Basics
GETTING THERE
There is a good range of inexpensive flights to Norway from London, though from the UK’s regional airports the choice is poorer. Oslo Gardermoen airport is the main point of arrival. Flights are almost invariably much less expensive than the long and arduous journey from the UK to Norway by train or car. There are currently no ferry services direct from the UK to Norway, but this situation may change and it’s worth checking out if you’re considering taking your car.
From Ireland, there is much less choice, but there are regular flights to Oslo Gardermoen airport. For travellers arriving from North America, the main decision is whether to fly direct to Oslo – though the options are limited – or via another European city, probably London. Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans have to fly via another country – there are no nonstop, direct flights. Finally, getting to Norway from the rest of Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden and Finland) is quick, easy and relatively inexpensive, whether you travel by plane, bus or train.
A BETTER KIND OF TRAVEL
At Rough Guides we are passionately committed to travel. We believe it helps us understand the world we live in and the people we share it with – and of course tourism is vital to many developing economies. But the scale of modern tourism has also damaged some places irreparably, and climate change is accelerated by most forms of transport, especially flying. All Rough Guides’ flights are carbon-offset, and every year we donate money to a variety of environmental charities.
Flights from the UK
From the UK, there’s a good choice of direct, nonstop flights from London to Oslo as well as a scattering of flights there from the UK’s regional airports. Norway’s main international airport is Oslo Gardermoen, 45km north of the city, but several budget airlines use the deceptively named Oslo (Torp) airport, which is actually just outside Sandefjord, 110km from Oslo, and Oslo (Rygge) airport, 60km south of the city near the little town of Moss. There are also a handful of nonstop, direct flights from the UK to other Norwegian cities, including Stavanger, Ålesund, Bergen and Trondheim, but for the likes of Tromsø you’ll have to change planes. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and its subsidiary Widerøe has the largest number of routes.
Prices vary enormously, but Norwegian Airlines often offers the least expensive tickets with a return from London Gatwick or Manchester to Oslo costing from as little as £140. Flying times are insignificant: Aberdeen to Stavanger takes just one hour, London to Oslo a little over two.
Flights from Ireland
Flying from Ireland to Norway, there’s not much choice, but Ryanair (
ryanair.com) has flights from Dublin
to Oslo (Rygge) and Norwegian Airlines ( norwegian.com) flies between Dublin and Oslo Gardermoen. As sample
fares, Norwegian charges anywhere between €70 and €160 for the flight from
Dublin to Oslo with a flying time of just over two
hours.
Flights from the US and Canada
From the US, you can fly direct/nonstop to Oslo
Gardermoen from New York City with United Airlines ( united.com) but otherwise you’ll have
to change at a hub airport with London being an obvious choice. Return fares
from major cities in the US to London start at around US$800, but otherwise
reckon on spending around US$1500–2000 return for a nonstop New York–Oslo return
flight with Continental. There are no direct flights to Norway from the west
coast, but plenty of carriers will get you to Oslo with one stop, for as little
as US$1500 return.
From Canada, the best deals are usually
offered by Air Canada ( aircanada.com), which flies nonstop to London Heathrow, with onward
connections to Norway. From Toronto to Oslo, expect to pay around Can$2000 in
high season and Can$1500 in low season, while typical fares from Vancouver are
around Can$2200 in high season and, likewise, Can$1500 in low season.
The flying time on a direct, nonstop flight from the east coast of North America to Norway is just over seven hours.
AIRLINES AND ROUTES
The following airlines currently cover nonstop routings from the UK to Norway. Note that some of these routings only operate during the summertime.
bmi ( flybmi.com). London Heathrow to
Bergen, Oslo and Stavanger.
British Airways ( britishairways.com).
London to Oslo Gardermoen.
Eastern Airways ( easternairways.com).
Aberdeen, Glasgow and Newcastle to Stavanger.
Norwegian Airlines ( norwegian.com). London
Gatwick to Ålesund, Bergen, Oslo Gardermoen and Trondheim; Edinburgh to Oslo
Gardermoen; Manchester to Oslo Gardermoen.
Ryanair ( ryanair.com). London Stansted
to Haugesund; Edinburgh, Liverpool and London Stansted to Oslo (Torp);
Liverpool, Manchester, London Stansted and Gatwick to Oslo (Rygge).
