Flåm Railway · the famous roundNorway in a Nutshell

What Norway in a Nutshell actually is

Fjord Tours calls it a self-guided tour. That means you receive every ticket for the legs in a single booking, together with an itinerary giving the times. Nobody collects you, nobody explains anything along the way, nobody counts heads at the bus. You change trains yourself.

This is where most of the misunderstandings start. If you expect a guide, this is the wrong booking. If you want a ready-made chain of tickets without doing the planning, it is exactly the right one.

The brand has existed since 1982 and the ® appears at every mention – including on the Visit Norway and Visit Bergen pages. It is sold by Fjord Tours, not by the railway. The trains still run to the ordinary timetable: this is public transport, sold as a bundle.

The route, leg by leg

You can choose where to start and finish: Oslo, Bergen, Flåm, Voss or Geilo. Two versions are usual – the round trip from Bergen, and the one-way journey between Oslo and Bergen, which is why many people book the route at all.

• Bergen Railway. Across the mountain plateau between Oslo and Bergen. From Bergen to the interchange at Myrdal takes about two hours according to Vy.
• Flåm Railway. 20 kilometres from Myrdal down to Flåm, about 55 minutes, on a gradient of 55 ‰ for most of the way. Open seating – nothing is reserved here.
• Nærøyfjord. Two hours by boat from Flåm to Gudvangen, through the narrowest fjord arm in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005. The vessels are fully electric.
• Bus through Nærøydalen. From Gudvangen to Voss, past the rock walls of the valley.
• Train back from Voss to Bergen – or onwards towards Oslo.

How long does it take – and can you do it in a day?

Yes. Fjord Tours gives about 13 hours for Oslo–Bergen and 9 to 14 hours for the round trip from Bergen, depending on connections and season. If you prefer, you can add nights in Flåm or Gudvangen; the booking allows it.

Rule of thumb: One day is feasible, but it is a full travelling day with four changes. If you want to see the fjord and the village rather than pass through them, plan a night in Flåm.

Three ways along the same route

The train, the boat and the bus are the same on all three. The only difference is who books and who is responsible for the connections.

The middle row cannot be reduced to a single figure, and we are not going to pretend otherwise: the Bergen Railway, the fjord boat and the bus are priced dynamically and depend on your travel date and how early you book. Only the Flåm Railway is documented, because its round trip has a price you can look up.

“I want the round trip, but with someone along who knows the place.”

Bergen: UNESCO Fjord Cruise, Flåm & Stegastein - Incl. Lunch

12 hours · guided coach tour · lunch included · ★ 4.7 from 1,393 reviews

from, per person€268.34

Check what is included on GetYourGuide

Honestly: This is a coach tour with a guide, not a rail journey – the Flåm Railway is not part of it, but Stegastein and lunch are. Read what is included before you book, and compare it with what you would build from separate tickets. And convert kroner and euros at the day's rate instead of putting the numbers side by side.

“I want the Flåm Railway and the fjord in one day, guided.”

Bergen: Viking Village, Nærøyfjord Cruise & Flåm Railway

10.5 hours · guided · includes the Flåm Railway · ★ 4.8 from 1,427 reviews

from, per person€369.20

Check what is included on GetYourGuide

Honestly: The Flåm Railway is included here, but the day costs about a hundred euros more, and the Viking village is a matter of taste. Neither of these tours is “Norway in a Nutshell” – the brand belongs to Fjord Tours. They are separate products covering the same landscape.

What is not included

• Food. Fjord Tours states it plainly: not in the price. The trains between Oslo and Bergen have a bistro and the fjord vessel a kiosk. The Flåm Railway itself has nothing.
• A seat of your choosing. Seating on the Flåm Railway is open. Going uphill, the operator places Kjosfossen on the left and the valley views on the right. The Bergen Railway offers “Standard Plus” on selected departures – about half of those seats face backwards.
• Easy luggage. Suitcases are allowed on the train, bus and boat, and there are lockers at Oslo, Bergen and Flåm stations. A luggage transfer between Oslo and Bergen can be added to the booking.
• A dependable winter programme. The round trip runs all year, but the operator points out that the route can change in winter.

When the brand is worth it

It is worth it if four changes in a foreign country make you uneasy and you are willing to pay a premium that turns four bookings into one. It is also worth it if you have to travel between Oslo and Bergen anyway – then the route is not an excursion but your way across the country.

It is not worth it if you are already in Flåm. Then you do not need a chain of tickets but a round trip, and how that works is on the Flåm Railway on your own. And it is not worth it if you expect a guide: for that, look at the guided day tours above, not here.

Rule of thumb: No guide, but no booking stress either. People who know that before they pay are rarely disappointed.

Timetable, prices and the question of whether the railway is worth it at all are on the main Flåm Railway page; the line with all its stations is under Flåm Railway route.