Flam Railway- HAL selling rail tickets at TWO AND HALF TIMES the price!.

[3rdGenCunarder]

You can buy the bus tickets from the uptown office - near the Maritime Museum the last time I was there but you have to make your way there from the pier - about a 15-minute walk. We visit Halifax every year, most often by train and occasionally on a ship, and we and our friends have been able to take the Hop-on-hop-off bus as long as we don't want to start at the pier. I am surprised you were told you could only buy through HAL (and presumably people cruising with other lines would be told something similar) when there are thousands of tourists in Halifax who do not arrive by ship.

 

Yes, the cost is steep, but we noticed last year the fee that Cunard was charging was very little more than buying direct from the Big Pink Bus line. I don't know if the HAL charge is more, but it may be. A few years ago we were on a Norway cruise on Cunard at the same time our friends were on HAL. Although we did not take the Flamsbana excursion the same day, our friends paid HAL 50% more than we paid to Cunard.

 

I had the impression that the HoHo bus in Halifax could be purchased only through the ship. Good to know tickets can be bought near the museum. We love Halifax and are always looking for something new to try, since every Canada cruise stops there. LIke baggal, we took a taxi to the Citadel and then walked from there--to the gardens and then back to the ship. Downhill is easier than uphill!

 

My experience in pricing tours with Cunard is that their markup is small compared to booking direct. I guess it isn't surprising that HAL has a greater markup. They charge more for cabanas on HMC than Carnival does.

[veryseasonedtraveler]

We ordered our train tickets on line a few weeks before our cruise. The walk is very pleasant. We thought the train ride was very enjoyable. It is part of Norway in a Nutshell, which was on my bucket list. Flam is very picturesque.

 

Am so grateful we have Cruise Critic for ideas and information sharing.

[bobabcd]

We did the HAL excursion. Not worth the difference in price. Others walked up the day in port and purchased tickets without a problem. They also had the advantage of returning almost immediately rather than being stuck for the nearly 1.5 hours at the destination hotel. I won't go into details but that was not a great excursion.

 

Sit on the right leaving the station for the best views or the left on the return. Don't sit in the very front or the rear car because there is a stop midway with a great view but it is hard to get in and out from either extreme end of the train for that stop.

 

The views are worth the trip. The hotel was not worth the extra cost for the HAL excursion.

 

There is no transportation needed to get to the train as it is right next to the dock.

[sammiedawg]

We rarely do ship excursions, we will take them if inclusive or we have excessive OBC to burn.

We've only had one experience impossible to independently book and it was a cultural show in Brazil n which the company puts on special performances when a cruise ship comes in.

There are work arounds to do virtually everything and more outside the realm of a ship excursion. Often the excursion is a couple hundred feet from the ship gangway and the cruise line doubles the price to walk you there.

[debsjc]

I just hope we are alongside, rather than tendering, I don't want the battle of getting a tender ticket.

[RJ2002]

We bought our tickets at visitflam.com (and by the way, it was cheaper than nsb.no, the Norweigan rail site).

 

We had no trouble finding availability for afternoon trains for the day we are in port, but all the morning trains and first afternoon train were sold out, likely in major blocks for the cruise lines.

[debsjc]

We bought our tickets at visitflam.com (and by the way, it was cheaper than nsb.no, the Norweigan rail site).

 

We had no trouble finding availability for afternoon trains for the day we are in port, but all the morning trains and first afternoon train were sold out, likely in major blocks for the cruise lines.

 

Visit Flam is the cheapest, but the Norweigan rail is still way cheaper than HAL. I tried to book the train the day after we booked the cruise, and the Flam site had already sold out.

[Cahpek]

We bought our tickets at visitflam.com (and by the way, it was cheaper than nsb.no, the Norweigan rail site).

 

We had no trouble finding availability for afternoon trains for the day we are in port, but all the morning trains and first afternoon train were sold out, likely in major blocks for the cruise lines.

 

 

Thanks for the info.

