specific itinerary question...

You don't say what the ferry schedule is from Balestrand to Flam, but it sounds like you only have two options. Either the 12:30 train or the 4:00 train.

I gather the earlier train will force you to rush from the ferry to the Flamsbana (not that there's a long way to go; the ferry terminal and the train station are right next to each other). And the late train would allow you to spend a little time in Flam but would kill your evening in Oslo.

(It also seems odd that the 4:00 train arrives only 80 minutes later than the 12:30 train.)

There's no right answer. You just have to decide whether you want more time in Flam or in Oslo. What do you plan to do in Oslo that evening when you have such an early flight? And what would you do with 3 or 4 hours in Flam?

hi Lane,
I can't actually figure out what the ferry schedule is! Norled and Fjord1 both operate the route and it seems it's only a 1.5 hr trip from Balestrand to Flam. I don't need to have a lot of time in Flam, I figure we will get up and take a ferry at 9AM or so, eat lunch in Flam, and then go... and so I bought the 12:30 tickets arriving in Oslo at 7:13. I'd like to just be in Oslo in time to have dinner and go to bed rather early.

Thanks for helping think this through. The most important question I had was "is this all possible in one day" and it seems, yes it is.