An Epic Train Ride to Visit the Capital ~ Bergen Line

“Land really is the best art.”
– Andy Warhol

When putting together the itinerary for this trip, I wanted to use train transportation instead of air when possible. The countryside in Finland and Norway is breathtaking and you can’t really see it from the sky. I had read about the Bergen Line on a Norway travel site, and I knew that was how we’d get to our next destination.

A view of the train entering one of many tunnels

Just outside of Bergen

The ride is 7 hours, and honestly, it would take that long to drive from one destination to the other, not that I would ever consider driving it, or recommend it, at least not in the winter. Besides, if you want to see the beautiful views, you can’t be driving. You also would not see Finse, but more about that later.

I recommend a first-class ticket, you get a bit more room with your seat and your own power outlet. Also, it was much quieter than the rest of the train. When you reserve seats, if you are traveling in the direction Bergen to Oslo, I recommend the right side of the train; although both sides have great views, the right side is a bit more picturesque.

The scenery is stunning!

You can bring food on the train or purchase some in the restaurant car. They serve hot dishes as well as cold, and they serve both nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages. The menu is limited, so check it out online ahead of time to see if it fits your needs. You cannot bring your own alcohol on the train, and yes, the staff walk the cars frequently as they need to check new passenger tickets from the various stops. Food can be taken back to your seat, but the alcohol must be consumed in the restaurant car.

Enjoy a beverage in the restaurant car while you take in the views.

Our train left Bergen at 11:49 and we arrived at Oslo Station around little after 19:00. The train was not very full in the beginning, but many Norwegian families use this train to go to vacation homes and destinations in the mountains, so as the day went on, the train became more crowded with families, along with all their ski gear.

Have you ever skied via kite? Look closely towards the end of the video.

One of many ski areas you will see from the train. As you get closer to Oslo you will see many offer night skiing.

If you want to learn more about this train, go to http://www.pbs.org and search for “Bergen line”. PBS did an entire episode about this journey. It is an engineering marvel, and it passes through Finse. Finse is a small Norwegian town only accessible by this train. It is about 4,000 feet above sea level, and they experience some harsh weather conditions there. A few Star Wars films were filmed in this area, some pioneer Antarctic explores trained here to prepare for their expeditions, and current Antarctic medical teams train in Finse. Supposedly you can see beautiful wildlife in the area, but I didn’t see any from the train.