Flåmsbana

The most famous train ride in the world, with the steepest incline for a train ride, the Flåmsbana is an excellent experience.  Many take the train from Bergen to experience this.  However, we started from the Flåm side and did the ride late in the day to avoid all the Cruise Ship visitors.  Once on the train, make sure you get yourself a good window seat.  There's great views on both sides of the train ride, so we'd recommend being on one side of the train for the ride up, and the opposite side on the way down.

The train will make several stops along the way, as it is still usable by residents of the area.  The main stop for tourists though is next to a waterfall where a "huldra" will serenade you with her song.  This was definitely a nice touch Norway has added for visitors.

The train ride will take about an hour each way.  When you reach the end at Myrdal, there really isn't much around, so we'd recommend just taking the same train back to Flåm.

Review of Acela Express Service from Philadelphia to New York

Why drive when there are so many other options available to travelers today? Amtrak’s Acela Express between Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station and New York’s Penn Station takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and, parking at 30th Street Station is much less expensive than parking in Manhattan.

There is plenty of seating at 30th Street Station and the attendants and customer service representatives are very helpful. The station boards are very easy to read and updated often.

Once you board the train, there are overhead compartments for luggage, plenty of legroom and very comfortable seats. The trains also have a café car that offers drinks - both alcoholic and non - sandwiches and snacks, a first class car, and immediately in front of the first class car a quiet car that does not allow phone calls or loud talking (perfect for sleeping, napping, working, or relaxing on the trip). The trains also offer free wi-fi to all passengers and outlets at every seat, making it perfect for business travelers (or bloggers).

At Penn Station, the Acela Express passengers have a special waiting area with benches and wifi, however, it is further away from the station board; so if your arriving close to the time of your train, you may not get a chance to enjoy this service.

Acela Express travels between Boston and Washington, DC, making stops in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

There is also an Amtrak Guest Rewards program, where you can earn 500 points for each round trip ticket bought on Acela Express, and free travel on the guest rewards program begins at 1,000 Guest Rewards programs.