Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 90 days ahead of the travel date.
The three types of Flex tickets will typically be offered for sale, which are:
1: Non Flexible tickets - They live up to their name as they can't be refunded or exchanged, hence they are the cheapest type of ticket, when first placed on sale they are typically less than half then price of Flexible tickets.
Seats will be assigned when booking these tickets, but you cannot choose specific seats from the seating plan.
Also note because they cannot be exchanged or refunded, once purchased, you can only travel by the specific departure you chose when making a booking.
Non-Flexible tickets for travel in Standard (second) class can sell out before the travel date.
2: Semi Flexible tickets - These tickets can't be refunded if you want to cancel your travel plans, but they can be exchanged to an alternative departure and they also allow the purchaser to select specific seats on a seating plan.
3: Flexible tickets - They are most expensive because unlike Semi-Flexible tickets, they can be refunded, in addition to being exchanged to an alternative departure.
They also allow the purchaser to select specific seats on a seating plan.
Travelling in Plus (first / premium) Class
Vy tends to take a flexible approach for the sale of tickets to travel in Plus Class, particularly when looking up a journey more than a couple of weeks ahead when the Non-Flexible tickets may not be an option.
Conversely closer to the travel dates, the Non-Flexible tickets can be sold out for travel in Standard Class, but will be still be available for travel in Plus*.
*= when booking with Entur it refers to Vy's Plus Class as Premium Class.
Resting compartments
These are six seat compartments which can be block booked for use by family groups or any travelling party of up to six people.
Though Non-Flexible tickets may not be made available for journeys in a resting compartments.
Sleeper trains
Vy's sleeper trains offer four types of accommodation:
- Standard Class seats, of the type available on the daytime trains
- Reclining seats
- Sleeping compartments with two single beds (solo travellers will have sole occupancy of the compartment)
- Resting compartments, which have 6 beds
When travelling in groups of 3 to 6 adults whether 1 x resting compartment will be cheaper than more than one sleeping compartment can depend on how far ahead you will be booking; tickets will be released up to 90 days ahead of the travel date.
Non-Flexible tickets don't tend to be made available for travel in the sleeping compartments.
Booking on the Vy website instead of with Entur
Entur is the national transport booking service for Norway, but tickets for travel by Vy trains can also be booked on the Vy website.
Some ticket options on the long-distance trains are only available on the Vy website, namely;
- you can choose seat in the family carriage, which is available on the Bergen line,
- you can specifically choose to sit in a part of a train in which pets aren't allowed.
Also when booking on Vy, tickets to sit in Plus (first) Class are available as an added extra to the Standard Class price; if you can't find Plus Class availability when choosing Non-Flexible tickets, check Semi-Flexible and Flexible tickets.
Using Rail Passes on this journey:
Reservations are required, but as all those travelling with journey tickets will have had their seats assigne, reserving as soon as possible is particularly recommended.
Seat and bed reservations are usually available up to 90 days in advance
You can book reservations online by using the Eurail reservation service or the InterRail reservation service though you will be charged a €2 booking fee per reservation, per person.
Though this €2 fee can now be avoided by using the Entur rail pass reservation service.
Reservations can be arranged at the Entur ticket desks in stations
On day trains the terms differ depending on whether you have a first class or second class rail pass.
Second class passes = the costs per seat in the Standard (second class) seating areas is NOK 50, but holders of second class passes can also opt to to travel in the equivalent of first class seats at a cost of NOK 200/300.
First class passes you can either;
- opt to reserve prior to arrival in Norway and pay the reservation fee NOK 200/300 (plus the admin fees),charge
- or avoid the fees, if you wait until you are in Norway and book at an Entur travel desk in the major stations.
For travel on the Sove night trains, regardless of operator, the reservation fees are the same for both first and second class pass users.
The rail pass reservation fee for the sleeping cabins is a flat rate of NOK 1000 (approx €100) so if you are travelling solo you will have the cabin to yourself, but couples /pairs can pay the one fee, but then double occupancy.
