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Visiting Norway in May
Just beginning to plan a holiday in Norway for May next year. We prefer slow exploration away from crowds. We are planning 4 to 5 weeks.
1. Is self drive a good option or does the driver miss out on all the lovely scenery because of windy, difficult roads? Rail travel sounds popular. 2. How does Oslo to Bergen, to Flam, to Alesund, to Trondheim, to Oslo sound? Is it possible to do this easily by rail ? Are there enough things to do in each place to warrant a 7 night stay? In other words can you do day trips/cruises on nearby fiords and easy scenic walks? 3. Is the famous Flam rail journey a good idea? Train back to Myrdal from Bergen then change for Flam I think. Doable with luggage or is this a daytrip from Bergen? Can you book and reserve seats ? Self catering accommodation looks restricted in Flam and if we had a car we could stay in nearby towns - may be a more affordable option too? Well that's a start. Eagerly awaiting your ideas. |
We took a number of transit options like coach, train and boat and enjoyed being able to sit back and enjoy the scenery which is spectacular. I enjoyed the boat rides up the fjords more than the land travels.
NOTE: - The 17th of May is Norway's national independence day with lots of parades and celebrating and is really a fun time if you are in a larger city like Oslo or Bergen. And May could have lots of rain. As far as crowds Norway is a small country population wise. Oslo is the largest city with only about 700,000 and Bergen the second largest with a population under 300,000. |
Who will travel with you?
Family will be more comfortable in the train. Travel with friends is more interesting by car. |
May is early for traveling the fjords. Some hotels don’t open until mid May. The train ride from Oslo to Bergen over the spine of Norway is spectacular.
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You may want to take a look at my trip report in which we drove from Bergen to Trondheim. We also did the NIN from Oslo to Bergen, which I feel is unnecessary if you will be driving in the fjord area unless you are a train buff.
To whet your appetite: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjpdzmt7 |
2. How does Oslo to Bergen, to Flam, to Alesund, to Trondheim, to Oslo sound? Is it possible to do this easily by rail ? >
Most of it - I think boat to Alesund and bus to Trondheim rest by scenic trains. If Flam Railway worth it? IMO YES -- train stops at a waterfall and folks get out and look and is a prodigious feat of mountain railway engineering - could take it up to falls and back to Flam or en route Oslo to Bergen take it down to fjord and boats and bus to Voss (Norway in Nutshell itinerary) and train to Bergen. Book trains well in advance for discounts - www.seat61.com has loads on doing that - general info trains and where to go with them www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts. |
I was in Norway the end of May. You should have no trouble booking most hotels.
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Thank you all for your help so far. I have given it a bit more thought and here is a bit more detail.
My husband and I like to stop in one place and use it as a base , staying in apartment accommodation where we self-cater and have the use of a washing machine. From this base we like to explore the surrounding area at leisure giving ourselves downtime between busy days. This is Plan 1. * arrive Copenhagen stay 4 nights * move on to Oslo stay 5(ish) nights, maybe 7 - need to research daytrips * train to Bergen stay 7 nights ( Flam NIN from here ?) explore area maybe some easy walks (down not up where possible !!) * move to Alesund ( by ferry ?) stay 7 nights - explore more fiords from here ) * move to Trondheim - don't know how, not keen on buses - stay 4+ nights maybe 7 need to research what there is to see from here * train to Oslo How does that sound? With that time we may be able to juggle weather for activities and not be worn out when we go home needing a holiday ! |
Sounds fantastic - I was in Trondheim once and seemed nice but nor much around but scrubland but kind of hazy!
Maybe the Hurtigutren ships along coast would be awesome way to go to Trondheim slowly - part cruise ship if you want all that stuff and part of boats for public transport along coast for locals and anyone - did not look at prices or schedules but check that out! There may be some place a reasonable distance from Alesund to the train line Oslo-Trondheim. https://www.fjordtravel.no/tour-crui...igruten-ships/ Cheers! |
Thanks PaienQ.
