Ever wanted to see the mountains and fjords of Norway? Short on time? We checked out the ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ trip to see if we could do just that, in just a single day.
A journey across Norway from Oslo to Bergen, by train, boat and bus
Background
Despite being late July, snow lay on the ground as our train pulled into Sykkel station which, at 1222m above sea level, is the highest station on the scenic Bergen Line, itself Northern Europe’s highest railway.
The station presented a welcome chance to disembark the train and stretch our legs; one of the scheduled stops on the appropriately named ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ tour, an organised trip from east to west across Southern Norway. Blessed with beautiful scenery throughout, the trip aims to provide an introductory taster for all that Norway has to offer for visitors.
Whilst touring Scandinavia back in 2017 with our 2 young children (aged 3 and 1), in our Classic Hymer motorhome, we decided to give the journey a try. The tour (with itinerary unchanged), remains a popular choice today. Here we’ve tried to summarise our thoughts and experiences of taking the trip.
Oslo – Start of the trip
Norway’s capital city, scenically positioned at the end of its own fjord (an ocean inlet created by a flooded glacial valley), is the starting point for the Norway in a Nutshell tour. We left our motorhome parked up at the camper parking at the main city marina, boarded the train and before we knew it we were on our way along the famous Bergen Line.
The Bergen Railway
The train journey climbs high to take in striking mountain scenery en route to Bergen, a coastal city on Norway’s west coast. As we climbed higher and higher, we even reached the snow line, despite it being July and mid-summer. Passing through 100km of unspoilt mountain landscapes, the railway presents a recreational activity in its own right, not just a means of transport for getting from A to B.
The journey from Oslo to Bergen takes around 7 hours to complete. Rather than just travel the entire length of this line though, ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ aims to take the trip to another level. Leaving the Bergen Railway mid-way through the journey, the trip detours with the addition of a steep downward railway section, boat trip along a fjord, bus and, finally, concludes with another short train ride into Bergen. Adding these experiences also adds time to the journey, extending the trip to approx 12 hours in duration.
The Flåm Railway and Kjosfossen
Pitching itself as the World’s most beautiful railway, the Flåm Railway doesn’t disappoint, offering panoramic views of some of Norway’s most picturesque fjord landscapes. The railway descends sharply downhill from Myrdal Station for 20km along one of the steepest standard gauge railway tracks in the World.
The highlight was perhaps when the train made a stop at an impressive waterfall, the Kjosfossen, allowing passengers to get out and enjoy an unobscured view. To add some extra drama, a singing lady suddenly appeared high on the rocks by the waterfall, providing a surreal, dream-like experience to witness. The kids couldn’t take their eyes off her. It was a nice touch.
Flåm
The town of Flåm is reached at the base of the Flåm Railway. It’s a charming little place, flanked by mountains and on the shoreline of the Aurlandsfjord. The tour allows for some time to relax and enjoy the town before embarking on a boat trip along the fjord; the next leg of the trip. The old town of Flåm consists of traditional timber buildings and makes for a pleasant place to stroll around. Highlights for us were the local Ægir microbrewery (with some decent food and excellent and innovative beers on offer) and outdoor kids playground – something to keep both parents and children occupied!
Fjord boat trip
After resting in Flåm, we headed for the boat dock, ready for our next adventure. We boarded a mid-sized passenger boat and set sail down the Aurlandsfjord, leaving the town behind. The UNESCO protected fjord landscape provided us with a dramatic backdrop as we cruised on by.
Our children enjoyed standing out on deck with the wind in our hair, whilst watching the seagulls hovering in the air currents alongside the boat (especially when they would swoop and catch food that people were throwing for them).
At the mid-point of the boat trip, the boat turns a corner and continues back along a different arm of the fjord, the Nærøyfjord. The scenery just gets better and better, with enormous mountains towering over small shore-front hamlets and waterfalls crashing down from above. Indeed, the Nærøyfjord is considered by some to be amongst Norway’s most beautiful locations.
Bus trip towards Bergen
After disembarking from the fjord boat, we made our way onto buses to finish the tour. The bus trip takes in yet more beautiful vistas, most notably when winding its way 1.5km up the Stalheimskleiva Road, one of Northern Europe’s steepest, with 13 hairpins to negotiate before reaching the top. The drive also offers up views of 2 dramatic waterfalls on its way towards Bergen.
The tour is finished off with another short train ride, finally bringing you into the end destination of Bergen station.
Bergen – End of the trip
Oozing historic charm, Bergen occupies a position on Norway’s western coast that feels like it could be the end of the World. Famously rainy, we were lucky enough to experience it’s colourful wooden houses in beautiful sunshine, only adding to its appeal.
It makes for a lovely destination to spend a few days with family. We particularly enjoyed ascending the Fløibanen Funicular railway up Fløyen Mountain, to enjoy spectacular panoramic views, walking trails and a great children’s playground.
– You can learn more about this park, as well as others, in this round-up of some of the best free children’s playgrounds in the World.
After having a chance to explore more of Bergen during an enjoyable 2 night stay, we returned on the Bergen Railway back to Oslo (opting for the direct train route in return), to continue with the rest of our Scandinavian adventure.
– For more info on Bergen, check out this guide for 5 Days in Bergen, or this great roundup of 35 things to do in Bergen.
Norway in a Nutshell – Our thoughts
We enjoyed all aspects of the trip. The children enjoyed most of it as well, especially the singing lady at the Kjosfossen waterfall and the boat trip.
The scenery is truly memorable and at times, second to none.
The tour makes for a great way to experience different aspects of Norway for those short of time or not wanting to travel further afield.
12 hours is a long time, especially with young children. It became a bit of a battle by the end. Be sure to have plenty of entertainment options available if attempting the trip with kids.
It is possible to break the journey by staying overnight in any of the stopping points, and resume the following day. The standard ticket allows for this and I’d recommend it for anyone who has the time. The town of Flåm would make a lovely place for a stopover.
Overall, it is an experience I would definitely recommend. A mixed tour ticket of this type is an interesting and innovate idea – one that should be applauded. It provides a perfect service for people like us who just want to dip in and out of Norway, while still getting a good taster. Adding an overnight stay along the way also potentially improves the experience as, after 12 hours, it does become a bit of a slog by the end (especially with small children). Unfortunately for us, as we were paying for our camper to be parked in Oslo, on top of the cost of an apartment for 2 nights to stay in Bergen, time was money. We couldn’t afford any additional delay, meaning we needed to get the whole tour done in a single day.
Despite its (often justified) reputation for being painfully expensive for foreign visitors, Norway remains a great country to visit for lovers of nature, offering the kind of scenery that you’ll struggle to find anywhere else. If, like us, you’re not wanting to embark on an epic expedition to the country’s wild and rugged north and west coasts, the ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ tour (as its name suggests) offers an excellent and easily accessible way to experience a lot of what this picturesque country has to offer.
Like it, pin it…
Excellent post! I’d love to visit Norway one day. It seems so beautiful and surreal!