For ease of travel and to have one of the greatest travel experiences you’ll ever have, The V Team recommends buying a roundtrip plane ticket to/from Oslo and then taking The Bergen Line train from Oslo to Bergen for the start of our cruise.
The train ride from Oslo to Bergen takes about 7 hours and is regarded as one of “the most beautiful train rides in all of Europe” as your electric train weaves through the mountains and fjords on its way from Oslo to Norway’s western coast. Although ticket pricing is dynamic, you can expect to pay around $100 USD per person for a train ticket.
The ideal plan would bring you into Oslo on July 27, 28, or 29. You’d overnight in Olso until July 29 or 30 and then take The Bergen Line from Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) to Bergen Stadjon on one of those 2 days – July 29 or 30. If you’d like more time in Bergen (and it’s DEFINITELY worth spending some time there), we recommend taking the train on July 29. If you’d like to just get a taste of Bergen, a July 30 train ride over would be just fine.
Either way, once you arrive in Bergen, you’d overnight there until the day of our cruise departure, July 31. We will begin boarding Le Dumont D’Urville mid-afternoon on July 31. So even if you arrive in Bergen on July 30, you’d have the rest of that day plus all morning and early afternoon on July 31 to explore Bergen before boarding our ship.
Our recommended hotel in Oslo – either before the cruise, after, or both – depends on how many nights you’ll ultimately spend in Oslo. Both the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Oslo (near the train station) and the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel Oslo (near the Royal Palace) are lovely properties. If you’re just coming into Oslo for a single night and then plan to take the train over to Bergen the next day, we recommend staying at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel near the train station. Its proximity to the station makes it the perfect choice. If you’re staying in Olso more than a couple nights, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia near the Royal Palace is a great choice. Oslo is a small big city and is easily navigable on foot, so you can’t go wrong with either hotel.
Our recommended hotel in Bergen is the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, which is just off the water in a beautiful area – not far from the Bergen train station or from where Le Dumont D’Urville will be docked.
If you’ve decided to spend more time in Norway before the cruise, The Bergen Line offers the opportunity to get off the train at several incredible stops along the way from Oslo to Bergen. All the details of these options can be found on The Bergen Line’s homepage (address below).
Of course if you’re not interested in the train ride, you can always fly into Bergen for the start of our cruise and out of Oslo at the end of our cruise. The choice is entirely up to you, but we wanted you to know about this incredible train ride experience. If you choose to take the train, it will undoubtedly be a highlight of your Norwegian adventure with VACAYA.
Tickets for The Bergen Line become available between 90 and 120 days before the travel date you seek. Since July is the peak summer travel season, we recommend purchasing your train tickets shortly after they become available for purchase. 120 days before July 29 is March 31, 2023. 90 days before is April 30, 2023.
You can book your Bergen Line train tickets here: https://www.vy.no/en/traffic-and-routes/stations-and-network-maps/the-bergen-line
And for our Recommended Hotels in Bergen and Oslo, simply follow the booking guidelines below to secure the best rates.
Once again, our recommended hotel in Bergen is Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Bergen.
Our recommended hotels in Oslo are Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Oslo (near the train station) or the Radisson Blu Scandinavia (near the Royal Palace).
To book:
- Go to https://www.radissonhotels.com/
- Choose your destination and travel dates
- Under “Special rates” select “Travel agency ID” from the dropdown menu
- Enter code 33584202
- Click SEARCH
- You’re now on your way to SAVINGS as you take advantage of the best rates you’ll find anywhere!