does have a food car on the train.

The Voss to Bergen train costs 249 Krone.

The traditional Norway in a Nutshell route ends with bus Gudvangen to Voss, then train Voss to Bergen.

However the bus at 1639 (#450) from Gudvangen (connecting with the boat) extends from Voss to Bergen Bus Station, you can also change off that at a place called Arna to a very frequent suburban train (to arrive a bit faster). Those bus tickets can also be purchased from Vy and cost 189Kr from Gudvangen to Bergen, or 216Kr with the change at Arna.

Thanks to all for your help. I like doing the research and doing the booking, so i will keep an eye on the 90 days before May 27th, which should be in late February. It looks like I can take the 3 PM (15:00) Flam Ferry everyone suggested and that would arrive in Gudvangen around 5 PM, (17:00). Then we need to catch the bus to Voss. I checked the train schedule for Voss to Bergen, and I am thinking it is unrealistic to book the 6:05 PM (18:05) train to Bergen. The next one departs Voss at 7:13 PM (19:13), that is probably our best bet, correct? Also I am correct that Senior rail rates in Norway start at 67? Only one of will get that discount then.

Thanks again!

The booked connection is at 1650 on bus #950 at 1650, arriving at Voss Stasjon at 1747, thus the booked rail connection is the 1754 long distance train.
That being the last bus of the day it will wait for the boat.
There is also the #450 10 minutes earlier.

It doesnt matter if you miss the 1805 train. This and the 1913 being local trains there are no seat assignments, no limit on how many tickets are sold, so if the boat then bus is late then take the 1913.
Today and the last two everyone would have been on the 1805 train anyway as the 1754 from Oslo was either cancelled or very heavily delayed due to an avalanche.

Hello it has been a while. Today is 90 days out from my NiN trip! I just booked the Oslo to Flam train and also the Ferry ride for the four of us. I am just checking back about the bus from Gudvangen Ferry to Voss and the train from Voss to Bergen. Do either of those two "legs" of the the journey sell out or can we buy the tickets for those at time of boarding.
Thanks! Mike

There are no reservations for the public bus from ferry to Voss train station. You purchase on board. There will be lots of busses.

You may want to purchase your Voss to Bergen train tickets in advance. You will be traveling with most of the folks who were also on the ferry. There should be a bit of cost savings purchasing advance.

Thanks I just bought the Voss to Bergen tickets. So all booked! One last NiN question. I know some people mentioned having a porter service move the luggage. We will all have carry-on sized roller bags. Just one last poll of how big a pain it is to bring luggage with us on the trains, boat and bus?
Thanks again!

If you can normally manage your carry-ons/personal items/purses/picnic/whatever, you should be okay.

The trains will have luggage racks. The bus has luggage storage.

If you booked your ferry through Norways Best, there is unsecured storage in the center of the boat. Do not leave valuables like passports in your stored items.

We did use the porter service and only traveled with a small backpack between the 2 of us. It was a nice luxury.

I did the NiN route at the age of 71. I am a 5"3" female. My bag weighed over 30 lb. I had no trouble handling it myself.

As I mentioned earlier, the first time we did it we had our carryon bags, but this time used the Porter Service. It was so nice to not have to worry about them at all. I can handle my luggage myself, but it was really nice to not haul it around.

My husband and I will be staying in Bergen for two nights and thinking of taking the NIN to Oslo but doing NIN over two days. Should we stay in Flåm or Voss (and which has the nicest hotel) and as we will have two large bags plus carry ones (this is part of a longer trip) should we use the Porter service to Oslo and just carry an overnight bag? If we are staying in Flåm or Voss would they be able to store our overnight bags so we can hike/cruise during the day and then come back for our bags before heading to Oslo? Thoughts on how to manage this as we are active but don’t want to lug around our overnight when touring and hiking?

P.S. we’ve thought about driving instead but are almost convinced that NIN makes more sense in terms of seeing the hotspots in the short amount of time without too much thinking!

It would be really unusual for a nice hotel not to be willing to hold your luggage during the day, but to be absolutely sure, you should message them.

Voss is something of a center for active sports, so if you want to do something other than hiking on your own or water-based activities (Voss is not on a fjord), it may be a very good choice. However, it is quite close to Bergen, time-wise, nowhere near the midpoint of the NiN route. For some purposes Flam is probably better, but lodging there is difficult to find this late in the year, as well as painful to pay for. In addition, Flam is a workaday little town in a magnificent setting, but there is frequently a monster cruise ship in port.

If you haven't looked at lodging availability in Flam, do that now before you spend any more time deciding where you want to spend that night. Flam may very well not be an option.

I'm reading posts with interest about booking their train tickets 90 days in advance....
I am checking Vy.no for my train tickets related to my DIY NiN in June and the website replies that it will not sell tickets more than 60 days out.

ChrisFD - I started this chat. I booked my do it yourself NiN tickets exactly 90 days before my NiN date, (Feb 27th for May 27th). You can book 90 days out or less, but when I booked it the VY website popped up a message that said they are not going to guarantee the times . I think they just have to say that, but I was able to book. so, for example If you are leaving for your journey on June 8th, you should be able to book tickets on March 8th. Happy travels

You can book 90 days out (to the minute, Norwegian time) as long as there is a price quoted and the button is green.

However the message reads-

The journey is more than 60 days away. Please note that your itinerary may change, so check for updates before you travel. Can’t find all departures? Some public transport companies do not release their timetables and tickets so far in advance. Please try again a little closer to departure.

That is likely to only be minor tweaks (if anything) but does not exclude the very small possibility of a major disruption being announced by Bane NOR (the Norwegian Rail Infrastructure Company) in the meantime. You take your chances. If there was major planned disruption then rail replacement buses would be introduced.
It is interesting that extra Bergen to Oslo trains are being run this summer, but without a child area or a catering car.

Essentially this is like Amtrak (or other passenger railroads) run the trains in the US, but generally (except on the North East Corridor and some other commuter routes) the tracks are owned and maintained by Freight Companies. The difference being that in the US that is multiple companies, in Norway it is one arms length state company.