The Stunning Railways of Norway

DAY 1

Today we make our way to Bergen. Flights operate from a number of UK airports, some direct and some indirect. There is a connecting bus between the airport and bus station which is only a short walk from the railway station, where our hotel is situated. Upon arrival we check in to our hotel and have some free time for a wander around Bergen. The city is famed for being on seven hills, like Rome, and the tallest of these is Mount Floyen, the top of which can be reached by the Floibanen funicular railway, reached by a gentle stroll around the colourful wooden buildings in the old harbour. At the summit is a restaurant and vantage point which gives a commanding view of the entire city and the islands beyond.

DAY 2

Day dedicated to experience an authentic steam locomotive on the Old Voss Steam Railway. The steam loco is a ten-wheeler built in 1913 as the first-generation mountain locomotives for the Bergen Railway. Along with the locomotive you will find teak carriages from the 1920s and 1930s. This only runs on Sundays. We will reach the small town of Garnes where the steam train departs using public transport.

The train runs the 18-kilometer-long stretch between Garnes station and Midttun station. Along the way you can experience a beautiful landscape when the train passes through the fjord areas, close to the sea and water on one side and steep mountainside on the other. Overnight in Bergen. Welcome dinner.

DAY 3

We catch the train from Bergen to Myrdal, which is probably the most scenic section of the Bergen Railway. The line starts by entering the long Arna Tunnel, and then it skirts along the shore of a long and deep-sea fjord where the mountains plummet almost vertically into the water, giving a very dramatic vista.

The line passes salmon farms and grain silos, and as the line climbs it is perched on a ledge cut out from solid rock, passing white water rapids which cascade beside the train. The vegetation changes from pines, to spruces, to dwarf conifers as the line climbs ever higher. The two-hour train ride ends all too quickly as we reach Myrdal, which is the junction for the world-famous line to Flam. This line descends nearly 4,000ft in just 16 miles but unlike other steep railways this is not a rack railway or a funicular, but a conventional adhesion worked railway which at 1in 18 (55%) is one of the world's steepest.

The railway snakes its way through a few spiral tunnels to reach a large waterfall where trains stop to let passengers take photos, and from here you can look back and see the railway stacked on several different levels as it twists and turns down the mountainside. The train is operated by two El 18 electric locos in top and tail mode, and despite them having 7,240 horsepower each, the line is too steep for ascending trains to stop at many of the stations on the way back up for fear of burning out the traction motors. But rest assured the descent is safe as each train has six different braking systems that can act independently, and each one is capable of stopping the train. At Flam there is a small railway museum, plinthed electric locomotive, and numerous restaurants that overlook the blue-green mineral-rich waters of the Aurland Fjord.

We will travel back to Bergen on a boat along the longest Norwegian fjord: the Sognefjord, 203 km long Overnight in Bergen.

DAY 4

Today we move from Bergen to Hamar, a picturesque town on Lake Miosa just a few kilometres from Oslo and the starting point of an atmospheric railway through eastern Norway.

We will cross the Hardanger plateu reaching the highest point at Finse staion 1222 meters over sea level. Overnight in Hamar.

DAY 5

First today we visit the Norwegian railway museum, situated by the side of a lake just north of the town. This is a fascinating place and has its own narrow-gauge railway, which we will be able to ride on before boarding the Roros railway. The 431 kilometres-long journeys will take us to Trondheim. The railway runs along the glittering Glomma River, the largest wilderness area in Scandinavia, the great forests from Rena toward Koppang and the historic town of Roros. Overnight stay in Trondheim.

DAY 6

Free day to relax in Trondheim or to explore the tramway - the most northerly one in the World. Overnight stay in Trondheim.

DAY 7

Today we will travel along a section of the Dovre railways to Dombas and then board the scenic Rauma railway named as one of the most beautiful railway lines in Europe. 114 kilometres. Leaving Trondheim, we alight at Dombas which is situated on top of a mountain plateau surrounded by high mountains and connect with the local train to Andalsnes. Initially the train runs on a ledge high on the valley side, but then descends steeply to a tunnel which turns through 180 degrees and continues down to the valley floor to run alongside the Rauma River, which it crosses on the famous single span masonry arch Kylling bridge. Summer trains have a tourist commentary in three languages and travel slowly over the bridge, and also at Trollveggen, Europe's highest perpendicular mountain wall - a favourite of base jumpers. The scenery is majestic, with summer snowmelt creating waterfalls which fall hundreds of metres down the sheer valley sides.

We arrive in the pretty coastal town of Andalsnes in the afternoon. On the platform is the unique 'Train Chapel' in a carriage donated by the Norwegian State Railway and consecrated in 2003 in the presence of the country's King and Queen. We stay overnight in Andalsnes.

DAY 8

Along the Dovre railway we will reach the capital of Norway Oslo where we will stay two nights. We have the time to discover the vibrant city of Oslo with a walk through the centre. Overnight in Oslo.

DAY 9

Day is at leisure for a tram ride perhaps to Frogner park with the famous Vigeland statues, or a mini cruise in the Oslo Fjord.

For art lovers, one of the many museums that have enriched the Norwegian capital in recent years could be a target. (Munch Museum, National Museum, Nobel Museum, Historical Museum). Dinner in Oslo and overnight.

DAY 10

Flights back to the UK from Oslo or you can return by rail with overnight stops in Copenhagen and Hamburg.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner