Snapshots of Norway’s scenery flashed past the train window – steep rocky cliffs, deep blue fjords, lush green meadows, neatly painted red clapboard houses, snow-sprinkled mountains. I was expecting the Flam Railway, or Flamsbana, to be impressive – it is ranked as one of Europe’s most spectacular rail journeys after all – but we hadn’t even arrived at the start yet.
In most countries this would have been a famous scenic train route, but in Norway this was just the regular track between Bergen to Myrdal. It was hard to even imagine how much more beautiful scenery there could possibly be, but Norway is overflowing with it. So much so that it can be hard to take it all in, but a train trip on the Flam Railway is a good place to start.
Read more: Sailing the Sognefjord: A Norwegian fjords boat trip from Flam

The Flamsbana waiting to set off from Myrdal station
About the Flam Railway
The Flam Railway was built in the 1920s – well it was started then at least. The huge engineering challenges involved in building a railway line on such a steep gradient meant it wasn’t finished until 1940. Around 200 men worked on the site at a time and it was tough going.
As well as the line itself, there were 10 stations, 20 tunnels and a bridge to build, and with no heavy machinery to help them back then, each tunnel had to be dug out by hand. It took around 150 man-hours of work to create just one metre of tunnel. The finished line is only 20km long, but travels a huge distance in height from 863 metres at Myrdal to sea level at Flam.
The Flamsbana was mainly used for freight to start with, but when that started to decline it was sold off and it’s now one of Norway’s top tourist attractions with around 600,000 visitors each year. You can find out more about the railway’s history in the free Railway Museum in Flam.

Snowy villages on the route down to Flam
On board the Flam Railway
After leaving the Bergen train, our Flam Railway journey started off at its highest point in Myrdal. Even in May the ground was still covered in a thick layer of snow, so I was glad to see the train already standing on the opposite platform. Smartly painted in dark green with gold lettering, the carriages have a real vintage feel with wood-paneled walls and chrome luggage racks.
But there are mod-cons too, like screens at the end of the carriage to tell you what you’re seeing and about the history of the line. And even more importantly, each carriage has five different brakes, each of which can stop the whole train. Something you’ll be glad to know when you see the steepness of the track. I’d already read up on how the line had been built, but it’s not until you start on the journey that you realise what an amazing feat of engineering it really is.

The Reinungvatnet mountain lake starting to melt
The track zigzags its way down a gradient of 5.5%, meaning it descends one metre in height for every 18 metres it travels. The gradient wasn’t the only challenge though, the steep rocky cliffs and river gorges didn’t help – the construction team even had to redirect the river through tunnels inside the mountain. And this was all designed and planned on paper, long before computers, in an environment where landslides could wipe out weeks’ worth of work.
The beginning of the route runs through a snowy forest, dotted with red and yellow wooden houses. It passes by the Reinungvatnet mountain lake, which was just starting to thaw after being frozen for months. The track then starts to descend steeply and disappears into the first of many tunnels before stopping at the Kjosfossen waterfall.

The Huldra in action
The waterfall is over 90 metres tall and according to Scandinavian fokelore, it’s home to mythical creatures called the Huldra. These beautiful siren women bewitched passing men with their song and lured them out into the woods. Keep an eye out for them, as you might spot one or two dancing among the waterfalls (though they only seem to come out on busier train journeys!).
Back on the train again, windows cut into the tunnel walls give you flashes of the view down the valley and across the valley to the sinuous Rallarvegen. The name roughly translates as the ‘navvies road’ and it was originally built as a construction and access road for the railway track works. Today it’s used as a mountain biking track with 21 twists and turns on the way down.

The Rallarvegen and waterfalls along the route
By this point we had descended almost halfway and the snow had completely disappeared, replaced by green fields and cascading waterfalls full of meltwater. At Breikvam the track splits in two so that trains travelling in opposite directions can pass each other. Then towards the end of journey, the gradient smoothes out and the valley starts to open up.
Looking down on the old part of Flam it seemed like a model village, with miniature houses and a tiny wooden church on the riverbank. The newer part of Flam lies further downriver, along the banks of the Sognefjord. This is the end of the line for the Flamsbana train, where the passengers climbed off, slightly dazed from an onslaught of views and colours and dizzy from running from one side of the train to the other so as not to miss anything.