[ananaguide]

I did this trip 4 years ago. I booked on the Flam Railroad site. We walked from the ship to the train station (short walk) and I asked if I could change my tickets for the earlier train - yes, no problem. There seems to be quite a few seats available early in the morning - so be 1st off your ship. I bought a one way ticket. When I got to Mydral I bought a bun to eat at the hotel then picked up my bike and rode down the mountain. Fantastic bike ride - the goat farm was a hoot. I bought cheese and we shared it with friends back on the boat while we played Trivia. Be sure to take the little train around town if you don't bike it. It is a gorgeous little town once you get away from the touristy shops. There is a beautiful church to see but I still think the train trip is very special, especially seeing the lady on the rocks on the way up. My 12 year old grandson thought the train trip was boring - kids what do they know!!! Have a great time. Flam is one of my all time favorite places to visit.

[OlsSalt]

Here are some alternate suggestions when visiting Flam from Rick Steves:

 

"The train from Myrdal to Flåm is quite scenic, but the ride doesn't do the view justice. For the best single day's activity from Flåm, take the train to Berekvam (halfway back up to Myrdal), then hike or bike (rentable from the Flåm tourist office) the gravelly construction road back down to Flåm. Bring a picnic and your camera.

From Flåm, Nutshellers catch the most scenic of fjord cruises. Sightseeing boats leave throughout the day. For 90 minutes, camera-clicking tourists scurry on the drool-stained deck like nervous roosters, scratching fitfully for a photo to catch the magic. Waterfalls turn the black-rock cliffs into a bridal fair. You can nearly reach out and touch the sheer, towering walls.

The ride is one of those fine times, like being high on the tip of an Alp, when a warm camaraderie spontaneously combusts among the strangers who came together for the experience. The boat takes you up one narrow arm (Aurlandsfjord) and down the next (Nærøyfjord) to the nothing-to-stop-for town of Gudvangen, where waiting buses shuttle you back to the main train line at Voss."

[travelinjones]

When we went to Flam last year we booked a boat ride through fjords with bus trip back through the tourist office right by the pier. We also had time to hike on the scenic paths right out of the town.

Here are pictures and details from our day in Flam (which was an incredible, sunny day http://www.travelingwiththejones.com/2016/08/14/a-spectacular-day-in-flam-norway/

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[debsjc]

Here are some alternate suggestions when visiting Flam from Rick Steves:

 

"The train from Myrdal to Flåm is quite scenic, but the ride doesn't do the view justice. For the best single day's activity from Flåm, take the train to Berekvam (halfway back up to Myrdal), then hike or bike (rentable from the Flåm tourist office) the gravelly construction road back down to Flåm. Bring a picnic and your camera.

From Flåm, Nutshellers catch the most scenic of fjord cruises. Sightseeing boats leave throughout the day. For 90 minutes, camera-clicking tourists scurry on the drool-stained deck like nervous roosters, scratching fitfully for a photo to catch the magic. Waterfalls turn the black-rock cliffs into a bridal fair. You can nearly reach out and touch the sheer, towering walls.

The ride is one of those fine times, like being high on the tip of an Alp, when a warm camaraderie spontaneously combusts among the strangers who came together for the experience. The boat takes you up one narrow arm (Aurlandsfjord) and down the next (Nærøyfjord) to the nothing-to-stop-for town of Gudvangen, where waiting buses shuttle you back to the main train line at Voss."

 

Thank you so much for posting about the Nærøyfjord cruise, I have just booked that as well now, for after our rail trip. Fingers & toes crossed for a sunny day!

[david,Mississauga]

I had the impression that the HoHo bus in Halifax could be purchased only through the ship. Good to know tickets can be bought near the museum. We love Halifax and are always looking for something new to try, since every Canada cruise stops there. LIke baggal, we took a taxi to the Citadel and then walked from there--to the gardens and then back to the ship. Downhill is easier than uphill!

 

My experience in pricing tours with Cunard is that their markup is small compared to booking direct. I guess it isn't surprising that HAL has a greater markup. They charge more for cabanas on HMC than Carnival does.

 

We were last in Halifax in October. The usual desk for the Big Pink Bus and other tours was at Pier 22, but the staff said it was for information only. People wanting to book an excursion or the hop-on-hop-off bus were told to walk uptown. I am wondering if the situation is different for this year. The Website for the tours indicates that the hop-on-hop-off bus runs only on certain dates and the only days listed were in Sept. and Oct. and there were some days not listed even in those months. Perhaps it is too early to get detailed information. Although most of the ship calls are in those two months, there are plenty of ships calling in May to August. Of course, it is not only cruise ship passengers who take tours.

