Oslo / Bergen in January - seeking advice

Hi all!

We are scheduled for the Jan 2019 Viking Ocean Cruise "In Search of the Northern Lights" and I was hoping for some guidance before making some final decisions.

The cruise begins in Bergen and we are wondering if we should do the 2-day pre-trip extension in Oslo. We have never been to Norway, but knowing it's the middle of winter we are expecting extreme weather.

We fly out of Charlotte, so we shouldn't have much trouble as far as winter weather - other than a random snow/ice storm, it's pretty tame here - but wondering how likely is it that we'll encounter issues getting into Bergen in late January?

Also, is it worth going in 2 days early for Oslo, or would the weather likely be prohibitive to getting out and doing anything?

Thanks!

You need to fly into Norway some days before your cruise - flights might be delayed due to bad weather conditions and you might miss your cruise - the weather might be nice and calm compared with the weather you might experience at your sea adventure and when visiting Alta!

Neither Oslo or Bergen are 'that cold' - can vary of course. In general Bergen is not that cold due to the Golf Stream.

I would spend few days in Oslo and then take the train from Oslo to Bergen one or two days prior to your cruise - very nice train journey. Bergen is also very nice

I'm doing a Northern Light Cruise out of Bergen in January 2019 as well (Hurtigruten) with some pre-cruise days in Bergen.

January cold actually isn’t as bad as you might think. Even if its down around -10°C, there’s usually very little wind, so the wind chill isn’t a factor. It makes a huge difference!

However, if you have any mobility issues, be aware that the sidewalks aren’t cleared, and not all of them are heated. If there is snow on the ground, it can be uneven in some places, and others might be quite slick.

Daylight hours are still short, but there are still plenty of things to do in town, and if it has snowed, places like Vigelands Park and the Folk Museum are especially charming. And for the more active, it opens up the possibilities of sledding at Korketrekkeren or cross-county skiing around town (Honestly, even if you don’t ski, it can be interesting to see all the people piling onto the metro in ski gear to head up to the forest).

Hi, Lunula,

I can't speak about the winter weather in Norway, but I agree with hallasm that you should go a few days early to Oslo. I recommend spending the time in Oslo on your own. Some people that the Viking extension is too short and doesn't allow enough time to enjoy Oslo. Consider taking the Norway in a Nutshell trip from Fjord Tours - Oslo to Bergen via train, bus, boat. The trip is available year round, and you can have a porter service take your luggage from Oslo to your Bergen hotel for you. We did the trip in May, but we would do it in the winter too. I'm sure it's spectacular in any season! We're from Charlotte also, and we enjoy winter European travel.

Thanks, all!

We really like active travel and have no motility issues, so we're very interested in "getting out and about" - we've heard good & bad things about Oslo, so glad to get some firsthand advice! Because we purchased air travel through Viking, we have to pay an extra $100 each if we choose to go earlier (they fly us out the evening before to arrive the day of the cruise) - unless we purchase the pre-trip through them (so it's all included in the extra fee). Ordinarily, we always travel a couple days prior to the cruise start, but since this one sits in Bergen for the first two days, we have a little extra time.

I was hoping we could take the train from Oslo to Bergen, I'm concerned about it being 100% reliable in a situation like this. If we got stuck because certain routes are running and we couldn't get a flight... it just concerns me. In fact, Viking often uses the train as an option from Oslo to Bergen but won't be offering this for our cruise because of weather concerns.

Thank you for the additional information- assuming you are flying into Bergen via Oslo. From CLT to BGO is 14 hours with two stops. My recommendation is to take the Oslo pre-cruise option or stay in Bergen for some additional days in order to adjust for the time difference and also get the opportunity to see more of Norway.

When you purchase air through Viking they will assist in case of any delays - also cruise staying one night in Bergen does eliminate the risk of being late for the cruise.

My advice is still to take the pre-cruise Oslo option.

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Significant disruptions in the rail service between Oslo and Bergen typically means a bus replacement. As long as you have a reasonable amount of slack in your schedule, it's unlikely to be an issue.

Great advice from everyone - thanks so much!!

You are welcome. Enjoy your cruise.

Pack proper dress and foot ware for the sea days and Northern Norway.

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We took a land trip to Norway last August (so incredible) and spent a day in Oslo going to the museums on Bygdøy... we loved the museums.

We traveled Norway via trains, cars, and ferries... but of course it was summer... not January.

I know you said you were concerned about train disruptions. We did have a few times when we were placed on busses because of the trains... the trains were very comfortable- but- we became quite acquainted with the term “Buss For Tog” which means bus for train.

So

It happened multiple times for us.

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I also recommend spending some time in Oslo and taking the train to Bergen. At this season, because of limited daylight, the best is to take the morning train (that leaves around 8.30am) to be in the most scenic locations at mid-day. If you take the next train, you will arrive in the mountain in the dark. For this same reason, January is not the best time to do the Norway in a Nutshell ride, because half of the trip is in the dark and so you miss out on a lot of the scenery (at this season, it's better done from Bergen to Oslo as you have lights for the best bits).

Replacements of train by bus in case of problems is very efficient but of course will take more time. I think that if you plan 2 nights in Bergen before your trip that gives you enough leeway if things go wrong, and it gives you one day in Bergen (which is worth a visit) if things go right.

A stay in Oslo, Bergen and the train ride can very easily be planned on your own. Train tickets can be bought at https://www.nsb.no/en/ , they are release 90 days in advance. You can get very cheap tickets if bought in advance (Minipris, non refundable). The train gets busy on the week-end with people going out to ski.

Agree that Folk museum and Vigeland Park are awesome to visit in winter if the weather is clear, particularly after a fresh snow.