One of the world’s most spectacular train trips takes less than seven hours
The journey
VY on the Bergen Line (Bergensbanen), travelling from Oslo to Bergen, Norway. One of the truly great (shorter) and most picturesque rail journeys of the world, encompassing everything from meadows to mountains and forests to fjords, the Bergensbanen, or Bergen Line, runs between Oslo and Bergen, Norway’s two biggest cities.
Through the mountains.Credit: iStock
Operated by VY (Vygruppen), the rebranded Norwegian State Railways, the trip takes as little as six and a half hours with the train doubling as both a regular passenger service and tourist train thanks to the spectacular Nordic scenery it traverses. Popular with passengers joining Baltic cruises in Bergen, this is Northern Europe’s loftiest railway line with the highest stop being at Finse, 1222 metres above sea level.
Even in the early northern summer this part of Norway can still be blanketed in snow and ice, ensuring a dramatic passage. Many holidaying Bergensbanen passengers alight further along the line, well before Bergen, at the mountain station at Myrdal to change to the steep and scenic Flam Railway tourist train down to the head of Aurlandsfjord.
Blanketing snow and ice makes for a dramatic journey.Credit: iStock
The class
Standard class. There are also six-seater compartments, suitable for groups, as well as a family-friendly carriage with its own playroom for kids.
Carbon emissions
The Bergensbanen is fully electrified with the total carbon emissions for this journey being one kilogram (flying, by comparison, would have resulted in 130 kilograms of emissions).
Boarding
Oslo’s Central Station is conveniently close to the modern and hotel-filled Barcode district, meaning most passengers can walk to the terminal for the seamless boarding process.
The seat
Perfectly comfortable, without being luxurious, and with plenty of legroom. The external side of the window next to my standard seat isn’t quite as clean as it could or should be, spoiling from-seat photography. There are also “Plus” carriages, for an additional charge, with more comfortable seats and headrests as well as other features.
This is a world-class rail journey.Credit: iStock
Baggage
Up to three pieces with a combined weight of 30 kilograms. Board sooner rather than later to secure the best space for your luggage in the racks at the end of your carriage.
Food + drink
The decent cafe car has a limited number of tables and can be a fine spot to linger while admiring the all-enveloping scenery (expect to be banished when the lunch rush beckons). Served aboard here is Norway’s own version of the universal hot dog with the sausage not inside the usual bread roll, but a potato-based flatbread.
One more thing
Overnighting or staying longer in Bergen, Norway’s second city after Oslo? Save dragging your luggage through Bergen’s cobbled streets with a stay at the historic Grand Hotel Terminus (grandterminus.no) next to the quaint Bergen Railway Station.
The price
From $294, a Scandinavian Pass via Rail Europe (raileurope.com) allows travellers unlimited rail travel through Norway as well as Sweden, Denmark and Finland. One-way ticket prices, which vary according to the departure time and journey duration, tend to average about $200.
The verdict
Fully justifying its reputation as a world-class railway journey, the picturesque Bergensbanen is a highly rewarding and sustainable way to travel between Oslo and Bergen and vice-versa.
Our rating out of five
★★★★½
The writer travelled courtesy of Rail Europe and Viking Cruises. See raileurope.com; vikingcruises.com.au; visitnorway.com
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