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Travel
Information
Season:
Mid July to late
September.
The first Hotel: At Geilo, which is easily
reached by train from Oslo. Train services from Oslo are normally 4
times a day. The journey time is approx. 3.5-4 hours. Clients should aim
to arrive in Geilo by 8pm on the first evening. Our hotel is 1.7 km from
the small town of Geilo and the hotel will collect you from the station.
Nearest
airport: Although
Bergen is slightly nearer the start of the tour and is also a
possibility, (although most of these flights are not direct); most
people from the UK will fly to Oslo Gardermoen, where there are more
flight departures everyday. A Ryan Air service goes to Torp, which is
112 km away from downtown Oslo. This is a possibility, but you will have
to watch your timings! There is also a flight to Haugesund near (ish) to
the Stavanger area. Please bear in mind that this is a long way from the
start as there is no train service. You would from here, have to get a
ferry to Bergen and then the train which would probably altogether cost
as much as you had saved on your Ryan Air ticket!
End of Tour: The tour ends on Day 8 at Aurland. Take a taxi taking
approx 10minutes to Flam, then an hour on the scenic train from Flam on
Sognefjord to Myrdal and onwards arriving mid afternoon in Oslo.
We recommend an evening flight home for this reason, unless you
want a night in the capital, also recommended.
What's Included
The
price is based on two people sharing a twin or double room and includes
half board (dinner, bed & breakfast accommodation on 6 evenings and
B&B 1 evening).
Lunches are also provided in Finse, but these are packed lunches, that
you need to make up at breakfast time. There is only one baggage
transfer included on this tour. The baggage transfer included is from
Flam to Aurland, because most of your transfers are by train and you
will need to travel with your own bags, we recommend that you keep your
travel weight down and for convenience use an easily portable method of
carrying your things such as a rucksack and then bring with you a much
smaller day sack as well. On the plus side is the fact that the
accommodations are pretty near to the train stations. Cost of the
train transfers are not included, nor are the other local transports
such as cable car (a possibility in Geilo) taxi or ferry services whilst
you are in Norway.
Travel options from the UK
There
are daily flights on British Airways from London Heathrow to Oslo
Gardermoen. Below are example of timings
pending timetable changes for
2008.
The
best flight departs LHR 07:55 Arrive Oslo 11:00.
You
could catch the LHR 12.45 Arrive 15:55, but this will be a bit late for
catching the afternoon train to Geilo, but useful if you are having a
night in Oslo to start.
We
do not offer flights to Bergen, but this is also a possible entry point
for land only clients into the area. Ferries from Newcastle to Bergen
are possible. Flights to Bergen involve a change in Oslo or Copenhagen
and so are not always convenient.
Return
flight: Based on the Oslo-LHR flight dept 20:25 – Arr 21:45. There is
an earlier flight, departing 17:00 – arriving 18:20, but this does not
give you much time to get to the airport if you are coming off the
afternoon train.
Level of Difficulty
Fitness: We grade this tour as moderate, with some challenging
options; anyone used to hill walking with a daily height gain/loss of up
to 3,300 feet (1000 metres) should find the tour within their
capability. Most days are a lot easier than this. There are usually
walking options and experienced walkers can of course extend their range
if they want to. There may be a chance to do an optional glacier walk
from the hotel in Finse, which will require a local paymentof about 300
NOK. Although items like crampons are supplied, if you want to do this
guided trip, you should at least make sure that your walking boots are
stiff enough to be compatible with articulated walking crampons. This
option is subject to availability and weather conditions.
Day Stages: The duration of walking per day varies. You will have
to attend to a morning train (or a ferry transfer) on some days to get
you to the next hotel; these are normally under an hour’s journey. So
you have to fit in the walking with this. However you will normally be
able to spend up to 6 hours happily walking per day in most cases. In
Geilo one walking route can be shortened by taking the Geilohogda
chairlift (not included) this runs up to mid August.
Waymarking: As one would expect in Norway, the trails are pretty
well way marked, well mapped and often signposted. However poor
visibility at times will mean that it is advisable to carry and be able
to use a compass in case of mist or fog.
There can be snow patches and fields on higher
trails, especially on our two most challenging walks while new snowfalls
are possible during the summer period when we operate this tour. We
would recommend that later departures in September would be more
suitable for the more experienced walker.
