Let somebody else take over the driving and make your holiday to Norway more sustainable with eco-friendly transport on your trip to Flåm. We recommend you try the trip on the Bergen Railway across the mountain from Oslo and the high-speed boat from Bergen via the Sognefjord.
Eco-friendly rail travel to Flåm
When it comes to getting to Flåm, the railway is our favourite option. The Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen revolutionised east-west travel when it opened in 1909, and it was named one of the world’s 10 most fantastic rail journeys by Lonely Planet in 2019. Board the train in Bergen or Oslo, or at any of the many stations between the two, and simply enjoy the fantastic landscape that rolls past until you arrive in Myrdal.
At Myrdal, you change to the Flåm Railway, which like the Bergen Railway has been named one of the most beautiful railways in the world. The journey down to Flåm and the Aurlandsfjord takes about 50 minutes and includes a stop at Kjosfossen. Flåm Station is located at the quay in the town centre, just a short walk away from the Fretheim Hotel and other attractions.
Travel to Flåm by boat or coach
Before the Flåm Railway opened in 1940, the Sognefjord was the main transport artery between Flåm to Bergen, a trip across almost the entire length of the longest fjord in Norway. In summer, you can take the high-speed boat service from Bergen to Flåm via Sogndal. This trip takes 5.5 hours and takes you through a number of idyllic fjord communities such as Sogndal, Balestrand and Vik. Combining this route with rail travel is a unique trip.
One good alternative if the departure times don’t suit your itinerary, or if you’re travelling out of season, is to take an electric fjord cruise from Flåm to Gudvangen and experience the Nærøyfjord at the same time. From Gudvangen, you jump on the relevant coach to Voss and then take the train on to Bergen (or Oslo) from there. Or the opposite, of course.
Coach links to Flåm are good as well. Nettbuss has a number of daily departures from Oslo (changing in Lærdal) and Bergen, while Nor-Way operates the Øst-Vestekspressen coach service between Lillehammer and Bergen, as well as the Sognefjordekspressen service between Sogndal and Bergen.
Drive your electric car to Flåm
If you’re an environmentally aware driver with an electric car, it goes without saying that you can use your own car and travel emissions-free and without problems. To make life easier for our guests, the Fretheim Hotel built a new car park with 12 charging stations in 2019.
Flåm is in a central location in western Norway along the E16, so it’s easy to find and there are plenty of options for great trips. From eastern Norway, take the E16 across Filefjell, the RV52 via Hemsedal or the RV50 between Aurland and Hol, depending on which suits your starting point best. From Bergen, take the E16 via Voss.
If you’re coming from the north side of the Sognefjord, you’ll drive via Sogndal and Lærdal.
In summer, we can recommend taking the old road between Aurland and Lærdal, a National Tourist Route that’s also known as Snøvegen (the Snow Road), stopping off at the Stegastein viewing platform above the Aurlandsfjord.
Sustainable sightseeing
Once you’ve arrived here, you won’t find it difficult to get around in a sustainable way. You can hire bikes and cycle out to Otternes Bygdetun or up the Flåmsdalen Valley to Flåm Church, and you can get some exercise and walk to Brekkefossen. You can also hire small electric cars for slightly longer journeys such as up to Aurlandsvangen or the Stegastein viewing platform.
The emissions-free boat Future of the Fjords offers daily fjord cruises in the Nærøyfjord, which is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. You can leave the boat on the way in order to enjoy a walk up trails you wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise, or you can simply relax in peace and quiet in one of the small fjord communities. If you’ve been on lots of trips and fancy a proper all-day excursion, you can join in with Bike & Hike Nærøyfjord. This exciting trip includes a fjord cruise to Dyrdal, cycling on Stølsveg and a trip to the peak with views all the way down into the fjord – all accompanied by a guide.
Moreover, did you know that the Flåm Railway was one of the first sections of electric railway in Norway? It was electrified back in 1944.
Eco-Lighthouse certified Fretheim Hotel
The historical Fretheim Hotel received Eco-Lighthouse certification back in 2006 and takes responsibility for safeguarding our environment as effectively as possible. The culinary concept at the Arven restaurant is based on the use of local ingredients – as well as not having to travel far, they also support local food producers and farmers. If you’re an environmentally aware company, you have the opportunity to organise a Green Conference here as well.