How To Get To Bergen: 6 Best Transportation Options

Flying to Bergen: Airlines and Flesland Airport (BGO)

Bergen Airport Flesland (BGO) sits 18 kilometres south-west of the city centre and handles flights from most major European hubs. SAS, Norwegian, and Widerøe dominate domestic routes from Oslo, Stavanger, and Trondheim. International carriers including KLM (Amsterdam), Lufthansa (Frankfurt), and Air France (Paris) operate year-round scheduled services. Budget carriers add seasonal routes from London, Barcelona, and Rome between May and September. Check Bergen Airport Flesland details on Avinor for real-time flight info and parking options.

Check for direct flights from your home city before defaulting to a connection through Oslo. Norwegian domestic fares can drop below 400 NOK / ~37 EUR on the Oslo–Bergen route when booked six or more weeks ahead. The airport is modern and compact — baggage claim to the light rail platform takes under five minutes on foot. Navigating Bergen on foot is straightforward once you land, as the city centre is small enough to walk most of it.

Fjord Line also operates passenger and car ferries from Hirtshals in Denmark to Bergen, arriving at Strandkaiterminalen in the city centre. The crossing takes around 14 hours overnight, making it a practical option if you are travelling with a vehicle from continental Europe. No airport transfer needed — you disembark directly into central Bergen.

Airport Transfers: Bybanen Light Rail and Express Buses

Three options connect Flesland to the city centre. The Bybanen light rail (Line 1) is the cheapest at 49 NOK / ~4.20 EUR for a single ticket and takes 45 minutes to the Byparken terminus. The Flybussen airport express bus costs 179 NOK / ~15 EUR online and takes 20–30 minutes to the main bus station at Byparken. A Bergen Taxi runs 500–800 NOK / ~46–74 EUR depending on traffic and is fastest for groups of three or more with heavy luggage.

One detail no general guide flags: Flybussen does not start running until approximately 08:00. If your flight lands before then — a real possibility with early Ryanair or Norwegian arrivals — the Bybanen is your only public transport option. The light rail runs from around 05:10 on weekdays. It is also worth knowing that a Flybussen return ticket costs 298–309 NOK / ~27 EUR online, which is cheaper than two separate singles at 358 NOK combined. Buy the return if you plan to use it both ways.

The Skyss app (iOS and Android) is the correct way to buy Bybanen tickets. Single tickets in the app cost 49 NOK and are valid for 90 minutes across all Skyss services — buses, light rail, and some ferry links. Buying a ticket from the driver or paying cash on board triggers a surcharge of roughly 20–30 NOK per ride. Over a multi-day stay this adds up fast. If you are staying four or more days and plan to use buses daily, the 7-day pass at 272 NOK / ~25 EUR breaks even after just six trips, making it significantly better value than buying singles each time.

To board the Bybanen at the airport, follow the orange Line 1 signs from the arrivals hall down to the lower-level platform — about a three-minute walk. Trains run every 5–10 minutes on weekdays and every 7–15 minutes on Sundays. Ticket inspectors check frequently; fines for travelling without a valid ticket are steep.

The Scenic Route: Oslo to Bergen by Rail

The Bergensbanen is consistently ranked among the most scenic train journeys in the world. The railway company Vy operates four departures daily from Oslo Central Station, with journey times between 6.5 and 8 hours depending on the service. Trains arrive at Bergen station in the heart of the city, a 10-minute walk from Bryggen. Read our full the Bergen Railway for seat class comparisons and booking tips.

Minipris tickets start from 249 NOK / ~23 EUR and sell out weeks in advance for summer and holiday departures. Standard flexible fares run 599–899 NOK / ~55–83 EUR. The Plus cabin adds free hot drinks and extra legroom for a modest upgrade fee. Night services let you sleep on board and skip a hotel night, though the scenic views are obviously lost in the dark — daytime departures are strongly recommended for first-timers.

