No car? No problem! Norway's mountain magic is closer than you think. Travel by train or express bus to scenic trailheads and some of Europe's best biking destinations in Eastern and Western Norway. They're only a couple of hours from the city!
Explore Norway's mountains by bus or train
It's never been easier to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for the mountains and beautiful countryside!
Just hop on a comfortable express bus or train and let it take you straight to fresh air and outdoor adventures.
Adventure awaits
Is it time for you to touch some grass, or are you already an avid hiker? Whether you're visiting for a few days or staying in one of the major cities in the southern half of Norway, adventure in the great outdoors is just a few hours away.
It's a common misconception that you need a car in order to reach the mountains in Norway, however this is not the case. During the hiking season, there are several bus routes and train lines that take you to many of Norway's top hiking and biking destinations.
Travel comfortably and safely with top-notch seats, Wi-Fi, toilets, power outlets, and plenty of luggage space. We recommend booking tickets in advance, especially during the high season.
Norway's experienced drivers and conductors are used to navigating challenging conditions, including narrow roads, mountain passes, and the occasional wild animal.
Finn Bråtebæk has proudly driven from Oslo to Trysil for more than 15 years and is always ready to welcome new passengers on board.
See below for travel recommendations to some of the most accessible and popular destinations for a car-free mountain adventure in Trysil, Valdres, Jotunheimen, Dovrefjell, Hardangervidda and Åndalsnes.
There are also plenty of other mountain destinations that can be reached using a combination of express buses, trains and local buses. Find recommended routes and plan your trip with Entur, the national travel planner.
Travel routes to popular mountain destinations:
Trysil
This popular route runs from Oslo to the family-friendly destination Trysil. It's Norway's largest ski destination and one of the best biking destinations in Northern Europe. There's something there for everyone! A lot of other activities are also available.
All you have to do is buy a ticket from NOR-WAY Bussekspress online, head to Oslo Bus Station, and within two and a half hours you'll be in Trysil. It also makes stops at Oslo Airport (making it very easy to head to the mountains straight after your flight) and Elverum.
Another transport option is a combination of local busses and trains. Visit Entur for more information.
Find out more about Trysil
Valdres and Jotunheimen
Take the Valdresexpress to the famous mountain landscapes in Jotunheimen. The route starts in Oslo and stops at Fagernes, Beitostølen, Bygdin and Gjendesheim. You can also take a Vy bus from Oslo to Fagernes and Beitostølen, or between Bergen and Fagernes.
Beitostølen is a medium-sized mountain resort with plenty of beautiful hikes and fun outdoor activities, including horse riding, a sauna, indoor swimming pools, and a large activity park for families. Stay in hotels or affordable cabins.
From Bygdin, where you can stay at the historical Bygdin Høifieldshotel, you can enjoy a very scenic MB Bitihorn boat trip on the Bygdin lake to Torfinnsbu cabin and hike back, or continue all the way across the lake to Eidsbugarden. Boat tickets can be booked through NOR-WAY Bussekspress and you can spend the night at Eidsbugarden Hotel, or in a traditional mountain cabin. This allows you to explore Jotunheimen, where you can go on several cabin-to-cabin hikes!
The famous Besseggen hike starts right beside where the bus stops at Gjendesheim. The entire bus trip takes around four hours from Oslo. Gjendesheim is also a starting point for several other amazing hikes in the area. It's possible to travel by boat on the famous Gjende lake from the pier to Memurubu or Gjendebu, where you'll find even more cabins and beautiful trails. The boat trips are part of the experience, with views of towering mountains and the bright blue lake.
Did you know that you can be rewarded for taking the bus to Gjendesheim? If you book a stay at the Gjendesheim Mountain Lodge and travel there by bus, you'll receive a gift card, also known as a 'green card', by the Norwegian Trekking Association. You can spend it on food or non-alcoholic drinks. All you have to do is present your bus ticket when checking in. These green cards can also be used at several other cabins around the country.
