The Bergen Railway: Norway's Bergensbanen, planned right

Updated June 2026

Short answer: the Bergen Railway is an ordinary seven-hour scheduled train between Oslo and Bergen that happens to be one of Europe's great rides, crossing the arctic-feeling Hardangervidda plateau. Take a daytime departure (never the night train), book a cheap advance "minipris" fare early, and grab a window seat. With a spare day, break at Myrdal for the steep Flåm Railway and a fjord cruise. Give Bergen a night at the end.

The Bergen Railway runs Oslo to Bergen (or the reverse) in about seven hours, climbing across the roof of Norway to cross the Hardangervidda — the largest mountain plateau in Europe — and topping out at Finse, 1,222m above sea level, the highest mainline station in Northern Europe. It's an ordinary scheduled train, not a tourist special, so it's bookable, affordable and runs several times a day. You take it for the same reason you'd take any of the great lines: to sit by the glass and watch the landscape change from city to forest to bare arctic tundra to fjord.

Here's how to plan it so you get the most out of one of the most spectacular train rides in Europe.

What you'll see

The journey is a clean arc through every Norwegian landscape in turn. Out of Oslo you climb through farmland and pine forest, then up alongside lakes and ski country around Geilo. Past there the trees thin and vanish: the train crosses the open, treeless Hardangervidda plateau, a stark white-and-grey wilderness of snow patches, frozen lakes and reindeer that feels genuinely arctic even in summer. Finse, the high point, sits in this stretch and is often snow-bound well into the year. Then the descent — the line drops down through the wild Flåm valley country toward the western fjords and runs the last stretch into Bergen through green, steep-sided valleys. The contrast between the bleak plateau and the lush fjord descent, all in one afternoon, is the whole point.

Which direction, and where should you sit?

Both directions show you everything, so don't agonise. That said:

• Oslo → Bergen is the classic build: you climb gradually to the dramatic plateau, then descend toward the fjords and finish in Bergen — a natural crescendo that ends at the coast.
• Seat side matters less than you'd think on this route, because the best scenery (the plateau) opens out on both sides. If you want a rule: heading Oslo→Bergen, the right-hand side has a slight edge for the lake and valley stretches, but you'll be crossing to whichever window something appears at regardless.
• Go for a window seat and a quiet carriage. Reserve early enough to choose your seat rather than take what's left.

The detour worth making: Flåm and the fjords

The single best thing you can do with the Bergen Railway is break the journey at Myrdal and ride down the Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) — one of the steepest standard-gauge lines in the world, dropping nearly 900m in 20km of tight curves, waterfalls and a famous photo stop at the Kjosfossen falls. From Flåm at the bottom you're on the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the vast Sognefjord, where you can take a fjord cruise through the narrow Nærøyfjord (a UNESCO World Heritage site) before rejoining the trains. This loop — Oslo, train to Myrdal, Flåmsbana down, fjord cruise, then onward to Bergen by bus and boat or back up to the main line — is sold as a packaged route under the name "Norway in a Nutshell," but you can also just buy the legs yourself and go at your own pace. If you only have one day, the Bergen Railway alone delivers; if you have two, add the Flåm detour and you've seen the best of fjord Norway.

The two ends are worth your time

It's tempting to treat the line as a transit between airports, but both bookends reward a stop. Oslo is an easy, walkable capital — the waterfront, the opera house you can climb, and a clutch of strong museums — and Oslo Central station sits right in the middle of it, so you can step off a flight and onto the train with no faff. Bergen, at the western end, is the prize: a compact harbour city ringed by seven hills, with the colourful wooden Bryggen wharf (a UNESCO site), a lively fish market, and two mountain rides — a funicular and a cable car — up the surrounding peaks for views over the fjord. Bergen is also the natural launch point for the bigger Norwegian fjords and the coastal ferries north, so it's a fine place to either end a rail trip or begin a longer one. Give it a night at minimum; two if you can.

Tickets: book early, it pays

• Tickets are sold by the national operator and released a few months ahead. Like flights, they're priced dynamically — the cheapest "minipris" fares are limited and go first, so booking early can roughly halve the cost.
• Unlike the Glacier Express, the Bergen Railway is a normal intercity service and does not require a separate compulsory reservation in the same way — but a cheap advance ticket includes a specific seat, and on busy departures you want one. If you're travelling on an Interrail or Eurail pass, the line is covered, though seat reservations are optional-but-wise in summer.
• The Flåm Railway is a separate ticket and very popular; book that leg ahead too in high season.

When should you go?

• Summer (June–August): long daylight, green fjord valleys, snow still lying on the plateau, and the fjord cruises in full swing. Busiest and priciest — book well ahead.
• Autumn (September–October): golden birch in the valleys, fewer crowds, and the plateau turning wintry. A lovely, quieter window.
• Winter: the plateau becomes a true snowscape and the train ploughs through deep white — Finse in winter is otherworldly. Days are short, so aim for a daylight departure to actually see it.

There's no wrong season; the plateau simply looks like a different planet in each one.

Honest tips

• Take a daytime train, not the night train. There is an overnight service, but sleeping through this route wastes the entire reason to take it. If night trains are your thing, save them for a route designed around the night — our guide to Europe's best sleeper trains covers where they shine.
• There's a buffet car, but bring a flask and a snack anyway — the views are best enjoyed without leaving your seat, and prices onboard are Norwegian.
• Dress in layers even in July. You can step off at Finse into snow and wind; the plateau is genuinely cold and the weather turns fast.
• Don't try to do Oslo–Bergen–fjords–back in a single day. Give Bergen a night at least — its colourful Bryggen wharf and the mountain funiculars deserve it — and the fjord detour a day of its own.
• Check the daylight before you book a winter departure. Norway's winter days are short, and the plateau is the part you don't want to cross in the dark. Aim to be at Finse in daylight, and you'll get the snowscape rather than your own reflection in the glass.
• Sit near a door for the photo stops. Some travellers hop off briefly at the high stations like Finse or at Myrdal for the change — being close to a door means you're first out and back without clambering over bags.
• Book your flights into Oslo and out of Bergen (or vice versa) so you don't backtrack and can ride the line as a one-way arc rather than doubling back.

Buy the cheap advance fare, take a daytime departure, and let Norway's mountains and fjords do the rest. It's a scheduled train that happens to be one of the world's great rides.

Related guides

• Europe's best sleeper trains: the network, the routes, and how to ride it right
• Interrail vs Eurail: which pass, and is it actually worth it?
• First class vs second class on scenic trains: when it's worth it

Next steps: build the Bergensbanen into a wider rail trip — check whether a pass covers it in Interrail vs Eurail, decide if the "Komfort" upgrade is worth it in first class vs second class, and compare it with the Alpine Glacier Express. When you’re ready to make it real, sketch it in our scenic rail trip planner and see what to book before you go (and what to skip).