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS; flysas.com) and its subsidiary Widerøe
( wideroe.no). London Heathrow
to Bergen, Oslo Gardermoen and Stavanger; Aberdeen to Bergen and Stavanger;
Manchester to Oslo Gardermoen; Newcastle to Stavanger.
Flights from Australia and New Zealand
There are no direct/nonstop flights from Australia or New Zealand to Norway. Most itineraries will involve two changes, one in the Far East – Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur – and then another in the gateway city of the airline you’re flying with – most commonly Copenhagen, Amsterdam or London. You can get tickets to Oslo from Sydney, Melbourne or Perth for Aus$1500–2500, NZ$2000–3000 from Auckland.
Flights from South Africa
There are no direct/nonstop flights from South Africa to Norway, but several
airlines will get you to Oslo with one stop via a European hub city. For
example, KLM ( klm.com) fly from Cape Town
to Amsterdam with onward connections to Oslo for a return fare of between
ZAR9500 and ZAR12,500.
By train from the UK
Eurostar ( eurostar.com) services running through the Channel Tunnel to Brussels
put Norway within reasonable striking distance of the UK by train, but the whole journey from London to Oslo, which is usually
routed via Brussels and Copenhagen, still takes about 22 hours and costs about
£300 one-way (£350 return), though special deals and concessionary rates can
reduce these fares considerably.
Rail passes
If you’re visiting Norway as part of a longer European trip, it may be
worth considering a pan-European rail pass. There
are lots to choose from and Rail Europe ( raileurope.com and raileurope.co.uk), the
umbrella company for all national and international passes, operates a
comprehensive website detailing all the options with prices. Note in
particular that some passes have to be bought before leaving home, others
can only be bought in specific countries. Note also that Inter-Rail Pass ( interrailnet.com) and Eurail Pass ( eurail.com) holders get discounts
on some internal ferry and bus journeys within Norway.
Driving from the UK
To reach Norway by car or motorbike from the UK, the
best bet is to use Eurotunnel’s ( eurotunnel.com) shuttle train
through the Channel Tunnel. Note that Eurotunnel only carries cars (including
occupants) and motorbikes, not cyclists and foot passengers. From the Eurotunnel
exit in Calais, it’s a somewhat epic journey of around 1400km or so to
Oslo.
By ferry from the UK
There are currently no car ferries from the UK to
Norway; the nearest you’ll get is Esbjerg in
Denmark, about 900km (around 10hr) by road from Oslo, with DFDS Seaways ( dfdsseaways.co.uk) from Harwich. Tariffs vary
enormously, depending on when you leave, how long you stay, what size your
vehicle is and how many passengers are in it; on overnight sailings, there is
also the cost of a cabin to consider. As a sample fare, a seven-day, peak season
return fare for two adults in an ordinary car costs around £250. Reservations
are strongly recommended. There are three or four Harwich-to-Esbjerg sailings
every week and the journey time is about eighteen hours.
By train, bus and ferry from the rest of Scandinavia and Russia
By train you can reach Oslo from both Stockholm (2–3 daily; 6hr) and Copenhagen (2 daily;
8hr). There are also regular services from Stockholm to Narvik (1–2 daily; 21hr), operated by the Swedish company SJ
(
00 46 771 75 75 75, sj.se). For online tickets, go to raileurope.com.
Several bus companies provide services into Norway
from other parts of Scandinavia. These include Eurolines ( eurolines.co.uk) buses from London to Oslo, which pass through
several Danish and Swedish towns, notably Copenhagen, Malmö and Gothenburg; the
Swedish company GoByBus ( gobybus.se), which has services to Oslo
from Stockholm, Copenhagen, Malmö and Gothenburg among others; and Swebuss ( swebus.se), which operates an express bus from Stockholm to Oslo. In
the far north, Eskelisen Lapin Linjat ( eskelisen-lapinlinjat.com) runs a number of bus services from Finland
to Norwegian destinations, including Tromsø, Kirkenes and Nordkapp.
A number of car ferries shuttle across the Skagerrak from Denmark to Norway .
As for border crossings, there is (usually) little formality at either the Norway–Sweden or Norway–Finland borders, but the northern border with Russia is a different story. Border patrols (on either side) won’t be overjoyed at the prospect of you nosing around. If you have a genuine wish to visit Russia from Norway, it’s best to sort out the paperwork – visas and so forth – before you leave home. Kirkenes is the main starting point for tours into Russia from Norway.
