Bergen is the most beautiful place in Norway! I was traveling around the country last summer and Bergen was the best part of my journey. Although it's the second city of Norway, it's peaceful, clean, and it seems more like a little town than a city! I recommend to visit the Bergen Bryggen -- incredible, the pretty little streets with its wood houses -- and go up Mount Floi with the Floibanen (incredible sightseeing of the whole city). Yes, Bergen is expensive, as are all the places in Norway. I ate sandwiches and salads with ingredients I bought in the supermarket to save money, but a few times I ate out for "cheap" price -- in Scotsman (the cheapest beer in Bergen, with good ambience and fine food) and in Peppe's Pizza (enormous dishes for reasonable price, I recommend to share a dish for two people, because my friend and I never could finish a dish by ourselves, and it has a nice pavement café). It rains a lot but I think it gives the city a dreamlike atmosphere, like if you were…
I went on a school trip to Voss and went snowboarding on the local slopes and loved it. Never had such a good time! Everyone is lovely and the snow is great. Goin back soon.
Bergen is very pretty, surrounded by hills and with a beautiful harbour. I suggest you bring a raincoat though, cause it rains 275 days a year (Lonely Planet statistic). It is pricey, so be prepared. If coming from Oslo take the 'Norway in a Nutshell' option and get off the train at Myrdal, train down to Flåm, ferry to Gudvangen, and catch the bus back to Voss and get back on the Olso-Bergen railway. You can buy a pass which includes all transport (visit www.norwayinanutshell.com). We found a cheap pub which did dinner and a Pepsi for 50kr (cheap by Norwegian standards), it's called the Scotsman and the food is ok for the price. Tip: Shops are closed on Sundays, including supermarkets, and the place is pretty dead.
Voss … It's perfect if you are going to ski or snowboard but, as in my case, if you're traveling across the country and you're there in August, with no snow, you will get very bored! There's nothing to do, just a few houses and lots of trees. It
s a beautiful place but you'd better stop in another town with a little bit more of "life."
Marken Gjestehus in Bergen … This place has great facilities, and it's cheap if you have a sleeping bag. You can make food in a great kitchen!
Marken Gjestehus in Bergen … This is a nice place to stay. I was here in December. There were only a few visitors due to the unusual season, but this place had a good atmosphere and really nice people. The kitchen is well equipped, and the rooms are nice and clean.
DORM.no in Bergen … Jacobs is a fun and friendly hostel/hotel. The dorm bit is called Dorm.no and this is the bit you might be booking. The combination of single hotel rooms, apartments and dorms combined with a strong local contingent makes evenings in the garden or bar an exciting mix.
The dorms and communal areas, including the kitchen, are kept spotlessly clean and there is always clean linen once you have paid the one off fee.
During my visit it was quite quiet as it was the end of the season and I suspect that if the hostel were full there would be a wait for one of the three showers in the morning.
The kitchen is nicely laid out but could be better equipped, there is no oven or grill for example.
Possibly the only thing worthy of serious criticism is security. Although the back gate and dorm entrance are protected by key codes these doors tend to be left open during the day. The staff tell me that theft is rare to non-exisitant and seem very relaxed about it. Use the lockers provided…
Marken Gjestehus in Bergen … Would stay here again in a heartbeat. It was very clean, very well-equipped in terms of everything you might need/want. I never had to wait for a toilet/shower, there are so many. Even some luxuries -- you could hire a hair dryer or flatiron -- never ever expected to see this from a hostel! They obviously really care about running a better than average establishment. You cannot beat the location either, though I recognize Bergen is very compact. Would recommend this hostel to anyone.
HI - Voss Hostel in Voss … This place is fabulous! It looks out right onto the lake, and they rent kayaks, etc. I had a room to myself because it wasn't crowded. The bathroom was in the room and it was clean. The breakfast was really great for a free breakfast. The kitchen was adequate (which is important in Norway because food is so expensive!) They have laundry facilities, but it is expensive (welcome to Norway!) A great place to meet people.
