While attempting to tour a country by road can be difficult, involving expensive hire cars, having to tackle tricky foreign motorway signs and spending time working out the route on a map, riding the railway means that all the hard work is done for you.
Indeed, this is why Europe train holidays are among the best getaways to choose if exploring several towns and cities, rather than staying at one resort, is your idea of the perfect break.
If you are planning to see Norway in this way, there are a number of options from which to choose from. You can travel from Bergen to Oslo or vice versa, or you may prefer to take a shorter rail tour for just part of the route.
The Bergen Railway, which links the Norwegian capital of Oslo with the country's second largest city Bergen, allows you to sit back and relax as you race between two tourism hotspots, stopping off at several exciting destinations on the way.
Journeying to a high point of 1,222 metres above sea level, the track is among the highest altitude railway lines in the world - allowing you to take in spectacular scenery from the comfort of your seat.
If you begin your journey from Bergen, you should spend a few days in this lively city before you board your train.
With several museums and art galleries waiting to be visited - including the Bergen Art Museum, home of several pieces by Edvard Munch - you may also wish to spend some time walking around the huge outdoor fish market.
Norway is renowned for its seafood dishes and this could be the perfect way for you to sample some of the national cuisine for yourself.
After enjoying a hearty meal, visitors could head to Bergenhus Fortress - Norway's best preserved fort and once the home of the country's king - or the Unesco World Heritage site of Bryggen.
Once you have finished exploring Bergen you can board the train and let your rail adventure begin.
Departing from the city, you will be transported in comfort and style up into the rugged mountains of Norway, where you will be rewarded with outstanding bird's eye views across the forests and fjords.
Your train will race along as you stay warm inside and the journey will include the exhilarating experience of blasting through several tunnels that have been carved through the mountains - including the 5.5-mile Trollkona tunnel.
After a few stops, including the beautiful suburb of Arna nestled in the foothills of Norway's highest mountain, Gullfjellet, you will reach Voss - a firm favourite with winter sports enthusiasts due to it being regarded as one of the country's premier ski resort destinations.
Next stop is the mountain station of Myrdal, where your journey will continue on the Flam Railway - one of the most beautiful lines in the world that will see you enjoying views of waterfalls, deep ravines, fast-flowing rivers, sheer slopes, Alpine farms and snow-capped mountains through your window.
The track is also one of the steepest in the world and as it twists and turns through mountain tunnels you are sure to wonder at this feat of Norwegian engineering.
Once you have snaked through some 20 tunnels - the majority of which were hand-drilled - you will reach the literal high point of your trip, Taugevann, situated 4,267 feet above sea level.
The highest station on the route is Finse - a town that is so remote no roads lead to it, meaning you can appreciate how lucky you are to spend time in this quiet and snowy spot that is still packed full with things to see and do.
Next on your trip you will be able to enjoy the scenery as your train snakes through the Hallingdal Valley past the Hallingdalselva River to Lake Kroderen, where you will be greeted by the mountain of Norefjell.
In addition to this awe-inspiring sight, you can expect to travel through a wild landscape on this part of your trip and you may even be able to indulge in a little nature-spotting through your window.
The end of the line is Oslo and you are sure to appreciate the chance you had to relax in comfort while on board the train, as this vibrant capital city is made to be explored.
Among the attractions you may wish to take in is the Royal Palace - which can be toured during the summer - the cathedral and the opera house.
Once your holiday is over, you are sure to take home with you memories that last a lifetime.
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