BERGEN, NORWAY:
A 5-Night Travel Guide for Families with Autistic Children
Useful information for Families Travelling with Autistic / ADHD Children
IN-GUIDE QUICK LINKS
Our Itinerary
DAY ONE
Flight from Gatwick to Bergen in the morning.
Transfer via light railway from the airport to Central Bergen. Arrive at accommodation around 3pm. Supermarket shop
Dinner in apartment
DAY TWO
Bank Holiday in Bergen.
Explore tourist shops then visit Bryggen, Bergen's Hanseatic Old Town
Lunch in apartment
Harbour walk, visit fish market and Tourist Information
Dinner in apartment
DAY THREE
Walk to southern tip of Old Town
Outdoor playground session
Swim at Nordnes Sea Pool
Lunch in apartment
Take Floibanen funicular to the top of Mt Floyen: adventure playground, woodland trail, Mt Floyen goats and forest walk to the main lake
Dinner in apartment
DAY FOUR
J's Birthday!
4 hour Norweigan Fjord tour along Mostraumen Strait up Osterford Fjord. Packed lunch at the inside tables on board the boat
Galleriat Shopping Mall to find J a birthday cake.
J and I go out for dinner at Fjellskal (Nonna is babysitting).
DAY FIVE
Walk through town via a post box to send postcards.
Takeaway coffee and Norwegian pastries
Enjoy Bergen International Festival events in the main square
Late lunch in the Landmark Cafe in the Bergen Kunsthall.
Walk by city lake
Playground trip
Spend evening packing to go
DAY SIX
Up early to get a taxi to the airport.
Lunch on plane
Home by 12:30 noon
GETTING THERE
BY PLANE
We flew to Bergen with Norweigan Air from London Gatwick's South Terminal.
The flight took 1 hr 55 minutes.
It was only our sons' second flight - their first one to Edinburgh the year before had only taken 1hr - so we were interested to see how they would cope with the additional flying time. They did really well, we had timed if for late morning so eating an early lunch (or 'plane picnic') helped pass the time.
Our return flight was booked for 9:25am, so a bit earlier. The boys were good and didnt mind being up and out of the apartment by 6:45am. Charlie was definitely ready to come home, so was almost eager to get going.
It was the first time we booked special assistance, so we werent really sure what we were doing, and to be honest didnt make best use of it. However we found the Norweigan airline staff to be very helpful and kind.
AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Bergen airport was bigger than we expected but easy to get around. As the boys seemed to be coping well with the trip we decided to try out the Bergen Light Rail link between the airport and the centre of the city (its called Bybanen).
We were able to buy the tickets from the machine on the platform using our credit card and we didnt have to wait to long. There wasnt loads of space for our luggage but we made do. The seats were not the most comfortable, hard plastic. The boys enjoyed looking at the scenery (mostly suburbs) on the journey - which took about 45 minutes, and litening to the little musical tunes the train plays before each stop to help partially sighted passengers know where to get off.
If we had bought a Bergen card it would have been free, but we thought the cost was reasonable, about £1.70 - £3.50 for single child/adult tickets.
For more information on the different airport transfers (bus, light rail or taxi) go to the Visit Bergen website.
Given the ealier time of our return flight we opted to order a taxi to Bergen airport, which we booked the night before. It was a straightfoward process and turned up on time. It was obviously more expensive but a nice way to end our trip, and the boys loved going through the long dark tunnels with the different coloured lights - very sensory!
SENSORY ENVIRONMENT
Bergen was a great city to visit, and very accessible to our autistic family.
The city offered lots of ways to help keep our boys regulated and we found with some planning we were able to make the most of our experience and see much of what the city had to offer.
SAFETY
Bergen is relatively compact, easy to walk around without too much traffic on the roads. Much of it is pedestrianised.
