The airport in Bergen is called Flesland, and just like most city airports it is located a few kilometers outside the actual city. It is approximately 18 kilometer from the airport to the main city center in Bergen, so you will want to use a type of transport to get from the airport to the city.
So, what is the most affordable and easiest method of getting from Bergen Airport Flesland to Bergen City Center?
The cheapest and easiest way of getting from Flesland to Bergen city center is to ride the Bergen Light Rail (Bybanen in Norwegian). This is a type of monorail that goes directly from under the airport to the city center in about 45 minutes, and only costs about 40 NOK per person.
Bybanen is a great way to travel into the City, and will let you see many different parts of the city while you slowly reach the city center. The only downside to this method of transportation is that it is pretty slow, so there are other options if you want to save time. Let’s take a closer look at them!
Get to Bergen city center using buses
If you choose to take the bus instead of the Bybanen, you get expect to get to the city center in about 25 minutes, so you save 20 minutes. However, it is likely that you might not save a lot of time anyway since the buses have fewer departures.
Anyway, to take the bus to Bergen, just head outside Flesland and look for the bus area. To get the fastest bus to Bergen choose the one called Flybussen / Airport Extpress. It should be at terminal A5 – A7. This bus typically cost around 200 NOK for a single ticket, and will get you to the center of Bergen in about 30 minutes. It will also stop at convenient places like Bryggene, and will allow children to ride for free if they are accompanied by a paying adult.
Buses are clearly a lot more expensive than Bybanen, but it might save you some time or get you closer to where you want to go.
There are also local buses that are a bit cheaper, and you can use the bus number 23 to get to Bergen city enter. You have to change buses at Dolvik. This is a cheaper option than the Flybussen, but it will take longer, be more expensive, and more of a hassle than using the Bybanen.
Read more: Stave churches near Bergen.
Get from Flesland to Bergen with a taxi
It is possible to get from Flesland to Bergen city center by using a taxi if you want to. The ride takes 19 minutes if you don’t have any traffic, so it is the fastest option, but also the most costly one. Expect to pay between 400 and 500 NOK for the taxi ride from Flesland to Berg during daytime, and around 600 – 700 NOK at night.
So this might save you a few minutes and get you to exactly where you want to go, but it is clearly not an option for people who travel on a budget or alone. However, it might be a good choice if you are traveling directly to a house or hotel located outside the main city area where it is a bit more tricky to get to by public transportation.
The taxis are located just outside the arrival terminal of the airport, and there are usually a few taxis there waiting to pick up people. So you should not have any trouble to find one.
Uber is currently not available in Bergen, but it is likely one of the cities that will get it in the future.
Read more: How safe is Bergen?
How to use Bybanen to get to Bergen city center
As mentioned above, most people who travel from the Bergen airport Flesland to the city center uses Bybanen. Using it might seem daunting at first glace, but we got you covered!
To book a ticket for the Bybanen, download the app called “Skyss Billett” for your phone or head to one of the ticket machines that are all over the area where Bybanen arrives. You need one ticket per person, and they will be valid for 90 minutes after you purchase them, so buy them just before you enter the cabin.
You can pay with coins or credit card. I suggest that you download the app for your phone if you plan on staying in Bergen for more than just a few days, because you will need these ticket to use local buses and Bybanen, and most people will end up using these a lot during their stay in Bergen.
After you have your ticket, just board one of the Bynanen-carriers. Both Flesland and Bergen city center is the final destination of their journey, so you don’t have to worry about going in the wrong directing or having to exit early. Just board the train, and enjoy the view until you are at the final stop.
The Bynanen typically leaves every 5 to 9 minutes between 06.30 and 20.00, but only every 10 – 20 minutes during the night. As mentioned above, each ticket is 40 NOK for adults and half that for children. It is free if you have the “Bergenskortet”.
You can see the departure times at this link. It says “Kvart X. minutt”, which means every x minute. You will want to look at the 2.nd page with the title “Frå Bergen lufthavn” to see when Bybanen departs from Flesland.
When you get on board the Bybanen cart, scan your ticket at the electronic scanner and find a free seat. There is no seating, so pick any you like. There should be plenty of free seats since Flesland is the first station.
After about 45 – 50 minutes, you arrive in the main city center of Bergen! There are many stops before the city center (called Byparken on the stops), so you can exit anywhere you like between the airport and the center. Some people prefer to exit on Bystasjonen instead of Byparken, but that depends on where you are going to next.
Getting back to Flesland again
If you departure from Flesland after your visit to Bergen, pretty much reverse engineer the process to get back to Flesland airport again. How on the Bybanen at any point, but make sure you go on a Bybanen that is heading for Flesland, not the city center.
If you prefer buses, head to the main city center again to find Flybussen there. They will also pick up passengers at the same stops as you could leave the bus.
Taxis can be hailed from several places around the city, or you can ask your hotel or hostel to call one for you.