My husband's brother and his wife took a scenic train from Bergen to Oslo a few years ago and said how beautiful/scenic the train ride is. Is this part of NIN or is it a separate train?

It's part of Norway in a Nutshell. You take a bus, then a boat and then you jump on the train headed to Oslo. It's a beautiful train ride! If you can, break up the journey into two days.

To clarify:

Regular trains link Oslo with Bergen run by Norwegian State Railways www.nsb.no

There are several daytime trains plus an overnight sleeper. You can get cheap tickets if you pre-book direct with NSB at www.nsb.no IF you can get it to accept your credit card.

The NIN tour does some fiddly twiddly bits, making use of these trains and the branch line to Flam.

The regular Bergen-Oslo train is a very scenic ride, even without the NIN extras.
Book your tickets online, asap for cheap deals.

Got, it thanks!

NIN - from Bergen take train to Voss and mountain bus to Gudvagen on Norway's largest fjord - boat to Flam - scenic mountain railway to Myrdhal, stop on the Oslo-Bergen Railway as is Voss.

Thus the only portion of the railway in NIN is between Bergen and Voss and Myrdhal and Bergen or Oslo - a tiny part but one of the most spectacular ones - check these sources for much more on this gorgeous rail line - one of my top five scenic trains in Europe:
www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and Man in Seat 61's commercial site www.seat61.com. Don't think you can quite duplicate the Oslo-Bergen railway by car but not sure (as you will be driving it seems).

Cheers!

It looks like part of this will be a repeat of what we do with Nat Geo

Take a scenic cruise across the Sognefjorden and up the narrow Aurlandsfjorden to the village of Flåm. Sample award-winning handcrafted beers at a Viking-style brewery, then board the world-famous Flåm Railway, named by National Geographic Traveler as one of the top ten train journeys in Europe. Make a thrilling ascent of some 2,837 feet in just one hour, passing through 20 tunnels. At the mountain station of Myrdal, transfer to the Bergen line and continue across the spine of Norway to the coastal city of Bergen.

So I'm thinking we'll drive to Oslo Airport from Walaker Hotell and skip the train

then board the world-famous Flåm Railway, named by National Geographic Traveler as one of the top ten train journeys in Europe>

would be way down my list of Top Fifty - the Flam Railway - way overhyped in that description IME- nice - sweet - especially the photo stop at a roaring waterfall but not nearly as scenic as umpteen mountain railways I've been on.

Well Pal you can certainly put a note of negativism in someone's itinerary.

BTW, the most scenic part of the Olso/Bergen or Bergen/ Oslo journey is from Myrdal to Oslo. The Flamsbana ( to/ from Flam to Myrdal ) is still a very scenic journey, and it is one of the steepest gradients in the world. The Naeroyfjord which is the one included on the NiN tour ( ferry between Gudvangen and Flam ) is not Norway's largest, but it is the narrowest fjord in Norway.

wrenwood, regardless of what one thinks of National Geographic's descriptions, I have traveled with them on several occasions, and they do an excellent job. You couldn't have selected a better company to travel with.

historytraveler, totally agree about Nat Geo.

We did an Alaska inland cruise with them several years ago and always said we wanted to do more with them. We're doing 2 of them this year, quite excited. The small size, naturalists, food ~ as you said, they do an excellent job.

Well Pal you can certainly put a note of negativism in someone's itinerary.>

Was not my intention at all - the Flam Railway is awesome just that it is so relatively short and not nearly as scenic as dozens of trains in Switzerland.

Sorry if I cam across negatively was not my intention.

If your other post is taken into account, I would drive from Solvorn to Oslo. It's only two hours longer than going to Bergen, from which you then have a long train ride.

Hi Michael, we came to that same conclusion. We will be driving to Oslo from Solvorn, looks like a pleasant drive.

PalenQ, knowing how much you know and love scenic train rides, I understood your viewpoint.

New question on other thread, need help