Bergen train adventure? Let’s set the scene. We don’t arrive in Bergen like your typical fliers—we come by rail. Why? Because someone (hi, it’s Angela) read that the Oslo–Bergen Vy service is Europe’s Pretty Princess of scenic routes. Eight hours. Birch forests whip by. Mountains wink at you from behind clouds. Sometimes the view repeats itself—trees, then more trees—but honestly, you still catch yourself staring.
A tip for train newbies: seats can face forwards or backwards. Angela spent the journey in reverse, turning a “voyage through nature” into a motion sickness adventure. I (Norman) survived just fine, but if you’re picky about your bearings, choose a seat like you’d pick your shoes for a muddy hike. Trust us.
No wifi. You bring your own sandwiches. First class isn’t a splurge here; it’s a necessity if you like legroom or avoiding the cattle car vibe.
Bergen Train Adventure: Where Eight Hours on the Rails Is Just the Beginning
We land in Bergen at 3pm, soaked in storm leftovers—a city freshly scrubbed from its wildest weather in 25 years. Luggage in hand, rain on faces, we slog it to Hotel No 13 (central, clean, ideal for walkers and escape artists). Read our full review of Hotel No 13 here. The only thing on the radar? Food. Enter The Daily Pot, home of soup hot enough to thaw a tundra-wanderer and sandwiches that hit the comfort spot.
So, if you’re arriving wet, hungry, and vaguely confused, Bergen rolls out the welcome mat nicely despite the rain and then serves you lunch.
Transit Tip: Go on foot if you can. Bergen is bite-sized and walkable even in monsoon mode. If it’s pouring, get a cab—the blocks aren’t far, but the wind finds every gap in a raincoat.
Laundry as Therapy, Shrimp for Lunch, and Chasing a Closed Museum
Edible Sea Breeze and Storm Chasing.
Rain. Again. So we lean into the drizzle and do the one thing you never plan on vacation: laundry. CleanKoKo’s. Remember that name. This haven isn’t just where you freshen up your jeans but where you meet half the world with a suitcase. Australians, Americans, a Jersey City mother-daughter duo, even folks from Asia (language barrier = charades). There’s solidarity in shared stain-fighting.
Pro tip: hotel laundry is wallet warfare. CleanKoKo’s is simple, efficient, and totally communal—everyone helping everyone, no questions asked.
Next mission: lunch. We make a beeline to Bryggenloftet & Stuene, where tradition takes the form of an open-face shrimp sandwich fresh enough to transport you to the nearest fishing boat. Sixteen bucks for a strip of shrimp is steep, but hey, can you really put a price on an edible sea breeze? (Spoiler: yes, but you’ll pay it anyway.)
Museum time. Google tells us every spot is closed. We get lucky with a small gem: Voksen Inngang Museum. It’s Bergen in the Middle Ages, cozy and dry, with just enough history to justify the entry fee. Norman sends a postcard to our grandson, and we walk the pier like storm chasers.
Dinner is a full-body wring-out at Allmuen where the food is excellent, the welcome is warmer, and you toss off the day’s soaked layers with glee. Read about our Allumen experience here.
Sun, Hop-On Buses, Art, and a Gin-Fueled Finale
At last, the clouds give up. The sun punches through and holds up the sky, and we’re out of the hotel so fast we nearly forget to brush our hair. Bergen’s photogenic side is back: we loop both sides of the pier, snapping shots (finally in daylight) of iconic rainbow houses and boats. The scene is detailed, reminiscent of a Norwegian fairytale.
We’re done getting drenched, so we jump on a hop-on, hop-off bus. Be prepared for the crush of cruise ship passengers. Suddenly, we found ourselves encircled by travelers from “Empire State Building” ships, primarily Americans, who were chatty and engaged in a wide range of political discussions, which was quite disheartening. It was like being transported back to the states with Bergen’s beautiful neighborhoods flying by the windows. If you’re short on time or if the weather forgets to behave, the bus is gold—but it’s more about orientation, never immersion.
Quick lunch at The Daily Pot again (when in doubt, soup), then we stumble across contemporary art at Kunstal 3,14. Small. Free. Bursting with Cuban voices, poetic oppression, marionettes, and strong-willed women strung upside down from trees.
Next up, the famous Fløibanen funicular to Mount Fløyen. The ride is easy; the view from the top is ridiculous (all of Bergen laid out, ships weaving through inlets below). We meet Norwegian families who, like us, are seeing city from new heights for the first time. Pro tip: go late in the day, crowds disappear and you get the view without the crowds.
Sunset deserves a reward: Lola restaurant serves up comfort with a chocolate cherry dessert to die for. We close the night at Royk BBQ, directly attached to the best gin bar in town, Ginial. Norman does a boulevardier, and Angela goes for a local gin martini that’s so crisp, she nearly asks for the recipe. Say hi to Gregory for us.
(Stay tuned; our full take on Al Muin and Hotel 13 will drop soon!)
Transit Tip: Bergen’s center is compact—walking and buses get you everywhere. Pick hotels near the main station/pier. For rainy days, find indoor pockets: art spots, cozy cafés, or just a laundromat with character.
So, Is Bergen, Norway the Ultimate Rainy-Day City?
Forget perfection. Bergen’s beauty is raw, shrouded in mist and patina—more grit than glamour, more real than glossy travel porn. If you’re reading this from the second chapter of your life, craving freedom and unpredictability, Bergen delivers. It’s not a city you conquer in three days; it’s one you weather, wander, and love (in wet shoes). From the stories in a laundromat to shrimp sandwiches and sunlit views you’ll chase for hours, Bergen invites you—rain-soaked and ready—to just be.
So, pack the umbrella and come hungry. Bergen is waiting.
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