“One of the world’s most beautiful journeys” is often heard when talking about the Bergensbanen – the cross-country route connecting the capital Oslo with Norway’s second largest city, Bergen.
Part of the 308 mile (495 km) route is the highest mainline railway in northern Europe, peaking at 1,237 metres above sea level. Surely, this is a recipe for a fantastic journey?
The running of passenger services in Norway has changed in recent years with there no longer being a sole rail operator (Norwegian State Railways, NSB) running the trains. As of 2020 there were three main operators – Vy, SJ Nord and Go-Ahead Norge.
As it happens Vy, who operates the Oslo to Bergen service, is owned by the Norwegian government and is effectively the NSB under a new brand name.
Vy operates six services a day in each direction on the Bergensbanen including one night train with unique accommodation that I will review on the site in the future! In February 2024, I took a trip on the line for the full route that takes around seven hours to cover.
Here’s a route map of the line from Oslo to Bergen and the stops in between. Unusually the route starts by leaving Oslo in the southwesterly direction, serving the suburbs of Oslo, before proceeding northwards and westwards to Bergen.
Departure from Oslo
The main central railway station in Oslo has everything you could need to kick start your trip – from eateries and shops, left luggage facilities, ticket office and ticket machines.
Onboard the Vy Bergensbanen train
The dark green liveried Bergensbanen trains offer three types of accommodation onboard the daytime trains – Standard, Pluss and Private Compartments.
Standard Accommodation
Standard Accommodation is the cheapest price of accommodation for individuals and smaller groups at least. Travellers from abroad may recognise the seats which are in fact identical to those in some of the older InterCity Express (ICE) trains that serve international and national routes in Germany. They are comfortable, featuring a little recline and a puffy head pillow.
The seats are in a 2+2 configuration across each carriage and are mainly airline style complete with fold down tables. There are some seats in a bay of four that don’t offer much of a table.
A trademark of long distance trains in Scandinavia is that they offer a children’s soft play area! On the Bergensbanen, there is no exception, with the Vy train containing a ‘Bædi & Børdi’ version. If only we had this in the UK!
Private Compartment Accommodation
Unusually for a daytime train, the Bergensbanen trains feature a carriage normally present exclusively on night trains – the couchette carriage! This normally offers up to six ‘beds’ in bunks in each compartment, three beds either side.
Aimed at groups, Vy markets the two lower beds as ‘sofas’ accommodating up to six people per compartment. The Private Compartments are also priced in favour of groups, with one fare for the compartment rather than per passenger.
The upper ‘bunks’ remain from the carriage’s couchette days, which in this configuration are probably meant more for storing luggage than to encourage naps on the journey! The ladder has been removed in lieu of a long table so may be a challenge to get up there!
The carriage also offers a large space for luggage to accommodate bikes and probably ski equipment as the Bergensbanen serves a large proportion of Norway’s ski resorts.
All in all, the Private Compartment is a great way to provide privacy for groups and keep the rest of the train relatively peaceful for smaller groups. Thumbs up Vy.
Pluss Accommodation
The train also features Pluss accommodation which we opted for for this trip. Similarly to Standard accommodation, the seats are in a 2+2 configuration. There are some differences between the two classes including that every seat in Pluss has a table with a generous amount of legroom and recline. The seats also feature a winged headrest which I think is a must to get some sleep in a seat.
It would’ve been nice to have some solo seats, however, to offer more of a First Class ambiance.
Pluss accommodation also has another typically Scandinavian feature, a coffee machine and tea making facilities. Drinks are complimentary for anyone travelling in Pluss and is located in the centre of the carriage – just help yourself. There is also a separating seating area in this ‘café’ area which was great for mingling with strangers.
Dining Car
A Dining Car is always a nice to have on a train. All passengers have access this irrespective of travel class. Prices are pretty high, however, aligning to food and drink prices in Norway in general which are more than I’m used to in the UK.
I treat myself to meatballs (NOK 209) and a beer (NOK 125) followed by a muffin. Orders are taken at the bar and any food that requires heating is brought to your seat by the crew.
Scenery
The Bergensbanen didn’t disappoint when it came to the views on offer out of the window. The route is scenic throughout with the train passing through mountains, lakes and rivers. All spectacular, especially when the ground is covered with thick snow and blue skies.
Both sides of the train are scenic, however, I think the left hand side travelling westbound has the edge. This is also the right side for viewing one of the key attractions on the route – the filming location of the remote, icy planet of Hoth in Star Wars.
The clientele onboard was mainly tourists who were rushing to the window to take photographs.
Do take a look at my scenery video on YouTube (link below) where I’ve covered the main scenic moments of the trip – and indeed there were a fair few!
Arrival into Bergen
The station itself has facilities including left luggage lockers, a waiting room, ticket offices and some kiosks / cafés though these weren’t open yet. On the wall above the entrance is a nice mural featuring some landmarks of Bergen.
Highlights in Bergen
Bergen is Norway’s second largest city is also known as the ‘city of seven mountains’. Bergen makes for a nice day or two’s excursion.
From my visit to Bergen, I recommend:
- Exploring Bryggen – an insight into Bergen’s medieval past with its coloured, wooden houses
- A trip on the Fløibanen funicular for views of the city
- Bergenhus Fortress
Booking and Fares
Norway isn’t a cheap country to visit, but when it comes to train fares I find these to be reasonably priced as with attractions and accommodation in general. It’s food and drink that can cost an arm and a leg!
Fares vary like air fares and other long distance railway routes and can be booked in advance at www.vy.no. In terms of typical fares available on the Bergensbanen, here’s a guide:
| Journey Leg | Standard | Private Compartment | Pluss |
| Oslo to Bergen | from NOK 299 (€25.50) per person | from NOK 1,199 (€102.00) per compartment (up to six passengers) | from NOK 569 (€48.00) per person |
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Conclusion
The Bergensbanen is a wonderfully scenic route throughout which resulted in the seven hours passing by quickly. I agree that this route is truly of the world’s most beautiful railway journeys.
I believe that Vy have really considered their customers with the accommodation on offer, catering for groups and customers who like more amenities from their journey.
Standard accommodation is perfectly fine for small groups, but it was nice to have the winged headrest, table and generous legroom travelling in Pluss accommodation. The coffee machine was a nice to have too and was kept stocked up during the journey.
The Dining Car offered a good range of meals, however, food and drink was expensive, but at least comparable to prices in Norway so we can’t blame Vy for that!
This Travel Report was first published in March 2024.
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