Looking down the Flam Valley
The details
How much does the Flam Railway cost?
Tickets for the Flamsbana cost 360 NOK (£30/€36/$39) one way or 490 NOK (£41/€49/$53) return per adult. Or it’s 180 NOK (£15/€18/$19) single and 244 NOK (£20/€24/$26) return for children aged 4–15 years. You can buy tickets online at the NSB website. Interail/Eurail rail pass holders can get a 30% discount on one-way adult fares – these discounted tickets aren’t available online though so you need to buy them either at a station or by phone.
How long does it take?
The Flåmsbana runs four–ten services in each direction per day, depending on the time of year – see a full timetable here. The journey takes around 50 minutes.

Overlooking the old part of Flåm village
Can I do the Flam Railway in a day from Bergen or Oslo?
You can combine the Flam Railway with a fjord cruise as part of the hugely popular self-guided Norway in a Nutshell day trip from either Bergen or Oslo. You can also take the train independently from Bergen to Flam which takes around three hours each way.
The Norway in a Nutshell trip gets really busy. So a good tip if you are doing the trip independently is to check out the Norway in a Nutshell timetable and avoid the trains they use – we had a carriage almost to ourselves on the Myrdal–Flam route by doing this!

Flåm Railway stations
Which direction is best?
We did the journey in both directions and although you see the same scenery, you get a different experience. Travelling downhill from Myrdal–Flam was much smoother and better for taking photos. Travelling uphill from Flam–Myrdal you could feel the train working hard so you get a lot more squealing of brakes and and lurching around. So it depends on which you prefer.
64 Comments
CrazyGuyinThailand
June 16, 2014 at 11:03 amBeautiful Norway.
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:49 pmIt certainly is!
Vlad
June 16, 2014 at 12:41 pmMy god, it looks absolutely gorgeous! I’m getting a small taste of Norway this summer as I’ll be visiting Oslo in a month, but I already know I will go back to this beautiful country at least one more time. 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:47 pmIt is stunning! I didn’t get chance to see Oslo on this trip but would love to go back and see it and more of Norway – plus there are so many other parts of Scandinavia I want to see now!
Ann Koplow
June 16, 2014 at 12:46 pmBeautiful. I am putting it on my list of places I must go.
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 1:03 pmExcellent, it is well worth the trip!
prior
June 16, 2014 at 1:03 pmbeautiful….
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 1:03 pmThanks so much!
Bama
June 16, 2014 at 3:07 pmThe picturesque view convinced me to take the train one day in the future. It’s too beautiful to miss.
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 1:02 pmThat’s great – I would really recommend it, there are some great views!
madisonrolls
June 16, 2014 at 6:06 pmSo pretty! Norway is definitely a country on top of my bucket list! I want to go so badly!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 1:02 pmI’d wanted to go for years too, so glad to have finally made it this year – though I still want to go back and see more!
pablogarcajimenez
June 16, 2014 at 6:25 pmamazing view!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 1:00 pmThanks, Norway is a really stunning country!
Maddie
June 16, 2014 at 8:13 pmAbsolutely stunning Lucy, Norway is definitely on my ‘Europe is really close so try and see more of it’ list!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:55 pmYou so should, there are some really good cheap flights to Bergen too, I was really pleasantly surprised (budget post coming up next week!).
Heyjude
June 16, 2014 at 9:02 pmStunning photos, brings back lots of good memories 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:54 pmThanks, glad to bring back some good memories!
jlhilleary
June 16, 2014 at 9:43 pmLucy, I just love your blog. The places you write about, I feel like I have to book travel immediately to see for myself!
I have traveled in Sweden and Denmark, but not Norway. This makes me sure to fix that soon! Thanks for sharing this!
I especially like the little tip about which direction to take the train, uphill or down- not many would think to include that!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:50 pmThanks so much, that’s really lovely to hear! This was my first time in Scandinavia but I would love to get out there again and explore Sweden and Denmark too.
PJ Creates
June 17, 2014 at 1:56 pmHow fun – we were just on this last week! Truly amazing. Downloading my photos from my camera now…
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:51 pmHow funny! If you’re anything like me then there are a lot of photos to download!
