Hello Fodorites! I'm hoping to head to Norway this summer with my husband and son. Husband and I are in our early 50s; son will be 13.5. We don't want to rent a car and drive, unless absolutely have to. Between vacation time and flights, I am looking at 10 days at the end of June.

What our goals on this trip is: natural scenery, hikes (we can do easy-mod day hikes that are < 6 hrs), fjord tours, and possibly visiting a glaicer/ glacier hike. We also enjoy biking and kayaking if feasible. We can fly into Bergen and out of Oslo. We will basically follow the NiN route but I'm thinking of stopping for a few nights in Flam, and booking all the connections on my own (instead of via NiN)

6/23 afternoon arrival to Bergen
6/24-6/26 Bergen ** there are cruise ships docking every single day in June, no way to avoid **
6/27 travel to Flam
6/28 & 6/29 Flam (Flĺmsbana, hiking, fjord cruise, kayaking? biking?) — ** no cruise ship docking in Flam during these 2 days **
6/30 travel to Oslo
7/1 & 7/2 Oslo
7/3 morning flight home

How does this itinerary look? I have read a lot of travel blogs but it's difficult to know if this seems reasonable? I guess maybe I should go ahead and book the flights first and worry about the details later. We will have 10 nights total - staying in 3 places? Or do you suggest adding another small town somewhere in there? I haven't really investigated how long the traveling part takes (Bergen to Flam; Flam to Oslo) .

Thanks in advance!

I think your plan sounds reasonable! My husband and friends and I loved Flam, but we used Norway in a Nutshell to get there when I balked at managing the logistics. We also loved the train ride from Oslo to Bergen -- for us, it's right up there with the Glacier and Bernina Express trains. My favorite thing was the Fjord Safari trip from Flam; we chose the Fjord Safari & Goat Farm Hike, which was fantastic for people who love majestic views and petting lots of goats!

Your plan looks great and really doable. Three bases in 10 nights keeps things simple Bergen for city + hikes, Flĺm for fjords and outdoor fun, and Oslo for culture at the end. Travel days are longer but super scenic (Bergen–Flĺm takes most of a day, Flĺm–Oslo about 5–6 hours by train). I’d book flights first, then sort trains/ferries. If a glacier hike is a must, you’d need to add a stop, but honestly your current travel esim plan already hits the highlights without feeling rushed.

I too this is a reasonable itinerary. Having said that, our best experiences in Norway involved driving some of the scenic roads combined with some hiking. The days are long in June which helps cover a lot of territory. Do bear in mind that Western Norway can get quite a bit of rain

Yk- You probably already know but SAS is having a sale on flights right now.

Yk, you and I haven't met in person yet, but I've "known " you and your brother for a long time and as always, you're an excellent travel planner. I've been to Norway 3 times in the last 3 years so obviously, it's a fave of mine. I'm sure you will have a wonderful trip, and please say hi to your brother for me. I miss seeing him at the TX GTGs.

Of course plane prices have fluctuated since last night... and I'm being undecided in terms of the # of days I want to spend in each place.

Now the best plane ticket prices either give me 9 full days, or 12 full days. 9 full days seem not enough considering 2 days will be spent on traveling (Oslo -> Flam; Flam -> Bergen). 12 full days seem too long, maybe??? if 12 full days then we will do the reverse, starting in Oslo on June 24, and flying out of Bergen in July 7. Now I worry there's "too much" time in these 3 places, but OTOH there are kayaking trips, biking routes, guided glacier hike, and other hiking trails that should not be too hard to fill up our days if, BIG IF HERE , the weather cooperates.

P_M Where in Norway did you go on your 3 previous trips?

In March 2023 I had a day or so in Oslo, then I went on to Iceland. That wasn't enough of Norway for me, so in March 2024 I took a Hurtigruten cruise. I had some time in Bergen before sailing, then the cruise went north. We made several great stops, including Alta, Rorvik, Nordkapp, and a few others. It ended in Tromso and I spent another 3 days there. Tromso is a great city, but my main reason for going there was to see the Northern Lights. I enjoyed that so much, I returned to Tromso (after a week in Finland) in March 2025 and the lights were even more spectacular.

I realize the Northern Lights and winter scenery won't be there when you go, but back in 2003 I was in Norway in July and of course, it's spectacular in a completely different way.

One of the things I enjoyed most in Bergen was the boat ride to through the fjord and to the waterfalls. You'll see the boats in the harbor and there will be signs for tours.

If you need someone to go along and point out the boat to you, I will be happy to assist. 😁

It is never enough time in Norway as long as the cost is not an issue, especially in summer. I went back visiting Norway in September after my April trip.

Book your hotels as soon as possible, especially in Flam if you are traveling by train and bus, as you need to be easy access to the transportation.

We stayed at the Flam Camping Hostel when we were there. It is clean and convenient walking distance to the visitor center. They also have trips or kayak tours that you can book. Trail to the waterfalls is also nearby. There are share kitchens that you can prepare your meals. We enjoyed the stay even though they do not provide bath towels. We met nice families when stayed there.

thanks again for the input. of course now I'm worried that it will rain the whole time we are there and we won't be able to do any of the outdoor activities ! lol of course there's the saying, there's no bad weather, only bad clothing.

I'll speak with my husband tonight and try to book our flights before the prices go up again. Cherthor I did not know you went back?! Where did you go?