 

 

Regarding Flam, it appears there has been a change in the booking procedure for independent travellers since our visit there almost four years ago. At that time it was not possible to book the Flamsbana in advance unless part of a tour or booking through the cruise line. (I didn't try it but that was the advice on various sites and information given by members of Cruise Critic.) Same-day bookings could be difficult. As others had posted on Cruise Critic back then, when the ship docks many passengers run to the railway office. We didn't want to take a chance on missing out on this train trip so booked it well in advance with Cunard. As soon as the Queen Elizabeth was tied up we watched dozens of people dash across to the station. We heard later that many were disappointed. There were two other ships in Flam (at anchor) and more than one large non-cruise tour so the railway was busy all day.

[knittinggirl]

Unfortunately, I missed my train ride due to Norovirus.

 

But on our Roll Call we had a man arrange a car for the Flam train, and I think he arranged his reservation maybe a year or more in advance.

 

We ended up getting the waffles on another excursion last summer in Eidsfjord and mine were COLD. So, nothing missing there.

[sail7seas]

We have booked to sail on HAL on June 11th, andare due to stopover in Flam on June 13th.

 

Like many visitors, we were looking forward to go on the famous Flam Railway, to experience the ride and enjoy the breath-taking scenery up the hill. The ticket price 490 Norwegian Kroners per person(approx USD 57) for a round trip ride, about an hour each way. Not the cheapest ride for two hours but we thought because of the views, and it would be a train ride “of a life time”, it would be worth it.

 

We went to the site related to Flam Railways to book the tickets (for two), and were disappointed to find that all the trains were fully booked until after 4pm. If we were to take the train which leaves Flam after 4pm, we may not be able to get back in time for the ship which leaves at 6pm.

 

We phoned the travel agent and she said she did not sell tickets for Flam Railways but it is not unusual that cruise line companies would buy up most of the tickets so that the could sell to passengers.

 

We checked with Holland America and indeed, they have tickets for the rail ride. To our horror, we discovered that they were selling the same tickets for USD149.95. Compared to the original price of approx USD57, that would be about two and half times more. That means,for the two of us, instead of paying USD114, we would have to fork out USD299.90 for them.

 

We realise HAL is a business and the company is there to make a profit, but even so, we still feel somewhat peeved at the HUGE MARK-UP. Probably they knew that capacity on the Flam Railway is limited,and so is our time in Flam. We do not mind that they make a profit at our expense but we still think the mark-up is somewhat excessive and unreasonable, and we feel perhaps they are taking advantage of passengers because of our situation. Would we be right to think they knew we could not take the train the next day because we would have sailed off by then? We realise not everyone would agree with our feelings, but there you are.

 

We just wondered for other excursions, do excursions via HAL cost a lot more too?

 

Anyway, as a result, we have to give up the opportunity to take the “rail ride of a lifetime”. Oh well, c’est la vie!

 

Hve you checked if another ship will b e in port that day? If there is another, surely guests on any other ship will want tickets........ as well as any other tourits who may be there. Perhaps HAL bought most of the tickets for ue onn your ship's excursion, but there c ould bd another ship full of guests who will b. e there same day.

[debsjc]

Hve you checked if another ship will b e in port that day? If there is another, surely guests on any other ship will want tickets........ as well as any other tourits who may be there. Perhaps HAL bought most of the tickets for ue onn your ship's excursion, but there c ould bd another ship full of guests who will b. e there same day.

 

We are on the same cruise as the OP, and the MS Thompson Celebration is also In Flam that day, 13 June. It takes 1200 passengers.

[OlsSalt]

Flam has a population of approximately 400 people. Easy to assume the sudden arrival of almost 4000 people on two cruise ships might over-whelm their local services.

[OlsSalt]

Some WIKI info about the Flam train:

 

The line is solely served by a tourist-oriented service operated by the Norwegian State Railways on behalf of Flåm Utvikling. From May through September, there are nine or ten departures in each direction per day. In the rest of the year, there are four.