INTERNATIONAL CAR FERRIES
Copenhagen (Denmark) to: Oslo (1 daily; 16hr; dfdsseaways.no).
Frederikshavn (Denmark) to: Oslo (1 daily; 9hr to 12hr; stenaline.no).
Hirtshals (Denmark) to: Kristiansand (2–3 daily; 2hr 15min–3hr 30min; colorline.com and fjordline.com); Larvik (1–2
daily; 4hr; colorline.com);
Stavanger/Bergen (3–5 weekly; 10hr/17hr; fjordline.com).
Strömstad (Sweden) to: Sandefjord (4–6 daily; 2hr 30min; colorline.com).
Tours and organized holidays
Tourism in Norway is a multi-million-dollar industry that has spawned a small army of tour operators. Some provide generic bus tours of parts of the country, but there are many more specialist companies too, featuring everything from skiing and walking through to whale-watching and cycling. Most of the better companies offer a choice of escorted and independent tours. Additional, domestic tour operators are detailed throughout the Guide.
TOUR AND HOLIDAY OPERATORS
Anglers’ World Holidays UK 01246 221 717, anglers-world.co.uk.
Sea- and river-fishing holidays in Norway.
Brekke Tours & Travel US 1 800 437 5302, brekketours.com.
A well-established company offering a host of sightseeing and cultural
tours of Scandinavia in general and Norway in particular.
Discover the World UK 01737 214 251, discover-the-world.co.uk.
Specialist adventure tours including whale-watching in Norway, wildlife
in Spitsbergen and dog-sledging in Lapland. Independent, tailor-made
tours too.
Exodus UK 0845 508 4197, exodus.co.uk.
Large, activity-holiday specialist offering cross-country skiing and all
sorts of other winter sports plus whale-watching, hiking and Spitsbergen
excursions.
Headwater UK 0845 564 7148, headwater.com.
Limited but well-chosen selection of winter fun holidays in Geilo and
Venabu, where punters choose anything from skiing to reindeer
safaris.
High & Wild UK 0845 004 7801, highandwild.co.uk.
Adventure holiday specialist through whose services you can join a Sámi
reindeer migration.
Hurtigruten Norway 00 47 81 00 30 30, hurtigruten.com.
The Hurtigruten coastal voyage is Norway’s most celebrated sea cruise
(see Hurtigruten sailing
schedule).
Inntravel UK 01653 617 001, inntravel.co.uk.
Outdoor holidays in Norway including skiing, walking, dog-sledging,
fjord cruises, and whale- and reindeer-watching.
North South Travel UK 01245 608 291, northsouthtravel.co.uk.
Friendly, competitive travel agency, offering discounted fares
worldwide. Profits are used to support projects in the developing world,
especially the promotion of sustainable tourism.
Saddle Skedaddle UK 0191 265 1110, skedaddle.co.uk.
Highly recommended company organizing a couple of cycling tours of
Norway each year, usually one to the Lofoten islands and another round
the western fjords.
Scandinavian America World Tours US 1 800 545 2204, scandinaviantravel.com.
Scandinavian specialist offering an extensive programme of group and
individual tours and cruises within Norway.
Scand-America US 1 727 415 5088, scandamerica.com.
A wide variety of packages – everything from dog-sledging to garden
tours – throughout Scandinavia. Florida based.
Scantours US 1 800 223 7226 scantours.com.
Huge range of packages and tailor-made holidays to every Scandinavian
nook and cranny.
FJORD TOURS AND THE FJORD PASS
Perhaps the best non-specialist tour operator in Norway is Bergen’s Fjord Tours ( 815 68 222, fjordtours.com). The company
manages the first-rate Fjord Pass scheme and organizes a creative menu of Norwegian tours. It is the
main organizer of the much-vaunted Norway in a Nutshell excursion, and they also offer Sognefjord in a
Nutshell (1250kr return from Bergen); Hardanger in
a Nutshell (820kr return from Bergen); and a wonderful four-day
tour from Oslo to Trondheim followed by a Hurtigruten cruise along the coast to
Bergen (3280kr). There are no tour guides on any of these excursions, which
suits most independent travellers just fine, and all use public transport – bus,
train and ferry. Fjord Tours also offer adventure
packages – cycling on the
Rallarvegen or winter skiing for example – and, if you’re travelling by
car, they will book accommodation on your behalf with Fjord Pass hotels and
advise on itineraries.