Explore Valdres and Jotunheimen
Hardangervidda
The Bergen Railway brings you to the popular mountain destinations Geilo, Haugastøl, Finse, and Voss, all with easy access to the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. Bonus: the ride is often ranked as one of the world's most beautiful train journeys! It runs between Bergen in the west and Oslo in the east, and the whole trip takes around 7 hours one way.
There are plenty of exciting mountain destinations along the line. The biggest one is Geilo, about four hours away from both Oslo and Bergen, offering a lot of activities for all ages. Try lift-based biking, mountain biking, horse riding, rafting and one of Northern Europe's longest ziplines. There's a cool summer park for kids, a climbing park, several indoor swimming pools and spas, and a lot of great opportunities for hiking, including the scenic Prestholtstien stair trail to the top of Hallingskarvet mountain.
The nearby mountain stations of Haugastøl and Finse are great starting points for Norway's most famous scenic cycle route, Rallarvegen. You can rent bicycles here, and cycle the trail through the mountains all the way down to the fjord in Flåm, where you can take the Flåmsbana back up the mountains again. In Finse you'll find one of Norway's most unique hotels, Hotel Finse 1222, that's only accessible by train! Great hikes await in every direction.
Or hop off the train in Voss (1 hr and 10 mins from Bergen), Norway's family friendly adrenaline capital, with activities like sky diving, kayaking, climbing parks and rafting! The train station in Voss even has a gondola that will take you straight up Mount Hanguren! From there, you can enjoy several fantastic hiking trails.
You can also reach some of the destinations by bus or local train.
Visit Vy for more information and tickets.
Explore Hardangervidda
Check out one of these mountain destinations, and several more family friendly destinations in Hallingdal.
Hemsedal
The Bergen Railway also stops at Gol (about three hours from Oslo), from which a scheduled service is timed to bring you Hemsedal, which only takes half an hour. You can also take Vy busses to both Hemsedal and Gol.
Hemsedal is a big, family-friendly mountain resort, where you can often find affordable accommodation during summer. It has become one of the prime destinations for mountain biking and lift-based biking, and you can rent electric bikes to explore the area. There are also marked trails for all levels, as well as lakes and waterfalls. There are loads of adventurous activities such as climbing, dog sledding, horse riding, and fishing.
Visit Vy for more information and tickets.
Discover Hemsedal
Haukeliseter and the southern part of Hardangervidda
The Haukeli Express is operated by NOR-WAY Bussekspress and runs between Oslo and Haugesund, with an option of taking a detour to Bergen. It takes about 4.5 hours from Oslo to Haukeli and 3 hours from Haugesund.
Haukeliseter is right in between the vast Hardangervidda mountain plateau in the north, and the rolling hills of Setesdal and Ryfylke in the south. Stay in cosy mountain lodges and cabins, explore the extensive trail network, and discover great fishing and swimming spots.
This is also a place you can be rewarded with several discounts for taking the bus. Haukeliseter Fjellstue, owned by the Norwegian Trekking Association, is a part of the green card system!
Bring the whole family and enjoy the accessible trail known as Vasseventyret.
