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August 8-19, 2010 Land tour from $3299.00 plus your choice of a Norway Rail Pass Join Rail Travel Center President Wil Doak next summer for an in-depth tour of the fjord and mountain wonders of Norway. We travel by train, coastal express boats and motorcoach on a great circuit from Oslo to Bergen, Fjordland, Andalsnes, Dombas, Trondheim, and Bodo. Classic rail travel includes the Bergen Line and the Flam branch, but more unique routes also are highlighted. We travel on the wonderful Nordlands line to cross the Arctic Circle and ride the incomparable Andalsnes branch, which evokes images of a train trip in Yosemite National Park! As always, train travel is a focus of our tours; but Norway’s nautical heritage is spotlighted as well. We enjoy the extended version of the legendary “Norway in a Nutshell” rail/bus/fjord cruise round-trip from Bergen down over 100 miles of the Sogn and Aurlands fjords to Flam, returning over the legendary Flam railway via Myrdal and Voss back to Bergen. We also enjoy a half-day cruise on the “M/S White Lady”, a traditional coastal vessel, on the narrow Osterfjord near Bergen. Comprehensive sightseeing is featured in Oslo, Bergen, Dombas, Trondheim and Bodo. Although organized excursions are included throughout, the tour offers free time opportunities. Each participant will have Oslo and Bergen city passes and a Norway Rail Pass to allow for independent explorations. Complete details of this remarkable exploration of Norway follow. All aboard! This tour also can be combined with our August 20-29, 2010 “Scotland by Rail Tour”, led by Rail Travel Center Vice President/General Manager Carl Fowler. If you take both tours back-to-back, you save $75 per person on the combined prices by taking advantage of our multi-tour discount. You must be able to walk at least four blocks and climb steps on/off trains and boats to enjoy this tour. Baggage handling is included at our hotels; however, checked baggage is not provided on trains in Norway. Participants must be able to carry their bags on and off the trains and should bring light-weight wheeled luggage. Luggage carts are available at the train stations. Optional Pretour Day, Saturday, August 7 Flights leave North America today for Oslo. We recommend the superb services of SAS (Scandinavian Airways) or Continental Airlines, but you may use your choice of carrier. Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Day Two, Monday, August 9 (B) Oslo city tour; visit Flam and Viking Ships Museums. We see Oslo today on a comprehensive tour. Attractions include the magnificent Royal Palace, the unique Vigeland Sculpture Park, and the remarkable Viking Ship Museum. We have an opportunity to board the Fram, the renowned polar vessel that carried Amundsen’s men to Antarctica, where they became the first explorers to reach the South Pole. Our Oslo Cards cover admissions and also allow for further exploration this afternoon after our tour. Mr. Doak will lead an optional scenic evening excursion by commuter train high into the hills above the city to see the Olympic ski jumps and the stunning vista. There is no additional rail fare should you choose to join this trip.
Day Four, Wednesday, August 11 (B) Tour Bergen; visit the Grieg home “Troldhaugen”; ride funicular railway. We tour Bergen today, discovering the history and beauty of this former Hanseatic port city. We ride the Floibahn, a funicular (inclined) railway to a summit with spectacular vistas of the city, fjords and mountains; and tour Troldhaugen, the lovely home of composer Edvard Grieg. There is free time this afternoon; and each participant will have a Bergen Card which provides unlimited use of the public transport system and covers the cost of most museum admissions.
Here begins the legendary Flam Railway, which climbs steeply from tidewater at Flam through snowsheds and past thundering cascades to join the mainline at Myrdal. At one point we can detrain for photos of a cascade. This branch-line is one of the steepest railways in the world operated without cogs or cables. The Flam Line climbs over 2,700 feet in barely ten miles! We return from Myrdal to Bergen by train in late afternoon. Day Six, Friday, August 13 (B) Fjord tour on M/S White Lady; free time in Bergen; overnight sleeper train to Oslo. We begin with a four-hour cruise of the fjords near Bergen on the “M/S White Lady”. Our guided voyage takes us through narrow passages as we sail past islands and mountains towering up from the sea. Leaving Bergen harbor, we turn up the magnificent Osterfjord on a round-trip voyage, turning back at the inland village of Vikanes. Later there is free time to relax and further explore Bergen. This evening we board the overnight train for Oslo, sleeping in comfortable berths. Please note European sleeping cars offer upper/lower berth accommodations with toilets at the end of each car. Each room has wash-basin facilities. A limited number of single rooms are available. If single rooms are sold out when you book, a same sex share may be required for this one night only.
Day Eight, Sunday, August 15 (B,D) Dovre Railway over the mountains to Trondheim. We enjoy a peaceful morning in the quiet mountain hamlet of Dombas. A very nice shopping area with stores specializing in Norwegian woolens is a short stroll from the hotel. At mid-day we reboard the train for the scenic crossing of the Dovre Plateau. The line climbs steeply over the summit of the range, then descends back to the coast to Trondheim, the ancient Viking capital of Norway. Our hotel for the next two nights is the Radisson SAS Royal Garden Hotel. Dinner is included at this unusual hotel, which incorporates two ancient grain storage towers and a six-story greenhouse atrium into the modern building. Day Nine, Monday, August 16 (B) Tour Trondheim; ride northern-most tramline in Norway. We tour Trondheim this morning. We see the magnificent old churches, lovely gardens and beautiful homes of this former royal capital, with stops at the superb Folkloric Museum (with its restored stave church) and at the unique Ringve Museum. The Ringve displays one of the world’s finest collections of musical instruments. Several historic instruments are played for us during our unique tour. We then enjoy free time for the museums and shops. Mr. Doak will offer an optional ride (fare about $5.00) on the Trondheim tramway (trolley-car) line, the northern-most tram service in Norway. The route begins in the city center, then climbs steeply into the mountains to a popular winter resort.