GETTING AROUND
Norway’s public transport system – a huge mesh of trains, buses, car ferries and passenger express ferries – is comprehensive and reliable. In the winter (especially in the north) services can be cut back severely, but no part of the country is unreachable for long.
Bear in mind, however, that Norwegian villages and towns usually spread over a large distance, so don’t be surprised if you end up walking a kilometre or two from the bus stop, ferry terminal or train station to get where you want to go. It’s this sprawling nature of the country’s towns and, more especially, the remoteness of many of the sights, that encourages visitors to rent a car. This is an expensive business, but costs can be reduced if you rent locally for a day or two rather than for the whole trip, though in high season spare vehicles can get very thin on the ground.
By train
With the exception of the Narvik line into Sweden, operated by SJ, all Norwegian train services are
run by Norges Statsbaner (NSB; 815 00 888, nsb.no). Apart from a sprinkling of branch
lines, NSB services operate on three main domestic
routes, which link Oslo to Stavanger in the southwest, to Bergen in
the west and to Trondheim and on to Bodø in the north. The nature of the country
has made several of these routes engineering feats of some magnitude, worth the
trip in their own right – the tiny Flåm line and the sweeping Rauma line from Dombås to Åndalsnes are exciting examples.
NSB have two main types of train – Lokaltog (local) and Regiontog (regional). There is one standard class on both, but certain regional trains have a “Komfort” (read more spacious and with electrical plugs) carriage, for which you pay a supplement of 90kr per person. All Regiontog have internet access, for which you’ll need to register beforehand on the NSB website. It’s also worth noting that on many long-distance intercity trains and on all overnight and international services, an advance seat reservation is compulsory. In high season, it’s wise to reserve a seat on main routes anyway, as trains can be packed. General NSB timetables are available free at every train station and there are individual route timetables too. In the case of the more scenic routes, there are also leaflets describing the sights as you go.
Fares and discounts
Fully flexible, standard-fare prices are bearable, with the popular Oslo–Bergen run, for example, costing around 800kr one-way, Oslo–Trondheim 870kr – a little less than twice that for a return. Both journeys take around six and a half to seven hours. NSB also offers a variety of discount fares. The main discount ticket scheme is the Minipris (mini-price), under which you can cut up to sixty percent off the price of long-distance journeys. In general, the further you travel, the more economic they become. The drawback is that Minipris tickets must be purchased at least one day in advance, are not available at peak periods and on certain trains, and stopovers are not permitted. NSB also showboats a variety of special deals and discounts – check the NSB website or enquire locally (and ahead of time) for details on any specific route. For overnight trains, two-berth sleepers (sove) are reasonably priced at 850kr, especially if you consider you’ll save a night’s hotel accommodation.
In terms of concessionary fares on
standard-price tickets, there are group and family reductions; children
under 4 travel free; 4–15-year-olds pay half-fare, and so do senior citizens
(67+) and the disabled. Pan-European Inter-Rail
and Eurail passes can include the Norwegian railway system and there’s
also a Norway Eurail Pass, which entitles the
holder to between three and eight days unlimited rail travel within one
month. Prices for three days are 1500kr (1133kr for 12–25-year-olds), eight
days 2277kr (1716kr). The rules and regulations regarding all these passes
are complicated – consult the website of the umbrella company, Rail Europe ( raileurope.com). Note that some passes have to be bought before
leaving home.
By bus
Both supplementing and on occasion duplicating the train network, buses reach almost every corner of the country. The
principal long-distance carrier is Nor-Way
Bussekspress ( 815 44 444, nor-way.no), whose services operate in
conjunction with a dense network of local buses, some of which only run in the
summertime. Tickets are usually bought on board, but
on long-distance routes there are sometimes substantial discounts for advance
purchase – check the Nor-Way Bussekspress website for details or inquire at the
local bus station. Bus travel is almost invariably less expensive than the
train, and prices are passable – especially as all tolls and ferry costs are
included in the price of a ticket – but costs are still fairly high. For
instance, the nine-hour Nor-Way Bussekspress trip from Oslo to Haugesund costs
650kr (490kr in advance), the seven-hour journey from Ålesund to Trondheim 570kr
(no advance discount).