On further discussion with my husband after looking at a few videos on Youtube we are considering driving. If so we would do something like this:- * fly into Oslo - stay 7 nights. Pick up hire car * drive to Bergen - stay 7 nights - can do the Flam rail /NIN thing from there as a daytrip I think * drive to Voss -stay 4 nights * drive to Balestrand - 4 nights * drive to Volda - 4 nights * drive to Alesund - 7 nights * drive to Lillehammer - 3 nights * drive to Oslo - overnight . Return car * to Copenhagen -no idea how- 7 nights Home This drive would have us use a lot of ferries to cross fiords/ lakes that we come across along the way. Do you need to book on these or just line up to make the crossing? I do not think I can plan ahead in such detail to book for a time as we will, I'm sure, be stopping a lot along the road to take photos etc. the whole area sounds/ looks wonderful. We like the independence that a car would give us plus the ability to explore small villages around our bases. We have been looking at a few videos about Norway and are getting very enthusiastic about a holiday in Norway and there seem to be options to stay in apartments ( with Air B&B ) for a reasonable amount if I act soon so I need to get my head around it all. It is going to be a very steep learning curve as before this I had never heard of many of these places. Many thanks to all for their advice. Please keep it coming. |
Michael
Your photos are terrific and have excited me more than ever. I will try to find your trip report and have a look at the route you drove. Perhaps you can answer the question about incidental ferries along the way ?? Thanks |
Think we might take the car option teddplm.
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Originally Posted by Helsie
(Post 16798159)
Michael
Your photos are terrific and have excited me more than ever. I will try to find your trip report and have a look at the route you drove. Perhaps you can answer the question about incidental ferries along the way ?? Thanks |
Originally Posted by Helsie
(Post 16798157)
Thanks PaienQ.
On further discussion with my husband after looking at a few videos on Youtube we are considering driving. If so we would do something like this:- * fly into Oslo - stay 7 nights. Pick up hire car * drive to Bergen - stay 7 nights - can do the Flam rail /NIN thing from there as a daytrip I think * drive to Voss -stay 4 nights * drive to Balestrand - 4 nights * drive to Volda - 4 nights * drive to Alesund - 7 nights * drive to Lillehammer - 3 nights * drive to Oslo - overnight . Return car * to Copenhagen -no idea how- 7 nights Home This drive would have us use a lot of ferries to cross fiords/ lakes that we come across along the way. Do you need to book on these or just line up to make the crossing? I do not think I can plan ahead in such detail to book for a time as we will, I'm sure, be stopping a lot along the road to take photos etc. the whole area sounds/ looks wonderful. We like the independence that a car would give us plus the ability to explore small villages around our bases. We have been looking at a few videos about Norway and are getting very enthusiastic about a holiday in Norway and there seem to be options to stay in apartments ( with Air B&B ) for a reasonable amount if I act soon so I need to get my head around it all. It is going to be a very steep learning curve as before this I had never heard of many of these places. Many thanks to all for their advice. Please keep it coming. |
Traveling in Norway by car is magic.
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My grandparents all came from Norway, so I grew up hearing stories about the country, and looked forward to seeing the things I learned about. Sadly I've only been to Oslo, but found more than enough to keep me busy. Wherever you are on May 17th there will be a children's parade, so don't worry if you can't see the big ones in Oslo or Bergen. I walked or used public transport in Oslo, so can't help with advice about driving.
Here are my Oslo Flickr albums: |
The links to my Flickr albums don't seem to be working on Fodor's. Click on each photo, then click on "Back to the album" at the top left hand of the image, and it will bring you to the album. The first one was of Oslo with the parks and ship museums, and the second was of the Holmenkollen jump and ski museum.
I guess I will have to stop posting links to Flickr. :-( |
Originally Posted by Heimdall
(Post 16798383)
The links to my Flickr albums don't seem to be working on Fodor's. Click on each photo, then click on "Back to the album" at the top left hand of the image, and it will bring you to the album. The first one was of Oslo with the parks and ship museums, and the second was of the Holmenkollen jump and ski museum.
I guess I will have to stop posting links to Flickr. :-( |
Yes car is great and will allow to stop easily along way:
Roads parallel the Flam Railway so a drive can be just as nice Voss for 4 days? Nice town but did not see much there but maybe good base? Don't need car in Oslo so pick up when leaving Can take overnight ferry Oslo-Copenhagen or trains but several hours - Gothenburg I thought was a really neat seaside town few here give much pause to it seems - if going by train maybe break it up but boat would save on hotel cost and give you a scenic somewhat cruise - light until late at night of course. Really don't need car in Copenhagen or for day trips - a myriad of them all easy by train - Roskilde for Viking Ship Museum - Helsingor for Hamlet's Castle; Frederiksborg for royal castle on island in a lake...and many more. |
Yes Michael that works a treat ! Thank you !
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Many thanks. More fantastic photos !