Day Eleven, Wednesday, August 18 (B,D) Tour Bodo; visit Norwegian Air Museum. We tour Bodo today. The town was heavily damaged by German bombers during World War II and offers a mixture of historic architecture and many striking contemporary buildings. The setting overlooks a vast sweep of fjords to the towering peaks of the Lofoten Islands lining the western horizon. If the timing of the tides permits, we plan to view the remarkable Saltstraumen twenty miles east of Bodo. Twice each day the tide surges in through the narrow fjords, forming a wall of water similar to a tidal bore. As the tide rises, whirlpools surge from the foaming sea. Bodo is home to the outstanding Norwegian Air Museum, one of the finest aviation displays in the world. The collection has an in-depth exhibit of German, British and Norwegian aircraft from the Second World War and meticulously restored civilian aircraft, including exploration equipment used in the Polar Regions. Our Farewell Dinner is this evening at the hotel. Day Twelve, Thursday, August 19 (B) Tour ends this morning with flights home from Bodo. SAS flies non-stop from Bodo to Oslo, making same day connections to North America. Fares from Bodo to Oslo are very reasonable, beginning at about $140 at press time. This flight also can be incorporated at through rates into international tickets on SAS. It also is possible to fly today to Glasgow, Scotland to join the August 20-29 “Scotland by Rail Tour”. The intervening night can be booked in Glasgow or Oslo as needed. TOUR PRICES include all hotels, sightseeing, and admissions; ferry, Coastal Express, and coach fares; rail seat reservations and sleeper charges; and tour manager services. A fine buffet breakfast is included daily except on Day Seven, and five dinners are included as noted above. The tour also includes transfers and luggage-handling to/from each hotel beginning with departure from Oslo on Day Three through arrival into Bodo on Day Eleven. Prices for Norway Rail Passes are noted below and are in addition to the tour cost. On-train luggage handling is not included, as checked baggage service is not offered on Norwegian trains. Participants should bring light weight luggage with wheels and are responsible for moving their own bags on/off the trains. Luggage carts are available at the stations. You must be able to walk at least four blocks and climb steps on and off trains and boats to fully participate in this tour. $3299.00 per person, double occupancy $3799.00 single occupancy Norway Pass Prices All rail travel during the tour is in Standard (Second) class, which offers comfortable reclining seats on most day trains and sleepers on the overnight segment. Seat and sleeper reservation costs are included in the basic tour price. The tour design requires a rail pass valid for a minimum of six days. The pass prices below reflect rates in effect in November 2009 and could increase in 2010. We must charge the 2010 price once it is established. Please note lower rates are available for two people traveling together at all times. $407.00 single rate $345.00 per person, double occupancy, for two or more passengers traveling together at all times Longer duration passes can be purchased if you plan to extend your visit to Norway; and Scan Rail Passes also are available, which cover travel throughout Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Ask us for rates and options.
Conditions and Booking Information (the fine print)
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Norway
in Depth Rail/Sail Tour
Day
One, Sunday, August 8 (D) Arrive Oslo. Flights arrive in Oslo this
morning. The new 120 mph
a broad range
of discounts for restaurants, shops and galleries. Our hotel for the first
two nights is the superb four-star
Day
Three, Tuesday, August 10 (B,D) Scenic train journey on the Oslo-Bergen
Railway. Today is spent on one of the most beautiful railroad
mainlines in Europe, the legendary
Oslo-Bergen Railway. Our train first runs through the green hills
to the west of Oslo, then follows lakes and fast-flowing rivers as we
begin the ascent to the high peaks. Ultimately we climb above timberline
before entering the tunnel district that bypasses the eternal snows on the
coastal divide. In the afternoon we speed along lakes and fjords to
Bergen, where our hotel for the next three nights is the landmark
Day Five, Thursday, August 12 (B) 100 mile Sogn/Aurlansfjord
cruise; ride the Flam Railway. We travel over 100 miles by Coastal
Express Boat this morning through the Skerries (the outer islands) north
from Bergen, turning into Norway’s longest fjord, the
Day Seven, Saturday, August 14 (D) Scenic train
journeys on the Dovre and
Andalsnes Railways. One of the “Great Train Journeys of the
World” fills the day as we ride along Lake Mjosa and over the mountains
from Oslo to Dombas, then take the incomparable Andalsnes line round-trip
to the fjords. The little-known
Dombas-Andalsnes branch may be the most beautiful railway route in
Scandinavia! The trip begins on the vast Dovre Plateau, then descends
dramatically from the heights. The visual impact of the descent from the
high plateau can be compared to dropping by train from Glacier Point to
the floor of Yosemite Valley. In just over ten miles the line loops down
past huge waterfalls to a deep glacial defile. At the uplift of the
Day Ten, Tuesday, August 17 (B) By rail across the
Arctic Circle on the Nordlands Line to Bodo. We depart on the scenic
Nordlands Line, traveling north to Bodo. We first roll along the bays and
fjords of the coastline north of Trondheim, then climb steeply into the
mountains. Enroute we twice return to the fjords, then climb back again
over the mountains, finally ascending above the timberline into arctic
tundra. We actually ride the train across the Arctic Circle, then descend
steeply from the tundra on the divide to the lush forests and northern
fjords. This little-known line was completed in 1962, and is one of the
grandest mountain routes in Europe. Late this afternoon we reach the
literal end of the line at
