I am sure, we all here believe that the train is the best of all means of transportation. But sometimes you just have to use environmentally unfriendly planes. They have one plus, though: on this route flights can save a lot of time.
How to get to the airport in Bergen
The first option - which I take, by the way - is the Flybussen aka Airport Bus. It departs from the platform N of Bergen Bus Station (Bergen Busstasjon) every 20 minutes, starting from around 7 o’clock in the morning.
The ride lasts for a third of an hour, costs 115 Norwegian Krones (11.5 Euro) and offers an opportunity of casting farewell looks at Bergen from a number of bridges.
Another way to move between the airport and the city is the Bybanen - a light rail service. The duration of this ride is 45 minutes, and the train makes a lot of stops on its way. As they say, this transport is popular among local people and those who are not in a hurry. The ticket prices vary depending on different factors, but in general this is cheaper than the Flybussen.
Whichever transfer you choose, it will be punctual and schedule-respecting. Every vehicle is always in the right place at exactly the right time. As you will see soon, I definitely have something to learn from precisely-working systems.
How to miss a flight
I am at the airport beforehand. Spending time in a relaxed mode, I look around, read the latest news (free Wi-Fi is provided), and charge some of my devices (sockets are easy to find).
Then I go through a traditional security humiliation, when my good old trustfully-serving corkscrew gets confiscated. After that, I move to the gate of a proper number, and this trip goes awry.
What happens next is, for sure, the result of my lack of experience in traveling by planes. I am not used to airport rules and flight-related specifics. That is why I come to a boarding gate 10 minutes before the takeoff and stay calm. The plane is in just dozens of meters from me, but two nice airline ladies do not allow me to pass. Turns out, a ten-minute margin is not enough in the world of commercial aviation. Now I know.
There is an interesting sign with a question mark across the airport entrance. I guess, the idea behind it is to start a dialogue between the place and just arrived travelers from the positive “Yes!” answer. In my situation, however, the big word looks sarcastic, like it says: “Still in Bergen? Well, try again and be quicker next time, you clumsy turtle!”
Route(s)
The initial plan was simple and reasonable: to use a direct flight from Bergen to Amsterdam. If I were less carefree, I would board a plane of Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) and spend just 1 hour and 45 minutes inside it.
My occasional Plan B appears from the strategy of choosing the closest available flight. It happens to be the one by Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), with a connection in Copenhagen. As a result, the duration of my trip becomes two times longer. Anyway, even this is way faster than travel by train or bus (it takes more than a day).
By train from Bergen to Amsterdam
Flying, running and watching
This time, I play it safe and spend all the remaining time near the gate. Finally, the boarding process starts. Ironically, with a delay.
Anyway, I am in my seat near the window. The plane is in the air. Ideal conditions for taking some classical a-view-with-a-wing pictures!
At the Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, which is considerably bigger than the one in Bergen, I have all the chances to get lost and miss yet another plane. It’s only 15 minutes between my two flights. So, basically, I just run from one terminal to another without noticing anything except for the directional signs. Miraculously enough, I make it in time and get on board. The prize for this successful short-distance run is free Wi-Fi.
My detour of necessity brings one more pleasant bonus. I have an opportunity to take a look at the Øresund Bridge from a bird’s eye view (you can read here about how does it feel to cross this marvel of complex engineering by train).
Then, the plane lands at the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Ooh, that was fast! And, which is usual for any flight, rather noisy. I start my last quest of this trip - finding a train to the city.
Find cheap flights to Amsterdam
How to reach the city of Amsterdam
The Schiphol Airport is enormously huge, and I spend some time walking through its numerous halls. A bit later, I find an important device - the big yellow ticket machine.
This apparatus sells train tickets, and it does it in a friendly manner. There is a menu item, designed especially for tourists and other first-time visitors. This machine obviously understands what you need exactly.
Buy train tickets for the Netherlands
Yes, I do want to go to Amsterdam. So I buy a ticket for the Standard Class (5.60 Euro, the First Class costs 8 Euro) and walk to the airport railway station. It is connected with other terminals, so there is no need to go outside.
The train service which operates on the route Schiphol-Amsterdam is called Intercity Direct. It has nicely looking yellow-and-blue trains and a pretty concentrated schedule (the intervals between runs are about 10 minutes).
The train is quite comfy, crowded and fast. I get to the Amsterdam Central Station in less than a quarter of an hour.
The first thing I do after arriving here is stupid. I throw some tiny things into a trash bin, including my train ticket. I don’t know it yet, but my thought “The ride is over, and I don’t need this piece of cardboard anymore” is wrong. Don’t be like me and keep it! As I learn a bit later, there are exit gates at the station, which open via valid tickets. Trying to get through them without a ticket is not a kind of adventure you really need. Although, I manage to get out by sneaking right after some prepared passenger. Phew!
Happy end
The capital of the Netherlands is definitely a place worth visiting. Do not let any difficulties get in your way to this city! And yes, if you need to travel there from Bergen, a flight looks like an optimal solution, even if you prefer trains. Now, I leave you: with thanks for reading, a couple of related links (flights Bergen-Amsterdam, train tickets for Norway, train tickets for the Netherlands, train connection Bergen-Amsterdam) and a random picture of Amsterdam.
Find cheap hotels in Amsterdam
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