Chris rounds off his budget travels around Norway with some money-saving tips from Bergen.

This is the final part of a three-part series about how to see the best of Norway on a budget. Read part one from OsloÌęČčČÔ»ć part two from FlĂ„m.

Gudvangen to Voss

Obviously, the Norway in a Nutshell folk have another surprise up their sleeves. Once you disembark the ferry at Gudvangen if you don’t want to hang around, you can head straight for the bus to Voss where you will rejoin the Bergen line.

The bus journey to Voss starts off in traditionally Norwegian style; there are cliffs, clouds ready to be plucked from the air – they’re that close – and waterfalls aplenty.

Then the bus turns a corner and due to the wet weather, we were faced with a landscape reminiscent of the the tropics; the clouds clung to the sides of the mountains and dived into the deep valley, making the view recognisably Norwegian yet slightly alien.

As one peak sloped downwards into the abyss, another was waiting behind it forming a series of v-shape valleys that ended with a thin strip of land far below that was to be our destination once we’d traversed some mighty hair-pin bends.

The bus driver had to have nerves of steel to get us around the route without turning us into blubbering wrecks. Halfway down this 360-degree view of the valley we approach the widest waterfall since the FlÄsmbana that appears as if from nowhere and disappears behind a thick covering of trees. The brain rushes to take in all this information as cameras click to take it all in.

A rest before Bergen

This section of the journey once again reminds me what a phenomenal deal the Norway in a Nutshell ticket is and how easy it is to be part of this glorious landscape.

The final part of the tour upon arrival at Voss is a one hour train ride to Bergen. By this point, with brains barely able to register any more beauty, it is a chance to have a well-earned rest and snooze before hitting the rainy city of Bergen.

Bergen

Bergen is great. The location, nestled between the water and the cliffs like so much of Norway, offers sublime views wherever you are. The best place to witness this is from up top, so head on the FlĂžibanen funicular.

At NOK 85 return or NOK 43 one way, it is a great way to get one last vista sweeping out below you as well as a chance to go on some great walks around the mountain.

Bergen is built up on the bay and the centre of the town juts out into the water. From the top of the mountain you can see the city spread out beneath you, making you realise how reliant Norway is on the parcels of land that aren’t mountainous for habitation.

Fun fact! Only 20% of Norway is below 150m above sea level and the average altitude is 500m above the sea. Norway is a geological wonder.

When you’re done up the mountain, Bergen has a clutch of must-see sights to while away an evening. We walked to Klosteret for food and drink and to escape one of the many patches of rain that eternally hang over the city. The cake, a plum sponge, was a work of genius.

Historic city

From there we walked along the harbour with a view opposite of Bergen fortress and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bryggen, notable for burning down time after time yet being rebuilt using old methods, so giving the wharf an ancient feeling that modern building methods can’t replicate.

It is brilliant to go inside the Christmas shop and attempt to go up the rickety staircase, leaning at crazy angles, without worrying you will tumble down again. You’ll also find a seemingly endless parade of terrifying dolls to buy for Christmas.

The walk towards Torget, the market, sees the city livening up. The fish market is still bustling and  country and western music is blaring out of a pub, with remarkably drunk attendees.

Another pub nearby seemed to specialise in the smallest beers known to man at inflated prices, so while it is nice to walk about this area, the costs are not. Just a few streets away from Torget, drinks prices fall down as you leave the hubbub behind you.

Central accommodation

We stayed at the  near the central bus station for 1,225kr for the night. It cost more than the other hotels in our trip but the cooked breakfast was enormous as well as tasty, plus checkout was at midday.

The very definition of happiness is a midday checkout when the rain is hammering down at 10.30am. And, I’ll be critical of Norway here, but the Ørnen had an actual double bed rather than the bizarre single-beds-shoved-together thing that seems to predominate.

A curious museum

Our last day started at the rather maudlin but engaging leprosy museum. It isn’t every day that you get to read a thorough account of leprosy in a former hospital for victims.