General Information
Baths:
it is not normal for your room to have a bath, the main reason being
that it takes up a lot of space, some hotels/guesthouses may have a
separate room in the house where a bath is available to guests, but in
the main it is showers.
Breakfast:
in countries such as Switzerland/Norway/Germany/Austria they are usually
buffet style, please don’t offend your hosts by making up a picnic
lunch from the breakfast buffet unless it has been specifically
organised for you i.e Finse in Norway. It is important for you to tell
us if you have any dietary requirements when you book your holiday so
that we can inform everyone that you are staying with.
Single
Supplements:
are payable on most of our tours. 1) The single supplement
guarantees the privacy of your own room, however, rooms can at times be
small and in some places may not enjoy the same facilities as
double/twin rooms.
Luggage:
When staying in hotels, sometimes your luggage will have been taken
to you room awaiting your arrival. However don’t be surprised if your
luggage is waiting for you to take it up to your room.
Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation
is on a half board basis for 6 nights (6 evening meals included) and 1
night B&B in
characterful, traditional style hotels. We always try to book ensuite
rooms, if this is not possible for the dates that you want to travel
then we will let you know. Lunches are not included in the tour
cost, however in Finse packed lunches are included, which you normally
make up out of the breakfast buffet.
q
Nights 1&2:
Geilo. Our hotel is the
perfect place to relax, let alone start walks from and is within walking
distance from the center of Geilo.
Rooms are newly renovated and there is a cozy informal
atmosphere. Facilities include restaurant, indoor swimming pool, sauna
and tennis court, lounge -bar and pub.
q
Nights 3&4:
Finse. Here we stay at a cosy chalet styled hotel with a spectacular
views. The hotel is a short walk from the train station. In fact Finse
was built around the railway. At 1222m, the hotel started as a shelter
for the occupants of snow bound trains (an increasingly rare event in
these days of global warming). Over the years this cabin has been
through many upgrades. Converting it into an extraordinary hotel with
the emphasis on outdoor activities within a superb landscape. Rooms are
basic but comfortable (don’t expect a T.V) often with great views.
There is a little pub in the basement that has become a bit of a museum
with railway memorabilia. There is a relaxation center with a sauna and
ice bath…if you think you are hard enough!
q
Night 5: Flam. We
become “flamiliar” with a cosy basic pension, run by the owners,
which is located next to the Aurlandsfjord, only 400 m from the famous
Flåm railway. The pension
is not too ‘flamboyant’ but has an informal atmosphere. There is a room with an
open fireplace, TV-lounge and a large garden. The rooms are the most
basic of the tour, but are warm and simple ensuite. Bed & breakfast
only. There are several cafe restaurants open until 22:00.
q
Night 6&7: Aurland. Our resplendant
hotel here overlooks the fjord. The hotel is spacious with fine rooms
and there is a café bar and the restaurant produces great local meals.
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Outline Itinerary
q
Day 1:
Morning Flight to Oslo, transfer to railway station for the railway
journey up to Geilo, a scenic railway journey in itself, whilst not
traversing the fjords, the route winds up into the high eagle swept
forests, lakes and moorlands of Norway.
q
Day 2:
Geilo is superbly located by the Hardanger Vidda Mountain Plateau, at
800m above sea level. You can until mid August take the chairlift to
access the Hallingskarvet Mountains to reduce the height gain and
complete a great introduction walk with great views in reasonable
weather. We offer a challenging walk to climb Prestholtskarvet 1859m in
the Hallingskarvet, or there is a nice moderate moorland walk, or an
easy Lakeside ramble.
q
Day 3:
Morning train to Finse; a place first populated by British aristocrats
before the railways arrived. Then you can undertake a walk across the
moorland towards the ice of the Hardanger glacier for a picnic. Or you
can do a return walk along the old railway workers track that connects
Finse with Myrdal, where captain Scott did his winter training for the
Antarctic. In good weather, strong walkers may like to attempt the
ascent of St. Paul (1700m)
q
Day 4:
On the second day in Finse we recommend doing the guided walk up on to
the glacier, donning crampons as you go. All equipment provided by the
hotel and there is a local payment for this. Itineraries will depend on
conditions. Otherwise undertake more local walking over the plateau.
