Hi everyone,
I have 5 days in Norway and I'm trying to figure out how many days to give Oslo and Bergen.
Currently I am planning:
Days 1 - 3 : Oslo
Day 4 : Norway in a Nutshell Oslo to Bergen
Day 5 : Bergen
Do you think this is a good distribution of time, or should I give Bergen another day? My biggest concern is I've heard Oslo can be easily done in 2 days, so I don't want to shortchange Bergen if you feel its worth the extra time.
Thanks!
Brian
Brian,
In regards to your Day 4 plans: do you plan to travel from Oslo to Bergen AND do Norway in a Nutshell the same day?
Day 4 I would be traveling from Oslo to Bergen via the Norway in a Nutshell trip, so hopefully seeing some nice scenery on the way! :-)
I didn't realize you could now originate the Nutshell tour in Oslo. When we were there a few years ago you could only start from Bergen.
Given that fact, I'd say your plans sound OK. Your 3rd day in Oslo might be a bit boring, but IMO there are more things to do in Oslo than in Bergen. When you go to Bergen, bring a good umbrella!
Oslo can easily be done in two days. Bergen is a nice place, but one day was good enough for me. So you have an extra day to play around with. Perhaps you could split up the Nutshell tour over two days, and stay in one of the small towns recommended in Rick's Guidebook.
I agree with Michael -- two days in plenty for Oslo. I loved Bergen and don't think two days would be too much. (We were there for a day and a half.) Michael's idea to spend a night on the fjord is excellent. We stayed in Balestrand and liked it very much.
Oslo can be done in two days, but you will be busy. One full day could be spent on the museum island of Bygdoy. Another split between strolling the center of the city and going to Frogner Park.
Bergen has a cool, nautical vibe, but it's smaller than you think. That photo you always see of the old wooden buildings on the warf is pretty much all there is of the old historical stuff. A walking tour of that, plus the Henescetic (sp?) tour a few doors down, and the fish market is one easy day. Beyond that, the tourist sites fade fast.
So if you can devote two FULL days to Oslo and one FULL day to Bergen, then my first choice for what to do with that extra day would be to spend the extra day mid-Nutshell. Read up on that chapter in the Rick Steves book and also Lonely Planet, and then pick a spot & do some hiking.
My second choice would be an extra day in Bergen, seeing some lesser sights and doing some hiking.
By the way, The Rick Steves Oslo chapter only gives luke-warm reviews of the Norweigian Folk Museum on the island of Bygdoy, but I want to tell you I thought it was wonderful - better than the similar one in Stockholm. Oslo's seemed more authentic to me. It has a nice stave church included with the rest of the buildings. The nearby Viking ship museum was great, too - very simple and elegantly done. While in Bergen, we also took a bus a couple miles out of town to a stave church in the woods. It was a reconstruction, but interesting.
I didn't realize you could now originate the Nutshell tour in Oslo.
The tour has always had the option of originating in Oslo.
Appreciate the correction.
We flew into Bergen, got our rental car, then drove to Voss for the first night. Next day, north and east to take the Flam train RT, then Vik stave church, ferry to Kivikne's Hotel (old part) in Balestrand for second night. THen, all day drive to Geiranger for nights 3 and 4. During the full day in Geiranger, take the ferry towards Alesund RT. Day 5, drive back to Bergen and enjoy the city (Bryggen and mountain tram) which needs about half a day. This trip was beautifully scenic--you don't need to do Norway-in-a-Nutshell to see the beautiful scenery and Norway's roads are excellent, not at all scary.
