Norway in a Nutshell tour itenerary
 

Can anyone give me a simple but enjoyable itenerary for Oslo to Bergen (and back to Oslo) to do in ONE day? Can anyone also recommend an itenerary for Oslo to Bergen with an overnight stay in Bergen (and back to Oslo)?<BR>Thanks!

If you want to do the true Norway in a Nutshell tour, which from Oslo you go to Myrdal, then along the fjord, then bus to Voss, then train to Bergen, it can't really be done in one day IF you intend to return to Oslo in the evening from Bergen. From a 24 hour standpoint, yes, it can be done.<BR><BR>You will leave Oslo at 8:11 on the Signatur train, which is a really great train. If you're in 1st class, you get food and drinks along with the price of the ticket. At around noon, you arrive in Myrdal and get off there. You then take the Flamasbana train down the mountain to Flam. On this route, there is an amazing huge waterfall. From there, you get on a boat, and spend several hours going down the fjord, with all of the waterfalls. At the end of this ride, you jump on a bus that takes you up a corkscrew road back up the mountain to the town of Voss. From there, you get on a slow moving "express" train, which gets you into Bergen around 8:30 p.m.<BR><BR>Now, if you want to head straight back to Oslo, you will have to take the Nattog (night train). That leaves at 10:58 p.m. and arrives back in Oslo right before 7 a.m.<BR><BR>Having just around 2 hours in Bergen, you can run down to the wharf from the station and have dinner there (eat fast!).<BR><BR>Alternatively, if you want to stay overnight in Bergen, there's plenty of hotels to choose from. We stayed in the Radisson along Bryggen (the wharf area) and enjoyed it, but there's others around there too. We brought backpacks for the night and change of clothes and left our suitcases in lockers in Oslo.<BR><BR>If you stay the night, your best bet is to take the Signatur train which leaves Bergen at 15:58 and arrives in Oslo at 22:30. We took the earlier train (express train) which had no air conditioning (which we needed this past summer), minimal services, and not too comfortable. It was also late, so we ended up coming into Oslo not much before the Signatur train.<BR><BR>Go to www.nsb.no for the timetables. It gives up to date information on when you want to go.

Shannon:<BR><BR>Thanks so much for all the helpful information!!<BR>I take it you recommend the overnight excursion as opposed to the one,long day of travel. If I wanted to do a one day thing, where would your recommend I visit--just straight to Bergen and back? <BR>Can I buy the tickes when I arrive in Oslo or should I book/reserve beforehand? It will be early Nov. when I visit. Also, what is a ballpark on the price?<BR>And lastly, the train you recommend to take BACK to Oslo from Bergen is the 15:58 (3:58 p.m) Signatur, right?<BR>Thanks!

The nutshell is about $200 round trip or $120 one-way.<BR><BR>In Bergen you can take a bus from the railway station to Trollhaugen and visit the home of the composer Edvard Grieg. When in Bergen one should always take a ride on 'Floibanen', but unfortunately the funicular is closed until November 14, but if weather is good take a short bus ride to mount Ulriken and take the Arial Tramway Ulriken (open 10am-5pm). You get a really nice view of Bergen.<BR>

I forgot! It will be just fine to Book/Buy the tickets when you arrive in Oslo. <BR><BR>Welcome to Oslo.

What Helen said is about right, perhaps a little less. And yes, buy the package at the Oslo train station. I had a Eurail pass, but had to pay extra for the Signatur train, but even the day before we did the tour last summer (height of the season!), we had no problem making the seat reservations, even though I had heard otherwise.<BR><BR>On that route, I don't think there's anything as wonderful as Bergen to visit -- I mean ALL of Norway is really beautiful, but Bergen is a nice, compact little town that is surrounded by mountains (except the sea, of course!), and lots to do there.<BR><BR>If you were going to do something else, and you were in Norway in summer, I would recommend visiting Trondheim, which is my favorite town. It has that Carmel/Monterey California feel to it, it's bustling with university students, and rather short on tourists. But every street you turn down and down by the wharf or the church, you're constantly hit with the WOW factor. It's brilliant!<BR><BR>And yes, the 3:58 train is DEFINITELY the one I'd take back.<BR>Shannon