Norway

We did a DIY Nutshell the end of May 2023 from Bergen to Oslo and the weather was perfect. Keep in mind you'll have more daylight the end of May than early September.

We used Porter Service to send our bags ahead to our Oslo hotel and traveled with a small backpack for our overnight stay

For the most seamless transition from train to bus to ferry to train to train either book the packaged Norway in a Nutshell through FjordTours or book the components yourself following their itinerary which uses the catamaran.

The Norway's Best catamaran was built for sightseeing. It is quiet, has huge windows for viewing with wrap around decks. And their schedule usually lines up better with the buses to and from Voss.

Depending on your interests and any activities, you could overnight in Voss, Gudvangen or Flåm. We added the minibus tour to Stegastein Viewpoint and it was fantastic.

We overnighted in Flåm staying at the Flåmsbrygga Hotel. That was the only hotel in Flåm with availability for our stay when we booked 3 months in advance. Choose from the limited lodging based on availability and budget.

Enjoy your planning.

Demand for lodging in Flam exceeds the supply. That's something to book as soon as you have your dates pinned down. Gudvangen and Aurland also book up early. I think Voss has more hotels, but it's very close to Bergen and not on a fjord. I think it's probably a desirable place to stay only for those who want to take advantage of the organized, active-sport activities in that area. If you just want to do some hiking, that is possible from Flam; I don't know about Gudvangen.

I took the Nutshell trip from Oslo to Bergen in 2022, at the age of 70. My suitcase is larger and heavier than a carry-on bag. I had no problem at all with any of the transfers. However, the only place I did local sightseeing was Flam, and I spent two nights there in a private room at the hostel, so I didn't have to worry about luggage storage.