Bergen is Norway’s second largest city and is the starting place for most people wishing to explore the vastly beautiful landscape of the fjordlands along Norway’s west coast. A city of tipsy wooden houses stacked like uneven Legos along a pristine waterfront, Bergen is beautiful, friendly and idyllic.

When to go

Although Bergen is beautiful all year round, travelling here in the winter, you will likely run into very cold weather. Norwegian winters are nothing to mess about with, so your best bet is to travel to Bergen from June to September, when daytime temperatures reach an average of 15-18°C (59-64°F) and the harbour is illuminated by the clear Norwegian sun. One other consideration about Bergen’s climate is the number of daylight hours at any given time of year. Because of the city’s far northern latitude, it sees more than 18 hours of sunlight from late June to mid-July, while in December, the city gets fewer than six hours of sunlight each day.

Getting there

Bergen is a relatively easy city to reach, with plenty of air, rail and bus connections from all over Norway and international points of departure. Most travellers arrive from Oslo, the capital city of Norway, where all three types of transport are available to Bergen.

If you are flying to Bergen, a number of connections serve Bergen Flesland Airport, which is situated about 12 miles south of the city centre. Flights from Oslo, Stockholm and other parts of Norway and Scandinavia are available on SAS, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe. Direct flights are available from Amsterdam, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Newcastle and Stockholm on other airlines, including Lufthansa, KLM and Wizz Air.

Arriving by train is simple from Oslo, as Norwegian State Railways offers direct service to Bergen Railway Station, which is located in the east part of the city. A return ticket runs around 400 Nkr (£80). The journey (each way) takes about 7 hours and most Norwegian trains are quite comfortable, with power outlets and complimentary coffee and tea in the first-class cars.

Buses also travel to Bergen from all parts of Norway via NOR-WAY Bussekspress. From Oslo, expect to pay a similar amount to the train for return passes, but bear in mind that travelling by bus is much slower (around 12 hours one-way). All in all, taking the train probably represents better value.

Getting around

Bergen is a relatively small, easy-to-manoeuvre city, so it is no problem to get around on foot and most of the city centre is accessible by walking. Bergen has a very good public bus system, though the lines may be difficult for visitors to understand, as the schedules are hard to interpret. The good news is that Bergen’s light rail line, Bybanen, is set to open in June 2010, so visitors will soon be whisked around by modern street trams.

Norwegians are notoriously good English speakers, so most Anglophone tourists will have no trouble finding helpful English speakers around the city of Bergen. In most hotels and hostels, you will find excellent English service, and it is also likely that service staff in restaurants and shops, and even people on the street, will be able to offer assistance, should you need it.

Hotels

There are plenty of affordable hotels in Bergen, as well as friendly Norwegian hostels that cater to budget travelers.  For instance, the Scandic Bergen City (Map | Book) is a beautifully stylish city centre hotel that offers the type of clean design you expect in Scandinavia, with a warm element that creates a welcoming atmosphere. Doubles here go for £169.

Stay tuned for our next installment of Bergen travel to find out what to see in this delightful Norwegian city!