Explore the Haukeli area
RaulandHaukeli lodge - Cozy mountain lodges
Haukeli Husky Logde is located just off Haukeli Husky's kennel, in a scenic mountain area approx. 900 masl, at the border zones of Hardangervidda. The place is located in quiet and tranquil surroundings suitable for both adults and children. Here you can enjoy the silence and romp in plenty of nature. Cozy mountain cabin The cottage is beautiful and sunny with the "wilderness" just outside. It has a small terrace on which you can sit to enjoy the silence. The cabin contains a combined living room and kitchen, bathroom, three bedrooms and a small loft. There are beds for 6 people, plus sleeping 2-3 children in the loft on mattresses. Bedroom 1: double bed, bedroom 2: double bed, bedroom 3: bunk bed. The kitchen is fully equipped with a dishwasher. It is way up to the cabin summer and winter. You must vacuum, clean and wash the cabin before departure. Price: from NOK 1000 per day. Bed linen and towels can be rented for 100 kr. Cozy and spacious cottage The cottage is the old house on the farm. It is an old timber house from the early 1900s, which has been renovated and rebuilt. You will see the old timber walls in the cozy and cozy main living room. It is both cozy and spacious with many beds and is equally suitable for families as well as larger groups. In the cottage there are two cozy living rooms, a richly equipped kitchen with dishwasher, bathroom with washing machine and five bedrooms. There are beds for 8 people. Bedroom 1: double bed, bedroom 2: two single beds, bedroom 3: double bed, bedroom 4: double bed. If you are a larger group that wants to rent, it is possible to buy mattresses for 4-5 persons. Cot is also available upon request There is a small balcony off the kitchen and a cozy garden outside. It is way up to the house, summer and winter. You must vacuum, clean and wash the cabin before departure Price: from NOK 1200 per day. The price includes towels, linen and sink Bed & breakfast Haukeli Husky Bed & Breakfast is located on a mountain farm just next to Haukeli Husky's kennel. It consists of a farmhouse, a garage, a barn and a "eldhus". The bed and breakfast is open June - October Haukeli Husky offers a good night's sleep in good beds, a tasty, traditional Norwegian breakfast, set in rural and scenic surroundings. The houses contain three living rooms, a breakfast room, a well-equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, two bathrooms, extra toilet, washing machine. Guests also have access to a sauna and hot tub. The place has six bedrooms: Bedroom 1: double bed, Bedroom 2: two single beds, Bedroom 3: double bed and Bedroom 4: family bunk, Bedroom 5: family bunk Prices: Double room, including breakfast NOK 800 Single room, including breakfast NOK 600 Family room, including breakfast NOK 950
The Dovrefjell mountains
In order to make your way to the Dovrefjell mountains, you can take the SJ train or the VY coach that runs between Oslo and Trondheim and get off at, for example, Dombås or Kongsvoll.
From Kongsvoll station, the historic Kongsvold Mountain Lodge is just a 5-minute walk away. The oldest buildings date back to the 1720s. After a long day of hiking in the area, or taking a guided musk ox safari, you can also enjoy a gourmet meal there.
Parts of Norway's famous pilgrim trail, the Saint Olav Ways, pass through Kongsvoll and the Dovrefjell area.
If you prefer mountain biking, you can give Tour de Dovre a go, starting from Dombås station. It's a full three-day adventure, with Hjerkinn as the first stop, before you continue on to Folldal and through Grimsdalen back to Dombås. The route lets you journey on two wheels through three national parks: Rondane, Dovre and Dovrefjell. For a shorter adventure, take the train to Hjerkinn, rent a bike and cycle downhill to the train station at Dombås. In Hjerkinn, you can also ride Icelandic horses in the mountains from Hjerkinn mountain lodge.
In Dombås, Dovrefjell Adventure organises daily moose safaris on electric bikes during the summer!
Check out Kongsvoll and Dovrefjell
Åndalsnes and Rauma
Situated on the west coast, Åndalsnes is known as 'the mountain village by the fjord'. You can reach it on an approximately six-hour Vy Express bus journey from Oslo Airport. You can also take a train from Oslo (or Trondheim) to Dombås and continue on the stunning Rauma Railway. This journey also takes about six hours.
From Åndalsnes, you can take the Romsdalseggen bus services, operated by NOR-WAY Ekspressbuss, to Romsdalseggen, a spectacular and demanding hike. The trail leads back to Nesaksla, the mountain that towers over Åndalsnes. Stop for a bite to eat at Eggen Restaurant at the top of the mountain, before riding the gondola (or hiking) back down. You can also hike both up and down Nesaksla, where you'll pass the famous Rampestreken, a viewing platform suspended 550 metres up the mountainside. Or maybe you want to try the via ferrata? Don't worry if you're not an experienced hiker, as there are easier hikes with equally breathtaking views, such as Litlefjellet.
Enjoy Rauma and Åndalsnes
Find the best route for you:
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