Travel bucket list idea:
Flam Railway
Flam, Western Norway, Norway
Last updated: 17 April, 2024
This 50-minute journey from Flåm in Norway to the mountain-top village of Myrdal is one of the world’s most scenic – and dramatic – train rides.
Ascending half a mile from the edge of the fjord, the 1:18 gradient is one of the steepest ascents of any train line in the world. The cog railway meanders through two dozen twisting tunnels as it climbs up to an altitude of 867m. Unmissable.
Logistics
Price from: £42
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 4+
When: All year around
Duration: 2.5 hours
Getting there & doing it
While it’s possible to do this journey on your own, it’s easiest and quickest to join an organised full-day tour from Bergen via one of the tour companies specialising in travel in the fjord country.
If you decide to go it alone, take either the fjord boat (5.5 hours) or inland express bus (3 hours) from Bergen to Flam, or the train from Bergen to Myrdal (2 hours).
When to do it
Trains run from Bergen to Myrdal all year round, seven days a week; times vary season to season, so check the website.
Leave Bergen as early as possible to arrive in time to avoid the large crowds that can descend on Flam by early afternoon.
The train ride itself is one hour to the top, so allow at least 2.5 hours for a return.
