Norway with Kids – Bergen and Hardanger Fjord

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We love Scandinavia and there is so much to do in Norway with kids. It makes for a fantastic family holiday destination, no matter what time of year you visit. Before the birth of our second child, we decided on a little holiday to Bergen and a chance to explore the beautiful Norwegian Fjords.

Flying to Bergen

Once I was out of the early months of pregnancy with our second child, and the morning sickness had, for the most part, passed, we headed off to Scandinavia to explore southern Norway and the fjords.

We flew with BA from Heathrow into a snowy Bergen, the second largest city in Norway.

Accommodation in Bergen

Once landed we headed to the Quality Hotel Edvard Grieg for a one night stay. The room was a bit basic and tired looking. Annoyingly the divide between the bedroom and living room area was a rotating half door thing, so in the evening we weren’t as separate from our 2 year old as we’d have hoped. If we have to stay in hotels we always try to find ones that have a separate bedroom/living room set up. But sometimes this doesn’t end up being quite as we wanted! That’s the main reason we tend to opt for Airbnb’s now. For the most part you get a lot more space for the same, if not less, money.

Exploring Bergen

The evening that we arrived we took a trip on the Bergen funicular, Fløibanen, to get a view over the city at sunset. It was beautiful but FREEZING so we took a few pictures, had a little walk, then headed back down. It was about £8 per adult and our daughter was free.

We spent some time exploring beautiful Bergen. It was extremely cold and wet when we visited the old town which dampened the trip a bit but we could see how lovely it would be in nicer weather. On the plus side it meant it was nice and quiet for us to explore. 

Hardanger Fjord

The next morning we headed off to our home for the next 3 nights which was on Hardanger Fjord. Now, we knew it was going to be cold, and potentially a little bit snowy, but what we experienced on the drive to Hardanger was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most treacherous driving we’d ever seen. We’ve driven in Iceland in March so know a thing or two about snow driving! It was so bad that both of us doubted whether we should continue. Especially considering we were in a highly unsuitable hire car with no snow tyres or chains. We slowly ploughed on though and the storm passed. By the time we got to our accommodation there was just a dusting of snow on the ground. We have to say we were relieved as for a minute we envisaged having to drive in those conditions for the next 5 days. Or abandon the trip altogether.  

Panic over, we settled in our gorgeous fjord side apartment. We booked it via www.booking.com and paid £344 for 3 nights. It was pristine and large with more than enough space for the 3 of us. There was a cot set up ready with a little blanket and toys – always such a lovely touch. If you’re thinking of staying in this region of Norway with kids, then we couldn’t recommend it highly enough!

Over the next few days we explored the beautiful surrounding areas, the view from the apartment never got old. We took many ferry rides over the fjord, our little girl loved it. 

Flam Railway

The highlight of the trip was a ride on the Flam Railway. I had done it once before as as child, in July, so it was very different at this time of year. Much MUCH colder and a lot more snow!

It is often described as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the World and is well worth the cost, and constant wrangling of a wriggly 2 year old :-). We paid £45 per adult for a return and our 2 year old was free.

Despite the cold it was brilliant to see the Flam railway at this time of year. The snow was spectacular and the scenery was stunning. If you’re planning a holiday to Norway with kids, the Flam railway should be high on your list!

Over the course of about an hour, the train takes you from sea level at Flåm to the Myrdal mountain station, situated at 867 metres above sea level. 

Summary

Dave and I both adore Scandinavia and intend to explore the region a lot more over the coming years. Norway and the Bergen region just enhanced our love for this beautiful country; we will be back!

If you’re planing your own holiday to Norway with kids, then feel free to contact us if you’d like any information on anything we’ve covered above.

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