As for concessionary fares, children under 4 travel free and both youngsters (under 16) and seniors (over 67) are entitled to discounts of up to fifty percent. Rail-pass holders and students are sometimes eligible for a fifty-percent reduction on the full adult rate too – ask and you may receive.
TIMETABLES
Timetables for almost all train, bus and ferry
services are available online. Train details are easy
to find on Norges Statsbaner’s (Norwegian State Railways) all-encompassing
website ( nsb.no), but bus
and ferry timetables can be bothersome: there are lots of different
carriers and, although most of their websites are in Norwegian and English,
services are often divided up by county (commune) rather than alphabetically.
Fortunately, Norway’s principal long-distance bus
company, Nor-Way Bussekspress, have an easy-to-use website ( nor-way.no), but the websites of the
two biggest ferry and local bus operators, Norled
( norled.no) and fjord1 ( fjord1.no) are much complex.
Alternatively, almost every Norwegian tourist office carries a comprehensive
range of free local and regional public transport timetables, which they will
help you decipher if necessary.
By ferry
Using a ferry is one of the highlights of any visit to Norway – indeed, among the western fjords and around the Lofotens they are all but impossible to avoid. The majority are roll-on, roll-off car ferries. These represent an economical means of transport, with prices fixed on a nationwide sliding scale: short journeys (10–20min) cost foot passengers 25–35kr, whereas a car and driver will pay 60–100kr. The maximum tariff on this national scale (for sea journeys of up to 15km) is currently 43kr for foot passengers, 130kr for car and driver. Ferry procedures are straightforward: foot passengers walk on and pay the conductor, car drivers pay when the conductor appears at the car window either on the jetty or on board – although some busier routes have a drive-by ticket office. One or two of the longer car ferry routes – in particular Bodø–Moskenes – take advance reservations, but the rest operate on a first-come, first-served basis. In the off season, there’s no real need to arrive more than twenty minutes before departure – with the possible exception of the Lofoten island ferries – but in the summer allow two hours to be really safe.
Hurtigbåt passenger express boats
Norway’s Hurtigbåt passenger express boats are catamarans that make up in speed what they lack in enjoyment: unlike the ordinary ferries, the landscape whizzes by and in choppy seas the ride can be disconcertingly bumpy. Nonetheless, they are a convenient time-saving option: it takes just four hours on the Hurtigbåt service from Bergen to Balestrand, for instance, and the same from Narvik to Svolvær. There are Hurtigbåt services all along the west coast, with a particular concentration in and around Bergen; the majority operate all year. There’s no fixed tariff table, so rates vary considerably, though Hurtigbåt boats are significantly more expensive per kilometre than car ferries – Bergen–Flåm, for instance, costs 685kr for the five-and-a-half-hour journey, 800kr for the four-hour trip from Bergen to Stavanger.
There are concessionary fares on standard fares on all routes, with infants up to the age of 4 travelling free, and children (4–15) and senior citizens (over 67) getting a fifty-percent discount. In addition, rail-pass holders and students are often eligible for a fifty-percent reduction on the full adult rate and on most routes you get a similar discount for advance reservations on the internet.
The Hurtigruten
Norway’s most celebrated ferry journey is the long and beautiful haul up
the coast from Bergen to Kirkenes on the Hurtigruten (literally, “rapid route” hurtigruten.com) coastal boat or steamer. To many, the Hurtigruten
remains the quintessential Norwegian experience, and it’s certainly the best
way to observe the drama of the country’s extraordinary coastline. Eleven
ships combine to provide one daily service in each direction, and the boats
stop off at over thirty ports on the way.
The whole round-trip lasts thirteen days (and twelve nights), and the
fare per person in a two-berth cabin including
breakfast, lunch and dinner ranges from 8000kr in the depths of winter to
1900kr at the height of the summer. The shorter, one-way cruise costs a lot
more heading north than south: north ranges from 7800kr to 13000kr, south
4400kr to 10500kr, again per person in a two-berth cabin including
breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are, however, all sorts of special deals
for early reservations and so forth – see the website for details. Making a
Hurtigruten booking within Norway is easy too, either on the website, by
phone ( 810 03 030), or via most west-coast tourist
offices.
