Getting to Bergen
Bergen is situated on the southwestern coast of Norway, 300 miles from Oslo. Bergen is easily accessible by road, rail, air and sea, with an efficient transport system in place.
By car
For those driving to Bergen, the city is connected to Oslo by the E16, which joins the E18 at Sandvika and links to Oslo city centre. This route includes travelling through the worlds longest road tunnel, a 15-mile tunnel linking Aurland with Laerdal. For those travelling further, the E18 continues to Orebro, and from there, the E20 takes you all the way to Stockholm.
There is a shorter route to Oslo, but due to the mountainous roads and the need for a ferry crossing, it is considerably slower. If you want to travel via this more scenic route, take the R7 through Geilo and connect with the ferry at Brimnes (to Bruravik).
If youre coming from Trondheim then its a little less straightforward, with many of the mountainous routes closed from October to May due to snow. In the summer, take the E6 to Otta, where you connect with the N15 to Sogndal then the E39 to Lavik for the ferry to Oppedal and finally the E39 to Bergen. In winter, it tends to be easier to travel via Oslo.
Most of the ferry services (see below) are car accessible, so this is another option for those coming from Denmark, the UK, Iceland, the Faroe Islands or other ports in Norway.
By rail
The 300-mile journey from Oslo to Bergen is considered to be one of the most scenic train routes in the world, travelling through valleys and fjords with snow-capped mountain views. The journey takes around 8 hours and there are six trains a day including one sleeper service. There are some interesting places on the journey and at Myrdal (2 hours from Bergen), there is a connecting line for Flam. Norway has a fairly extensive train network, and it is also possible to make international connections with Sweden via Oslo. There is a free shuttle bus (bus 100) linking the train station with the bus station and the city centre.
By bus
There are five services daily between Oslo and Bergen, with the journey taking around 10 to 11 hours. The bus station in Bergen is located next to the railway station at Strmgaten 8. Although the city is small and compact, there is an efficient local bus service, which is especially useful on rainy days.
By air
Bergens one-terminal airport is situated 12 miles south of the city centre, and the airport has a few connections with other European cities and plenty of domestic locations. Norwegian airline, SAS Braathens, is the main operator, with Ryan Air, Finnair, KLM and Lufthansa also flying here. International destinations include Copenhagen, London, Aberdeen and Amsterdam. Norwegian Air Shuttle is a relatively new low-cost airline with some good value domestic flights.
The airport has good facilities with a souvenir shops, a newsagents, cafs, restaurants and bars. The airport bus takes around 45 minutes and drops passengers at the major hotels in town and at the bus station.
By ferry
Bergen is accessible by ferry, with ferries docking at Skoltegrunnskaien, and travelling by ferry can be a relatively cheap way to get to Bergen. Fjord Line operates cruise ferries between Newcastle and Bergen (via Stavanger and Haugesund) three times a week in summer and twice a week in winter as well as services to Hanstholm in Denmark. There are also ferries to Lerwick (Shetland Islands), Thorshavn (Faroe Islands) and Seyisfjrur (Iceland), operated by Smyril Line. There is also a very good network of domestic coastal services.
The advantage of ferry travel is that the city is built around the harbour, so the harbour is within easy walking distance of all attractions.
Taxis
Bergen has a good taxi service and taxis with an illuminated sign on the roof can be hailed on the street. Taxis are charged according to the meter, with a small extra charge for luggage. There are taxi ranks at the airport and at Bryggen, Vgsallmenningen and Strandkaien.