When it comes to travel, I typically book a car. But when I read about the journey from Oslo to Flåm via the Flåm Railway was one of the most beautiful in the world, I asked myself: Is it worth it? Sure enough, if you’re looking to get a small taste of Norway, this is your all encompassing ticket.
PHOTOGRAPHY PROPERTY OF SVADORE
I first came across the Oslo to Flåm journey while reading posts about a Norway In A Nutshell Tour. Being the individual solo travellers that Pat and I are, we did not join the tour groups taking the journey from Oslo to Bergen with a stopover in Flåm. We preferred to explore the underrated area of Aurlandsfjorden and do the journey at our own pace.
The journey from Oslo to Flåm has been called one of the most beautiful in the world. A mix of waterfalls, mountains, and diverse scenery has you on your feet for the entire 6 hours of the trip. Now 6 hours may sound like a lot, but I promise you it is not. After exploring Oslo the day before, more on that in Top Things To Do in Oslo in May, Pat and I got up at 7AM and made our way to Oslo Central Station to catch the 8:25AM train. We grabbed a cappuccino and croissant from Oslo Central Station’s Espresso Bar, a Norwegian coffee chain. Again, just to give you the heads up, a cappuccino and a croissant came out to be about $12, so a little bit more than what you would pay in New York. We scanned our train passes and we were off for the first leg of the trip.
BOOKING THE TRIP
The cost from Oslo to Flåm is $150 per person; this does not include the leg to Bergen if you wish to do that in one day. The first leg is from Oslo to Myrdal even though you are on the Bergen region rail. Pat and I booked the NSB train in Komfort class rather than regular for an extra $15 each. The benefits included free Wi-Fi, free newspapers, coffee & tea, charging stations and extra room. It’s mainly for business people travelling for work, but Pat and I wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be sitting next to any screaming children for the next 4 hours of the trip. Add on the free Wi-Fi and we were sold, and we do not regret the choice.
The second leg is from Myrdal to Flåm and only last about an hour on an old school locomotive. The experience doesn’t feel authentic in the least…it is packed with tourists and tour groups flooding the space. BUT, it is beautiful and does offer some stunning scenery. It’s nothing compared to the scenery you’ll get if you stay in a town and hike your way up one of the many lesser known waterfalls or mountains, but if you are not able to hike, then this gives you a small glimpse into the beauty of Norway (although a bit commercial!).
THE JOURNEY
The ride to Myrdal has you going through a vast array of scenery from fields to ponds, waterfalls, and even snow. The best scenery doesn’t come in though until about 2-3 hours into the ride, before your ascent into the mountains. The highlight of the trip probably had to be reaching Finse about 4 hours in. It’s the highest station in the Norwegian railway system. It was May 26th and there was still snow at 4,009 ft above sea level. This was also were the ice planet of Hoth in Star Wars was filmed. The contrast we experienced from flourishing green and wheat fields to ice capped mountains with frozen waterfalls and lakes was astounding. You can bring a book if you’d like to pass the time during the trip, but trust me, I’d be surprised if you opened it given all the beautiful scenery!
After 4 hours at 1PM, Pat and I got off at Myrdal, about 20 minutes from Finse and still very high in elevation. You can even tell from the pictures below how high we still were, green on one side, snow capped mountains on the other. I recommend you pack a sweater for your trip because the temperature changes can be quite drastic in Norway. Myrdal is where everyone gets off to experience the Flåm railway. This old school locomotive and railway was built before the days of computer-aided engineering, it is quite amazing how they managed to build it.
The first 3 carriages are dedicated to solo travellers, like Pat and I, while the remaining are dedicated to tour groups, and trust me…there are a lot of them. Unfortunately, you can’t book your seats in advance for the Flåm Railway so it’s a first come first serve situation. Although the farther cars are dedicated to “tour groups,” it’s a bit of a scam. Pat and I grabbed two seats in one of the tour guide cars next to the doors and were fine. There’s an ongoing debate as to which side you need to sit on to get the best views. In my opinion, there is no better side. The best seats in the house are actually the ones Pat and I got! If you can grab the 2 folding seats next to the entrance of the door, you have full reign and views of both sides of car and it’s windows. You are not pigeon holed into one corner of the car by other commuters; you can hope freely from one side other car to the other. This is the way to go.
The journey brings you through wild mountain scenery, lush valleys, and a plethora of raging waterfalls. One specific waterfall was beautiful, but unfortunately turned a bit commercial. The train stops at this one waterfall about 15 minutes into the journey, and allows all of its passengers to get off and take a picture in front of it. The waterfall is accompanied by what I can only assume to be a show put on solely for tourists. A dancer comes out from the side of the waterfall and begins playing music as she dances under the fall.
As we pull into Flåm you begin to see the hustling commercial center with its tour buses, restaurants and ferries. Many decide to go on from here and immediately hop on the ferry to Bergen. Pat and I urge you NOT TO and to explore the neighboring cities of Flåm instead. There is nothing to see in Flåm and it can be done while you’re waiting for your ferry to Bergen in the coming days, but the neighboring towns such as that of Aurland are a gem. An untapped, hidden, simple, countryside rich in nature with so much to see and do. If you really want to experience and dive deeper into the real nature of Norway, this is not where you trips ends, but it is where it begins.
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4 comments
What an incredible trip! I really loved your photographs as well. Do you find it’s easier to write as you go along with your trip or do you wait until the end & reflect back?
Thank you! I wait till the end and reflect back. I am usually overcome with excitement during the trip so I feel like my judgement is slightly clouded 🙂 I think that when I let it settle for a couple of days/weeks, I can then have a more accurate opinion on the matter and report on what my experience truly was!
Oslo is so beautiful! Thanks for all the tips!