The track crosses the Hardangervidda plateau and reaches Finse at 1,222 metres above sea level, the highest railway station in Norway. Between Myrdal and Dale the line descends through dramatic fjord scenery. Winter weather occasionally causes delays on this high-altitude section, so build a buffer into your Bergen arrival if connecting onward. Always check the Vy app before heading to Oslo Central for real-time status updates.

Regional Bus Connections and Express Coaches

If you are travelling from elsewhere in western Norway, long-distance coaches are often the most practical option. Nor-Way Bussekspress and Vy Bus4You run routes from Stavanger, Ålesund, and Voss directly to Bergen's main bus terminal at Strøm Larsen (Byterminalen). Journey times from Stavanger are around 5.5 hours; from Voss, under 2 hours. Fares are typically 30–50% cheaper than equivalent train tickets on the same corridor.

From Voss the bus is a particularly useful supplement to the Bergen–Voss train leg if you want to continue east toward Flåm or the Nærøyfjord. Book Nor-Way tickets via their website or the Vy app — both accept Visa and Mastercard without an on-board surcharge. The bus terminal is within walking distance of Bryggen and most central accommodation.

Skyss also operates regional express buses throughout Vestland county. These connect smaller towns and fjord communities that the train does not reach directly. Tickets use the same Skyss app and are priced by zone — a useful option if you plan to explore villages around the Hardangerfjord or Bjørnafjorden as day trips from Bergen.

Driving to Bergen: Routes and Parking Tips

The E16 from Oslo and the E39 from Stavanger are the two main approach roads into Bergen. Both routes pass through several toll stations — rental cars in Norway typically include an AutoPASS tag that charges your credit card automatically, so you rarely need to stop. Budget around 100–200 NOK / ~9–18 EUR in tolls for a full journey from Oslo depending on route choices.

Parking in central Bergen is expensive and limited. The Bygarasjen car park near Bryggen costs around 50–60 NOK per hour. Many hotels on the outskirts offer free parking if you plan to use buses for city sightseeing. You can find options in our accommodation guide with parking that include parking. Pay using the EasyPark or Sesame app — most Bergen garages accept them and avoid the card-machine queues.

Winter driving requires extra preparation. Snow tires are mandatory between 1 November and 15 April on most Norwegian mountain roads. The Vossaporten and Gudvangen tunnels on the E16 are long and dark — take a break if you feel fatigued before entering. Check road conditions via vegvesen.no before departure.

Local Transport: Getting Around the City Centre and to NHH

Bergen's city centre is compact enough that most visitors walk between the fish market, Bryggen, Fløibanen, and the main shopping streets without needing a bus. The Skyss bus network covers the surrounding hills and residential zones, and the same ticket you used on the Bybanen is valid on all city buses within the zone. Read our Bryggen historic district walking tour to understand which attractions cluster together and how far each is on foot.

Academic visitors heading to NHH Norwegian School of Economics (Helleveien 30) should take one of the following northbound bus lines from Festplassen or Bryggen in the city centre:

• Line 3 toward Støbotn
• Line 4 toward Flaktveit
• Line 12 toward Lønborglien
• Line 19 toward Åsane terminal
• Line 16E toward Øyjorden (note: express lines marked "E" may go through a tunnel to the southern bus station rather than through the city centre — check the destination board)

Get off at the Handelshøyskolen stop, which leaves you directly in front of the NHH campus. The ride takes under 10 minutes. Guests who need to park on campus during office hours (05:00–15:00) must contact NHH's Service Centre via the intercom at the parking barrier on arrival — access is restricted during these hours. There is no parking fee for visitors outside restricted hours. For the campus layout, NHH provides a Mazemap interactive campus map on their website.

Taxis are available 24 hours from designated ranks across the centre. Bergen Taxi (telephone 07000) is the main operator and the app gives a maximum price estimate before you confirm the booking. Taxis are worth considering for late-night arrivals when the Bybanen has stopped running, typically around 00:10 on weekdays and 03:10 on Friday and Saturday nights.