Excursion waiting list

[socialdancer]

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were too late to book the train excursion in Flam on our upcoming QM2 cruise to the Norwegian fjords and we are now on a waiting list for the excursion. Does anyone have experience of being on a waiting list, have you usually managed to get on the trip in the end?

[Chart Room Princess]

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were too late to book the train excursion in Flam on our upcoming QM2 cruise to the Norwegian fjords and we are now on a waiting list for the excursion. Does anyone have experience of being on a waiting list, have you usually managed to get on the trip in the end?

My party and I were on a waitlist once for an excursion. We were placed on the tour after waiting one week. We were a group of 4.

[Craigrlewis]

Hi

 

First the bad news - was wait listed once and no never got on the tour - it was Bruges on your own so we had to go for the longer guided tour one

 

Now the good news - when we went to Flaam we booked the excurison as wanted the train BUT ive known 2 friends who have gone to Flaam (one on P&O and one on Cunard) and despite the train being busy they got tickets and did it on their own. They didnt even book ahead

 

If the ship stops where we berthed it was small walk to the train station (you can see it from the ship)

 

I think you can book the train ahead of time on line and do your own thing

 

Good luck and hope you get on the trip

 

incidentally and before anyone shouts at me - i am only saying what i was told on baord at the tour office - when we enquired about the wait list we were on the tour lady stated (and im paraphrasing here) - “the waitlist that is in palce PRIOR to the cruise commencing is NOT used on board. They basically ignore it and start again and people who try to book on board are basically put ona new list SO if you are wait listed ahead of time you need to go to the tour office and aks to be put on the new waitlist”

 

Like i said thats not me saying this is fact it was what I was told.

Edited June 4, 2018 by Craigrlewis
spelling

[Shuffleboard Dude]

The railway station in Flåm is right next to the pier. There is even a small railway museum.

The Flåmsbana is a regular passenger railway that connects the port to the Oslo - Bergen railway up at Myrdal. So just go there, get a ticket (NOK 550) and hop on.

 

https://www.visitflam.com/en/flamsbana/

 

I don't really see why you would need an organized tour for that. Does the tour offer any extras?

[socialdancer]

Shuffleboard Dude, the problem is that we are not in Flam for very long, and people on the cruise tours take precedence on the train, so by the time we would get to the head of the queue, we would probably not have time for the trip. Those on ship excursions are guaranteed to be back on the ship by sailing time, although normally we would organise such trips on our own.

[Pugwash123]

Shuffleboard Dude, the problem is that we are not in Flam for very long, and people on the cruise tours take precedence on the train, so by the time we would get to the head of the queue, we would probably not have time for the trip. Those on ship excursions are guaranteed to be back on the ship by sailing time, although normally we would organise such trips on our own.

 

When we visited Flam with Viking Oceans I pre-booked our railway tickets on line and printed them at home.. I chose a late morning train time and had no problem finding a seat on the train as the cruise tours seemed to be allocated their own carriages. We managed to make the journey there and back with plenty of time to spare.

[LondonTowner]

When we went to Flam we walked to he station and bought our tickets at the ticket office. It's about 200m from where ship docks. Otherwise, just buy them online.

 

 

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[socialdancer]

Thank you for all your replies. Today we decided to do the Norway in a Nutshell excursion and have booked it. We enjoy train travel, and this involves another train journey from Flam to Voss, then back by coach. We have spoken to someone who has done it and they really enjoyed it.

[Shuffleboard Dude]

Shuffleboard Dude, the problem is that we are not in Flam for very long, and people on the cruise tours take precedence on the train, so by the time we would get to the head of the queue, we would probably not have time for the trip. Those on ship excursions are guaranteed to be back on the ship by sailing time, although normally we would organise such trips on our own.

 

It's now over 20 years since I've been to Flåm and some of my information may be outdated, but this is still a regular train and part of the Norwegian public transport network. I guess that you are there on 21/6 and the website shows all trains as sold out. Every train that goes up also comes back down, as the Flåmsbana does not belong to NSB. The timetable looks like the train does a 15 min stopover in Myrdal and then travels back down.

 

You can still buy single tickets online at 390 NOK per leg & person from the Norwegian State Railways. The 12:20 departure should be available in both directions and bring you back to port at 14:25.

https://www.nsb.no/en

 

If all fails, travel on the Oslo to Bergen railway next year and do a sidetrip to Flåm. From Bergen you could then go up all the way to Kirkenes by Hurtigruten. They have a wonderful ship from the sixties named Lofoten and 13 modern ones. The Man in Seat 61 has some recommendations https://www.seat61.com/Norway.htm