One of many issues we have been actually trying ahead to on our motorhome vacation in Norway was using on the Flamsbana railway, a prepare experience up into the Norwegian mountains, which in 2014 was voted essentially the most lovely prepare experience on this planet! Can it reside as much as the hype? We determined to search out out for ourselves.
Firstly, an necessary point- it’s pronounced FlOm, not FlAm- the little å makes it into an ‘O’ sound- though the Norwegian woman was very well mannered when she corrected us! 🙂
Watch the video of us using the Flam Railway- essentially the most lovely prepare journey on this planet!!
See for your self the great thing about the Flam railway, the waterfall, and what we REALLY considered essentially the most lovely prepare journey on this planet! Don’t neglect to observe us on Youtube!
Are you able to go to the Flamsbana Railway in a Motorhome?
Completely! There’s a giant automobile park a couple of 3-minute stroll away with a great deal of parking for motorhomes and vehicles. We parked a motorhome & trailer with none challenge. It’s fairly effectively signed as you drive in and there’s room to reverse into areas and so forth. We arrived within the afternoon after spending the morning on the waterfall you’ll be able to stroll behind and there was loads of room, which truthfully we have been shocked at.
You can’t keep in a single day on the parking space, however there’s a motorhome campsite proper subsequent to it, which we thought-about staying at. The campsite is tiered, so that you get a view from just about each pitch. Nevertheless, we went into the campsite and politely requested if we may purchase some water as there are only a few Motorhome service factors alongside this stretch of street. The person on the desk was extremely rude- informing us we may solely get water if “we paid for the night time; whether or not we selected to remain there or not was as much as us” – his phrases, not mine!
I don’t know what number of occasions they get requested the identical query, nevertheless it was the primary and solely impolite Norwegian we discovered. Surprisingly sufficient, we determined to not stay- and as an alternative discovered probably the BEST campsite in Norway about an hour down the road- effectively definitely worth the drive!
The deal with for Flam is: A-Feltvegen 11, 5742 FLAM, Norway
Guide tickets for Flamsbana Railway- How a lot are tickets?
We didn’t e book our tickets prematurely as we weren’t certain after we have been going to get to the Flåm railway. 30 miles in Norway can take 2 hours relying on the street and the ferries you must take to get there. With this in thoughts, we turned up undecided if we’d be capable of get tickets or not- taking into account it’s August, proper in the course of the Faculty Holidays and peak vacationer season.
Because it occurred, we walked into the ticket workplace and straight as much as the desk- no queue in any respect. There was a prepare leaving in 5 minutes which we have been capable of get tickets for- how fortunate was that!
Tickets value 550NOK (about £55) per grownup and 274 NOK (£27) for youngsters as much as 15. Yep- Norway is pricey to go to and this attraction isn’t low-cost!
I imagine kids underneath 4 are free. Canines are allowed on leads. You too can get a single ticket up, rent mountain bikes on the high and cycle again down, which we noticed many individuals doing. It regarded like fun- besides the final time I received on a mountain bike I broke my arm…!! You’ll be able to take your personal bicycles on the prepare after which experience again down in case you choose.
Trains go roughly each 90 minutes and so they run precisely on time as they should go away on the identical time the opposite prepare leaves from the highest. Updated ticket costs and timetable could be discovered HERE
Flam railway tickets- what to do subsequent!
Upon getting your tickets, proceed to the railway station, the place a guard will examine them and allow you to on to the platform. There are two ready areas if you must await a train- one is a tour space and one is for everybody else. When the prepare arrives and you’re allowed on, choose your seats. As we have been late, most seats had already gone and we struggled to search out two collectively. We walked the size of the train- so far as we may. The entrance finish of the prepare is reserved for tour teams, so you’ll be able to’t go all the best way ahead.
We ended up sitting as near a door as doable and standing within the entrance space for a lot of the journey, which labored rather well as we may transfer backward and forward and take pictures by way of the partly opening window within the door.
Is there actually preventing over seats?
There are tales on-line of fights occurring within the prepare over seats. We didn’t see any of this at all- however we did see a tour group operating down the platform. I feel they have been late and had been instructed to rush up, however maybe they have been racing to get the most effective seats?!?!
