I'm spending 3 days in Norway at the end of August and am planning to spend 1 night in Oslo before taking the Nutshell tour, overnight in Stalheim, then on to Bergen for 1 night. Is this the best use of time or can the trip from Oslo to Bergen be better if I do it on my own (i.e. without the Nutshell). Advice please! Thanks.

By all means follow the Nutshell route. The train and boat rides are stunning and I'm sure you'll enjoy your night at the Stalheim. We certainly did. You don't want to miss the Nutshell detour on the way from Oslo to Bergen.

Definitely do the Nutshell tour, and make sure you bring layered clothing - the boat ride can get chilly. In addition, I'd recommend planning your route/buying your tickets such that you take the Flamsbana going down the valley, not up, and make sure you sit on the left-hand side of the train as you go down. In Bergen, we greatly enjoyed taking the English language tour of the Hanseatic House Museum on the Bryggen. Have a wonderful trip, and have a salmon sandwich or two for me!

What's the Nutshell tour??

The Nutshell tour is a package deal on local train, ferry and bus going to Flåm.
www.norwaynutshell.com

I also will be heading to norway at the end of august-september and was trying to figure out how to get around. I was thinking about the norway railpass, but wasn't sure how accessible the train stops are to the hotels and attractions in the towns from oslo to trondheim (like roros) and oslo to bergen. I may end up renting a car, but would rather not worry about driving, if possible. Any advice?

Thanks.