Marken Gjestehus in Bergen … This place is clean, well located, quiet, and has a decent kitchen with free coffee and tea. The front desk is not always manned in the off season, so if you arrive on a late train or boat, be sure to have reservations. They will leave you a key at the bar next door.
HI - Bergen YMCA Hostel in Bergen … Perfect location, really clean and friendly staff. Everything you need (internet, kitchen, etc.).
Jacobs Apartments AS Hostel in Bergen … Jacobs is a fun and friendly hostel/hotel. The dorm bit is called Dorm.no and this is the bit you might be booking. The combination of single hotel rooms, apartments and dorms combined with a strong local contingent makes evenings in the garden or bar an exciting mix.
The dorms and communal areas, including the kitchen, are kept spotlessly clean and there is always clean linen once you have paid the one off fee.
During my visit it was quite quiet as it was the end of the season and I suspect that if the hostel were full there would be a wait for one of the three showers in the morning.
The kitchen is nicely laid out but could be better equipped, there is no oven or grill for example.
Possibly the only thing worthy of serious criticism is security. Although the back gate and dorm entrance are protected by key codes these doors tend to be left open during the day. The staff tell me that theft is rare to non-exisitant and seem very relaxed about it. Use the lockers provided…
HI - Voss Hostel in Voss … I chose this hostel pretty randomly, but I was pleasantly surprised. The location is beautiful with a great view of the glaciers and is a great place to go kayaking (they rent, but there are many nearby tour operators) or hiking. I stayed in a girls room, which was clean and had a private bathroom. The lounge has a coffee shop and nice chairs. On Thursday and Friday nights they have a reasonably priced restaurant, which serves delicious traditional Norwegian food from potato dumplings to salmon. Of course, the best part is the organic breakfast, which is another great opportunity to taste traditional cuisine as they serve things like liver paste and pungent gamalost (a type of cheese). For the less adventurous they have fresh baked bread, delicious cheese, and homemade jam. As a foodie, this hostel was a great way to delve into tradition -- a great surprise!
Marken Gjestehus in Bergen … Hostel in Bergen -- stayed there for two nights.The most beautiful hostel I ever stayed. Nice big rooms with large windows and big closets with paddlocks (you dont need a pad, had own) you can put even large backpacks. Very clean and quiet, sufficient facilites and a large kitchen, beautiful community room and sufficient bathrooms and washers. It really seems like hotel than hostel. The prize is bit high but consider that you're in the most expensive country in Europe, so you can consider it average, and really worth the money. Lovation is five minutes walk to the center of Bergen, everything are real near. Only negative is reception, not always open, and the staff is rather professional rather than friendly.
HI - Voss Hostel in Voss … I came here with a University Music Tour in 2005, and loved every moment of it. Truly fantastic people, both in the town and running the hostel, made the stay loads of fun and the booking very easy. The food was above average of what you would expect in a hostel (though I can't get used to Northern European breakfasts) and the facilities for cooking and washing were, as mentioned above, more than adequate. The weather wasn't fantastic whilst we were there, but we still found time to go up to the mountains (an easy trip) and for the rest of it we managed to keep ourselves amused in the Hostel itself, which is roomy and clean, basically, all we were looking for. A great place to stay if you happen to find yourself in Voss!
Jacobs Apartments AS Hostel in Bergen … This really was a great place to stay. Because food is incredibly expensive, the kitchen was a great plus. Also, the free Internet can't be beat. Everything was spotless, including the bowls and mugs that you could use from the kitchen. The beds are also incredibly comfortable. I actually missed my train one morning because I slept through my alarm. The only possible downsides are the pushbutton showers only give bursts for like 10 seconds, so you have to hold the button while taking a shower. Also, the common room was a bit chilly because everyone was walking in and out and Bergen is cold outside. Besides that, I can't complain about anything. I would definitely stay there again.
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