Norway in a Nutshell: Part 1

At first glance, Norway in a Nutshell seems like a tour. In fact, it is not that at all. It is simply a set of bus, train, and boat tickets bundled together. There is no guide for that matter.

Essentially, it is a way to go from Bergen to Oslo via train-bus-boat-train-train, in that order. Or, one can go from Oslo via train-train-boat-bus-train. Or one can start do a round trip starting in Bergen going train-bus-boat-train-train. It wouldn’t make much sense to go from Oslo back to Oslo as that would be an extraordinarily long day due to distance of the initial train from Oslo.

There is a website where one can buy the bundle, but it is overpriced. Instead, the best way is to simply book each ticket one at a time (except for the bus, that is purchased in person). The only issue is the Norwegian rail website requires payments from the US must be made via Paypal for card security reasons. Basically, American credit cards aren’t 3D secure. This is an issue with Indian websites also, outside of American Express. I purchased the train and boat tickets individually to save a little money.

Secondly, there is the issue of luggage. If you are going from Bergen to Oslo (or vice-versa), lugging luggage across three trains, a boat and a bus is simply impractical. Luckily, there is a company that takes luggage from Bergen to Oslo (or vice-versa). It has the perfect name, Porter Service, and charges a reasonable 25 euros per bag. This is money well spent.

For me, the day started in Bergen on a train to the town of Voss. I purchased my ticket ahead of time because I wanted to sit in first class for a few more Euros. The train ride isn’t particularly scenic, but Voss is. While waiting for the bus, I snapped some photos of the lovely scenery.