REGULATING ACTIVITIES
At the far end of the harbour we discovered Nordnes, an outdoor heated sea pool which we all loved; it gave the boys a much needed reset for their sensory systems on the second day. Just nearby was a great playround which we used and an aquarium. The aquarium also looked really good but the boys didnt have it in them to do a third activity that morning.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
We visited during the May half term week, which also coincided with the Bergen International festival - on our last morning we went to the main square around 9:30am as the festival was opening and had the fantastic lifesized children's wooden puzzle boxes to ourselves, which was brilliant as the boys didnt have to queue or take turns! There was also a fun indi cinema caravan that we were invited to go in to - it was showing a witty animation that the boys enjoyed. Once again we were the only ones at the viewing so the boys jiggling around and talking didnt bother anyone else. We spent a very happy hour and half, leaving as it started to get a bit busier.
OUTDOOR SPACE
Bergen is surrounded by mountains. You can take the funicular to the top of Mt Floyen and be instantly in a beautiful Norweigan forest. at the top there wer some great walks, a lake and woodland playgrounds. It was very peaceful and just what we, and the boys needed.
There was also a great park near our accommodation which had a nice selection of equipment and possible the most stunning view I've ever seen from a municipal park! Having the park nearby gave the boys the opportunity to play and be outside in the afternoon, which is often the most challenging time of the day for them and us.
MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
There is the pan-European emergency number and can be called for any type of emergency. It is a free number which can be dialled from any landline or mobile phone.
If you need urgent or emergency help
in Norway call 112
If you know you want an ambulance you can call 113 directly
Operators speak English and will connect you to local services. If in doubt, or if you are worried about being able to explain the emergency in French, this is the number to use.
The number 114 provides the same pan-European assistance for people with hearing difficulties.
BERGEN PHOTO GALLERY
Our neurodivergent family fell in love with Bergen! It was such a cheerful and welcoming place to visit with enough to do to keep everyone happy.
We went with no expectations and found a family friendly city that offered our autistic boys the chance for new experiences in truly stunning scenery. Below are a few of our favourite moments from our 5 night stay in this beautiful country (including J's birthday!).
SLEEPING
Central Bergen apartment with lovely interior and a gorgeous harbour view
BERGENHAUS
Booked through Airbnb
There are plenty of hotels and apartments to choose from in Bergen. We chose to stay in the tourist area right by the water in a private apartment we booked through AirBnB. It was a first floor 2 bedroom space with a beautiful view of the old town and harbour. Staying so close to the harbour and old town turned out to be the perfect location for Travelling with Sunflowers. It meant we could walk everywhere we wanted to go, take Charlie out for short periods before coming back for some downtime - Fred also spent a lot of time happily watching the funicular go up and down the mountainside across the harbour.
LOCATION
The location of this apartment was simply perfect. We couldnt have asked for a better place to stay. We were able to walk to everything we needed - supermarkets, the sea pool, the funicular, Bryggen, the art galleries, central square and playground!
FINDING OUR ACCOMMODATION
Unfortunately it had started to rain quite hard during our light rail trip from the airport. This made the short walk from the central rail stop to the apartment a bit more stressful than it would otherwise have been. That aside, the centre of Bergen is quite compact, and is actually quite easy to navigate. Thankfully we werent at the top of one of its many hills!
INTERIOR
Situated just over the road from the harbour, the apartment was on the first floor, one flight of steps (no lift). We were very impressed with the quality of the furnishings and it had most of the things we needed - although like other properties we've stayed in there was no toaster or kettle (dissapointing for us Brits!).
It was super relaxing to sit and look at the great view out of the window, and there was a nice range of soft cushions and rugs which the boys liked. An open plan kitchen and nice long table completed the main living space.
EATING & DRINKING
SELF-CATERING
We rarely eat out with the boys, other than trips to a few of their favourite cafes locally. Our plan for Bergen was always to self-cater most / all of our meals, with the added benefit of helping to keep costs down. To make sure Charlie would be ok we had packed plenty of safe foods from home including marmite, oat cakes, oat milk, corn snacks and fruit yoyo's.
SUPERMARKETS
Coop Extra, Kiwi & Bunnpris
We basically stuck to our self-catering plan, and visited each of the supermarkets listed above during our days out. However we have always enjoyed looking around a fresh produce market for local delicacies and Bergen was no different. For a few evening meals we supplemented our supermarket buys with produce from the fish market and harbour delis - we were rewarded with some great seafood, cheese and fantastic salmon!
