🚆🚲⛴️ Combo commute: train + bike + ferry — plan your route without hassle

Combined routes save time and money, reduce stress and eliminate unnecessary transfers in the city centre. Below is a simple guide: which apps to install, where to leave your bike at the station, how to behave on the train and when the ferry is actually faster and more convenient.

⏳ Why combine

• Time. A long ‘tail’ by train, the ‘last mile’ by bike. It's shorter than taking a bus through the city centre.
• Money. Bikes are free or available at a reduced rate for children on some routes; some ferry operators allow bikes on board free of charge (subject to availability).
• Stress. Fewer bottlenecks and crowds at transfer points; a flexible ‘plan B’ is always at hand in the transport apps.

🗺️ Planning: apps and offline maps

• Entur is a single planner for the whole country. Buses, trains, trams, metro, boats — all in one app; convenient door-to-door search and mixed route planning.
• Traffic status and tickets. For railways — Vy (status/line operations), for the capital region — Ruter (‘Traffic status’, Reis discount on single tickets). Turn on notifications for the day of your trip.
• Offline navigation. For the last mile, keep detailed Norgeskart maps (Kartverket data; offline download) and any offline navigation app you are familiar with.
• Buffer and plan B. Allow 10–15 minutes at hub stations for transferring bikes/lifts/bridges. On the day of your trip, check the ‘Traffic status/Avvik’ tabs.

Let's move on to the main thing — how to combine cycling and trains.

🚲🚆 Bike + train: where to leave and how to travel

• Where to leave your bike at the station. Bane NOR's sykkelhotell secure bike parking facilities: accessible via the Bane NOR Parkering app, 50 NOK for 30 days per station (auto-renewal; SMS reminder). As of 14 August 2025. There are also municipal sykkelhotell facilities in Oslo for 50 NOK/30 days.
• Behaviour on trains with bicycles. On Vy trains, bicycles usually cost 50% of the adult single fare, but no more than NOK 265; space is limited — board the carriage marked ‘bike’. On some lines (e.g. the Bergen Line in summer), advance booking of a space for your bicycle is required.
• Combo logic. Take a long trip by rail and then ride your bike to the office: park it at a sykkelhotell in the morning, pick it up in the evening and ride home at your leisure.
• Capital region (if you suddenly need to take your bike on the metro/tram). With Ruter, bikes are free outside peak hours, and during peak hours (Mon–Fri 07:00–09:00, 15:00–18:00) they are charged at the child fare; on buses/trams/boats, the child fare applies (if there is space).

⛴️ Ferry as part of the route: when it's faster/more scenic

• City/suburban boats. In the Bergen region, you can take your bike free of charge (subject to availability) on the Askøybåten/Nordhordlandsbåten — a great alternative to detours.
• Capital region. On Ruter boats, bikes travel at the child fare (if there is space) — sometimes faster than detouring via bridges.
• Longer stretches along the coast. If you need to make a ‘long jump’ between ports, Hurtigruten accepts bikes for NOK 250/unit. (payment at check-in; storage on the car deck). Havila — ‘added for a fee when booking’ (e-bike batteries are stored separately, charging on board is prohibited). Check for specific dates/sections.

🌅🌙 Working hours in the morning/evening

• Morning. Working slot until departure (home/co-working space near the station) + relaxed transfer to the train. On board — offline tasks: the connection is unstable in tunnels.
• Evening. Upon arrival — a short bike ride outside rush hour; if it's raining, leave your bike at sykkelhotell and finish your journey by public transport.

📝 Mini checklist (quick start)

• Set up Entur + enable notifications in Vy/Ruter for your route.
• Register for sykkelhotell at your ‘home’ station (50 NOK/30 days).
• Check the rules for transporting bikes: Vy (up to 265 NOK max) and Ruter (free on the metro outside peak hours; children's fare during peak hours/on buses/boats).

If you need a ‘water shortcut’: for Bergen — Askøy/Nordhordland (free if there is space); for the coast — Hurtigruten/Havila (bicycle for an additional fee).

Make the train the ‘backbone’ of your route, the bike the ‘last mile’, and the ferry the ‘bridge’ across the water. With the Entur/Vy/Ruter apps, a sykkelhotell subscription and a small buffer at combo-commute hubs, it becomes a simple, warm and sustainable habit.