Christina Dunya
June 17, 2014 at 4:46 pmI’m so glad that you enjoyed your stay in my country 🙂 If you’re ever thinking of visiting Norway again, you should check out Telemark. We’re famous for our lovely villages and cultural heritage. Rjukan which is mostly famous for Vemork during World war 2 is a part of Telemark and is worth experiencing, there’s also a lot of beautiful scenery a long the way. Skien the birthplace of Henrik Ibsen and my hometown is also worth visiting, it’s only 2 hours away by bus from Oslo 🙂 Thank you for a informative post and all of the lovely pictures 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:51 pmThanks so much for all the tips Christina, I definitely plan to make it back and see more of Norway so will look up those places, you have a beautiful country!
Christina Dunya
June 17, 2014 at 4:49 pmThe only setback is that everything is so bloody expensive in Norway, but hopefully the scenery makes up for it 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:52 pmIt certainly does! I’m going to do a budget post next week as people keep asking about the costs but I didn’t find it quite as bad as I imagined.
Amy & the world
June 17, 2014 at 10:22 pmOh wow, this looks incredible. I’d love to see more of this area of Europe but had never really considered Norway before. That’s changed now!!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:54 pmFantastic – I would so recommend Norway, flights from the UK are pretty reasonable too so it’s doable for a long weekend.
Top Down Time
June 18, 2014 at 7:21 pmGreat tip on getting the less crowded trains!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 22, 2014 at 12:53 pmThanks, I had all these timetables out trying to work out the best time and so glad I did as it was so nice to be able to move around the carriages and have lots of space!
restlessjo
June 24, 2014 at 7:17 pmI go walking with a couple who just did the fjords on a cruise and they said it was spectacular, Lucy. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
June 24, 2014 at 9:07 pmIt really was beautiful, really enjoyed the trip and I think it might be the start of a few more Scandinavian travels!
Suzanne Jones
June 24, 2014 at 9:57 pmWhat stunning views – another one for the ‘must-see’ list Lucy!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 25, 2014 at 3:35 pmYou know I love a good train journey, and this has got to be one of the most beautiful yet!
wayneatherholt
June 27, 2014 at 2:41 amWell this is an addition to the bucket list! Thanks – great post!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 27, 2014 at 4:21 pmThanks – if you like train travel then it’s one of the best train journeys I’ve done, the scenery really does take your breath away!
wayneatherholt
June 27, 2014 at 4:23 pmi love train travel! i know it would be killer based on the pics and your story – i can’t wait to do that some day – thank you!
Wish List Tourist
June 29, 2014 at 10:18 amI’ll be there in August – can’t wait!
Lucy Dodsworth
June 29, 2014 at 10:10 pmHave a great trip – fingers crossed you get a sunny day for it too!
ablondearoundtheworldwp
July 8, 2014 at 6:33 pmGreat destination!!! I was thinking about bringing my dad on the Flam railway cause he’s been rambling on it since years now! Hopefully we can make it next summer! Will treasure your advices! But in spring as you did looks also nice with all the snow (couldn’t believe the pics were from mid-may, freezing!!!!)
Lucy Dodsworth
July 10, 2014 at 10:55 amThanks – hope you do get to make it out there and sure your dad would love it! I know it’s hard to believe its May with all that snow, but away from the mountaintops it was fairly warm – though you do have to usually dodge the rain showers!
Wilbur's Travels
November 23, 2014 at 11:35 amI had the pleasure of the journey in the early ’90s during an interrail trip to Scandinavia. It is indeed amazing. My favourite train leg was Trondheim to Fauske. I remember listening to Peer Gynt on my Walkman to add to the feeling of being in the land of sprites and trolls! From Fauske, I took the bus to Narvik and this easily ranks as the most scenic bus journey that I have ever done.
Lucy
November 23, 2014 at 4:23 pmSounds like a great journey to take. I would love to get back to Norway and travel further up the country so will see if I can incorporate those journeys when I do.
abusymom
December 13, 2014 at 6:39 amLove your blog. 🙂 Gorgeous photographs and interesting details! Would love to visit Norway next June. But not sure about the weather conditions as I come from a tropical country. May I check which month did you take the pictures ? Is there lots of rain in June ? Would love to find out more from you. Thank you very much. 🙂
Lucy
