glynisann

thinking of a 2 week trip to Norway this year around September, Flying into Oslo,do not want to hire a car would like to travel on trains, buses and boats. would like to stay at least 2 days in a few interesting and beautiful places, would like to take in a boat trip on fjords and a train journey.any ideas open to all suggestions.Thanks

travelhorizons

I got back from a trip to Norway in May, and it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Bergen should be your base of operations as it's how you get into the fjord country. You just can't travel through western Norway by train as the fjords make it impossible for a south-to-north train tracks!

If you don't want to hire a car (to go places on your own), you should probably look at some tours.

globetrotterxyz

We did the Norway in a Nutshell trip that consists of train and bus travel passing gorgeous scenery, then you take a fjord boat cruise.

http://www.norwaynutshell.com/


Here's a link to my trip report from a couple of years ago:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...a-nutshell.cfm

We were only there for a few days, so if you have 2 weeks, you'll have plenty of time to explore.

Marija

Norway is great for ferries/train/bus travel. Everything is synchronized, boats wait for buses and ferries. Bergen is an interesting town for several days but we really enjoyed staying on the fjords in smaller towns. We took the train from Oslo to Bergen (very scenic) where we spent several days. From Bergen we took a bus/ferry combo on the Hardangenfjord to Ulvik where we stayed for a night. From there it's easy to catch a bus/train to Myrdal which is the beginning of Norway in a Nutshell. After the scenic train to Flam we took the boat to the Stalheim hotel where we spent the night. From the Stalheim it's an easy two bus/ferry combo to beautiful Balestrand where we didn't spend enough time. From Balestrand a ferry returns you to Bergen. We moved quickly since this was a small detour on the way to Stockholm. I would have really enjoyed more time at each of the fjord locations.

You do want to make sure that you don't go late in September since many places shut quite early for the season. Have a great trip!

bratsandbeer

We arrived in Oslo and stayed for two days. We then took the train to Stavanger. That was a beautiful train ride. After a couple of days in Stavanger we took the ferry to Bergen. We enjoyed the ride through the small towns of Norway on our way to Bergen. From Bergen we took the Norway in a Nutshell tour back to Oslo. We stayed overnight on the fjord on our way to Oslo.

We also have been to Norway when we rented a car and drove to Lillehammer and further northwest and to other areas around Oslo. Driving in Norway is quite easy.

arvin

For traveling without a car around Norway you need to use bus, train and express boats.

Nor-way bus express is operating a network of coaches serving most of the country. Their web site is http://www.nor-way.no/?lang=en_GB where you'll find time tables and price information. You can buy tickets online and receive a small rebate compared to buying from the driver.

The passenger railway company in Norway is NSB: http://www.nsb.no/?lang=en_US Their lowest priced tickets can be more than 50% off the regular fare. Look for "minipris" tickets. They are often available up to a few days before departure, but must be bought at the latest the day before travel.

Fjord1 is operating express boats on the west coast of Norway: http://www.fjord1.no/en/default.asp?menu=1533&page=538

When traveling only on public transportation there are limits to how close you can get to the most interesting nature attractions. For instance, you can't ask the bus driver to stop at the most scenic points when driving along Sognefjorden.

Also, September is an autumn month. Septembers can be warm and nice, but you should not be surprised if you encounter rain and cold weather. I would have made the trip as early in September as possible.