q
Day 5:
Train transfer to Myrdal and walk down to Flam (21 km). This is an easy-ish
classic walk! You have to first submit your baggage at Myrdal for local
transfer down to Flam station (50 NOK per bag approx, which you have to
pay locally). The walk down to Flam is beautiful, following the lush
valley route, through woods and pastures, always with the sounds of
rushing waters. Eventually drop down to the Aurlandsfjord, a branch off
Sognefjord.
q
Days 6
& 7: A short ferry journey takes you to Aurland for two nights,
giving you plenty of time to walk round this beautiful area. There are
some little circular walks you can do here, or walk up the breathtaking
Aurland Valley, using a local bus at the start and end of the walk. In
some ways this place is lost in time, from Ovstebo, you can only follow
a mule track into the higher pastures, enjoying the sights and sounds of
this landscape. We would also recommend a 4 hour fjord cruise (about 240
NOK) into the Sognefjord, which was in March 2004 described as the most
beautiful destination in the world by a panel on "The National
Geographical Magazine."
q
Day 8:
Depart from Aurland to Oslo. Bus or taxi to Flam and then catch the
scenic Myrdal - Flam train, a private line claimed to be the steepest
"normal gauge" railway in the World. You should get beautiful
views back to Sognefjord and around. At Myrdal, join mainline trains
back to Oslo. Local train to airport for late afternoon or evening
flight. We would recommend you to have an extra night in Oslo so that
you can make the most of what this city has to offer including the
Viking Museum.
On
this Self Guided Tour we provide you with ...
Route
notes and maps.
Train Travel
Details
that you need to consider here (as rail travel is not included in the
tour price).
You
need to use the train a lot on this tour, and with the stop offs
involved, it is probably advisable to buy your tickets in advance
especially considering that you ought to have a seat reservation between
Oslo and Geilo at the start of the tour and between Flam and Oslo at the
end of the tour. You may or may not be able to reserve seats on the
trains from Geilo to Finse and from Finse to Myrdal because these are
short sections of under an hour. Depending on how busy the train is, you
may or may not get a seat for these short sections.
Although
in theory you could just turn up at Oslo S and buy all your tickets (one
for each leg of the journey) when you arrive, note that the best deals
on trains in Norway are made OUTSIDE of the country. You can look for
timetables and book the tickets on www.nsb.no, which is the Norwegian
state railway site (NSB) or phone: (0047) 81 500888. After some spiel in
Norwegian you will get prompted in English to press (4) for Norwegian
state Railways, English is widely spoken. On the Internet you may at
times be able to buy a "Mini-pris" ticket that is only a
fraction of the normal rail cost. These offers appear on the Internet at
different times.
Note
that the Flam line is a private line and may not appear on the NSB
timetables but it does link into them via Myrdal. The flam railway is
160 NOK approx. one way.
If
you live in the U.K. you could book your train tickets with Ultimate
Travel: 0151-3396171. They will need to know your dates of travel to
make your outward and return reservations. They will probably be more
expensive than if you do it on the Internet. You will have to describe
the routings below, bearing in mind the time that you are likely to
reach Oslo Central Rail Station.
The
routings that you need are (note there may be new timings for Summer
2009):
q
Day 1:
Oslo - Geilo (reservation recommended) e.g. depending on when you arrive
in Oslo, there is usually a train around 16.07 that gets you into Geilo
at 19.39.
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Day 3:
Geilo - Finse, (10.15 train is ideal).
q
Day 5:
Finse - Flam via Myrdal (11.10 train is ideal). Hopefully you will walk
from Myrdal and you need to pay locally to get you baggage taken through
to Flam.
q
Day 8:
Flam to Oslo via Myrdal (reservation is recommended). E.g. Dept Flam
09:00 Arrive Myrdal. Dept Myrdal: 0951 Arrive Oslo 14:32, or you could
dept Flam on the next train at 11.30 - arriving at Oslo 17.32
Norwegian
rail tends to be very reliable. Trains run every 15 mins approx from the
airport to Central Station, (Oslo S), taking 25 mins and vica versa (150
NOK approx).
We
advise that you take morning flights on the way to Norway and evening
flights on the way back. It might be nice to have a night in Oslo itself
and break your journey a bit as it is a long travelling day otherwise.
Singles
Not
available for single traveller due to rugged terrain.
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