It is such a horrific disease that it makes sense that it has become a sort of comedy illness, the sort of thing that doesn’t happen to us. After visiting the Leprosy museum, I can assure you that the true horror of it will stay in your mind.

The hospital chapel is without a doubt one of the saddest places when you think that these people may well have prayed endlessly for their affliction to end, and yet help was not on the way.

Before I get too misty-eyed about the sufferers of leprosy, the museum was keen to show us that they were not without sin and many unwanted pregnancies occurred between patients, due to the not entirely sensible decision to house men, women and children all together in a random fashion.

Upon buying the 70kr ticket to the museum, you are given a voucher that entitles you to 50% off other museums in the city. For such a diminutive city, Bergen offers a lot of cultural attractions. My suggestions would be KODE (100kr) for modern art and the Bryggen museum (70kr).

All cultural excursions require coffee and cake and Bergen has a branch of , a chain of bakeries that far exceeds expectations. Words failed me when a cardamom bun the size of the plate turned up. It was simply superb, just like the coffee, all within a stylish interior that is designed to have you lingering over your snack rather than rushing out.

Farewell, for now

Upon finishing the bun, it was time to head to ”ț±đ°ùČ”±đČÔÌęČčŸ±°ù±èŽÇ°ùłÙ and wave goodbye to Norway. I didn’t feel too sad because I knew that this would not be my last time visiting Norway.

The country has firmly cast a spell on me and armed with the knowledge that Norway is a destination that can be budget-friendly, the perfect holiday of city and country can be had.

If the Norway in a Nutshell tour had me salivating at the beauty on offer, I can only imagine how I’ll react to the northern lights tours, or the Hurtigruten boats around the fjords, or the Lofoten Islands. Oh Norway, in the words of Louis Walsh on X Factor, you’ve got it all!

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After a night in Oslo, Chris takes two of the world's most famous railway journeys.

This is the second in a three-part series on how to see the best of Norway on a budget. Read the first part all about Oslo.

The Oslo to Bergen Railway

The next part of your trip is the journey from Oslo to FlÄm on the Bergen line and then the FlÄmsbana; undoubtedly one of the most special you'll have in your life, no matter where you're from. I'd go so far as to say it ought to be on every European travellers bucket list.

It offers a journey that gets progressively more spectacular as the train ascends the glacier and upon descending into FlĂ„m, you get to ride the steepest railway journey on the continent. The trip warrants some facts because simple phrases like “you'll not believe your eyes” or “photos don't it justice”, well, they don't do it justice.

It's over 100 years old, which is incredible when you look at the scenery and imagine the sheer ambition of the people stuck between a rock and a hard place. At its highest point, you're 1,237m above sea level, on the Hardangervidda plateau. When the train arrives in Finse, you're just 3 miles from the HardangerjĂžkulen glacier and looking opposite you can see tongues of ice that signal the beginnings of a glacier.

There is a shock to be had to see thick slabs of ice in late August. but because of this landscape, Finse is an unbearably scenic train station. At Myrdal, your stop for the FlĂ„msbana, you’ll go from over 800m above sea level to sea level itself. Lonely Planet gave it the accolade of second best railway journey in Europe – the other was the Rauma line, also in Norway.

The Bergen line, as incredible as it is, does not escape some of the madness of politicians and it gives me a chill down the spine to read some ideas to make the train line more profitable. One was a suggestion that Norway couldn't afford any long distance rail routes and abandon them altogether, which was thankfully ignored.

Another was to drive a motorway through the route or, just every bit as bad, to build a high speed rail line. People were gasping as we travelled up the glacier, gasping in awe at the beauty on display and to lose the rail line to something as tedious as saving a bit of money, well, that's just stupid. The line is a perfect thing.