December 16, 2014 at 10:09 amHi, we visited in May so as you can see from the photos it was very green with some sun and clouds, and probably will be very similar in June. It does rain a lot in this part of the world so you may need to keep your fingers crossed for sunshine, but should be reasonable warm (but definitely not tropical!). Have a great trip.
Brooke
April 25, 2015 at 12:37 amIt was wonderful to earn about your experience in Norway and see your beautiful photos. Most importantly I loved learning the history behind the railway and how much careful planning had to be done because of the gradients, canyons and waterfalls. It’s incredible to think about the work that went into making this railway.
Lucy
April 25, 2015 at 1:23 pmThanks, yes it’s an amazing feat to build it on such an extreme landscape, especially as construction was a lot more manual in those days!
whatoccupies
May 22, 2016 at 10:30 amHi Luce,
Great post! We’re looking at taking the railway the same way round you did (Myrdal to Flam and then back to Myrdal, in one day) could you please let us know whether you had to buy two single tickets inorder to do the trip this way round? The return trip appears to have to start in Flam!!
Thank you!
Lucy
May 22, 2016 at 2:59 pmHi, yes we did have to get two single tickets – annoyingly more expensive than the Flam-Myrdal-Flam return route, though the advantage was that our trains were a lot quieter as we were going the other way to most people! It’s a stunning journey, hope you enjoy it.
ROBIN DEGTJAREWSKY
May 29, 2016 at 5:35 pmHi Luce,
We’ll be on a cruise through the Norwegian Fjords in August. We have one day in Bergen – from 8 am to 5 pm. I’m trying to figure out if it’s possible to experience any part of the Bergen or Flam Railway on that schedule. The Norway in a Nutshell tour doesn’t work out because it gets back too late.
Any advice?
Lucy
May 31, 2016 at 8:00 pmHi there, it’s just over a three hour journey each way from Bergen to Flam by train so theoretically just about doable, it would be very tight with a 8am-5pm window and you don’t want to risk missing the ship! There’s a lot to see in Bergen itself so you should be able to fill the day – and it’s a good excuse to come back sometime!
ROBIN DEGTJAREWSKY
June 1, 2016 at 1:45 pmMakes sense. I think we’ll stay in Bergen.Thanks for the reply!
Tilly Horseman
August 11, 2016 at 8:59 amLooks a fabulous train journey! ive not done much travelling by train on the continent but reading your posts make me want to do more! If you’re ever in the Zell am See area of Austria i can recommend the steam locomotive that runs up the line from Zell am See to Mittersil – that valley is stunning, and you visit the most fabulous of waterfalls of Krimml at the Mittersil end. The train only runs on a Sunday and a Thursday but it’s worth doing if you’re in the area on one of those days!
Lucy
August 14, 2016 at 9:37 pmSounds great, I do love a scenic train and need to see more of Austria!
koiilp
September 17, 2017 at 2:34 amI would like to know how mush it cost you for the whole the trip . Its so gorgeous.
I do want to go there once in my life.
Lucy
September 17, 2017 at 8:57 pmHi I did a breakdown post for the whole trip costs which you can find here: https://www.ontheluce.com/trip-budget-bergen-and-the-norwegian-fjords/ – hope you get to make the trip someday!
jalal fouladi
May 9, 2018 at 11:58 amI think that how beautiful views there are in the world which anybody has a dream about them.I am a tour guide and traveled so many trips around the world but unfortunately do not enough time to have time for myself.I wish I can have a marvelous time to come to the places above.
thank you Lucy for the pictures and anxious to see there.
Lucy
May 9, 2018 at 9:01 pmThanks – Norway is such a beautiful place, hope you get to see it someday!
Michelle
August 1, 2018 at 4:26 amHey there! Thanks for this post. I’m going to be cruising the Norwegian Fjords this September and think I’d enjoy a ride on the Flam Railway. Question though… does the train stop at all allowing passengers to get off and take pictures? Thanks so much!
Lucy
August 2, 2018 at 9:29 pmHi Michelle, the train makes one stop along the way but it goes fairly slowly and the windows open so you can take photos along the way (that’s how all mine were taken). Have a great time – it’s such a stunning journey.
Anne
January 17, 2019 at 9:52 amHi Lucy,
Lovely article on the Flam Railway! I hope it is OK if I share it on Visit Flam’s FB page.
Lucy
January 17, 2019 at 9:54 amHi Anne, yes of course, you’re very welcome!
Sarah
April 15, 2019 at 7:33 pmI am heading to Norway in 3 days, I am so excited! From your beautiful photos I am certain to suffer from “scenic overdose”. Loved the photos and enjoyed your story.
Lucy
April 15, 2019 at 8:56 pmHope you have an amazing time – it’s a wonderful place!