Fjord and Glacier Fun: Norway In A Nutshell With Kids
After landing in Bergen and exploring that city for a couple days, we began what was perhaps the wildest and most challenging part of our trip through Scandinavia. In the next 24 hours, we would be taking a train to a bus to a ferry to a rental car and a drive through winding one lane highways to a car ferry to an overnight stay to another ferry to a trek up the foot of a glacier. All this to see the largest glacier on continental europe. This scenic trek – Norway in a nutshell with kids – would be a challenge with two youngsters in tow. But, we were excited and hopeful that it would all be worth the trouble in the end!
By the way, this post is part of a series from our summer trip through Scandinavia. You can read my first post about our lay-over at the most eco-friendly airport in the world here, and then our 2 days exploring the beautiful and rugged harbor city of Bergen here.
And while I’m making disclosures, please note this post contains some affiliate links. They are for products I firmly believe in, and cost you nothing to click on. But they may earn me a very small commission if you do. So I would be most appreciative of your support!
Train From Bergen To Voss
We began our journey with a 1 hour train ride to Voss. Because we booked Eurail Scandinavia Passes, we were able to make our reservation in advance. Their booking system is not as easy to do online as we are used to with airlines nowadays. We ended up having to call a couple times to make the arrangements, but it worked out in the end.
As I mentioned in my Bergen post, Norway is fantastically family friendly. They seem to prioritize inclusivity when it comes to traveling with children. As such, the train line from Bergen all the way to Oslo included a Family Car.
This was an entire car devoted to people with children, though technically anyone could book a seat there. Up front, there was a large clearing for parked strollers.
And on the other end of the car was a large padded playroom for kids! The walls were glass so you could watch your kids play from your seat. Most parents did not do this though, and opted to hang out inside the playroom supervising their children!
Our daughter spent most of the ride in here, making friends with fellow young travelers.
She especially loved climbing up the ladder and crawling through this long orange tube to the ladder on the other side.
Because the floor was padded and there were babies crawling around, everyone removed their shoes outside. So considerate!
The atmosphere in the entire car was very casual. Moms were nursing babies. No one batted an eye while a child started to throw a tantrum. It wasn’t total chaos because for the most part the kids were entertained by the playroom and freedom to roam around. I wish every train had a family car!
While my kids were having fun in the playroom, I was able to ogle the scenery. Though this ride is just 1 hour, we passed more lakes than I can count, and some gorgeous scenery.
As beautiful as these landscapes are, little did I know that the best was yet to come on our journey!
Voss
Upon arrival in Voss, we were greeted by another giant troll sculpture. This one was wearing nail polish and eye make up. The girlfriend of the one we saw atop Mount Flöyen in Bergen perhaps?
From Voss, we’d have to take a bus down to Gudvangen to catch our ferry through the Nærøyfjord. The bus stop was a short walk down a gentle hill from the train station, and there were several other folks waiting there with us. Though we waited about 45 minutes, the time passed quickly because my husband took our son to the restroom at a hotel across the street, and several other busses passed through the depot which the kids found exciting.
Once our bus arrived, we were happy to see it was more of a luxury tour bus than pubic transportation. The seats were plush and they even had a built-in child seat for our daughter to sit in. So clever. Why can’t every bus have this feature?
As we drove through the valley, we passed several more lakes, lush farmland, and even a few waterfalls!
But the real jaw dropping scenery came towards the end of the drive, as we cautiously made our way down steep switch backs into this valley.
Gudvangen is nestled between those two mountains, and you can see a bit of the steep road in the foreground.
Our bus driver was the perfect tour guide. He made sure to point out all the waterfalls we passed and even stopped to let us get to to take a photo of this one.
Gudvangen
When we arrived in Gudvangen, I was surprised to see dozens of tour buses and lots of other tourists milling around. Apparently, taking the public train and bus route is not the norm. You can take a private tour bus directly from Bergen or even Oslo instead. But we were happy to have done it the way we did, not to mention the cost savings!
While my husband went to buy our ferry tickets, we had a snack at the wooden table outside this gift shop.
My son thought it was so cool how the roof of this structure was covered in grass! Turns out, this “sod roof” is a traditional Norwegian practice dating back hundreds of years. It’s also a form of green design (in more ways than one!) because the sod provides natural insulation during the colder months.
Just a cool wooden totem sculpture of a viking.