Can you give me a little information about the park with all the statues of people and the place with all the old buildings....is it some sort of ancient village? |
Thanks for your help, Michael. I'm still coming to grips with the new Fodor's format. Hope I got it right this time.
Helsie, the park with the sculptures is Frogner Park, and the sculptures are by Gustav Vigeland. The section where the sculptures are located is also called Vigeland Park: The Vigeland Park The place with the old buildings is Norsk Folkemuseum, located in the Bygdøy section of Oslo, near the ship museums. It's not an old village, but old buildings from different parts of Norway including the stave church, which were dismantled and reassembled there. Although it's not a real village all the houses are originals rather than reproductions: https://norskfolkemuseum.no/en |
Thanks for that Heimdall .
OK, flights are now purchased so it now down to the final tweeking before I start booking those apartments. Thanks for all your help everyone PalenQ. Lots of people mention Voss so thought it might be a good base for a couple of days. Having the car means we can reach out into the countryside and visit small villages . I am looking at the route that Michael took towards Alesund as an alternative. What do you think of Balestrand and Volda as stopping places? Are there places where we can travel to the top of the mountain by some means to a café/restaurant that is still operating in the Spring/Summer perhaps for hikers as you can in places like Interlaken and the mountains in Switzerland?? We love doing that. Thanks for all your help, I know very little about Norway but it all looks lovely so far. |
Originally Posted by Helsie
(Post 16798944)
Thanks for that Heimdall .
OK, flights are now purchased so it now down to the final tweeking before I start booking those apartments. Thanks for all your help everyone PalenQ. Lots of people mention Voss so thought it might be a good base for a couple of days. Having the car means we can reach out into the countryside and visit small villages . I am looking at the route that Michael took towards Alesund as an alternative. What do you think of Balestrand and Volda as stopping places? Are there places where we can travel to the top of the mountain by some means to a café/restaurant that is still operating in the Spring/Summer perhaps for hikers as you can in places like Interlaken and the mountains in Switzerland?? We love doing that. Thanks for all your help, I know very little about Norway but it all looks lovely so far. |
The Norwegians have a reputation for being keen hikers. I haven't been, but there is a funicular from Bergen: Fløibanen funicular
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In Bergen, there are restaurants at the top of both Mt. Floyen and Mt. Ulriken.
Not on a mountaintop, but if you're planning on driving Stalheimskleiva Road, there's a view restaurant at the Stalheim Hotel. More about this road here: https://www.dangerousroads.org/europ...va-norway.html And about Stalheim Hotel: https://www.visitnorway.com/listings...im-hotel/4194/ |
Yes, there is a cafe at the top of the (mountain?) in Bergen. Take the funicular up, walk around the lake and then walk down if you wish.
Balestrand was one of my favorite stops. Take the small ferry up the fjiord to Mundal. |
Plan 3. This might be it I think !
* Copenhagen - 4 nights * fly to Oslo - 4 nights * train to Bergen - 6 nights - pick up hire car after a couple of days so we can explore Bergen area - perhaps Flam * drive to Balestrand - 5 nights .see .Gaularfjellet and Fjaerlandsfjord * drive to Volda - 4 nights see Loen Skylift and Stranda Fjord Gondola * drive to Geiranger - 4 nights - Trollstigen, Seven Sisters * Alesund -7 nights ( is this too long ?) * Lillehammer - 4 nights - Hafjell gondola * Lillehammer to Oslo ( return car) to Copenhagen by plane * Copenhagen - 3 nights * Home Your comments and advice will be welcomed on this plan before I lock in accommodation. I have allowed us some down time in most places - this is a holiday after all - and it also helps with juggling the weather. Cheap flights between Copenhagen and Oslo seemed preferable to a whole day on a train with at least one change, but the journey from Oslo to Bergen by train sounded good. Should we cut our stay in Alesund short and press north a bit more ? Don't want this trip to be too tiring for the driver. For those who might be interested I have found the mountain gondola ride experience in three places. 1. Stranda - Fjordview Gondola - Stranda ( Luckily it appears it will be open at the time we are planning to stay within striking distance at Volda ) 2. Mt Loen - https://www.loenskylift.com/opening-hours-and-prices 3. Lillehammer -Hafjell - https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/gondola-in-hafjell/9221/ Thanks to all for your input so far. |
Ålesund for 7 days would be too long for me.
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Heimdall, whatever problem there was must have been resolved. The pictures are great. I especially liked the sea gull.
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