Flåm Railway Guide: Norway’s Steepest Train Journey

The Flåm Railway is a 20 km branch line that drops from the mountain station of Myrdal, 867 metres above sea level, down to the village of Flåm at the head of the Aurlandsfjord. The ride takes about an hour each way, losing around 865 metres of height through 20 tunnels, past waterfalls and small farms. It is one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world.

An adult single costs from NOK 399, and the trains run every day, all year. The railway is the centrepiece of the Norway in a Nutshell route; it works as a standalone half-day trip from Flåm, and it is how most visitors without a car get from the Bergen Line down to the fjord.

Why the Flåm Railway is famous

The railway, called the Flåmsbana in Norwegian, was built to connect the Bergen Line with the Sognefjord. Parliament approved it in 1908, construction started in 1923, and the line opened in 1940.

The engineering is the reason it is famous. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent, about 1 in 18, and around 80 percent of the journey runs on that gradient, using ordinary adhesion, with no rack and pinion and no cable. The line runs through 20 tunnels, 18 dug by hand, and several spiral inside the mountain so the track gains length and loses height safely. For most visitors the fame is simpler: in one hour the valley narrows, the river runs white below the track, and then the fjord opens out at Flåm.

The route from Myrdal to Flåm

The journey runs between two very different places. Myrdal Station sits at 867 metres on the Bergen Line, the main railway between Bergen and Oslo, and there is no road to it. The station is a small cluster of buildings on a bare mountain shelf, deep in snow in winter while Flåm, an hour below, is green. Flåm Station sits at the water’s edge at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjord, beside the cruise quay and the visitor centre.

The train makes eight stops. Leaving Myrdal, the first stop is Vatnahalsen, a mountain hotel at 811 metres on the Rallarvegen, the old construction road across the mountains. The line then drops through the Flåmsdalen valley beside the Flåmselvi river, past Kjosfossen and the halts at Berekvam and Blomheller, to Flåm at 2 metres above sea level. The train moves slowly, so the valley stays in view. Spring brings the strongest waterfalls, summer brings green valleys, autumn brings yellow birch, and winter freezes the falls into blue ice.

The Kjosfossen waterfall stop

About halfway down, the train stops at Kjosfossen for about five minutes. The waterfall drops around 225 metres over several tiers, and the part you see from the platform is a 93-metre fall beside the track. A platform lets you step off and stand close to the spray. You can only reach Kjosfossen by train.

In summer, a dancer in a red dress appears on the rocks above the falls, playing the Huldra, a figure from Norwegian folklore who lures travellers into the mountains with her song. Music plays while she dances. It is staged, but the setting makes it work. There is no Huldra performance in winter, when the falls are often frozen and the stop is quieter and colder. Five minutes is short, so have your camera ready before the train stops. The train will not wait, and the next departure may be hours away in winter.

Best seats and views

Seat choice matters, and the answer depends on direction. Going down from Myrdal to Flåm, sit on the right-hand side. That puts you on the valley side for most of the descent, and Kjosfossen is on your side when the train stops. Going up, sit on the left.

There is no reserved seating. Your ticket is for a specific departure, and you take any free seat, so arrive early in summer, when the trains fill up and the good window seats go first. If you are travelling as a group, board together. The train passes through 20 tunnels, so expect the light to change constantly.

Tickets and prices

A single ticket costs from NOK 399 for an adult. Children aged 6 to 17 pay half the adult fare. A bicycle costs NOK 280 and must be reserved when you buy the ticket. Dogs travel free. Vy publishes no fixed return fare. The seasonal return quoted in 2026 is around NOK 620 in low season and NOK 730 in high season, and fares are dynamic, so budget around NOK 700 for a return.

Tickets go on sale up to 120 days ahead for round trips, further ahead than the 90 days for ordinary Vy trains. Book early in summer, because the popular midday departures sell out, and remember your ticket is valid only for the departure you booked. There is no ticket office or machine at Myrdal. Interrail and Eurail pass holders get 30 percent off a single on an active travel day.

The Flåm Railway is run by Vy on behalf of Flåmsbana AS, and it is a separate fare from the Bergen Line. A Bergen to Flåm ticket does not automatically include it. This catches people out at Myrdal every summer, so check it is listed on your ticket before you change trains.

Norway in a Nutshell or on your own

Most people ride the Flåm Railway as part of the Norway in a Nutshell route, which strings together the train to Myrdal, the Flåm Railway down to Flåm, a fjord cruise through the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen, and a bus back to Voss and Bergen. The loop takes about 12 hours from Bergen. The package costs from NOK 2,698 for an adult in summer, with a winter fare of NOK 2,482 from October 2026 to April 2027. A child ticket costs about NOK 1,200. There are no departures on 24–25 December 2026 or 1 January 2027.

The package is worth it for one booking that covers every leg. The connections are tight, especially at Myrdal and Gudvangen, and the package guarantees them: if a train is late, the boat waits.

Doing it yourself is usually cheaper if you book early. The legs are Bergen to Myrdal, about two hours, the Flåm Railway down to Flåm, about an hour, the boat to Gudvangen, about two hours, the bus to Voss, about an hour, and the train back to Bergen, about an hour and 20 minutes. Book the trains through Vy and the boat and bus through Norway’s Best. The saving comes from early Vy fares. The risk is a missed connection, because a self-booked ticket does not guarantee the next leg. A third option is a return trip from Flåm, up to Myrdal and back in about two hours plus the turnaround, with the Kjosfossen stop twice.