The Fjords Ferry Through Nærøyfjord and Aurlandfjord
There were several ferry options we could have taken from Gudvangen. We had originally planned to take the public car ferry on the advice of our trusty Rick Steves guidebook. (This book, by the way, provided much of the framework for our trip, and Rick has never once steered us wrong!). However, because we had reserved our rental car for a specific time, we ended up taking the ferry with the soonest departure time that would get us over in time for the pick up.
This turned out to be a lucky call, because we ended up taking the nicest ferry I have ever seen! Even better, the vehicle is 100% electric and was chock-full of eco-friendly features!
The interior was beautifully appointed, with real wood and leather furnishings, and walls of glass. You could see the fjord outside from every seat in the ship!
Flat screens all over the ferry proudly displayed The Fjords Ferry’s eco-conscious features.
Cleverly marked trash and recycling bins. Clearly they know their clientele speak diverse languages so these pictograms made it easy to figure out which one to use!
The cafe – you could eat anywhere on board, and though the line was long, it moved at a steady pace.
Fresh baked pastries! Not what we were expecting for ferry food. We had a couple of the chocolate muffins and they were SO good!
Compostable utensils in canvas-lined wicker baskets. The eco-friendliness abounds!
This chart made it easy for people with food allergies to figure out which items were safe for them to eat.
My son got the hot dog (of course) and daughter had the croissant. Hubs and I split the veggie sandwich which had soft brie, ripe tomatoes, and crisp watercress on a fresh multigrain bread. SO yum. Served on compostable bamboo plates and a reusable wooden tray. Again, not at all what I was expecting on a ferry boat!
The bathrooms were marked unisex with wooden signs.
And each one was equiped with the nicest baby changer ever! Solid wood with a plush cotton pad. I mean seriously, can Norway BE any more family-friendly??
The Fjords View
Since the cruise lasted about two hours, we had plenty of time after chowing down on lunch to take in the view of the Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjorden. And what a view it was!
In another life, I’d like to live in this little village tucked into the foot of these verdant cliffs, overlooking the blue fjord waters.
Flåm
Though we were a bit reluctant to disembark from our Fjords ferry, we were excited to be in Flåm, the heart of our trek through Norway in a nutshell with kids.
From Flåm, we rented a car and drove up to the Jostedal Glacier, continental Europe’s largest glacier, for a one night side trip. I decided to cover that part of the journey in a separate post. Click here to read about our trek up to Jostedal Glacier!
Jostedal Glacier
Hiking to the glacier was a bucket list kind of experience that I recommend everyone do at some point in their lifetime. That said, it was a challenging trip to make logistically and we weren’t even certain we’d get up there until a few days before our arrival. (My post about visiting the glacier has all the juicy details on why this was so challenging).
So if you can’t make it up to the glacier, just know your trip through Norway in a nutshell with kids will still be full of beautiful scenery and amazing experiences!
Aurland
Case in point, this is Aurland! After we drove back down from the literal high point of hiking to the Jostedal Glacier, we spent the evening in Aurland, a small village just a few miles north of Flåm and overlooking the fjord water.
How cute and quaint are these homes set against the lush cliffs overlooking Aurlandfjord?
Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri
We stayed at the fantastic Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri, which was located right off the town center and overlooking the water. It had a wonderful restaurant attached, which made it easy for us since we didn’t feel like driving after being on the road all afternoon. The staff were very friendly and helpful as well.
Though there were hotel rooms where you could stay in the main building, we were lucky enough to book a waterside cabin. (These are super popular – for good reason – and book months in advance during the summer). We stayed in Cabin #2, and fell in love the moment we opened the door.
The view from the front door. The cabin was very clean and new, with the smell of fresh wood throughout.
The large living/dining/kitchen room had a beautiful view of the fjord outside. Unfortunately, the shades here were pretty flimsy so it was bright inside all night long.
The kitchen area. We never used it except for the fridge, but it was well kept and seemed to have all the amenities you’d want.
The bathroom was compact but clean and, like many places on our Scandinavia trip, had heated floors.
The main bedroom. It was actually more spacious than it appears in this photo. There was a cabinet at the foot of the bed and another nightstand on the right side. Plenty of room for two people.
The upstairs loft. Our kids LOVED playing up here. Because you could only access it via a steep ladder, we decided to have our toddler sleep downstairs with my hubs, and I stayed up here with my son.
