Bergen Airport Flesland lies about 16 kilometres south-west of the centre, and you have three good ways of getting from Bergen Airport to the city centre. Bybanen, the city’s light rail, runs from a station on the lower level of the terminal all the way to Byparken in the centre in about 45 minutes for just 51 NOK (around £4). Flybussen is quicker and goes right up to Bryggen, but costs almost four times as much, and a taxi is the fastest option but also the most expensive.
For most people, Bybanen is the best choice, especially if you’re travelling alone or as a couple. Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times, stops and how to buy tickets, and I’ll also tell you what you need to know about road tolls and parking if you plan to pick up a hire car at the airport.
Contents
Bergen Airport to the city centre at a glance
- Bybanen line 1: 51 NOK (around £4), about 45 minutes to Byparken, frequent departures throughout the day, tickets in the Skyss app or from the machine on the platform.
- Flybussen: 189 NOK (around £15) online and 220 NOK (around £18) from the driver, about 20 minutes to Bergen busstasjon and about 30 minutes to Bryggen.
- Taxi: about 580 to 890 NOK (around £45 to £70) to the centre, about 20 minutes without traffic. Always agree the price before you set off.
- Private transfer: from around £35 per person, and the driver meets you in the arrivals hall.
- Hire car: Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise and Hyre all have desks at the airport. Great for the fjords, but remember road tolls and expensive parking in the centre.
How to find the transport at the airport
Flesland is an easy airport to navigate with one large terminal, so you can’t get lost. Once you come out from the baggage reclaim and the arrivals hall, follow the signs for Bybanen, which stops on the lower level of the terminal building. The ticket machines are on the platform, so you can buy your ticket just before you board.
Flybussen stops at bays A3, A5 and A6 just outside the terminal, and the taxi rank is also just outside the exit. The car hire companies have their desks in the airport, and you can find phone numbers and all the options to and from the airport on the website of Avinor, which runs the airport.
1. Bybanen Line 1 to Byparken
Bybanen is Bergen’s light rail, and Line 1 links the airport with the city centre with no changes. It runs from Flesland through the districts south of the city, past Kokstad, the Lagunen shopping centre and Nesttun, then in through Fantoft and Danmarks plass before terminating at Byparken right in the centre. The journey takes around 45 minutes and there are more than 20 stops along the way, so it isn’t the fastest option. On the other hand, it runs frequently and you sit in a quiet, modern tram the whole way.
Bybanen runs frequent services from early morning until late in the evening, so you rarely have to wait long on the platform. Services are less frequent late in the evening and at weekends, the timetable changes regularly and sections of the line can be closed for engineering works, so check the current departures in Skyss’ journey planner before you land late.
Fares and tickets
The airport is in the same fare zone as the city centre, so a standard single ticket for one zone covers the journey. It costs 51 NOK (around £4) for adults and 26 NOK (around £2) for children and seniors, and the ticket is valid for 60 minutes, including if you change to a bus along the way. If you’ll be using Bybanen and the city’s buses a lot, a 24-hour ticket for one zone costs 136 NOK (around £11) and a 7-day pass costs 315 NOK (around £25). All fares are listed by Skyss, which runs public transport in Bergen.
If you’re travelling with children, Bybanen is a real bargain. Children under 6 travel free, and an adult with a valid ticket can take up to four children aged 6 to 18 with them for free. That makes Bybanen one of the cheapest airport connections in all of Norway for a family.
The main pitfall is that you can’t buy a ticket on board Bybanen. You have to buy it either in the Skyss app, where you can pay by card or Vipps, or from the machine on the platform, which accepts payment cards and mobile payment. Tickets are checked, and if you travel without a valid ticket, you’ll be fined. If you have the Bergen Card, it’s valid on Bybanen all the way to and from the airport, so you don’t need to buy a ticket. The card costs 400 NOK (around £30) for 24 hours, 500 NOK (around £40) for 48 hours and 600 NOK (around £50) for 72 hours according to Fjord Norway, and it also gives you free entry or discounts at a wide range of museums.
Where should you get off?
