Nordic Countries - Extra day in bergen or stopover on norway in a nutshell - itenerary help

I'm going to be in Bergen this August and am planning to use the norway in a nutshell itinerary to get to Oslo.

Tuesday - Arrive in Bergen around 2pm. Plan to use whats left of the day to explore. Would love suggestions for something to do in the late afternoon/evening.

Wednesday - Have all day in the city

Thursday - This is my main question - do I give myself one more day in Bergen (and what should I do with it) or do I hop on the norway in a nutshell tour and do a stopover in one of the cities along the way (and which would you recommend?)

Also - what are some suggestions for things to do in Bergen. Any chance of some nightlife on a Tuesday/Wednesday?

Finally - if anyone happens to live in the area - I'm totally open to a meet up.

Look forward to hearing from you all. Thanks!

please continue this thread in our Scandinavia forum :)

regards,

chrissxb
moderator
europe forum

I'm going to be in Bergen this August and am planning to use the norway in a nutshell itinerary to get to Oslo.

Tuesday - Arrive in Bergen around 2pm. Plan to use whats left of the day to explore. Would love suggestions for something to do in the late afternoon/evening.

Wednesday - Have all day in the city

Thursday - This is my main question - do I give myself one more day in Bergen (and what should I do with it) or do I hop on the norway in a nutshell tour and do a stopover in one of the cities along the way (and which would you recommend?)

Also - what are some suggestions for things to do in Bergen. Any chance of some nightlife on a Tuesday/Wednesday?

Finally - if anyone happens to live in the area - I'm totally open to a meet up.

Look forward to hearing from you all. Thanks!

I am assuming that you are asking for suggestions of things to do in the city proper as opposed to the nearby fjords [Hardangerfjord, Sognefjord, etc.], yes?

As to how to choose between an extra day in Bergen or more stops on the N.I.A.N.T. that would IMO have to be a coin toss. Totally different activities but both well worth the time.

Assuming you choose an extra day in the city, one can't go to Bergen without seeing the city from the top of the Floyen. Ideally I would suggest seeing the city and harbor from the Floyen in the morning, the late afternoon/early evening, and after dark. The quality of light is so different throughout the day that you can get three different experiences at the three different times.

If you can only do it once I would arrange the timing so you could take the funicular up and then walk down.

I would also consider walking the Bryggen wharf [and hanseatic "old town" area] in the late morning when the fresh fish market is up and running.

There are also several great Stave churches nearby

As a lover of "classical" music a visit to Troldhaugen, Edvard Greig's home and studio, was IMO compulsory and well worth the time as was the "touristy" but fun and relaxing harbor boat tour.

Add in the typical milling around and shopping, eating, etc. and that should more than fill your time in Bergen.

Those activities sound interesting. To me it sounds like it makes sense to stay an extra day in Bergen. What are some of the options if I wanted to do a stopover - what kind of activities/experiences are out there?

Those activities sound interesting. To me it sounds like it makes sense to stay an extra day in Bergen. What are some of the options if I wanted to do a stopover - what kind of activities/experiences are out there?

The N.I.A.N.T. stops [Voss, Myrdal, etc.] are pretty much all about "rural", scenic sightseeing; hiking, nature walks, fjord views, etc.

There are also a couple of nice Stave churches, a small museum in Flamsbana, etc.

Again, as to making a choice; there is "rural" scenic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v176/adlibera/Ger2a.jpg

and "urban" scenic.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v176/adlibera/bgo4-1.jpg

Gotcha. Ok you've sold me on Bergen. i think i'm going to stay in bergen that extra day. Much as I know I'm going to love the scenery along the NIN tour, I don't think I need to lap it up for more than an hour or two at a stop. It'll be much more relaxing to take it all the way through to Oslo and not deal with an extra hotel night along the way.

i keep hearing that i can just book my NIN trip when I get to Bergen. I'm hoping that there will be student discounts. Are there any risks to waiting till the day or two before my trip? Does it frequently sell out?

Also - how much trouble is it to have a rather large duffel bag with me. Im sure on the train its not a problem, but there are a lot of transfers (buses, ferries, etc) and i want to make sure I won't have any hassles with my bag.

thanks for your advice. happy 4th of july (if you're in the US!)

i keep hearing that i can just book my NIN trip when I get to Bergen. I'm hoping that there will be student discounts. Are there any risks to waiting till the day or two before my trip? Does it frequently sell out?

No!

You cannot just show up and buy a N.I.A.N.T. ticket. It MUST be reserved and purchased in advance.

Buy it before you leave the U.S. from the official N.I.A.N.T website.

Also, be aware that if you miss the first leg you cannot pick the tour up at another point and there are no refunds or credits to apply to a later tour.