Vangsgaarden Restaurant
After we let the kids play in the loft for a while, we headed up to the main hotel for dinner. I say this like it was a big trek – it was less than a minute up a short set of stairs. Though the restaurant had a nice outdoor patio, our son wanted to sit inside which we were glad to do. I’m sorry I didn’t think to get a photo of it to post here. The interior had a warm hunting lodge aesthetic and sturdy wooden furniture. The bar area had some kitschy decor as well, which made it feel down home and cozy.
We didn’t know what to expect since this was basically the only restaurant in the area, but were pleasantly surprised! I ordered the salad with chicken (pictured below) which was produced by the nearby Sogn school of organic agriculture and horticulture. It was reasonably-priced, fresh, and flavorful – everything you’d want a salad to be!
This colorful salad was produced by the Sogn school of organic agriculture and horticulture for our fjord-side hotel. It was reasonably-priced, fresh, and flavorful… everything you want a salad to be! 😋#vangsgaarden #travelblogger @visitnorway #foodblogger pic.twitter.com/Me8YG4DwWH
— Eco Friendly Mama (@EcoFriendlyMa) July 11, 2018
My husband had the daily special (reindeer stew, a traditional Norwegian dish, with lingonberries and roasted potatoes). He said it was pretty good!
Our son LOVED this vegetarian pasta! I can’t recall ever seeing carrots in a pasta before, but he thought it was fun and gave the sauce a sweet flavor.
Our somewhat picky toddler wanted a plain cheese pizza. Though it wasn’t technically on the menu, the staff was happy to accommodate her. It was thin crust and cheesy delicious. I stole a couple slices and thoroughly enjoyed it!
After dinner, I walked over to the supermarket while the family went back to the cabin. One of my favorite things to do in a foreign country is visit the local grocery. You learn so much about a culture by seeing what people eat and sampling their foods. I was happy to see many organic, local, and un-processed options.
I picked out some items for us to have for breakfast on the train the next morning. Then I decided to grab some ice cream bars for dessert. I also picked up a few bottles of local beers.
Skjerdøl Kølsch from Ægir Brewery which we walked by in Flåm, Grevens Cider in Orange & Hibiscus flavor, and a grapefruit Pilsner from Oslo’s Amundsen Bryggeri.
We enjoyed our dessert treats sitting on the balcony and taking in this gorgeous view of the Aurlandfjord.
Night In Aurland
Here’s where I have to be real and tell you that our stay in Aurland was actually my worst night of sleep. Though we loved this cabin, the loft room that I shared with my son was VERY hot. Like much of Europe, there was no air conditioning. And heat always rises. I wanted to keep the window closed and covered with the thick curtain to keep out the midnight sun so that my son could stay asleep. But around 2am I was so sweaty that I gave up and opened the window. This is what it looked like outside:
Opening the window and letting the light in woke my son up, who was feeling hot himself. It also didn’t help that there were some drunken French teenagers yelling outside. He fell back asleep after a while, but it took me a couple hours to konk out again. Thankfully, we had a fairly easy day of travel so I was able to rest later on the way to Oslo.
The Flåm Railway To Myrdal
Since we had already returned our rental car the day before, and it was too early for the public bus, the hotel recommended that we hire a shuttle to get down to Flåm to catch our train to Myrdal. So we’re waiting outside the hotel for a little while and who pulls up to transport us but Benjamin Rock, the same man who runs the only rental car company and the only taxi service in Flåm. And now apparently the only shuttle van service in Flåm too. He’s like the Wizard of Oz LOL!
The Flåm Railway is the easiest way to get up to Myrdal to connect to the train to Oslo. But it’s a private tourism line so was not included in our Eurail Pass as an FYI. That said, the additional cost was well worth it.
They use historic trains that have been carefully restored. The route is one of the steepest and is considered one of the most beautiful train routes in the world. Though we were sad to be completing our adventure through Norway in a nutshell with kids, we were looking forward to this ride!
The interior was a throwback to an earlier era but yet very comfortable at the same time. There were flat screen TVs showing videos of the area and helpful narration as we made our way up the mountain.
A friendly conductor came by and gave each of the kids this neat coloring book set.
The scenery was, again, breathtaking. Beautiful wide waterfalls, water mills, sheep meadows, and tiny little cabins dotting the mountainside.
The train made a short stop in front of the vast Kjosfossen waterfall. Here we could disembark to get a close shot of the natural beauty. There was also a somewhat bizarre live performance where a woman in red danced to folk music piped over a loudspeaker. Some people were openly laughing at the campiness of the show, and it was pretty over the top. She is meant to represent Huldra, a forest spirit from Norse mythology, who is said to lure men into the woods with her seductive dance. I took it to be a bit of fun and an attempt to keep the Norse spirit alive.
