viking homeland help!

[indycrew]

We were very disappointed to miss out on the Flam Railway excursion in Eidfjord and booked the Voss, Geilo and Bergen railway instead. Anyone give us feedback on whether it was worth the price $418 (a couple) seems steep for a tour. We realize it i once in a lifetime, but want to be sensible with our travel budget?! :D

[Vikingfan#1]

I have been very upset about missing the Flam excursion! I wish Viking would run 2 excursions that day instead of one so more of us could go. We also signed up for the Voss to Geilo Bergen Train Excursion. Before signing up, I questioned on TripAdvisor if anyone knew if the scenery would be worth the money. Most of the responses were positive that scenery was great. ( 2 or 3 responses were from people who live in Norway.) I think it's our best option and hopefully will turn out better than we know!

[indycrew]

Which sailing are you on? We are on the Sea departing July 23rd. I just read another post that our substitute excursion was someones favorite of the entire trip. fingers crossed! :):)

I have been very upset about missing the Flam excursion! I wish Viking would run 2 excursions that day instead of one so more of us could go. We also signed up for the Voss to Geilo Bergen Train Excursion. Before signing up, I questioned on TripAdvisor if anyone knew if the scenery would be worth the money. Most of the responses were positive that scenery was great. ( 2 or 3 responses were from people who live in Norway.) I think it's our best option and hopefully will turn out better than we know!

[Peregrina651]

Which sailing are you on? We are on the Sea departing July 23rd. I just read another post that our substitute excursion was someones favorite of the entire trip. fingers crossed! :):)

 

Perhaps if you all contact Viking at tellus@vikingcruises.com to express your dismay and to urge them to do what they can to add more spaces and time slots.

 

In the meantime, continue to check the shores each day to see if any more spaces open up.

[brisco06]

We booked late and were shut out of both of these excursions. Anyone know anything about the "Secrets of Cider" or the "Fruit Village of Lofthus" optional excursions out of Eidfjord?

[mhb1757]

We were very disappointed to miss out on the Flam Railway excursion in Eidfjord and booked the Voss, Geilo and Bergen railway instead. Anyone give us feedback on whether it was worth the price $418 (a couple) seems steep for a tour. We realize it i once in a lifetime, but want to be sensible with our travel budget?! :D

You can easily book this on your own from Bergen if you don't have other plans there. And most likely at substantial savings over the Viking excursion. You can take the train from Bergen to Myrdal and then take the Flam train then from Flam you can either book a ferry all the way back to Bergen or follow the Norway in a Nutshell route (ferry to Gudvangen then bus to Voss and train back to Bergen). And since you overnight in Bergen no worries about getting left behind if you are late getting back. Then you could do another great excursion in Eidfjord.

[abbycat10]

My husband and I re on the July 29 Viking star homelands cruise (Bergen to Stockholm) and we are also wondering about the Norway in a Nutshell tour. Have you taken this tour or do you have any information about it? It seems to combine many great attractions.

[Vikingfan#1]

Which sailing are you on? We are on the Sea departing July 23rd. I just read another post that our substitute excursion was someones favorite of the entire trip. fingers crossed! :):)

 

Our trip begins on July 15. We are taking the pre-cruise trip to Iceland. I now wish we had visited Iceland after Stockholm and added on time in Bergen. We could have done the Norway in a Nutshell trip which includes the Flam train and more!

[Vikingfan#1]

You can easily book this on your own from Bergen if you don't have other plans there. And most likely at substantial savings over the Viking excursion. You can take the train from Bergen to Myrdal and then take the Flam train then from Flam you can either book a ferry all the way back to Bergen or follow the Norway in a Nutshell route (ferry to Gudvangen then bus to Voss and train back to Bergen). And since you overnight in Bergen no worries about getting left behind if you are late getting back. Then you could do another great excursion in Eidfjord.

 

I so wish we could do that but we don't arrive in Bergen and to the ship until 1:00 and then sail the next day at 7:00 p.m. The Norway in a Nutshell trip needs 12 hours from Bergen so there just isn't enough time for us. 😔

[Vikingfan#1]

My husband and I re on the July 29 Viking star homelands cruise (Bergen to Stockholm) and we are also wondering about the Norway in a Nutshell tour. Have you taken this tour or do you have any information about it? It seems to combine many great attractions.

 

I would do the Norway in a Nutshell if we had added more time to Bergen. We arrive in Bergen at 1:00 and the ship sails the next day at 7:00 p.m. It takes 12 hours (if all goes as planned!) to do the Norway in a Nutshell excursion so there just isn't enough time. Viking offers their own version of NIN in the Bergen excursions--Overland to Eidfjord for 2 days--but you totally miss seeing Bergen. $799!! $$

[Vikingfan#1]

We were very disappointed to miss out on the Flam Railway excursion in Eidfjord and booked the Voss, Geilo and Bergen railway instead. Anyone give us feedback on whether it was worth the price $418 (a couple) seems steep for a tour. We realize it i once in a lifetime, but want to be sensible with our travel budget?! :D

 

Viking does offer another opportunity to take the Flam train, but it's under the Bergen excursions-- Overland to Eidfjord--it's a 2 day excursion so you miss seeing Bergen and it comes with a hefty price of $799!!

[Vikingfan#1]

We booked late and were shut out of both of these excursions. Anyone know anything about the "Secrets of Cider" or the "Fruit Village of Lofthus" optional excursions out of Eidfjord?

 

I don't know anything about the excursions you mentioned, but the one which has the Voringsfossen Waterfall is one I would consider. Google the waterfall and view the comments on TripAdvisor --it looks beautiful.

[Vineyard View]

We took Norway in a Nutshell. Booked online before we departed. Had to pick up actual the tickets at the Visitors Center right there in Bergen (at that time they weren't available online or via mail...maybe..hopefully...that has changed). If you have to pick them up in Bergen, I would suggest doing that prior to the day you go - it was very busy and took a long time before our number was called - if I recollect total was a couple hours. We walked to the train station from the ship early in the morning (in the rain) and it is a good little walk so allow 30 min at a good pace or take a cab (we also scoped out where it was the day before so no surprises). As was mentioned, we were gone a good 11-12 hours. The train was an early departure. It was a solid raining day (end of May) so the views were not what I had hoped for, but it was still a really good day.

If I wasn't worried about them Selling out I would have waited till I knew weather better, and planned accordingly, but it's popular. Be aware that depending on the train you initially take you will either take the feery up the fjord first and take the Flam Railway UP the mountain, or vice versa - so if you have a preference that's good to know. We went up the mountain, which also allowed for going down the steep narrow road into the fjord to catch the ferry - which provided great photo opportunities.

Hope this helps.