A short or medium-sized hop along the coast on a portion of the Hurtigruten route is also well worth considering. Port-to-port fares are not particularly cheap, especially in comparison with the bus, but they are affordable providing you do not have a cabin. For example, the standard, mid-season (spring or autumn), one-way passenger fare from Trondheim to Bodø (26hr) is 1000kr without meals or cabin, about the same from Ålesund to Trondheim (22hr), again without meals or cabin. Last-minute bargains, however, can bring the rates down to amazingly low levels and there are often substantial one-off discounts in winter too. All the tourist offices in the Hurtigruten ports have the latest details and should be willing to telephone the captain of the nearest ship to make a reservation on your behalf. Most – but not all – of the Hurtigruten boats carry cars, but advance reservations are recommended.
As for specifics, there is a restaurant and a 24-hour cafeteria supplying coffee and snacks on all Hurtigruten boats; the restaurants are very popular, so reserve a table as soon as you board.
HURTIGRUTEN SAILING SCHEDULE
Northbound Hurtigruten schedules fluctuate according to season: the summer timetable runs from mid-April to mid-September, winter from mid-September to mid-April.
Southbound the service sticks to the same timetable throughout the year. Given here is a list of departure times from principal ports.
NORTHBOUND
Summer schedule
Bergen 8pm
Florø 2.15am
Ålesund 9.30am
Geiranger 1.30pm*
Ålesund 6.45pm
Trondheim noon
Bodø 3pm
Stamsund 7.30pm
Svolvær 10pm
Harstad 8am
Tromsø 6.30pm
Hammerfest 6.45am
Honningsvåg 3.15pm
Arrive Kirkenes 9.45am
Winter schedule
Bergen 10.30pm
Florø 4.45am
Ålesund 3pm
Trondheim noon
Bodø 3pm
Stamsund 7.30pm
Svolvær 10pm
Harstad 8am
Tromsø 6.30pm
Hammerfest 6.45am
Honningsvåg 3.15pm
Arrive Kirkenes 9.45am
SOUTHBOUND
Kirkenes 12.45pm
Honningsvåg 6.15am
Hammerfest 12.45pm
Tromsø 1.30am
Harstad 8.30am
Svolvær 8pm
Stamsund 10pm
Bodø 4am
Trondheim 10am
Ålesund 00.45am
Florø 8.15am
Arrives Bergen 2.30pm
*Note that northbound the service only stops at Geiranger during summertime; southbound it never stops at Geiranger.
By plane
Internal flights can prove a surprisingly inexpensive
way of hopping about Norway, and are especially useful if you’re short on time
and want to reach the far north: Tromsø to Kirkenes takes the best part of two
days by bus, but it’s just an hour by plane. Domestic air routes are serviced by
several companies, but the major carrier is SAS ( sas.no), a conglomerate with many (airline)
subsidiaries. A one-way fare with SAS from Oslo to Trondheim costs from about
620kr, 900kr from Oslo to Kirkenes; return fares are about double. In terms of
concessionary fares, SAS permits infants under 2
to travel free, while children under the age of 11 receive a 25 percent
discount; there are also discounted rates for young people aged 11 to 25 years
old.
You might also want to check out Widerøe ( wideroe.no), a subsidiary of SAS, which specializes in internal
flights – they fly between 35 Norwegian airports – and Norwegian Airlines ( norwegian.com), which operates flights between fifteen domestic
airports at what can be staggeringly low prices – Oslo to Alta, for example,
from just 600kr. There’s also the up-and-coming Danish Air
Transport ( dat.dk), who
operate 15 internal routes, most importantly several from the mainland to the
Lofotens.
By car
Norway’s main roads are excellent, especially when you consider the rigours of the climate, and nowadays, with most of the more hazardous sections either ironed out or tunnelled through, driving is comparatively straightforward. Nonetheless, you still have to be careful on some of the higher sections and in the longer (fume-filled) tunnels. Once you leave the main roads for the narrow mountain byroads, however, you’ll be in for some nail-biting experiences – and that’s in the summertime. In winter the Norwegians close many roads and concentrate their efforts on keeping the main highways open, but obviously blizzards and ice can make driving difficult to dangerous anywhere, even with winter tyres (which are compulsory), studs and chains. At any time of the year, the more adventurous the drive, the better equipped you need to be, especially in the sparsely inhabited north: on remote drives you should pack provisions, have proper hiking gear, check the car thoroughly before departure, carry a spare can of petrol and take a mobile phone.