If you squint you can see one of the three dancers who played Huldra dressed in red, to the right of the waterfall.
Myrdal to Oslo
In Myrdal, we had a brief wait before the train to Oslo arrived. There was a small cafeteria that sold freshly made Norwegian pancakes and other pastries, plus strong coffee. Again, I would never imagine having decent food from a small train station cafeteria, but it was surprisingly good! And they had the same fresh-baked chocolate muffins as The Fjords ferry, so our kids were very happy.
Finse
One of the early drafts of our trip itinerary included an overnight stay in Finse. It’s the highest elevation stop on the entire Norway railroad system and the most picturesque portion of a devastatingly gorgeous route. As such, it’s not accessible by car. From Finse, you can bike or hike to the Hardangerjøkulen Glacier. This one is smaller, but no less breathtaking, than the Jostedal Glacier that we did end up visiting.
Finse also has a significant spot in STAR WARS history. You know the snowy planet of Hoth in EMPIRE STRIKES BACK? Filmed in Finse during a snow storm! I would’ve loved to spend more time there, but unfortunately, none of the town’s hotel accommodations open until July so we had to skip it.
Thankfully though, the train from Myrdal to Oslo makes a 2 minute stop at Finse, just long enough to hop off onto the platform and snap a quick pic.
Finse. Thankfully it was a little warmer on this day than when Luke Skywalker last visited. And that’s a good thing – I doubt I’d be able to find a Tauntaun to use for warmth anyway! ; )
And that, my friends, is Norway in a nutshell with kids! Totally worth the trek and effort to visit this stunningly beautiful place if you can. Stay tuned for my next post about our stay in Oslo, Norway’s capitol city and the home of the Nobel Peace Prize!
Keating
I have a friend who just got back from Norway not too long ago. Her photos were gorgeous! I never even thought to add it to my bucket list until she went and now you’re making me want to go even more! haha
Eco Friendly Mama
Put it on! Norway is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. Totally bucket list worthy : )
Brittany
Norway looks gorgeous and very family friendly! Seems like you guys a great time. Thanks for sharing!
Eco Friendly Mama
Yes to all of that. Thanks for reading! : )
Maria
Wow! What an awesome trip! My favorite part was the train. That’s so cool that Norway is so kid friendly. I would totally go just for the train. The rest of your trip looked amazing as well. You are so brave travelling with children! =)
Eco Friendly Mama
Haha, I know, why can’t all trains have a family car?? Such a brilliant concept and it really made the ride less stressful for parents and children alike : )
Rhea Mendezona
Such a memorable family trip. Keeping this in mind as I’m in the constant look out for kid friendly trips. 😊
Eco Friendly Mama
Yes, everywhere we went in Scandinavia was so family friendly and easy to navigate as an English speaker. I’d highly recommend it for kid-friendly travel : )
Cass
Amazing photos! I would love to go to Norway one day 🙂
Eco Friendly Mama
Thank you!
Ayla
Norway looks stunning! I hope to one day visit there!
Eco Friendly Mama
It really is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited in the world. I hope you get there some day! : )
Alicia
So helpful to read all the information. Thanks! We are planning on going this coming summer. How many days did you stay in Norway for? We have twin toddlers (2.5years old) and we were wondering if it would be too much for them the hours on transportations (we would skip the visit to the glacier) Any suggestions are super welcome. Thanks again! 🙂
Eco Friendly Mama
Thanks Alicia! We were in Norway for a week. Flew into Bergen and were there for 2 days (love that city! You can read all about it in my Bergen post), then a few days for the Nutshell portion, and another couple days in Oslo before we moved on to Denmark. My daughter was less than 2.5 at the time and did great on the transportation. The country is super family-friendly. The train between Bergen to Oslo that has a family car that is AWESOME.
The ride between Bergen and Voss (where you catch the bus to the fjord ferry) is only about an hour and our kids could’ve happily stayed in that family car for the full ride to Oslo. You can also stay on a bit longer and get off at Myrdal instead, and then take the scenic train down to Flåm, do the ferry round trip, and then back up to Gudvangen on the scenic train instead of the way we did it. I’ll write a post about it with more info on that portion.
Happy to answer any other questions you have! : )