We're planning a 20 day trip to Denmark and Norway in September, 2024. I'm looking at booking a 4 day global eurail pass for 2 seniors (defined at age 60+), which is currently on sale, 20% discount for $280 each, $560 total for first class. I'm trying to understand all of the details. It seems like making seat reservations for the Oslo-Myrdal and Voss-Bergen legs with the first class eurail pass doesn't cost extra. There's also some discount for the Myrdal-Flam train with the pass, but it isn't included. I think we'd still have to pay for the ferry and bus in Flam and to Voss.
It seems like this would be less expensive than booking through Fjord tours, and less hassle than booking throughvy.no because they have a different definition for senior. (over 67, although spouse under 67 traveling together gets the same discount, but need to show proof of marriage?)
Has anyone used eurail global pass to book the NIN route? How about any insight into the different definitions of seniors and documenting proof? One of us is 71, the other 63.
Just to add, we are unlikely to use the eurail pass in Denmark because it looks like the Copenhagen to Randers train is not included?
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
I haven't used a railpass in decades, so I can't tell you how well the Eurail Global Pass would work for you in Norway. (Is there not a pass just for Norway that costs less?).
I found it easy to book the Nutshell components as follows:
Train Oslo to Flam (including both the mainline train to Myrdal and the Flamsbana from Myrdal to Flam) from vy.no. Pay for the tickets via PayPal.
Naeroyfjord ferry from Flam to Gudvangen from NorwaysBest.com.
Bus Gudvangen to Voss--no pre-booking necessary; just pay the driver.
Mainline train Voss to Bergen from vy.no; pay via PayPal. I believe this is a regional train; it may not have assigned seats.
Posted by
OP
267 posts
Thank you, this is very helpful. I am just a little confused about the pricing. I looked up Myrdal to Flam, which is just an hour, and that's more than the cost of Oslo-Myrdal, which is a 5 hour train ride (1020 vs 942 Norwegian Krones). When I search Oslo to Flam it's basically the 2 numbers added together. Does this seem right or am I doing something wrong?
I will check out the pricing of the ferry and bus portion of the trip to figure out about the relative benefit of the eurail pass. There is a one country pass, but because there's currently a sale on the global pass, the slight increase is offset by the reservation fee charged for 2nd class pass vs 1st class pass, and as far as I can see, the Norway pass doesn't have a first class option. Not sure that all makes sense....
Posted by
Lake District, England
8131 posts
The Myrdal to Flam price is right. The fares on that line are just far more expensive than any other line in Norway. But every train is more or less full in season, so the tourist market will bear the prices.
Posted by
Australia
1072 posts
We (60 and 74) spent three weeks in Norway in March. At no time did anyone ask us to prove that we were married (we are in a civil partnership and have different last names) to qualify for seniors train fares.
We made use of the seniors rail fares for Norway in a nutshell with no issues at all. I just booked the tickets online for the train and bus using the VY app. We didn't do the ferry cruise leg as the weather was terrible (so we got the bus from Flam to Voss). We travelled Oslo to Bergen with an overnight stop in Flam.
Posted by
OP
267 posts
AussieNomad, thank you for that first hand knowledge, definitely good to know. I was very surprised to even see that requirement on the website. It reminded me of the late 80's early 90's when I would travel with a copy of our marriage certificate because my husband and I have different last names, but no one ever asked back then, glad no one is asking now!
I'm curious, did you book regular seating or 'extra comfort/Plus' seating? I'm assuming that would be equivalent to first class if we bought the first class global pass. We'll have luggage with us but I assume so do most people. Is there really any reason to book the plus seating? When we travelled in Italy in March, 2023 we booked both first and second class seats (different names depending on trains) and truthfully there was very little difference. The main reason we sometimes booked the higher class was because it was only a couple of dollars more.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4871 posts
Has anyone consulted the all-knowing Man in Seat 61?