We will brace for sticker shock but given this will be our only big family trip this year, we might as well spend a few extra days. (last year we went to Japan and Alaska)

We visited Amsterdam, Hamburg, Malmo and Stockholm in September. We then took the train to Oslo, and onwards to Trondheim.

We were back to Norway for its beautiful fjords and cities in the central and western regions of Norway, which included Andalsnes, Geiranger, Alesund, Molde, Kristiansund, and Trondheim.

We then took a train back to Oslo from Trondheim and stayed three nights before flying off to visit Belgium.

I know you would prefer not to drive but by far the most scenic days we have had in Norway was driving some of the scenic routes. Search for Norway scenic drives. It’s easy to drive in Norway outside the cities as there is almost no traffic, the roads are excellent and there aren’t a lot of roads so difficult to get lost. You also have long days so can travel far if you wish. Our Norwegian friends turned us onto driving the country and I think they were right. The mini cruise out of Flam is easy and pleasant and easy to fit in even if you drive.

Here's an update: we booked our flights and we now have total of 14 days (12 full days) in Norway, flying into Oslo and out of Bergen. My husband said he's not opposed to driving but this itinerary below may not need any driving at all?

6/24 afternoon arrival in Oslo
6/25-6/27 3 full days in Oslo (4 nights total in Oslo)
6/28 train Oslo to Flam via Myrdal, overnight in Flam
6/29 Day in Flam for train museum, local hiking; afternoon ferry to Gudvangen, overnight in Gudvangen
6/30 all-day kayaking trip in Nćrřyfjord, overnight in Gudvangen
7/1 morning visit to Viking village; afternoon bus to Bergen (via Voss?)
7/2-7/6 5 full days in Bergen - hiking plus day trips such as
Mostraumen fjord cruise vs Hardanger Express ferry to Rosendal , biking to Grieg's museum, whole day trip to Folgefonna glacier
7/7 midday flight out of Bergen

yk I stayed a night in Flam, did the tour with the visitor center to the Stegastein viewpoint and also the waterfalls trail. You might find these information useful to you.

The days are very long in June, so you can eat and keep going in the evening

www.visitnorway.com

Hope this works

Thank you for the map photo, Cherthor!

I was reading ms_go 's TR from 2010 and now really want to visit Jostedalbreen national park and the Sognefjord area by car.

6/24 afternoon arrival in Oslo
6/25-6/26 2 full days in Oslo (3 nights total in Oslo)
6/27 train Oslo to Flam via Myrdal, overnight in Flam
6/28 Day in Flam for Stegastein, hiking; afternoon bus to Gudvangen, overnight in Gudvangen
6/29 all-day kayaking trip in Nćrřyfjord, overnight in Gudvangen
6/30 morning visit to Viking village; midday bus to Voss, pick up rental car in Voss and drive to Sognefjord area (which town? where to stay?)
7/1 glacier hike on Nigardsbreen glacier
7/2 drive around Sognefjord, return to Voss and train to Bergen
7/3-7/6 4 full days in Bergen

Q for Cherthor - did you book your train tickets Oslo to Flam on vy.no? was it difficult to get the tickets given NiN take up a lot of them? I don't think we will go as far north as you did this time, i suppose saving them for next time. Did you get around with a car this time or still with public transit?

Back to the drawing board again - with a car, I guess we don't need to pay $$$$$ to stay in Flĺm and/or Gudvangen

6/24 afternoon arrival to Oslo
6/25-6/27 3 days in Oslo
6/28 direct train Oslo to Voss (6 hrs), pick up rental car, drive to Sognefjord area. Stay in Solvorn (is this a good option?)
6/29 ferry trip to Urnes Stave Church, maybe kayaking or hiking (overnight Solvorn)
6/30 guided glacier hike @ Nigardsbreen (overnight Solvorn)
7/1 Drive to Flĺm - Stegastein View point, Flĺmsbana (no cruiseship day) , return to Voss, return car/ overnight Voss
7/2 Nordic ventures all-day kayak on Nćrřyfjord , overnight Voss
7/3 train to Bergen
7/4-7/6 3 full days in Bergen - fjord cruise (which one, Mostraumen or to Rosendal?), biking to Grieg museum, hiking etc
7/7 fly home

This way, our 13 nights will be:
4 nights in Oslo
3 nights in Solvorn (or somewhere along Sognefjord )
2 night in Voss
4 nights in Bergen

yk “ did you book your train tickets Oslo to Flam on vy.no? was it difficult to get the tickets given NiN take up a lot of them? I don't think we will go as far north as you did this time, i suppose saving them for next time. Did you get around with a car this time or still with public transit?”

You can book you tickets either with vy.no or Entur, but the June schedule is not out yet for train, only the bus schedule is available in both websites. For summer train tickets, you definitely need to book when the schedules are available.

The train tickets are only available till 3/29/2026 when I checked. You also need to book the ferry from Flam to Gudvangen as early as possible for summer months. It tends to fill up fast in summer season. I went in the off peak season so it was a lot easier to get the cruise tickets. The cruise tickets are not refundable but the train tickets are if you pay for the flexible rate.

For my second trip to Norway, I used the public transportation again. My husband enjoyed the trip more with no driving. We had a fantastic trip again in Norway using the public transit. I will try to do a report later.


VY

Entur

yk Good decision for you to drive than taking the public transit as it is more economical for three people. My daughter and her husband also rent a car when they visited Norway. They traveled in a faster pace and also covered more area in 10 days. Have a good trip in June!