Advantages: The most stunning scenery this side of Europe Disadvantages: The train is usually always busy.
I went on the Flam railway as part of the Flam Railway Adventure with Thomson cruises, and it truly is an adventure not to be missed!
You board the train in Flam (if thats where you wish to start) and it journeys up the steep mountains. The train is nice and warm whilst you look out at the cold landscape surronding you. The views are simply stunning, everywhere you look there is a thunderous waterfall, or low hanging mist, don't forget to pack the camera and nab that window seat! Along the way up into the mountains you stop at a waterfall, and literally walk off the train onto the ground. The waterfall (or Fossen, in Norwegian) is right next to the train, but with a nice fence to stop you tumbling to a nice watery grave. You can't fully appreciate the actual size of the waterfall until some enchanting music starts to boom around ...
Advantages: Nice scenery from Fjord to mountain Disadvantages: Not great value and saturated with tourists
Located at the upper end of the Aurlandfjord, a branch of the larger Sognefjord, Flam is some 100 miles (160 km) west from Bergen and 220 miles (360 km) north-west of Oslo. Getting there can be done by rail, road or by boat as there is a port at the Flam end of the branch line. Flam railway or Flaamsbana to the locals is advertised as one of the most scenic in Europe. Whilst I'm not going to fully agree with this bold statement, I will agree that the railway does have a steep climb through a scenic part of Norway from fjord to mountain.
We arrived at Flam around 10am after a two hour road trip from our hut near Eidfjord. I would guess that a road journey from Bergen would be about the same and from Oslo it would be in the 4-5 hour bracket. These are long road journeys so the alternatives are taking the Bergen to Oslo train and getting ...
