Bergen Archives - Rebel Flying

Trip review – Norway in a Nutshell Tour

21 July 2022
by thebouncer

On July 1 of this year, I took the spectacular one-day Norway in a Nutshell tour, including a fjord cruise and a trip on the world famous Flåm Railway.

Moving on from the charming coastal city of Bergen back to Oslo, I investigated several ways to travel between the two cities.

The obvious would be a flight at a cost of around €200 one way or a direct train for around €150.

In comparison with these options, the one way Norway in a Nutshell tour seemed to be an intriguing option at around €250. It turned out to be a good choice.

I started the day by dropping my luggage at the front desk of the Hotel Oleana to be collected at 06:30 and delivered to my hotel in Oslo. At around €30, this option saved a lot of hassle and I would highly recommend taking it.

The tour started with an hour’s train journey from Bergen to Voss and continued by bus to Gudvangen with a short break at the scenic Stalheim Hotel.

The next stage of the tour was a relaxing two-hour cruise along the picturesque Sognefjord from Gudvangen to Flåm, before joining the world famous Flåm Railway for a spectacular one-hour climb to Myrdal.

This was really the end of the scenic part of the day and it was time to settle back for the 5-hour train connection to Oslo.

One tip I can share is that, although there is officially no first class on these trains, some carriages are configured in the old first class layout and are decidedly more comfortable than the standard seats. There is no extra cost to reserve a seat in these carriages.

With a scheduled 20:45 arrival in Oslo, which turned out to be around 21:30 after a few delays, I decided to eat my evening meal on the train. The food on board is expensive and honestly nothing special, but it was worth it for the convenience. This little feast was mine for around €30.

On arrival in Oslo, I transferred to the Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret a few minutes walk from Oslo Central station, to find that my luggage was waiting for me at reception.

In summary, I would say that the Norway in a Nutshell tour is an excellent option for travelling between Bergen and Oslo. It is a long day, but very much worthwhile and the price of the tour is not much more than the basic direct options for travel.

Hotel review – Hotel Oleana, Bergen

My base for my 3 nights in Bergen was the Hotel Oleana, a centrally located boutique hotel, a 10 minute walk or 2 minute tram ride from the central railway station.

After a quick and efficient check in, I found my room along corridors decorated with colourful images of characters in various stages of undress and opened my door to find my room (or possibly boudoir).

Feeling rather relieved not to find a mirror stuck to the ceiling, I slept very well on the comfortable bed, aided by the efficient air conditioning. The shower overlooks the rest of the room of course, but this was not an issue for a single traveller and it was hot and refreshing.

There was a minibar, but the price list convinced me to head out for a couple of beers instead.

Breakfast was delicious, with a good range of hot items (actually served hot), smoked salmon, nice cheeses and pastries and good, fresh coffee.

On the morning of my departure, my luggage was stored and sent with a courier to my next hotel in Oslo, while I headed off on the Norway in a Nutshell tour.

I must admit that when I first arrived at this property, the gaudy decor was a little off-putting and I assumed that this was going to be just another “boutique” hotel that places style over substance.

I was wrong. This place has style and substance. It is a comfortable, efficient and thoroughly well run property, which grew on me considerably over the course of my three day stay.

Never judge a book by its cover.

Destination guide – Bergen, Norway

After my sojourn in Tromsø, I headed down to Bergen on Norway’s west coast to take advantage of the continued warm Summer weather. Here is my brief Bergen destination guide.

Bergen, known as the Gateway to the Fjords, is an engaging port city renowned for its sublime scenery and tasty seafood.

I started with a trip up the Fløyen on the funicular railway, which ascends a total of 320m in around 6 minutes. Departures are more or less continual during busy times.

Of course nobody can go to Bergen without getting out on the water and seeing some of the Fjords, so I headed out on a 3-hour cruise on board a comfortable catamaran, which was expensive at 740NOK (£62/€72/$74), but well worth every penny.

If you want to see the true essence of this part of Norway, this is the way to do it. The cruise heads out towards Mostraumen, passing lush, verdant hills and charming fishing villages.

I rounded off the trip with a stroll around the city’s pleasant parks and gardens and a taste of some of the famous seafood at the famous fish market.

I am very glad I had the chance to visit this appealing city. It is truly one if the highlights of Norway and I would highly recommend spending a few days here. If you do come I hope this Bergen destination guide has been useful and don’t forget to post in the forums!

Flight review – Widerøe Tromsø – Bergen

Following Tromsø, my next destination was Bergen, necessitating another flight.

The only direct flight between Tromsø and Bergen is operated by Widerøe, an airline I had never flown before.

Other options are Norwegian and SAS, but bot require at least one change if flight in Oslo.

With this in mind, I decided to give Widerøe a go.

The ground experience is very basic, with self service bag drop and no security fast track or lounge.

The on board experience is also basic, but no more so than economy class on just about any other carrier operating within Europe.

At an even six feet, I found the 29-inch seat pitch rather tight.

A buy-on-board menu is offered, although this short 10:35am flight was a little too soon after breakfast and not quite beer o’clock, so I settled for the complimentary coffee.

Overall, this experience was comparable to the better low cost airlines in Europe, such as easyJet. Given the convenience of the direct flight I was satisfied with the experience, although at around £225 or $270 it was rather pricey for what it was.