Oslo Bergen Railway Train Journey
A highlight of travel through Norway is the memorable and exhilarating journey on the famous Oslo to Bergen railway. The line is the main railway linking the west coast and the populated lowlands around the Oslo fjord. Built in extreme conditions between 1875 and 1909, the 496km rail line climbs to 1237 metres above sea level, and traverses 182 tunnels. On the top of the mountains you find Finse at 1,222 meters – the highest railway station in Europe. At Lærdal you also find the world’s longest rail tunnel.
Logistics of this train journey
This journey across the mountains takes 7 hours and runs all year, in all weather. Departing Oslo 4 – 5 times a day, the journey is a comfortable and very scenic way to travel between east and west in Norway. Upgrades to ‘Komfort’ class are available and include complimentary tea & coffee. As on all classic train journeys, local delicacies are served in the restaurant wagon, and in Norway that may mean reindeer stew or baked salmon. Free Wi-Fi is available on board, and conductors are there to assist with any queries you may have along the way.
Highlights of the Oslo to Bergen journey
The scenery between Oslo to Bergen is the absolute highlight, and we recommend that you undertake the journey in daylight hours. Leaving Oslo’s suburbs, the train travels gently through farmland with quaint colourful houses, before it slowly starts to climb into the mountains. Get ready to be dazzled by the passing landscape, with the most spectacular stretch being the one across Hardangervidda; Europe's highest mountain plateau. The train stops often along the way, and as the only efficient form of transport to reach the central Hardangervidda plateau, you often find adventurous trekkers and skiers among your fellow passengers.
'Norway in a Nutshell' section
The railway also functions as the gateway to the ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ experience. Upon reaching Myrdal, many passengers will hop off to join the Norway in a Nutshell excursion, which includes the Flåm Railway and a spectacular cruise on the Nærøyfjord in the inner reaches of the Sognefjord. At the ski resort of Voss other ‘nutshell’ travellers will re-join the Oslo to Bergen railway for the last stretch towards the west coast.
Before reaching its final destination at Bergen; ‘the gateway to the fjords’, the train descends into the valleys of western Norway with rich green farmland, flowing rivers, sheer gorges and the glassy Osterfjord.
50 Degrees North offers many different options including active, premium and winter versions of the Norway in a Nutshell tour that is built around this train trip and fjord cruises. See our complete list of Norwegian tours here.