Viking Midnight Sun - Anyone tried pre or post cruise Scenic Train Ride to/from Oslo?

I am considering Viking Midnight Sun Cruise with a pre- cruise taking a scenic train ride from Oslo to Bergen on my own. If anyone has taken the train ride, please share experience. I would also want to know how easy it is to purchase train tickets. How far in advance should I purchase?

 

Thank you for help.

I would also want to know how easy it is to purchase train tickets. How far in advance should I purchase?

 

We will be taking this train after our Homeland cruise in a few weeks, so I can't tell you much about the ride. We bought our tickets online a little less than 3 months in advance because we could buy the nonrefundable cheaper fare before they sold out. It was pretty easy to use the NSB website to buy the tickets and we also had our pick of seats. They emailed the tickets to us to print out or save on our smartphone.

Appreciate the great info, MightyDin. Please let us know how your train ride goes when you return.

Appreciate the great info, MightyDin. Please let us know how your train ride goes when you return.

 

Check out the 2017 roll calls for this itinerary as there was a lot of discussion about the train, including some helpful hints. Star, Sea and Sky each did it twice.

Check out the 2017 roll calls for this itinerary as there was a lot of discussion about the train, including some helpful hints. Star, Sea and Sky each did it twice.

Thanks, Peregrina651,

I shall check out the 2017 roll calls.

 

If someone else has more tips, please share.

The senior rate (half the regular fare) is the best deal, if you qualify. I believe the age is 60-65. Since it is half off the normal rate, no need to book far in advance.

 

For 90 NOK additional you can book a higher class, which means free coffee and perhaps slightly better seats. I have heard it is worth it.

The senior rate (half the regular fare) is the best deal, if you qualify. I believe the age is 60-65. Since it is half off the normal rate, no need to book far in advance.

 

For 90 NOK additional you can book a higher class, which means free coffee and perhaps slightly better seats. I have heard it is worth it.

I got excited about the senior rate, if all you have to be is 60, as I will have just turned 60 before our cruise. Unfortunately, according to the NSB website, you must be over 67.

 

For the OP, you might find the thread Norway in a Nutshell helpful. We are also considering this train ride pre-cruise next summer. I have also found this thread to be useful, especially if you will be spending a little time in Oslo: Can Help with Q for Oslo if someone needs it.

We did the Oslo to Bergen train in June of this year as part of our Midnight Sun cruise, and it was spectacular. We bought our tickets online 90 days before the train ride-was easy to do by using PayPal because we had a problem using our credit card and were advised to use PayPal by NSB. We had a porter service pick up our luggage so we would not have to worry about that-they picked it up at 7am at our hotel, and it was delivered to our hotel in Bergen by 4pm on the same day, and it was very reasonably priced. We did the train ride the day before we were to board the ship. All in all, it was a highlight of the trip.

We did the Oslo to Bergen train in June of this year as part of our Midnight Sun cruise, and it was spectacular. We bought our tickets online 90 days before the train ride-was easy to do by using PayPal because we had a problem using our credit card and were advised to use PayPal by NSB. We had a porter service pick up our luggage so we would not have to worry about that-they picked it up at 7am at our hotel, and it was delivered to our hotel in Bergen by 4pm on the same day, and it was very reasonably priced. We did the train ride the day before we were to board the ship. All in all, it was a highlight of the trip.

 

Since I was in the Viking Homelands cruise with you and we did Flam, it might be mentioned that you can do that extension and maybe overnight there or you can also take cruise from there to Bergen. My understanding is the best part of the trip is from Oslo to Voss. From experience, I can tell you from Voss to Bergen is a lot of tunnels. We did RT/NIAN from Bergen after the cruise.

I am considering Viking Midnight Sun Cruise with a pre- cruise taking a scenic train ride from Oslo to Bergen on my own. If anyone has taken the train ride, please share experience. I would also want to know how easy it is to purchase train tickets. How far in advance should I purchase?

 

Thank you for help.