The FlÄm Railway

The FlÄmsbana is such a revered and beautiful journey that there is a real buzz as we board the train. People rush to get window seats and as we start our journey, people jostle for a good view but will also move aside to let others get a good view. Perhaps this level of natural beauty brings out the best in people?

I know that the journey to FlĂ„m is steep, but reading this makes me marvel even more at those that made the railway: “It exits the tunnel onto an artificial shelf on a cliff which falls several hundred meters down”

The first station exists purely to let us see the Kjosfossen waterfall, falling for 225 metres. It pounds past the viewing platform, spraying everyone with a fine mist and exciting all the kids. Fun fact! The waterfall powers the FlÄm line.

Occasionally, a mysterious dancing woman called the huldra will come out and entertain the tourists. She is a spirit of the forest and only appears in summer when there are many tourists about. It’s enough to make you think she is actually a performer from the Norwegian ballet school, so fond of attention is she.

That one stop is the only one we get out at and from then on we steadily make our way down the mountain, with the landscape opening up in all directions ever more beautiful. The shape of the valley becomes apparent, opening up like the most elaborate pages from a book you’ll ever see. More waterfalls come into view and everywhere the lush green of the grass and trees and the greys of the rock make up the colour palette.

A few minutes before FlĂ„m station, FlĂ„m church comes into view. It’s at this point that you’ll hear about the floods of 2014 which damaged the church, leading to its closure this summer. Evidence of the damage is still visible and it is easy to imagine the river breaking its banks. The river is broad and powerful, but also spectacularly clear.

The village of FlÄm

While in FlĂ„m, we stayed at , an absolute bargain at 900kr for two nights. Accommodation is basic, with just a bed, somewhere to hang your clothes, a chair and bedside table to keep you company but the hostel’s setting is spectacular enough to make any concerns about home comforts seem greedy.

There’s a large communal kitchen, but don’t expect much conversation from the residents. Norway, its people and its tourists aren’t hot on chatting and that is one of the best things about the country. Peace and quiet is hugely underrated.

Any money saved from the hostel is worth spending at FlĂ„m’s wonderful microbrewery. The building goes all-out Viking on us, from the bar with its elaborately carved chairs and tremendous fireplace which would be the cosiest spot in town come the winter months. We had a drink in the bar and then went upstairs to the Ægir brewpub.

The food, as with the Norwegian portions I had been witness to, was enormous. They make their own bread there, a moist loaf with rosemary and salt crust. It couldn’t be improved and reminded me that whoever said bread is sweets for adults was spot on.

The main meal I had was pork shank glazed with honey, with mash and steamed vegetables and it was one of those rare meals where you find yourself unable to carry on conversations because it’s that good. Soon, all the space to eat any more ran out and pudding was passed on.

We sampled the beer tasting selection, and I’d recommend you to do the same. A wobbly walk back to the hostel gives you a chance to take in the silence of FlĂ„m at night, a reminder that taking time to slow down occasionally is a good move.

Things to do in FlÄm

Despite its size, there’s much to do in FlĂ„m if you are staying for a day or two. We started out our morning at Toget Cafe for a coffee and a bun which came in at 70kr each. There is a co-op around the corner to get fresh fruit and snacks if you’re out for the day. The area is home to many walks of differing degrees of difficulty and is a great guide to the main ones.

We took routes 3, 4 and 7 and found that all offer vistas to die for, some challenging climbing and well marked paths. Route 3 to Brekkefossen waterfall goes directly behind the hostel so it is the perfect walk for anyone staying there. The viewpoint from Brekkefossen waterfall is nothing short of sensational, with the whole valley set out beneath you, a surging waterfall to your right and the mountains everywhere else. It is a great spot for some contemplation and endless picture taking and the climb was easy enough for people to do it wearing converse trainers, though I’d advise against that!

The walk to the currently closed FlĂ„m church avoids the need to scramble up rocks or get startled by sheep, and it’s still very picturesque as you walk along the FlĂ„msbana and the river. Outside of the town itself, you will see a sign pointing to Kvernhus that takes you to a grass-covered hut open for you to see how flour was made.