Nonneseter and Bergen busstasjon: These two stops are just before the terminus and a few minutes’ walk from the railway station, Bergen stasjon. Get off here if you’re continuing on the Bergen Line or on a long-distance coach, or if you’re staying near the station and Lille Lungegårdsvann. Grand Hotel Terminus is right opposite the railway station in a classic building, and you can see prices for Grand Hotel Terminus here.
Byparken: The terminus is in the heart of the city centre by Ole Bulls plass and Torgallmenningen, and from here it’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to the Fish Market and Bryggen. This is where most people get off. Bergen Børs Hotel is in the old stock exchange building a couple of minutes’ walk from the stop, and if you want to stay right in the heart of the city, you can see prices for Bergen Børs Hotel here. If you’re not sure which part of the city suits you best, read my guide to where to stay in Bergen, where I go through six areas and hotels in several price ranges.
If you’re staying in Nordnes or Marken, you also get off at Byparken. Nordnes is roughly a 10 to 15-minute walk out along the peninsula, and Marken is just a couple of minutes from Bergen busstasjon and Byparken, so you can wheel your suitcase the whole way.
2. Flybussen from Bergen Airport to the city centre, the bus station and Bryggen
Flybussen is the fastest public transport option because it goes through the Knappe Tunnel and Fyllingsdalen instead of stopping all the way through the suburbs. It leaves from just outside the terminal at stop A3, and after about 20 minutes you’re at Bergen busstasjon close to the railway station. It then continues through the city centre, stopping at places such as Festplassen, Torget by the Fish Market and Bryggen, and some services carry on to the Hurtigruten terminal at Jekteviken. Allow about 30 minutes to Bryggen.
An adult ticket costs 189 NOK (around £15) when you buy it online in advance and 220 NOK (around £18) if you buy it from the driver. Students and seniors pay 139 NOK (around £11) online, and under-18s travel for 9 NOK (around 70p) when the ticket is bought online. The ticket is valid on every service on the date you choose, so it doesn’t matter if your flight is delayed. Return tickets aren’t sold, so you buy a new ticket for the journey back. The bus doesn’t run round the clock and services are less frequent early and late, so check the timetable at Flybussen if you land late or fly early.
Bybanen or Flybussen? Here’s my honest verdict: Flybussen saves you around a quarter of an hour but costs almost four times as much as Bybanen. It’s worth the money if your hotel is at Bryggen or along the harbour, because then you get off right by the door instead of walking from Byparken with your suitcase. Bergen Harbour Hotel is a few steps from Bryggen, and you can see prices for Bergen Harbour Hotel here. If you’re travelling with children, Flybussen is also a good choice, because the child ticket costs just 9 NOK online.
3. Taxi from Bergen Airport
The taxi rank is just outside the arrivals hall, and there are almost always cars waiting. The journey to the city centre is about 16 kilometres and, according to Avinor, takes around 18 minutes in normal traffic, though it can take longer at rush hour. You’re free to choose any company, even if its car isn’t at the front of the queue.
Taxis in Norway are expensive, and the price depends on the company, the time of day and the number of passengers. According to Visit Bergen, Bergen Taxi offers a fixed fare between Flesland and the city centre of roughly 580 to 890 NOK (around £45 to £70), and you can book in the company’s app or by phoning 07000 once you’ve collected your luggage. Fares are adjusted regularly, so treat the amount as a rough guide.
The biggest pitfall is getting in without knowing the price. The driver must tell you the fare before the journey starts, so always ask for a fixed price to your address before you set off, and feel free to compare with another company in the queue. If there are four adults in your group, four Flybussen tickets cost 756 NOK (around £60), so a fixed-price taxi can actually compete here, and it takes you right to the door.
4. Private transfer
A private transfer is a pre-booked car with a driver who waits for you in the arrivals hall and takes you straight to your hotel. It’s the most convenient option, and the price is fixed before you leave home, so you won’t have to haggle at the taxi rank. On GetYourGuide, prices start from around £35 per person. It makes the most sense if you’re travelling with children and car seats, have lots of luggage or land late after the Flybussen has stopped running.
Book a private transfer from Bergen Airport here.
Enter your flight number when you book so the driver can keep track of any delays, and check how many passengers and suitcases the price covers. The transfer must be booked at least 10 hours in advance, so it’s not something you can sort out once you’re standing in the arrivals hall.
