One of many issues we have been actually wanting ahead to on our motorhome vacation in Norway was using on the Flamsbana railway, a practice experience up into the Norwegian mountains, which in 2014 was voted essentially the most stunning practice experience on this planet! Can it reside as much as the hype? We determined to seek 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 stunning practice journey on this planet!!
See for your self the fantastic thing about the Flam railway, the waterfall, and what we REALLY considered essentially the most stunning practice journey on this planet! Don’t neglect to comply with us on Youtube!
Are you able to go to the Flamsbana Railway in a Motorhome?
Completely! There’s a massive automotive 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 concern. It’s fairly effectively signed as you drive in and there’s room to reverse into areas and many others. 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 stunned at.
You can not keep in a single day on the parking space, however there’s a motorhome campsite proper subsequent to it, which we thought of 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, however it was the primary and solely impolite Norwegian we discovered. Unusually sufficient, we determined to not stay- and as an alternative discovered presumably the BEST campsite in Norway about an hour down the road- effectively well worth the drive!
The tackle for Flam is: A-Feltvegen 11, 5742 FLAM, Norway
Ebook tickets for Flamsbana Railway- How a lot are tickets?
We didn’t e book our tickets upfront as we weren’t positive 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 have the ability to get tickets or not- taking into account it’s August, proper in the course of the College 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 practice 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 kids as much as 15. Yep- Norway is pricey to go to and this attraction isn’t low cost!
I consider kids beneath 4 are free. Canines are allowed on leads. You too can get a single ticket up, rent mountain bikes on the prime and cycle again down, which we noticed many individuals doing. It appeared like fun- besides the final time I bought on a mountain bike I broke my arm…!! You may take your individual bicycles on the practice 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 similar time the opposite practice leaves from the highest. Updated ticket costs and timetable may be discovered HERE
Flam railway tickets- what to do subsequent!
Upon getting your tickets, proceed to the railway station, the place a guard will verify them and allow you to on to the platform. There are two ready areas if you must watch for a train- one is a tour space and one is for everybody else. When the practice arrives and you’re allowed on, choose your seats. As we have been late, most seats had already gone and we struggled to seek out two collectively. We walked the size of the train- so far as we may. The entrance finish of the practice 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 attainable and standing within the entrance space for a lot of the journey, which labored rather well as we may transfer back and forth and take images by the partly opening window within the door.
Is there actually preventing over seats?
There are tales on-line of fights taking place within the practice over seats. We didn’t see any of this at all- however we did see a tour group working down the platform. I believe they have been late and had been instructed to rush up, however maybe they have been racing to get one of the best seats?!?!
Which aspect is best?
In my view, the aspect with the higher views is the aspect closest to the platform as you enter the practice in Flåm. Ideally, you need to sit subsequent to an OPENING window- they don’t all open, however your images will look quite a bit higher in case you don’t take them by glass. Count on folks to face up and lean over you to take photos- it’s all a part of the experience!
Folks do get off on the prime, so it’s attainable to do one aspect up and the opposite aspect down… however folks seize seats on the prime VERY quickly- so be ready to maneuver quick.
The practice goes from Flåm as much as Myrdal and again down once more. It rises 865m and the gradient averages 5.5% by 20 tunnels- a few of which final a minute or two. It runs just about on daily basis of the 12 months – within the snow it seems very fairly however there’s no heating on board so wrap warmly!! All the journey up and again lasts about 2 hours, with a 15 minute (ish) cease on the prime in Myrdal.
Driving the Flåm railway
Okay, unhealthy information for all tinnitus victims (like Mr WB sadly)- this practice is loud! And the brakes screech at simply the fallacious 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 robust for him.
It’s crowded, however not unbearably so. There was room to sit down and have a sandwich- I’d extremely advocate taking your individual meals with you as there are not any refreshments onboard. There are bogs, which have been extremely clear, regardless of it being on the finish of the afternoon.
Hold your tickets at hand 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 stuffed with helpful details about what you’re seeing and which aspect of the practice to look.
The Flamsbana Railway Waterfall- Kjosfossen
On the best way up (and down!) you cross Kjosfossen Waterfall, which is a stupendous waterfall midway up the mountain. Prime tip- the waterfall is on the OPPOSITE aspect from the Flåm platform, and the practice stops for about 5 minutes so everybody can get off and benefit from the waterfall. Because the practice 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 like this:
Kjosfossen is likely one of 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.
Throughout the cease, you’ll hear music taking part in. Look to the fitting of Kjosfossen waterfall and also you’ll see a girl dancing- attempting to lure the boys into the mountain to their sure doom. It was enjoyable to observe this- definitely totally different from the opposite practice journeys we’ve loved! Watch the video if you wish to hear/ see the loopy girl dancing!!
Is it essentially the most stunning practice journey on this planet?
In 2014, Lonely Planet journal named this practice journey one of the best practice journey on this planet! It’s definitely fairly, there’s no denying that. However is it essentially the most stunning practice experience on this planet? I believe it relies upon totally on the way you’re travelling round Norway.
In the event you’re on a cruise or simply flying into the nation for just a few days, we’d advocate the journey as you get to see the fantastic 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/ every other car and have subsequently seen many unimaginable views alongside the roads, you gained’t discover the practice 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 well worth the £55/ per individual price.
However we did get to see Kjosfossen, which was undoubtedly spectacular and we did get to benefit from the surroundings from a unique viewpoint aside from the motorhome, so there are undoubtedly execs 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!
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I hope that’s given you a superb 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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