It is mildly diverting and on the riverbank where fairies/people have made a huge variety of rock piles. You can couple this walk with walk 7 which takes you up a winding road to a point above the tree line where you will see FlÄm and beyond from another perspective.

If you want to splash out, there are fjord safaris available using RIB boats available where instead of seeing the fjords at a gentle pace, you’ll rocket round the water. At 600kr (in the low season) it was a bit steep for us. However, you can get discounts off the cost by using your Norway in a Nutshell ticket, which gives you a free Fjord Pass.

The famous NĂŠrĂžyfjord

On leaving FlÄm, the Norway in a Nutshell tour has you travel to Gudvangen by ferry, where you get to take in the NÊrÞyfjord, a fjord famous for hits narrow approach to Gudvangen, at some points being just 500 metres wide.

Despite the appalling weather on the journey, the landscape was dramatic enough for many people on the ferry to force themselves outside to take photos and gasp as the sides of the fjord seem almost close enough to touch, with the fog and weather creating a more enclosed atmosphere.

The rain kept mostly at bay for the first half of the journey and so visibility was good allowing Aurland to hove into view with the colourful wooden houses brightening up the landscape and a further inlet for the fjord to peel off offering enticing views.

As an aside, a great day trip can be had by taking the ferry to Aurland and then the bus back and you will get to see the Stegastein viewpoint – we never got to do this but it looks overwhelming, plus you get to stand over the edge of a fjord with just a pane of glass between you and a squishy end.

A highlight of the ferry trip to Aurland is the view changing every time the ferry turned a corner so make sure you are facing forwards whenever you get the chance. The second half of the journey begins as the fjord narrows and the ferry slows down to allow you to be entranced by the view, even through the rain.

The cliffs push in further, the waterfalls feel closer and more powerful and the view becomes three elements; the water, the sky and the cliffs. It is nature stripped back to the most basic of forms.

On to Bergen

It doesn’t matter that the ferry is an old passenger boat and because the journey is the thing, the mode of transportation really doesn’t matter. It is a journey as beautiful as any so far in the journey and leads me to consider if Norway really is the nation gifted with the best looks on earth.

Read part three of Chris does Norway on a Budget as he heads to Bergen.

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This year I did what 5,000,000 other people are expected to do and visited Norway.

No doubt entranced by images of great beauty, opportunities for solitude, that clean fresh air and picturesque cities, they knowingly headed for one of the world's most expensive places. Not that this will come as a surprise, but after Switzerland, Norway is the second most expensive place to live and it’s not cheap for visitors either.

Put another way, Norway is 26% more expensive to live in than New York. But treating these things like gospel can be misleading and anyone avoiding Norway because of the perceived costs is missing out on somewhere very special.

Visitors from the UK in 2015 will find they receive NOK12 to £1 which is a hefty 25% increase on exchange rates from 2010, so with some forward planning you can enjoy some of Norway's most glorious sights on a modest budget. That's where I come in!

Norway in a Nutshell

Having just got back from completing the classic Norway in a Nutshell tour, I found some genuinely excellent deals that can help you get to Norway without a remortgage. The journey we took was the one-way Norway in a nutshell tour, from Oslo to Bergen, via the FlÄm railway, a fjord cruise, bus from Gudvangen to Voss and back on the train to Bergen.

The package cost 1630kr but if I had to sell the journey in a simple phrase, it would be this: The journey of a lifetime, on a budget. The ticket is enormously flexible. Other than having your ticket to FlÄm booked in advance, you can use the ticket as you please which allowed us to create the following itinerary:

• 1 night in Oslo
• 2 nights in FlĂ„m
• 1 night in Bergen

So, let’s backtrack to your decision to come to Norway and book the Norway in a nutshell tour. Getting to Norway can be startlingly cheap. My flights into Oslo and out of Bergen from London came in at 650kr. We flew in to Rygge (edit: now closed!) on Ryanair and back from Bergen on British Airways. Getting from the airport to the city centre will add about 190kr for the airport bus or train.