ALCOHOL
There are strict rules governing the sale of alcohol in Norway, and they can take a bit of time to get your head around.
Wine and spirits can only be bought from a government run shop called Vinmonopolet - https://www.vinmonopolet.no/
The nearest Vinmonopolet’s to where we were staying was a 5 minute walk.
They are normally open Monday – Friday from 10am – 6pm and on Saturday from 10am – 3pm or 4pm.
Beer and cider under 4.7% can be bought from supermarkets Monday – Friday until 8pm and until 6pm on Saturday.
The sale of all alcohol is banned on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
EATING OUT
As it was J's birthday my mum super kindly offered to look after the boys on one of the nights so we could go out for a rare meal together. We chose the fish restaurant Fjellskal, which was attached to the fresh market harbour. It had good reviews and was literally 2 minutes from the apartment, so we could sprint back if needed! It was a great choice and we had an absolutely delicious meal.
We had one lunch out on the last day. We were trying to use the food up and didnt want to buy anymore salady items. We went to the Landmark Cafe in the Bergen Kunsthall, a contemporary art museums I had been hoping to visit. Unfortunately it wasnt a great success.
We had also read on online about a cafe called Sostrene Hagelin. Somewhat of an instituion in Bergen it is well known for selling a special type of Norweigan fish cake. When we realised it was a short walk up the road we knew we'd have to try it and on our last night bought some fishcakes and speciality fish soup to have for dinner in the apartment. It was great fun, very affordable and the food was pretty tasty too - but very fishy!
Fjellskal - for harbour side fish dining and a good selection of wines
Sostrene Hagelin - for traditional Norweigan fish soup and fish cakes / dumplings
Landmark Cafe - for lunch in an art gallery
TRANSPORT OPTIONS
Bergen has a very walkable city centre.
BERGEN CARD
With the Bergen Card you can travel for free by bus, boat or the Bergen Light Rail!
AIRPORT / LIGHT RAIL
You can travel on Bybanen (Bergen Light Rail) number 1 to and from Bergen Airport to the city center, it takes around 45 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at a Skyss ticket machine in the airport, by SMS or with the mobile app Skyss Billett. You can not buy a ticket on board the train.
TRAIN
There is a funicular in the centre of town, the Floibanen, which whisks you to the top of Mt Floyen. It is a must do for all families.
Ticket information for the Floibanen
TAXI
Taxis are available - we used Bergen Taxi and were happy with the service.
Phone 07000 or visit Bergen Taxi
BOAT
Bergen is one of Norway's gateways to the Ffjords, and was our main reason for visiting.
There are numerous options for boat trips - you can book with tour operators directly, visit the tourist information office by the harbour or use a third party company like GetYourGuide or Viatour.
GENERAL HEALTHCARE
We strongly recommend that every person in your family is covered by comprehensive travel insurance that also includes health cover.
FREE HEALTHCARE
As of Jan 2024 UK residents can access medically necessary healthcare when visiting Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein if they have obtained an EHIC, Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or a UK European Health Insurance Card (UK EHIC) issued by the UK government.
EVERY member of the family needs their own card.
However you SHOULD STILL take out travel insurance as this may not cover all medical costs e.g. repatriation.
You will need to pay a fee to access non-urgent public medical services in Norway.
DOCTORS
You can access a GP using a private provider such as Dr Dropin - there are two clinics in Bergen. In person consultations from c. £50
OUT OF HOURS
Call 116 117 around the clock to be put in touch with your local out-of-hours medical centre. It's free to call.
PHARMACIES
These are located throughout the city and are a good place to start for advice. They are usually open 8am - 8pm
HOSPITALS
There is an A&E department at Haukeland University Hospital
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS....
We loved Bergen. It was the perfect size, compact but with lots for us and the boys to do. I would highly recommend it as destination for families with neurodivergent / autistic / adhd children. If you are thinking about visiting keep an eye on the Norwegian Airlines website - they often have flash sales and Bergen is an obvious destination.
If you self-cater and limit your cafe visits then we found Bergen to be reasonably affordable for us a family.