Flåm Travel Forum

I will be staying in Flam in June, and then going to Bergen from there. I am trying to decide whether to take Flam-Gudvangen Ferry or Flam-Bergen Ferry. These are two choice I have:
1. Flam-Gudvangen round trip, and leave for Bergen in Flam->Bergen ferry next day.
2. Flam-Gudvangen round trip, and leave for Bergen in bus next day.
My question is Is Flam-Gudvangen route worth doing when I am anyway taking Flam->Bergen ferry next day? In other words, if I take Flam-Bergen ferry and skip Flam-Gudvangen, then will I miss something in Flam-Gudvangen route? Looking at the map, Flam->Bergen route does not cover the undredal-Gudvangen route, but I am just wondering if Flam-Gudvangen route is a MUST do for some reason. Of course, it would be great to do both, but it costs quite a lot!!

Well, if you take the ferry to Bergen, you don't travel down the Nærøyfjord, which is a very nice fjord. But the express boat from Flåm to Bergen normally will slow down or even stop at the entrance to the Nærøyfjord and allow passengers to take photos. So for the Fjord itself (not including the bus from Voss and/or the rack-rail from Myrdal), you won't miss a whole lot of scenery just taking the express boat to Bergen.

Thanks. I did some search on Naeroyfjord. It looks like there is a hike to Stivy which gives good panoramic view, though there is not much discussion anywhere on that in the net. I think I will have to find that out when I get to Flam. It may be a practical alternative to more well known overlook areas which are close to Aurland like stegastein, because I completely rely on public transport.
I am taking Myrdal-Flam train on the way to Flam (from Oslo).

The trip Flam-Gudvangen is really great but I have never taken the Flam - Bergen express ferry so cannot compare. But you don't have to take a round trip if you get to Gudvangen. There are buses there too and you could choose one that goes up Stalheimskleiv on the way, a bit scarey but the fantastic view at the top is worth it. You must decide for yourself - have a look at the pictures of Naeroyfjord on my Flam and Gudvangen pages.

Thanks. I checked about Stalheim. Do the buses to Voss from Gudvangen go via stalheim or is in an off-shoot from that route?

Most (but not all) of the buses go via Stalheim, take the famous super-steep Old Stalheim Road, and even stop for about 45 minutes at the Stalheim Hotel. Virtually every bus that connects with a "Norway in a Nutshell" boat or train in either direction will do so. To be sure, ask the driver as you board.

Note that there are also buses that don't go to the very port at Gudvangen but bypass it on the main road. It's only a short walk along the main (and only) street. But do check which of them go via Stalheim. You could also consider staying on one of the campsites there mentioned on my pages. And definitely do make a stop on Stalheim and go to the terrace at the back of the hotel. There is a well-stocked souvenir shop there too, the ones in Flam are not so good and more expensive.

If you decide to do the Flåm - Gudvangen boat, and then the bus up Stalheimskleivane, and on to Bergen - then you might as well just book the Norway in a Nutshell, instead of booking all the tickets separately (booking on the official Nutshell website www.norwaynutshell.com isn't more expensive than booking the tickets separately, but I would *not* book with a tour operator as I've heard that some tour operators abroad charge *a lot*!!! more for the Nutshell trip.)

Mette, I checked out the new Norway in a Nutshell homepage. It does appear the prices are comparable now.

Thanks for the information -- I need to go and update some tips! :)