Getting Around Bergen: Skyss App, Bybanen, Beffen Ferry and Bergen Card

Once you are in central Bergen, you will cover 90 percent of the inner city on foot: walking from the railway station past the KODE museums to the Fish Market and the far end of Bryggen takes less than twenty minutes. When you want to reach Flesland Airport, Mount Ulriken, Fantoft Stave Church or Troldhaugen, regional operator Skyss runs the orange-and-white Bybanen light rail (Lines 1 and 2) and the city bus network. The entire city of Bergen (including the airport) sits inside Zone A.

How to Pay: The Skyss Billett App

There are no ticket barriers on the Bybanen light rail, and you cannot buy tickets from the driver on light rail trams (and cash tickets on buses carry a heavy surcharge). Before stepping onto the platform, choose one of two easy methods:

• Skyss Billett smartphone app (simplest): download the official Skyss Billett app, register a bank card, Apple Pay or Vipps, and buy a Zone A Single Ticket (valid for 90 minutes of unlimited transfers across light rail and buses) or a 24-hour / 7-day Zone A pass. Your ticket activates immediately upon purchase.
• Platform ticket machines or contactless tap on buses: every Bybanen stop has grey ticket machines accepting contactless Visa and Mastercard, and city buses have onboard tap-in card readers.

Riding "Beffen" (Bergen's Tiny 1894 Harbour Ferry)

Chugging back and forth across Vågen harbour since 1894, the miniature red-and-white wooden passenger ferry Beffen is a beloved Bergen icon. The standard 3-minute shuttle crosses every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays between Bradbenken (on Bryggen) and Vågen / Dreggekaien or Nykirkekai on Nordnes, saving you a 20-minute walk around the head of the harbour. In summer, an extended sightseeing route also links the Fish Market, the Bergen Aquarium on Nordnes, the Old Bergen Museum in Sandviken and the Fisheries Museum. Tap your contactless card directly with the skipper on board.

Is the Bergen Card Worth Buying?

Sold in 24, 48, 72 or 96-hour versions (collected at the Tourist Information above the Fish Market or used digitally), the Bergen Card includes unlimited free Skyss transport across Bergen and the region (including the airport Bybanen), free admission to the KODE museums, Bergenhus monuments, Bryggens Museum, Fantoft Stave Church and Troldhaugen, 50% off the Fløibanen funicular in summer (free in winter), and 20% off the Mostraumen fjord cruise and Ulriken cable car. If you use the airport light rail, visit two museums and ride Fløibanen within 24 or 48 hours, it easily pays for itself.