CaptainMiles

Forget trying to understand why NIAN does what it does. If they sell you with the 6:25 departure and the 8:25 is available, just buy it from NIAN for the 6:25 and when they issue the tickets go to NSB and change your ticket to the 8:25. NIAN will never know or care that you changed your NSB ticket.

Of course one risk is that the 8:25 may sell out in the interim, and you end up stuck with the 6:25.

Another risk is that you do change but then the train will be late and you misconnect to the boat, and in that case NIAN won't be able to help you.

craz

Thx for all your insights.

I guess if the 8:25 doesnt become available via NIAN I will just go with the 6:25 and spend some extra time in Flam

HkCaGu

Should I do Bergen-Oslo in one day or two days? How scenic is Myrdal-Oslo?

The Myrdal-Oslo train will be 1754-2235. My date is Aug 31, sunset Bergen/Oslo will be 2045/2019, so he last two hours of this ride will be in the dark. Should I stay overnight in Flam and catch the scenery on the 0952-1445 train the next morning?

ksu

It will not be that dark.

I would not stay overnight for those two hours. The train is well past the really scenic part by then. The mountainous part of the journey traditionally starts/ends at Ål and you leave there at 19.18. The remaining journey is not uninteresting, but more low hills, rivers/lakes and forests.

As for the 3PM boat. The reason that NIAN might show availability is that NIAN might have a reserved ticket allocation.

craz

Which I assumed but dont understand why they dont reply to my emails, if they will sell me 1 tkt in conjunction with the 8:25am train. Unless they also have a bunch of their allocation for the 6:25am unsold and want to cut their losses before selling anything else

Unfortunaely it looks more and more likely I will be stuck with the 6:25 train

CaptainMiles

Have you tried calling them at +47 81568222? They are very helpful on the phone, and you may be able to get them to issue you the 8:25 departure, or at least understand why they won't.

craz

Nope as I have no plan etc that has Intl calling when not calling a US #. And Im afraid of the cost as if I cant get them to reply to any emails Ive sent I can forsee a very long phone call, and not sure I will gain anything from it

CaptainMiles

(facepalm)

Enjoy your 6:25 train then.

craz

Well they finally replied:



Hello,

I’m sorry but we can only offer you the trips/schedules you can see available in our booking.



Vennlig hilsen / Best regards
Merethe xxxxxxxxx
Booking

Tel + 47 55 55 76 68
cid:[email protected]

Møllendalsveien 1A,
N 5009 Bergen, NORWAY
+47 55 55 76 60
www.fjordtours.com




I found checking a bunch of different dates that the 3pm is soldout most days, yet I found it still offered but not in conjunction with the 8:25am train

craz

Since Im taking care of a family member who is an outpatient 3x a week at a hospital, I couldnt purchase the NIAN till I spoke with their doc if they can miss 2 treatments back-to-back. Being the doc was away on vacation I had to wait till he got back (last Weds) and got the OK , no problem from him.

So with just over 2 weeks to go to the date I wanted to do NIAN and checking everyday and seeing I could purchase 10 tkts directly from NIAN I figured theres nothing to sweat over. Wrong!

Turns out when I went to purchase the tkt last thurs , NIAN showed it was soldout. Checking purchasing the tkts on my own , turned out to be a problem since Im US based. Any tkt purchased on the NSB site (train to/from Oslo or Bergen) can only be purchased with a CC that has 3D Secure (seems no US CCs have this = they wont sell you a tkt) Work around is either via Paypal (+3% Forex) or if you have a friend outside of the US,Canada or Australia. In the end I got the last reg tkt only Komfort left for 90Nok extra and I had to call Norway since it turns out I wasnt able to pick a seat and was assigned a non-window rear facing seat

So those thinking of doing this if US or Canada based make sure you have a Paypal acct otherwise you wont be able to purchase the train or boat tkts. Dont wait till you get there during peak season as you just find yourself spending alot of time in Oslo (the day before Im doing the tour have been soldout for weeks). This is starting from Oslo

If doing it on your own remember to have ca$h for the bus from Gudvangen to Voss. The only tkt I was able to purcahse using a US CC was the bus from Bergen to the airport(BGO) its 15 nok more if purchased on the bus and all you have to do is commit to the day not the time you want to go

Sorry dont know if the NIAN site will take US CCs if purchasing via them

CaptainMiles

FWIW, I was able to purchase train tickets direct from NSB's web site, from the US, using a US-credit card (US Bank card, if it matters). I also used a US Chase card at NSB machines in Norway with no problems.

craz

1- I wouldnt expect any problems using a chip card when there, only a good chance that you wont beable to use it since there wont be anything available for sale. Im doing it on a Weds and Tues has been soldout for weeks and now Weds is only left with komfort seats and very few at that. So waiting till you get over there may end up with spending loads of time everywhere but on the NIAN @ least departing from Oslo, didnt check what the case is departing from Bergen

2- when I tried using a US Visa and MC from the likes of Chase,Citi, Barclays I was shut down. And NSB has a note by the MC choice saying 3D Secure. I further called both the banks and Visa and MC and was told all 3 banks as of Fri were not participating in 3D Secure = cant use any CC from those banks for a NSB or Boat tkt. Could be US bank has 3D Secure or that you purchased your tkt before they changed to demanding the CC be 3D Secure

CaptainMiles

They had 3D Secure in place when I purchased, late June 2016. And I stand corrected, it was not a US Bank card, I used a Chase VISA.

3D Secure is what is branded in the US as "Verified by Visa" or "MasterCard SecureCode" [Wikipedia ref or NSB ref]. If you ask your US-based bank if they participate in 3D Secure they will have no idea. Ask about "verified by Visa" and they will. What helps you get through these systems is to log in to your US online account in advance. Do this:
1. Log in to your Chase (or whatever bank) account
2. Open another window or tab in the same browser (do not use private browsing, and do not close your other window)
3. In the new window, go to nsb.no and purchase the ticket. Verified by Visa / MasterCard SecureCode will kick in and will likely resolve favorably. If it prompts you for additional info, just follow along.

craz

I wanted to use my Arrival (Barclays) to offset the charge using my pts. Anyway after I tried and called Barclays and they removed the fraud alert,I tried again but to no avail . As you correctly stated they had no idea what 3D was and suggested I call Mastercard themselves. I did and MC checked and told me that Citi,Barclays,and Chase (all the issuers of my MC cards) do not participate in the 3D Secure thing

I did try 1 of my Chase Visas w/o doing as you suggested above but merely filling in the info and it was declined by NSB. Paypal was gonna charge me close to 5% so I went with my friends Visa which is a non-US issued card

craz

I will be in Norway for 3 nights. Oslo city night 1, Bergen and then @ OSL. Im staying at the PI on my last night and emailed them asking if I could drop off a bag I dont need when I arrive and retrive it when I check in 3 days later. As I need the clothes+ in it for the weekend elsewhere

The PI replied back many folks doing the NIAN do exactly that and they make accommodations so that you wont have to drag what you dont need all around with you. Thats if like me you will be an actual guest and staying there. fwiw Im on a points stay