5. Car hire from Bergen Airport
At the airport you’ll find Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise and Hyre, among others, and you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com. A car is excellent if you want to head out to the fjords, for example towards the Hardangerfjord, Voss or the Sognefjord, and it gives you the freedom to stop at every viewpoint. Bear in mind that many of the roads in Western Norway are narrow and steep, and that mountain passes can close in winter, when winter tyres are compulsory.
Road tolls in Bergen
Bergen has a toll ring, and you’ll usually pass one or more toll points when driving from the airport into the city. Without an AutoPASS agreement, a single pass costs 32 NOK (around £2.50) for a petrol car and 64 NOK (around £5) at rush hour, while a diesel car pays 38 NOK (around £3) and 70 NOK (around £5.50) at rush hour. Electric cars pay less. Rush hour applies on weekdays between 6.30am and 9am and between 2.30pm and 4.30pm, and if you pass several toll points within an hour, you only pay for the most expensive one. The rates are listed by the toll company Ferde, and they are adjusted regularly.
In a hire car, you don’t need to do anything at the toll points, as cameras register the number plate and the bill goes to the rental company, which then passes it on to you. Ask at the desk how the company handles tolls, as some add a fee on top.
Parking in the city centre
On-street parking in the centre is very limited, so expect to use one of the multi-storey car parks. ByGarasjen by Bergen busstasjon costs from 22 to 44 NOK (around £1.75 to £3.50) per hour and a maximum of 260 NOK (around £20) for 24 hours, and there are also car parks by Grieghallen, in Vestre Murallmenning and on Nordnes. You can see an overview on Visit Bergen’s parking page.
My recommendation is therefore to take the Bybanen or the Flybussen into the city and only pick up the car on the day you head out to the fjords. Central Bergen is so compact that you can walk everywhere, and a car will just cost you money in a car park while you’re in town.
Getting back to the airport
From the city centre, take Bybanen line 1 from Byparken, Bergen busstasjon or Nonneseter towards Bergen lufthavn. Allow around 45 minutes plus the walk from your hotel, and remember that the Bybanen can get quite full during the morning rush hour, so with large suitcases it’s nice to board at Byparken, where the line starts. The Flybussen runs back from stops including Bryggen, Festplassen and Bergen busstasjon.
If your flight is before 7am, check the first Bybanen and Flybussen departures the evening before, or book a taxi. The alternative is to spend your last night near the airport. Scandic Flesland Airport is around 1.5 kilometres from the terminal and serves breakfast very early, and you can see prices for Scandic Flesland Airport here.
If you’re changing planes in Oslo and fancy a couple of days in the capital, I also have a guide to getting from Oslo Airport to the city centre, as well as my guide to where to stay in Oslo. If your trip continues north, you can read about where to stay in Tromsø.
Which option should you choose?
Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re staying and how you’re travelling:
Torgallmenningen, Ole Bulls plass and Nordnes: Take the Bybanen to Byparken for 51 NOK (around £4). You’ll be there in around 45 minutes and can walk to your hotel from there.
Bryggen and the harbour: The Flybussen stops right by Bryggen, so here the extra cost is worth it, especially with heavy luggage. If you want to save money, the Bybanen to Byparken and a 10-minute walk works fine too.
Bergen stasjon and Marken: The Bybanen to Nonneseter or Bergen busstasjon is the obvious choice. If you’re in a hurry, the Flybussen to the bus station takes only around 20 minutes.
Families with children: The Bybanen, where up to four children travel free with an adult. The Flybussen is also cheap for children if you buy tickets online.
3 to 4 adults with lots of luggage: Compare the fixed price of a taxi with four Flybussen tickets. The difference is often so small that the taxi is the easiest choice.
If you land late: The Bybanen runs until late in the evening, but check the last departure in Skyss’ journey planner before you leave the terminal. If it has gone, a fixed-price taxi is your real option.
Heading on to the fjords: Pick up your hire car at the airport if you’re driving straight out into the countryside, and otherwise on the day you leave the city. That way you avoid tolls and parking charges while you’re in Bergen.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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