Originally Posted by ksu
If you know in advance which train you will be taking, an advance ticket with a seat reservation will never be more expensive than a walk-on fare. The Minipris is usually the best deal on offer. Consider an upgrade to NSB Komfort, the former 1. class. The seats are the same, but coffee and tea are free, and it is quieter (fewer kids). The supplement is less than 10USD.
I am curious about one thing. Does Norway do like Sweden, where youth/students (under 26 or 27) and pensioners/retirees (senior citizens) get access to cheaper "last minute" tickets whose prices are not available if reserved a month in advance?
I ask because for that (student/youth/senior citizen) segment of the traveling public in Sweden, a ticket in advance will always be cheaper than a walk-up fare, but a ticket bought 2 weeks in advance will often be more expensive than a ticket bought say 23 hours before the train. ("Sista Minuten" fares in Sweden become available 24 hours before train departure and are deeply discounted.) [Going this route in Sweden is not for everyone and can be quite the gamble and could mean either no seats available or having no assigned seat.]