Planning for a trip to Oslo: Everything You would like to know
Are you planning to visit Oslo, the capital of Norway? This blog post can be helpful to you. Everything you might need to know before you start your trip. I am going to share my experience from a 4 days trip including the weekend.
Travel Plan
After some relaxation on travel during COVID-19 within Europe, our intrinsic tendency towards travel pull us to an alluring Scandinavian city and exploring its beauty.
Due to COVID there were very few flight options and could not get a direct flight from Berlin. So we chose KLM and it was a safe journey with proper COVID precautions. It cost us around 190€ per person for the round trip.
Oslo has two airports Torp Airport in Sandefjord and Oslo Airport(OSL) in the City. Sandefjord is around 110 km from Oslo city and OSL is around 50km.
Outbound Flight route: Berlin>Amsterdam>Sandefjord
There is no direct public transport available from Sandefjord airport to Oslo city, it is better to travel by bus which would go to the city directly with a very minimal stoppage for 70 odd minutes and it cost around 25€ per person and they accept card inside the bus. You will get the ticket there, no need for a prior booking.
Return Flight route: OSL>Amsterdam>Berlin
While coming back our flight was from OSL airport so we took public transport from the city central station. Remember there are two kinds of tickets to OSL airport from the city, one is Express and another Normal. Express cost you more around 21€, with 20mins. The normal cost you ~10€ and took 40 mins. Choose accordingly. We book the tickets directly at the station.
Weather
We traveled in August 2020. August is the second warm month in Norway and the weather during our visit was pleasant. The temperature was around 23–24 degrees, no heatwave at all. After sunset, you might feel a little bit cold so would recommend carrying a hoodie or thin jacket.
Accommodation
There are a lot of options available around Oslo via Airbnb, booking.com, or other sites. We were lazy to book the accommodation up front and ended up paying a little high price but the Hotel was in the primary location of City Center so it worth us at the end.
We could not find a cheaper hotel or Airbnb but a standard price Citybox hotel through the booking.com and paid 200€ for 3 nights for two people.
This hotel was in the middle of the city center took 5–10 mins to reach the Oslo central station, The Royal Palace, the Opera house and much more. This was the main reason for choosing this hotel to save some traveling time.
I would recommend booking your flight and accommodation prior to at least 3 weeks. You would have multiple options at a better price. Most of the tourist attractions are near to City Center.
Food
Fish-Fish-Fish. There are a lot of options around the city for fresh fish and seafood. Recommend to try Shrimps, Salmon, and Sushi there.
For vegetarians, there are also lots of options available.
Public Transport
Oslo has a good public transport- Tram, Bus and Local train. They have a mobile app called RuterBillett, it is very useful and can buy a ticket from there. Most of the monuments and city attractions are in Zone 1. 24 hours per adult Zone 1 ticket is ~10€.
Oslo city is full of e-bikes and e-scooters. The youth is crazy about it. Some useful apps: Bysykkel, Lime, VOI. These companies have a day pass and it is really cheap in the range of 5–10€.
Activities
Cruise Ride
Oslo is one of the coastal cities of the North Sea. You will enjoy the Cruise ride definitely. We had booked the cruise ride ticket from Tripadvisor the agency name is Oslo Fjord Sightseeing Cruise. It covers a lot of places and small islands. Those are very beautiful.
This trip started around 1 pm local time for hours. Please reach there at least 30 mins before to occupy a good place for you. Food and drinks are available on the cruise, of course, it is not included with your ticket price. This ride cost you around 35€ for two hours.
Hiking
There are small mountains around Oslo as it is not a flat city like Berlin, it has elevation within the city. If you would like to explore the Norway Jungle and mountains there is a place just outside of the city called KOLSÅSTOPPEN.
It is within Zone 1 and took ~ 40–50 mins to reach from the city central station. It has two sides North and South. From the top of the North, you will get a Panoramic view of the city. From the bottom of the mountain, it takes 2 hours to reach the North Top. I recommend taking plenty of water or drinks or any beverages with you, as there is nothing on the way to top. You can also carry barbeque box to the top if planning to have lunch and then watching the sunset. Be careful while hiking, you will find a lot of stinging nettles(kind of Tragia involucrata).
Zipline
Holmenkollen zipline is 30 mins far from the central station also within Zone 1. Unfortunately, we could not manage to enjoy it as it was closed by the time we reached. It is opened every day from 10–17 hours. This will cost 80€ odd. Check this out for more info https://truestory.no/opplev/zipline-i-holmenkollen/.
Swimming
You will have an opportunity to showcase your swimming skill in the North Sea. Norwegian enjoy the summer and you will like it for sure. Have some swimming cloth, there are many spots around the coast for swimming.
People
OMG! I have never imagined so many people in Oslo. Everyone looks happy and having a smiling face. I am in love with Norgewian people, never thought they are so friendly.
Sightseeing
Oslo is full of architects and museums. Opera house, The Royal Palace, National Theater and museums are all around the city. 2 days will be enough to cover those.
Closing Thoughts and Tips
I enjoyed myself a lot during my stay, had a sad feeling whiling coming back. This city has a lot to explore, 4 days will not be enough for it. An alluring Scandinavian city you will fall in love with it. Not only the monuments or architects but also the Norwegian people. Hope I would travel once more.
Sharing some tips from my personal experience:
Tip#1: Budget Planning
Every beautiful thing comes with a price. Oslo is no different, more than double the price of Berlin on everything. A normal cappuccino will cost you 5–6€ and a pint of beer might cost 2–3€. Plan your budget keeping these references.
Tip#2: Take benefits of Duty-free at the airport
Yes, you heard right. Duty-free products would cheaper than the goods in the city.
Tip#3: No alcohol after 8 PM
Supermarkets sell beer and cider but are not permitted to sell anything above 4.7% alcohol content, and are only allowed to sell alcohol before 8 PM on weekdays and before 6 PM on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays. You will get alcohol in restaurants or bars after 8 PM. There are age restrictions as well.
Tip#4: Timing
For sightseeing, visiting museums or zipline keep an eye on the opening and closing timing. All this information is available over the internet.
Tip#5: No need to carry cash
This is one of the reasons I love this city. They even accept cards at the Toilet. From my experience no need for an exchange to NOK(Norwegian Krone). An international card would work(of course the conversion charge might be applicable to the card depending on card type)
Hope this would help you with your trip planning. Please do share your experience as well. Have a great and memorable trip!
