Train or Plane
 

I'm flying into Bergen and plan to do the NIAN tour the next day as a one-day roundtrip, then stay overnight in Bergen so I can spend some time in the city the next day before heading to Oslo that evening either by train or plane.

I still like the idea of the train even though I'd have just finished the NIAN and its not a short ride, but would flying be the better option? It's an award ticket, so I should be able to get the flight gratis, if the times work out okay.

The scenery on the train is fantastic (even if you just did Norway in a Nutshell, which covers the western portion of the rail trip). Also, if you take the train, you go from city center to city center. The downside is that the train will probably take between 6.5 and 7.5 hours. I'm not sure how many runs there are each day between Bergen and Oslo, but I would guess 4 or 5.

By contrast, the flight, which SK offers about hourly, is less than an hour. The view of Norway's "spine" from the air is interesting, but certainly not the same as seeing it from the train. (Note that SASBrathens is a "discount" carrier intra-Norway, and you'll pay if you want anything other than water to drink.) Bergen's airport is reasonably close to the city center, but Oslo's is not. And it is fairly expensive to get between OSL and downtown (if I remember correctly, it's about USD $27 one way on the train for a 22 minute ride). I don't know how much time you have for Oslo, or whether you've been there before, but for a smallish capital city, there's quite a bit to do.

I'm giving Oslo a day and a half on the other end of the trip. The real question is train during the evening (so some light, but not for the whole trip) or just take the flight.

I'm looking forward to NIAN, the pictures looks incredible.

There are five trains a day from Bergen to Oslo. If you want to spend the day in Bergen then your choice is between a 4pm train and the overnight train which leaves at 11pm. I used the overnight train a couple of years ago because I wanted to maximise time in Bergen (and having travelled up by train I had already seen all the pretty views), but if you want to enjoy the scenery then obviously the earlier train is the one to go for.

As for transport between OSL and Oslo town centre, should you decide to fly: As mentioned before the dedicated airport train is quite expensive, but you can also take an ordinary train (which takes a bit longer because it stops in several places). You can also take an express bus into town.

To & from the OSL airport travel options: http://www.toandfromtheairport.com/oslo.html

The train!!

Thanks!! One more question - Should I buy the ticket in advance (internet) or do it once I'm in town?

Unless a youth/student, I'd recommend buying the tickets for trains in Scandinavia in advance.

Amen! I love the Scandinavian train system.

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.]

No.

Thanks. www.nsb.no seems to be a bit glitchy in its English version, in that it can spit back some Norwegian responses on the English part of the site for certain attempted bookings.

For example not everyone is going to translate: "- Toget har allerede gått" into train has already left. :D

www.nsb.no is somewhat indecipherable even for native Norwegian speakers, as NSB is a prime example of continous corporate rebranding and was an early proponent of Newspeak:customer instead of passenger, product instead of train, which sounds pretty common in English, but which sounds ugly in Norwegian.

But the main point still is: whatever reductions and reduced fares you might find, the chance of finding cheaper tickets is invariably easier early!

Does www.nsb.no or any regional transport companies offer unlimited ride passes (perhaps a seasonal, off-peak pass like during the summer)?