FLAM RAILWAY

[taylortime05]

We just booked our first cruise with MSC on the MSC EURIBIA for 4/27/24- 5/4/24.  The itinerary is at the bottom.    A couple of people have recommended the Flam Railway as a must do.  Would you recommend the  2 1/2 hour excursion  (SCENIC FLAM RAILWAY)  or the 6 hour excursion (AMAZING NATURE VIEWS ON THE FAMOUS FLAM RAILWAY) and why?  Thank you so much for your feedback.  

 

AMAZING NATURE VIEWS ON THE FAMOUS FLAM RAILWAY - 6 HOURS

 Once you are ready for the steep roads and mountain tunnels of this region, you can sit back and enjoy the ride through spectacular countryside. Leaving the port of Flåm, we will traverse a long tunnel that takes us to Gudvangen, and the coach will climb through the steep, narrow Nærøy valley. We will stop at the Tvindefossen waterfalls, a twin cascade of two fabulous falls. The excursion continues to the town of Voss, prettily located on the Vangvatnet Lake. We will board a train to continue our outing across a range of stunning natural landscapes, before reaching Myrdal. Here, at 867 metres above sea level, we will change trains and continue down the breathtaking Flåm valley, travelling on the world famous Flåm Line. The train will pass by Kjosfossen waterfall to allow passengers enjoy the lovely view before terminating at Flåm station, on the Sognefjord, from where we can walk back to the ship. Lunch included.

 

SCENIC FLAM RAILWAY - 2 1/2 HOURS

Take a trip on one of the most interesting railways in the world and be rewarded with some of the most stunning scenery in Norway. The Flåm Railway is a remarkable piece of engineering which provides wonderful vistas of the mountains and waterfalls that characterise this beautiful part of Norway. Boarding the train at Flåm Station, you'll travel along the Flåm River, which is one of the best salmon rivers in the west country, to Myrdal Station at an altitude of 2.845 feet (861 m) above sea level. Admire the fabulous scenery passing by along the 12.5 miles (21 km) track, including the sheer drop of the Rjoande Waterfall and the impressive peak of Vibmesnosi Mountain. In order to climb the 985 feet (300 m) Myrdalsberg, the railroad is built on 4 levels. As your train stands on the 4th level, you can see all of the other 3 levels. To ensure the best possible views the train will slow down at the finest sections, so you have time to capture the dramatic scenery. There will be a brief stop at Kjosfossen Waterfall to photograph the spectacular 305-feet (93 m) cascading waterfall. At Myrdal, the train turns around and returns to Flåm.

 

 

[mackfam]

I would post this on the Northern Europe and Baltic Sea Ports of Call board. There are some very helpful people there who have lots of good advice.

[taylortime05]

25 minutes ago, mackfam said:

I would post this on the Northern Europe and Baltic Sea Ports of Call board. There are some very helpful people there who have lots of good advice.

Thank you!  I will post it there too.  I don’t think I can remove it from here.  

[timf2001]

I am booked on the 6 hour tour this August.  Having done the extended train in Skagway before I'm expecting a similar experience, with a much longer scenic train ride as opposed to a simple round trip.

[nikoo.s]

I just posted this in another thread but here's my recommendation here too in case it's useful for anyone!

 

We did Flåm a few weeks ago on Virtuosa and would highly recommend the following: 

Book the railway one way separately from the cruise excursions, and take it all the way to Vatnehalsen (which is one stop before the end) , get off there and do the Flåm zipline if you're feeling brave! From the bottom of the zipline you can also take bikes which means you can take a beautiful cycle down the mountain back to the ship (takes about an hour with no stops). Make sure to tell them at the top of the zipline you want to take bikes as well as you pay for it all in one go. Honestly such a brilliant experience! Does require some bravery for the zipline but 100% worth it! 

[kernow]

I've also replied in the other thread too but for anyone else, if you just want the train ride up to Myrdal and back (the 2 1/2 hour trip) don't book it with MSC. The station is right at the dock (2 min walk) and it's a regular Norwegian train which connects with the mainline to Bergen, use' Norways Best' website to book yourself. Not sure how much MSC charge but it will be cheaper to book directly.

 

The scenery is stunning and we thought it was well worth doing (not brave enough for the Zip line or even the bikes!).

[Heartgrove]

We have traveled on a portion of this excursion. According to the MSC excursion description of the six hour version uses a coach bus from Flam to Voss, a scheduled train between Voss and Myrdal, and the excursion train between Myrdal back to Flam. The highlight of the coach ride would be if they travel on the one-way road that passes the Stalheimskieva. Google currently shows it closed but we rode down this road when we arranged our own "Norway in A Nutshell" in 2017. The train ride between Voss and Myrdal is very picturesque as the train climbs from Voss to Myrdal. Check YouTube for videos.

 

With regards to MSC excursion prices, we have found them to be very affordable compared to other cruise lines. We used them exclusively last year for a cruise in the Mediterranean and have booked five of six excursions for our MSC British Isles in September.

 

Also the Flam train ride does sell out daily so do not think that tickets can be bought that morning. Pre-arrange the excursion you choose.

[Mark_T]

On 6/15/2023 at 1:17 PM, Heartgrove said:

Also the Flam train ride does sell out daily so do not think that tickets can be bought that morning. Pre-arrange the excursion you choose.

Very important advice, this isn't one you can leave to chance, especially if there are several ships arriving that day.

 

On that note, the impact of cruise ships had caused a lot of local resentment, and there are now limits on the largest ships docking when they are not the only ship there so that may help with ticket availability...

[ChattTenn]

Keep in mind.  Flam train ride up to Myrdal on your own (much cheaper than ship tour) the ticket must purchase FAR IN ADVANCE because anytime there is a ship in port all good departure times ALWAYS SOLD OUT (cruise line reserved them all).

Edited June 16, 2023 by ChattTenn

[Nunagoras]

On 6/15/2023 at 1:17 PM, Heartgrove said:

We have traveled on a portion of this excursion. According to the MSC excursion description of the six hour version uses a coach bus from Flam to Voss, a scheduled train between Voss and Myrdal, and the excursion train between Myrdal back to Flam. The highlight of the coach ride would be if they travel on the one-way road that passes the Stalheimskieva. Google currently shows it closed but we rode down this road when we arranged our own "Norway in A Nutshell" in 2017. The train ride between Voss and Myrdal is very picturesque as the train climbs from Voss to Myrdal. Check YouTube for videos.

 

With regards to MSC excursion prices, we have found them to be very affordable compared to other cruise lines. We used them exclusively last year for a cruise in the Mediterranean and have booked five of six excursions for our MSC British Isles in September.

 

Also the Flam train ride does sell out daily so do not think that tickets can be bought that morning. Pre-arrange the excursion you choose.

Been there, done that 6 hour excursion you're talking about. The historic train is just done one way and it is a very short ride. The other trains are regular Norwegian inter cities with tourists in the mix. This explains the difference. Want to see anything more, go with the larger excursion, otherwise it only going on the historic train and return on regular inter cities. As you state those shore excursions book very early and sometimes they're only available through the ship once they purchase entire blocks for themselves.

 

Have a nice day!