Oslo

In Oslo, we stayed at in an upmarket area of the city just behind the Royal Palace. Underneath was a cosy cafe and a Bjorn Borg store, the right choice in terms of breakfast and underwear. The rooms are basic, but there’s a fridge which we used for duty-free beers and there’s a decent shower.

A night here cost us 900kr in an area the hotel calls Oslo’s Oxford Street with a price way below what you would expect in London. Another great thing about this hotel is the walk from the bus/train station, which will take you the attractive Karl Johans gate and then you will turn to see a view somewhat like The Mall in London with the city behind you and the Royal Palace in front of you.

Strolling Slottsparken is a great way to get to see some of the city and marvel at how open Oslo feels, with being at the northern end of the park. For dinner we ate at Olivia. Partway through the meal, my travelling partner said Olivia looked and felt like a decent Italian restaurant chain. Nonsense, said I.

Then, of course, I kept seeing branches of it everywhere I looked. Two very large main courses, prawns in a pasta sauce and a chicken pizza with beers, came to 500kr. I wouldn’t suggest Olivia as a bargain, but it’s good food all the same.

Walking off the meal, we went down by the Astrup Fearnley museum with its collection of modern art, through the shopping centres of Aker Brygge and traced the waterfront to the Akerhus Fortress with its beautiful grounds open to the public. This walk gives you a good idea of what Oslo has to offer and takes you through a variety of architectural styles, but we are also leaving the best to last.

The Oslo Opera House is arguably the most iconic building in the city and embodies the culture of openness and democracy that Scandinavia is known for; in other words, you can walk on the roof, be part of the building and get some novel photos.

Standing on the roof, seeing the cluster of mini-skyscrapers of varying degrees of quirkiness, looking over to the water or the tree-covered hills, you feel right in the heart of the city. It is a unique spot and even in the pouring rain it was exciting to be standing on such a great piece of architecture.

In the evening we walked to BlĂ„, a bar and music venue along the river ideal for people who want a venue fit for hipsters but who aren’t hipsters. I suggest asking to see the list of beers the courtyard bar sells; you will see just one draught beer on on the bar but they cheekily put the other pumps out of view.

Locals figured it out so as I drank a small beer at 90kr they were drinking a big beer for 80kr. There’s so much to do in Oslo that a day is going to feel too short a time, but most of the following recommendations are free or cheap:

• Vigeland Sculpture Park – incredible free art in a park. It is walkable from Cochs Pensonjat and is also on the tram network
• Walking around the main highlights of the city is easy
• Oslo ÌęČčłÙÌę100°ì°ù
• The for a dose of Edvard Munch and his Scream painting with its history of being stolen! Just 50kr
• The Armed Forces Museum

Read part two of Chris does Norway on a Budget.

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I am someone with a limited ability to focus on one thing for long. It’s true of holidays, where I plan many itineraries for places I have little intention of going to and on these itineraries I take budgets, transport times, local customs, weather and so forth into account.

A limited budget means there are places I want to go but find simply unaffordable, so my attitude towards Norway is a bit odd. Norway is known as one of the most expensive places to visit, but I’ve headed there five times, with plans to go again. In short, Norway is a special country with many reasons to visit, and here are mine.

It lets me relax

Life can be stressful, but Norway is not. The countryside is so beautiful and the facilities in the countryside so charming that relaxation comes naturally. Taking in the clean air, looking out at the heavily wooded land and valleys dove-tailing off endlessly in the distance, listening to nature and slowing down is easy to do in Norway. If you need it, there’s almost certainly going to be wifi available if you are getting twitchy for Twitter.

It has astonishing beauty

For a country hailed as expensive, there are some bargains to be had for those wanting to be mouth agape at the Fjords. The Hurtigruten isn’t a cruise ship in the way that the mega-ships are; the landscape is the main attraction, not a bar staffed by robots or imprisoned entertainers putting on their versions of West End shows nightly.