Combining the railway with a fjord cruise

Flåm is the natural place to pair the railway with a boat: the station is a short walk from the quay. The classic pairing is the boat through the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen, about two hours. The one-way fare is roughly NOK 520–595, and a return is roughly NOK 780–960, with dynamic pricing and no fixed fare published.

You can book the Flam Railway, Nærøyfjorden Cruise and Stegastein Viewpoint on Viator.

From Gudvangen you can take the bus to Voss and the train back to Bergen, completing the Nutshell loop, or take the boat back to Flåm. The bus is simpler than driving, because the road climbs steeply out of the fjord and the bus is timed to the boat. The Sognefjord guide covers Norway’s longest fjord, about 205 km long and up to 1,308 m deep, and the Nærøyfjord guide covers the narrow arm. If you only have one day, the railway plus the Nærøyfjord boat is the combination to pick.

You can book the From Bergen: Flåm Railway, Stegastein & Nærøyfjord Cruise on Viator.

When to go

The Flåm Railway runs every day, all year, which is rare for a tourist railway. Summer, from late May to September, is the main season, with up to ten departures a day from Flåm, the Huldra performing at Kjosfossen, full waterfalls and full boat timetables. It is also the busiest time: midday trains in July can be full and Flåm is busy with cruise passengers. Take the earliest or latest departure for a quieter train.

Winter, from October to April, is quieter and cheaper, with four departures a day from Flåm and the valley under snow. The Nutshell winter fare is NOK 2,482, against NOK 2,698 in summer. The trade-off is daylight: in December the sun is up for only a few hours. The falls are often frozen and there is no Huldra performance. May brings snowmelt and the strongest waterfalls, and October brings autumn colour and the first snow, with far fewer visitors. Late May and late September are the sweet spots.

Practical tips

Book ahead in summer, when the popular departures sell out, and remember your ticket is only valid for the departure you booked. Travel light: the train has overhead compartments and toilets, but no checked luggage service. On a Nutshell day trip from Bergen, leave your main bag at your hotel. Lockers outside the visitor centre in Flåm store bags for up to three days.

Allow time at Myrdal. The Bergen Line can run late in winter, and Myrdal has no shelter beyond the station building and a small café. Check the departure board as soon as you arrive, and do not assume the Flåm train waits: on the Nutshell package it does, on a self-booked trip it may not. Bring layers, because Myrdal is 865 metres higher than Flåm. A windproof layer and a hat are worth packing even in July. The train is accessible at Flåm, Vatnahalsen and Myrdal, with step-free boarding. If you need assistance, contact Vy before you travel.

What to do in Flåm after the train

Flåm is a small village, but it rewards a few hours. The Flåm Railway Museum sits beside the station in the old station building, telling the story of the line’s construction with photographs, tools and a short film. Allow 30 minutes.

Stegastein Viewpoint is the best viewpoint near Flåm: a wooden platform jutting 30 metres out from the mountainside, 650 metres above the Aurlandsfjord. It is about 18 km from Flåm by road, or 8 km from Aurland, with shuttle buses from Flåm in summer. Allow 90 minutes.

Walkers can take the gentle 17 km valley trail up the Flåmsdalen valley. A shorter option is the Brekkefossen waterfall walk, just under 5 km and about an hour and a half. The Rallarvegen, the old Bergen Line construction road, ends in Flåm after about 80 km from Haugastøl, over the Hardangervidda plateau and through Finse. The season runs from early July to the end of September. You can also ride just the last stretch, from Vatnahalsen down to Flåm, 18 km of downhill gravel with 21 hairpin bends.

What to skip

Do not try to drive to Myrdal: there is no road to the station, so park in Flåm and take the train up. Skip the midday departure in July, when the trains are fullest, the Kjosfossen platform is crowded, and the light is flat. An early or late departure gives you a quieter carriage and better light. And do not try to do the Nutshell, Stegastein and a hike in one day. The Nutshell alone takes about 12 hours from Bergen, so pick one extra activity in Flåm.

Finding your way around

Key map links for the railway day:

• Flåm Station, the lower terminus, beside the quay
• Myrdal Station, the mountain junction, no road access
• Kjosfossen Waterfall, the photo stop, reachable only by train
• Vatnahalsen Hotel, the mountain hotel at 811 m
• Stegastein Viewpoint, the platform 650 m above the Aurlandsfjord
• Aurland, the quieter fjord village 10 km from Flåm
• Gudvangen, the far end of the Nærøyfjord boat

Ways to ride the Flåm Railway, compared

Option	What it includes	Time needed	Cost from	Best for
Norway in a Nutshell package	Train, railway, boat, bus, all connections	About 12 hours from Bergen	NOK 2,698 adult	First-timers who want one booking
Do it yourself from Bergen	Same legs, booked separately	About 12 hours from Bergen	Less if booked early	Travellers who want to save money
Return trip from Flåm	Railway up to Myrdal and back	About 2 hours plus turnaround	Around NOK 620–730 return	Anyone staying in Flåm or Aurland
One-way, Myrdal to Flåm	Railway down only, then boat or bus on	About 1 hour	From NOK 399 single	Travellers continuing to Gudvangen or Oslo

Frequently asked questions