Which facet is best?
In my view, the facet with the higher views is the facet closest to the platform as you enter the prepare in Flåm. Ideally, you need to sit subsequent to an OPENING window- they don’t all open, however your pictures will look so much higher in case you don’t take them by way of glass. Anticipate individuals to face up and lean over you to take photos- it’s all a part of the experience!
Individuals do get off on the high, so it’s doable to do one facet up and the opposite facet down… however individuals seize seats on the high VERY quickly- so be ready to maneuver quick.
The prepare goes from Flåm as much as Myrdal and again down once more. It rises 865m and the gradient averages 5.5% by way of 20 tunnels- a few of which final a minute or two. It runs just about each day of the 12 months – within the snow it seems to be very fairly however there’s no heating on board so wrap warmly!! The complete journey up and again lasts about 2 hours, with a 15 minute (ish) cease on the high in Myrdal.
Driving the Flåm railway
Okay, unhealthy information for all tinnitus victims (like Mr WB sadly)- this prepare is loud! And the brakes screech at simply the mistaken pitch to set off the tinnitus. It did get higher as we went additional up the mountain (which is bizarre; absolutely they might use the brakes extra???) however the first 5 minutes have been fairly powerful for him.
It’s crowded, however not unbearably so. There was room to take a seat and have a sandwich- I’d extremely advocate taking your personal meals with you as there are not any refreshments onboard. There are bathrooms, which have been extremely clear, regardless of it being on the finish of the afternoon.
Maintain your tickets handy because the guard does come to examine them. Additionally, control the display above and the audio commentary, which is in English. The commentary solely performs on the best way up and is filled with helpful details about what you’re seeing and which facet of the prepare to look.
The Flamsbana Railway Waterfall- Kjosfossen
On the best way up (and down!) you go Kjosfossen Waterfall, which is a lovely waterfall midway up the mountain. Prime tip- the waterfall is on the OPPOSITE facet from the Flåm platform, and the prepare stops for about 5 minutes so everybody can get off and benefit from the waterfall. Because the prepare involves a cease, head for the door and in case you’re actually fast, you may get a photograph of you and the waterfall with out anybody else there!
In any other case it seems to be like this:
Kjosfossen is among the most visited vacationer points of interest in Norway and falls about 225m (738ft.) This waterfall truly runs an influence station which is what powers the Flåm railway.
In the course of the cease, you’ll hear music taking part in. Look to the precise of Kjosfossen waterfall and also you’ll see a lady dancing- attempting to lure the lads into the mountain to their sure doom. It was enjoyable to observe this- actually totally different from the opposite prepare journeys we’ve loved! Watch the video if you wish to hear/ see the loopy lady dancing!!
Is it essentially the most lovely prepare journey on this planet?
In 2014, Lonely Planet journal named this prepare journey the most effective prepare journey on this planet! It’s actually fairly, there’s no denying that. However is it essentially the most lovely prepare experience on this planet? I feel it relies upon fully on the way you’re travelling round Norway.
In the event you’re on a cruise or simply flying into the nation for a number of days, we’d advocate the journey as you get to see the great thing about the Norwegian mountains and a really spectacular waterfall. Having mentioned that, if it’s raining, I wouldn’t trouble as you gained’t see a lot.
In the event you’re travelling by van/ bike/ another car and have subsequently seen many unimaginable views alongside the roads, you gained’t discover the prepare journey as spectacular as marketed. Heck, we predict the street to get to Flam had simply as many unimaginable views- and so they have been free! So for us, it wasn’t definitely worth the £55/ per particular person price.
However we did get to see Kjosfossen, which was undoubtedly spectacular and we did get to benefit from the surroundings from a distinct viewpoint aside from the motorhome, so there are undoubtedly professionals and cons to the journey. However once more, I wouldn’t trouble doing it within the rain- save your cash. We had sunshine on the best way up and rain on the best way down- the distinction was startling!
I hope that’s given you an excellent perception into the Flamsbana railway and our expertise of using it. Have you ever ever ridden the Flåm railway? Do you need to? Let me know what you suppose within the remark under.
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