Is the Flåm Railway worth it?

Is the Flåm Railway really worth it?

Yes, if you combine it with the Nærøyfjord and ride outside the midday crush. On its own, as a there-and-back from Flåm, it is good rather than life-changing.

The hour itself is short. What makes the Flåm Railway worth it is where it sits: between the Bergen Line's mountains and a UNESCO fjord, so a single day gives you plateau, valley and fjord. Guests on the day trips say it in fewer words. "It was a tour that was totally worth the money for me," wrote one on the classic guided loop.

Our verdict: ride it once, as part of the loop, in the direction that ends at the fjord if you can. Don't ride it twice in one day just because the return ticket is cheaper.

What is so special about the Flåm Railway?

A standard-gauge train with no rack or cog that drops from 867 m to sea level in 20 km, through hand-dug tunnels, at up to 55 per mille.

It is one of the steepest standard-gauge adhesion railways in the world, meaning the wheels grip the rails by friction alone. Planning began in the 1870s, building in 1924, and the first trains ran on 1 August 1940, with regular traffic from 1942. Eighteen of its 20 tunnels were dug by hand, per the operator's history page.

The praise is real too: Lonely Planet Traveller magazine named it the world's most incredible train journey in 2014, and National Geographic Traveler listed it among Europe's ten most beautiful in 2010. Today's El 18 locomotives even feed braking energy back into the overhead line on the way down.

What are the myths about the Flåm Railway?

That it is the steepest railway in the world, that 80% of it runs at 55 per mille, and that the Huldra dance is an old folk custom. None of these is quite true.

Marketing copy repeats these, so here is the correction:

Why do some people find the Flåm Railway disappointing?

Crowds, tunnels and timing. A midday summer train on a cruise day is packed, a quarter of the ride is underground, and Kjosfossen lasts five minutes.

• Crowds: Flåm takes around 120 cruise calls a year, by Visit Norway's count. One big ship fills the midday trains. The cruise ship post explains how to dodge them.
• Tunnels: 20 of them, about 6 km in all. Views come in bursts.
• Seats: no seat has the best view all the way, and some face backwards.
• Weather: low cloud can hide the top half. Rain makes the waterfalls bigger, at least.
• Expectations: people who have just crossed Hardangervidda on the Bergen Line sometimes find the Flåm valley less dramatic than the hype.

Most complaints come from summer middays. Few come from the 08:20 in October.

How much does it cost, and is that fair?

A summer return sat at the top of the 2025 price list, and Vy sells singles at dynamic fares in 2026. For an hour of mountain railway in Norway, that is fair.

Per minute it is not cheap, above all for a return in high season. Compare that with a fjord boat ticket or a museum in Oslo and it lands in the normal Norwegian range. Children 6 to 17 pay half and under-6s ride free. Full fares are in the tickets guide.

Day trips from Bergen cost several times a train return on GetYourGuide, with three trains, a fjord boat and a bus. That buys a whole day, and for most visitors from Bergen it is the better value. If you are already in Flåm by ship or car, a tour makes no sense: buy the train from the operator and, if you like, the boat on its own.

Who will love the Flåm Railway, and who should skip it?

Rail fans, first-time visitors to the fjords and families will love it. Travellers who hate crowds, have already ridden the Bergen Line and only have one day might skip it for the fjord.

• Love it: first visits to western Norway; anyone travelling between Oslo and Bergen; kids who like trains; cyclists heading for the Rallarvegen.
• Think twice: one day in Flåm on a cruise ship with a big excursion price; travellers who need wheelchair access on a tour (most day trips here are not suitable); anyone who dislikes tunnels.
• Skip it: if your only free hours fall at midday in July and you can see the Nærøyfjord instead. The fjord is the bigger sight.

Even guests who hit bad weather tend to come away happy. One on the private day tour wrote: "Top tour, we really enjoyed it even in the heavy rain."

What are the alternatives to the Flåm Railway?

The Bergen Line over Hardangervidda, the Nærøyfjord cruise on its own, cycling the Rallarvegen, the Stegastein viewpoint, or the Rauma Line further north.

The Bergen Line between Oslo and Bergen crosses Norway's high plateau and stops at Finse, 1,222 m, the highest station on the network. The Nærøyfjord by boat is two hours on a UNESCO fjord under 500 m wide at its narrowest. The Rallarvegen rolls down the same valley by bike. Stegastein gives you the Aurlandsfjord from 650 m up. And the Rauma Line, 115 km from Dombås to Åndalsnes in about 1 hour 25 minutes, crosses the Kylling bridge and passes below Trollveggen, per Visit Norway.

Our comparison of Norway's scenic lines is in the Oslo guide.

Already in Flåm? Two hours from Flåm to Gudvangen on a classic boat, with an audio guide. The bus back is not included.

★ 4.5 · 2 hours

Explore the Nærøyfjord cruise from Flåm → Tour details

What is the best way to do the Flåm Railway?

Downhill from Myrdal, on an early or late train, as part of the fjord loop, with a night in Flåm if you can spare it.

1. Ride down, not up, so the fjord comes towards you. The classic guided loop does this from Bergen.
2. Avoid midday in July and August. The first and last trains are calmer.
3. Pair it with the Nærøyfjord. The train is an hour; the fjord makes the day.
4. Stay a night in Flåm if your plans allow. Lockers at the station hold bags for up to three days.
5. Sit on the valley side: right going up, left going down, as most guides say. Details in stops and which side.

Our pick: the Flåm Railway downhill to the fjord, a two-hour Nærøyfjord cruise and a guided Viking village, in one day from Bergen.

★ 4.8 · 10.5 hours

Explore the classic guided loop from Bergen → Tour details

Frequently asked questions