A 5-day cruise from °Ő°ùŽÇłŸČőĂž – Bergen with a cabin for 2, flights to Tromso and back from Bergen, plus some extras will cost ÂŁ745.

If you want the briefest of fjord journeys, you can take a cruise from beautiful Ålesund to the hyper-beauty of the Geirangerfjord from £52 for the 3 hour journey. It would make a marvellous daytrip.

It has great food

There’s a strong local food scene in Norway, with the Trþndelag region offering foodies a trip to remember. The food isn’t overly complex, but there is much to be said for traceable, local ingredients. The salted butter from is feted as something special and having tried it, I grew a new appreciation for butter; it is rich, creamy, pleasingly salty and turns bread and butter into something almost transcendental. Happy food from happy cows.

Taking it a step further, there’s even a “food safari”, celebrating local delicacies like reindeer, deer, baked goods and hopefully the excellent žéĂž°ùŽÇČőIs – local ice cream. I had the heart-stopping (in flavour, hopefully not for real) Blueberry double cream.

It has great cities

I have been to Oslo, Bergen, Ålesund and Trondheim and all of them have distinct characters. Oslo has the standard hipster part of town, the wonderful opera house, upmarket shopping and all the thrills of a capital city. Bergen has its location by the water, nestled under a mountain, the UNESCO-listed Bryggen and a great music scene.

Trondheim has the Nidaros Cathedral, the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world and a pilgrimage site, plus all you’d expect from a thriving university city. Ålesund burned down in 1904 and the city was rebuilt in Art Nouveau style, making it an usually consistent city in terms of its architectural style. Ålesund is located on a strip of islands surrounded by water, making it yet another Norwegian city with jaw-dropping views all around.

It has the best railway journeys in the world

I have written about the Oslo-Bergen railway line before, and I said this about it:

“I’d go so far as to say it ought to be on every European travellers bucket list. It offers a journey that gets progressively more spectacular as the train ascends”

and this:

“At its highest point, you’re 1,237m above sea level, on the Hardangervidda plateau. When the train arrives in Finse, you’re just 3 miles from the Hardangerjþkulen glacier and looking opposite you can see tongues of ice that signal the beginnings of a glacier.”

I have been on the Oslo-Bergen railways twice and on my second time, I went on the FlÄmsbana, a separate journey that descends 800m to sea level, full of passengers with mouths agape. It is simply sensational and at the end of it, you are in FlÄm, one of the most charming little towns in the world. Trust me, Norway does train travel very well.

It’s remarkably easy to travel around

Norway is brilliant for many reasons, but arriving as a tourist, things always seem so easy. Norway is like an Apple Mac, everything just works.

Take the Norway in a Nutshell tickets, for instance; you buy one ticket and it includes your journey from Oslo to FlĂ„m, your journey on the FlĂ„msbana, a stunning trip down the Aurlandsfjord and on the narrow NĂŠrĂžyfjord, a bus journey through even more breathtaking landscapes to Voss and then back on the train to Bergen. You do it at your own pace. A few clicks online and it’s yours, ready for collection at Oslo central train station.

It has so much in store

A first trip to Norway may well just be a weekend in Oslo, a run up the Opera house roof, a trip out to the Oslo fjord and maybe a jaunt to the unique Vigeland Sculpture Park. Your second visit may take in Stavanger, pulpit rock and its wooden architecture but if you get the Norway bug, you’ll find there’s so much more to see and do.

I was recently transfixed by a Guardian guide to some of , but equally excited by the prospect of seeing the northern lights in °Ő°ùŽÇłŸČőĂž, where you’re also within the Arctic circle. The jewel in Norway’s magnificent crown must be the Lofoten Islands, where the landscape stops looking like something you’d see in real life and becomes natural perfection.

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