We were on Viking Star (Viking Homelands) trip from Stockholm to Bergen. We spent 2 extra days in Bergen on our own and took the Sognefjord in a Nutshell trip - this was absolutely spectacular!!! Then we took the train from Bergen to Oslo. It is a beautiful train ride, and it was easy to reserve on the NSB website. We booked Komfort Class and we were very happy that we did so; it is worth every penny for Komfort Class - the other cars were crowded and the seating was not nearly as good. As another person mentioned, we had Porter Service pick up our two large suitcases from our hotel in Bergen at 6:45 a.m. so that we could board the train with only two small carry-on bags; this made the trip more comfortable. And if you are arriving in Oslo on your own (without Viking transfer), by all means use Flytoget from Oslo Airport to Oslo Central Train Station. It was $11.50 per person for senior fare and it is the fastest way to get from the airport to the city or the opposite. Have a wonderful trip.

Wow! So many great suggestions and tips. Naturally, I was busy doing online search by following your leads.

 

Mpfund, doglover3, and luvnps, thanks for the tip about paying 90 NOK for the comfortable, higher class seats.

 

Doglover3, thanks for the helpful links about "Norway in a Nutshell" and "Help with Q for Oslo".

 

Gigiandbaba and luvnps, thanks for the tip about using porter serve for luggage. Question is where to book for this service?

 

dauntless,thanksforsuggestionaboutovernight stay in Flam to break up a long day of riding bus, train, and boat.

 

Luvnps, thank for the tip about Flytoget train to and from oslo airport.

 

Now, I have a pretty good idea about what I can and and want to do my post cruise excursion. My first choice is do a one-way Norway in a Nutshell tour from Bergen to Voss, Gudvangen, Flam, Myrdal, Oslo train/bus/cruise trip, with an overnight stay in Flam, where my husband and I can take a 2-hr fjordsafari.

 

I know how to book the one way Norway in a Nutshell via nsb.no website, but it does not allow me to include an overnight stay. I would like to book fjord safari and Flam hotel on my own. Is there a way to book the public transportation on my own? Do I need to book individual segments or subsets of segments separately?

 

Worst case is do the one day, one-way Norway in a nutshell without stoppingin Flam.

Wow! So many great suggestions and tips. Naturally, I was busy doing online search by following your leads.

 

Mpfund, doglover3, and luvnps, thanks for the tip about paying 90 NOK for the comfortable, higher class seats.

 

Doglover3, thanks for the helpful links about "Norway in a Nutshell" and "Help with Q for Oslo".

 

Gigiandbaba and luvnps, thanks for the tip about using porter serve for luggage. Question is where to book for this service?

 

dauntless,thanksforsuggestionaboutovernight stay in Flam to break up a long day of riding bus, train, and boat.

 

Luvnps, thank for the tip about Flytoget train to and from oslo airport.

 

Now, I have a pretty good idea about what I can and and want to do my post cruise excursion. My first choice is do a one-way Norway in a Nutshell tour from Bergen to Voss, Gudvangen, Flam, Myrdal, Oslo train/bus/cruise trip, with an overnight stay in Flam, where my husband and I can take a 2-hr fjordsafari.

 

I know how to book the one way Norway in a Nutshell via nsb.no website, but it does not allow me to include an overnight stay. I would like to book fjord safari and Flam hotel on my own. Is there a way to book the public transportation on my own? Do I need to book individual segments or subsets of segments separately?

 

Worst case is do the one day, one-way Norway in a nutshell without stoppingin Flam.

 

Check with Norway Active. That's who I used and the Safari was included along with the trip to Flam but ours was round trip from Bergen. They might have something to fit your desires or be able to point you in the right direction.

Thanks, Dauntless. I shall check Norway Active later.

 

Just checked fjordtours dot com. Looks like I can get flexible schedule to include an overnight stay in Flam and book Hertiage fjordsafari (three time choices available) from them. Once I select the tour time/date, the rest of the travel schedule automatically gets updated to ensure a seamless journey (quite cool). The only disadvantage is that they do not allow me to upgrade to comfort seats. The train rides are fairly long, so it is important to have the option of upgrading seats. I need to check Norway Active to see if I have the option.