Fares do not follow the normal fares for NSB and are considerably higher than on other train routes. InterRail tickets are not valid for free travel, but give a 30 percent discount.

Travel time varies between 50 and 59 minutes between the end stations. In 2007, the line was the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway and carried 547,000 passengers in 2010.

The service is provided by push–pull trains consisting of an El 17 at each end and with B3 carriages. The locomotives were built by Henschel in 1987, with electrical equipment from NEBB. They have a power output of 3,000 kilowatts (4,000 hp) and a Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement.

[sail7seas]

We are on the same cruise as the OP, and the MS Thompson Celebration is also In Flam that day, 13 June. It takes 1200 passengers.

f

 

 

Thank you for suc hgood infomation. Puts the situation into perspective.

 

 

There you go. ANOTHER SHIP, ANOTHER cruise line. So whIle we know HAL bought up some of the tickets they don't have them all. Those who operate that train are happy to sell the tickets to whomever wishes to buy them. . Somehow I suspected that was the c case.... that HAL is not to be not the only ship in the area that day.

 

 

There are some expeiences that are so worth paying a high price for. We all decide how to spend our own money b ut put into the context of how much the whole trip cost OP would you really skip the train expeience just bec ause the price is a b it higher than you expected? .....and apparently not ALL HAL's fault.Your choice, of c ourse,

Edited April 17, 2017 by sail7seas

[thinfool]

We did this great trip (Flam) in 2004....fares were less, but some things never change.

 

On our own we walked to the station and bought round trip tickets. $40.pp. No waffle.

 

HAL excursion, same train, same trip. $80.pp Waffle included.

 

We thought $40. was a little high for a waffle.

 

Whatever you pay, don't miss the trip!

[knittinggirl]

I'm not sure what the exact arrangement is between HAL and Hop-On Hop-Off bus in Halifax,

Years ago, Royal Caribbean, we were waiting in line for the hop-on-hop-off bus. We had bought Peggy's Cove HOHO Bus combo. And while waiting in line at the bus, a man wearing a "name tag" (a piece of masking tape w/ his name), approached us asking what ship we were on, and how he could get us HOHO tickets cheaper. After our cruise, I queried Royal Caribbean, and they said that they only sell tickets on the ship.

[Heartgrove]

HAL is not the only one to buy up blocks of tickets.Tour companies have secured blocks of tickets as well. We are stopping in Bergen before our Baltic Cruise from Copenhagen. I have planned our own "Norway in a Nutshell" instead of a packaged tour on one of our days there. What I have found is the Flambana is sold out until the 16:05 departure, and the new last season, "Vision of the Fjords" ferry, is totally sold out.

 

The plan is to use the Expressboat from Bergen to Flam traveling the same fjord as the cruise ships. We decided not to travel on the Flambana (although it is a nice train ride with very good views) so instead we are using the "classic" ferry between Flam and Gundvangen which is even more scenic, and then the local bus to Voss. Also after checking schedules, we are taking a later Regional train back from Voss which will allow us to have a nice dinner at Fleischers Hotel in Voss.

[Savoyard]

This may not help the OP, who already bought Flamsbana tickets through the Norwegian Railways website... but another option is to do the whole "Norway in a Nutshell" loop: boat, bus, and two trains. It costs more (NOK 1270, about $150), but you get a reportedly spectacular fjord cruise in addition to the Flamsbana. You can buy tickets in advance from Fjord Tours; they have a dedicated website at www.norwaynutshell.com. Both on my date and the OP's date, they're showing availability for the whole loop. Make sure you specify that you want to begin and end in Flam (if that's where your cruise calls). The trip leaves Flam at 10:00 a.m. and returns at 4:55 p.m.; hopefully that's adequate for a 6:00 sailaway.

[debsjc]

That would be very tight if tendering, last tender would probably be at 5pm.

[RuthC]

That would be very tight if tendering, last tender would probably be at 5pm.

More likely the last tender would be at 5:30, since the last one is generally 1/2 hour before sail-away.

However, I agree with your point about it possibly being a tight schedule. If sail-away time needed to be changed for some reason (unlikely, but it does happen), or the tour were to return late (also can happen), there isn't a lot of wiggle room there.