NorwaySpotting locations in Norway

Bergensbanen, Ofotbanen, Flåmsbana: few trains, but landscapes that carry any picture – even without a star vehicle.

3 locations listed

Spotting in Norway: what you need to know

Norway runs few trains through exceptional landscapes. The number of trains per day is low, but the lines across the high fells, along the fjords and through the spiral tunnels are among the most photogenic in Europe.

Bane NOR and Vy are open towards photographers. More important than the legal position here is safety: many lines run through rough terrain, and tunnel portals are to be avoided without exception.

The weather decides the success of your trip more than in any other European country. Build in some slack and take the shot when the light is there – not when your schedule says so.

Major junction stations

Main stations with high train frequency and many operators. Ideal for beginners: platforms are publicly accessible, departure boards make traffic predictable and the haul is high.

Oslo Sentralstasjon

Oslo

Oslo Sentralstasjon is the starting point of every Norwegian long-distance line: the Bergensbanen, Dovrebanen, Sørlandsbanen and the connection to Sweden all begin here. Add four different operators in passenger traffic – you won't find this much operational variety anywhere else in Norway.

Mountain & scenic lines

Ramps, horseshoe curves and Alpine crossings. Heavy trains, often double-headed or banked, plus scenery that carries any picture.

Finse on the Bergensbanen

Finse

Finse sits at 1,222 metres in the middle of the Hardangervidda and is Norway's highest station. No road leads here – if you want to come, you take the train, a bike, or skis. In return you get a high-mountain landscape in which every single train becomes a subject.

The Flåmsbana from Myrdal

Myrdal

The Flåmsbana connects the high-mountain station of Myrdal at 866 metres with the fjord shore at Flåm – over a good 20 kilometres, with gradients that have few equals anywhere in Europe. Operationally fascinating, scenically exceptional, and as heavily used by tourists as almost any railway in Scandinavia.

Travelling in Norway? Log your sightings as you go.

Record every vehicle with location and time – and see what other spotters are reporting here right now.

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See also

The vehicles you will come across in Norway are listed in the rolling stock database. You can find out who runs them in the railway operator database. And the guide Planning a spotting tour explains how to plan a tour properly.