 

A question about luggage transfer - does nsb.no offer free luggage transfer if I buy a one-day, one-way ticket from Bergen to Oslo? The cost is only 500 NOK for two pieces of luggage (no showstopper), but it is good to know.

Update - have decided to book the one-day, one-way Norway In a Nutshell through Nsb.no, for a simpler and more straightforward booking arrangement. The muti stops and mix of transport (train, bus, and cruise) may help make the 14-hour trip less tiring than a straight-through, 7-hr train ride from Bergen to Oslo. In addition, the ability to upgrade to Komfort seating (although only available for the last 4.7-hr train ride) is a plus for me. Will use porterservice.no for luggage transfer. By skipping Flam, I can add the extra day to my stay in either Bergen or Oslo.

Thank you all for help.

I had not seen all of these comments and had one frustrating time trying to book tickets on nsb.no- would not take the credit card. Called my bank, did everything. Finally called our travel agent and she sent me to RailEurope where I ended up spending much more on their fees and such. Couldn't choose seats, either, which can be done on nsb site. Checking to see if I can cancel purchase thru RailEurope.

I had not seen all of these comments and had one frustrating time trying to book tickets on nsb.no- would not take the credit card. Called my bank, did everything. Finally called our travel agent and she sent me to RailEurope where I ended up spending much more on their fees and such. Couldn't choose seats, either, which can be done on nsb site. Checking to see if I can cancel purchase thru RailEurope.

Per Gigiandbaba (see post #8 above), you can pay using PayPal. They also had trouble paying by credit card, but succeeded to purchase tickets using PayPal (per nsb.no recommendation). Please let me know if you are successful. Cannot book mine yet, as the schedule is not yet available for my travel dates. It would be nice to know for sure that we can use Paypal.

You can also email nsb.no for help. I sent them an email about luggage transfer, and they responded the next day.

Hope you can cancel your RailEurope tickets, because nsb.no tickets are not refundable.

I had the same problem trying to book rail tickets from Bergen to Oslo. I ended up using RailNinja; I was able to select Komfort seating and even choose our seats. I'm sure it costs more since this is a third party, but I was willing to do that. You may want to compare prices. It did work perfectly. I printed the ticket which was emailed to me by RailNinja, and I showed it to the conductor on the train and that was all I needed to do.

Based on the earlier comments, I contacted my travel agent who was able to cancel the RailEurope reservation. Then went to the nsb site and went thru the process and used PayPal and had no trouble! Thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

 

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Based on the earlier comments, I contacted my travel agent who was able to cancel the RailEurope reservation. Then went to the nsb site and went thru the process and used PayPal and had no trouble! Thanks to everyone for the advice.

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Thanks for update. Glad that things worked out for you. I love happy endings.

 

Everyone has been so helpful. Let me share pricing information, so others can benefit. All prices are per person based on 8/28/17 travel, booked on 8/9/17.

I) train from Bergen to Oslo, no stops in between

Nsb.no: 950 NOK or about $120 USD. Add 90 NOK for comfort seating. Total 1040 NOK or $130 USD.

Rail.ninja: $192 USD total for comfort seating train ride. No options for Norway in a Nutshell.

 

II) Norway in a Nutshell, one way from Bergen to Voss to Dudrvangen to Flam to Myrdal to Oslo (combination of rail, bus and hydrofoil cruise of inner fjords)

Nsb.no: 2190 NOK + 220 NOK for comfort seating (last 5-hr rail segment only) = $330 USD

http://Www.fjordtours.com: same price of 2190 NOK without comfort seating option. One can request comfort seating in comment section, but there is no guarantee.

One can easily add extras such as hotel and various activities. I checked pricing of Heritage fjordsafari, and found it same as booking directly from the fjordsafari vendor. There are other route options including round trips from Bergen, Oslo, and other places.

Norway Active offers only round trip (one day or multiday trips), but no one way trips.

One other piece of information on pricing of the train tickets: if one passenger qualifies for the senior discount, the second passenger will receive the discount and does not need to be the "senior" age. I'm not sure this would work with a senior and a child, but the age is not asked of either passenger in advance.