Norway’s main highways have an E prefix – E6, E18,
etc. The E roads are the nearest thing Norway has to motorways, but only rarely
are they dual carriageways and they are often interrupted by roundabouts and
even traffic lights. All the country’s other significant roads (riksvei, or rv) are assigned a number
and, as a general rule, the lower the number, the busier the road. In our guide,
we’ve used the E prefix, but designated other roads as Highways, followed by the number. In an effort to boost tourism,
around twenty routes or roads have been designated Nasjonale Turistveger (National Tourist Routes; nasjonaleturistveger.no)
with more to follow. Each is equipped with strategically positioned visitor
centres and viewpoints.
Toll roads
Tolls are imposed on certain roads to pay for construction projects such as bridges, tunnels and motorway improvements. Once the costs are covered the toll is normally removed. The older projects levy a fee of around 15–30kr, but the tolls for the newer works may run to well over 100kr per vehicle. There’s a toll on entering the country’s larger cities (15–30kr), but whether this is an environmental measure or a means of boosting city coffers is a moot point.
There are automatic toll stations (automatisk bomstasjon) on every toll road. Here, signs
indicate the amount of the toll to be levied and cameras read the electronic tag – officially the “AutoPASS On-Board
Unit (OBU)” – that has, by law, to be attached to the windscreen of every
Norwegian vehicle. Drivers do not need to stop, but the owner of the vehicle
is billed in due course (usually within a week). All Norwegian car rental
vehicles have one of these tags and the car rental companies are billed like
everyone else – but predictably they pass on the charge to their customers
(and that’s why you can never wrap up the car rental bill completely when
you return your vehicle). If you are taking your own
vehicle to Norway, you can purchase a tag at or near your point
of entry, but it is much easier to set up an online credit-card Visitors’ payment account, in which the cameras
read your number plate and invoice you accordingly. For further details,
consult autopass.no.
Entirely separate from the state-run system are the modest tolls of 20–40kr levied on privately maintained country/mountain roads; drivers are expected to deposit their money in a roadside honesty box; they are easy to spot.
OPENING/CLOSING DATES OF MAJOR MOUNTAIN PASSES
Obviously enough, there’s no preordained date for the opening of mountain roads in the springtime – it depends on the weather, and the threat of avalanche is often much more of a limitation than actual snowfalls. The dates given here should therefore be treated with caution; if in doubt, seek advice from a local tourist office. If you do head along a mountain road that’s closed, sooner or later you’ll come to a barrier and have to turn round.
E:6 Dovrefjell (Oslo–Trondheim). Usually open all year.
E69: Skarsvåg–Nordkapp. Closed late October to April.
E134: Haukelifjell (Oslo–Bergen/Stavanger). Usually open all year.
Highway 7: Hardangervidda (Oslo–Bergen). Usually open all year.
Highway 51: Valdresflya. Closed December to early May.
Highway 55: Sognefjellet. Closed November to early May.
Highway 63: Grotli–Geiranger–Åndalsnes (Trollstigen). Closed early October to mid-May.
Fuel
Fuel is readily available, even in the north of Norway, though here the settlements are so widely separated that you’ll need to keep your tank pretty full; if you’re using the byroads extensively, remember to carry an extra can. Current fuel prices are 12–15kr a litre, and there are four main grades, all unleaded (blyfri): 95 octane, 98 octane, super 98 octane and diesel.
Documentation
All EU/EEA driving licences are honoured in Norway, but other nationals will need – or are recommended to have – an International Driver’s Licence (available at minimal cost from your home motoring organization). No form of provisional licence is accepted. If you’re bringing your own car, you must have vehicle registration papers, adequate insurance, a first-aid kit, a warning triangle and a green card (available from your insurers or motoring organization). Extra insurance coverage for unforeseen legal costs is also well worth having, as is an appropriate breakdown policy from a motoring organization. In Britain, for example, the AA charges members and non-members about £170 for a month’s Europe-wide breakdown cover, with all the appropriate documentation, including green card, provided.
Rules of the road
Norway has strict rules of the road: you drive on the right, with dipped headlights required at all times; seat belts are compulsory for drivers and front-seat passengers, and for back-seat passengers too, if fitted; and winter tyres are compulsory in winter. There’s a speed limit of 30kph in residential areas, 50kph in built-up areas, 80kph on open roads and 80kph, 90kph or sometimes 100kph on motorways. Speed cameras monitor hundreds of kilometres of road – watch out for the Automatisk Trafikkontroll warning signs – and they are far from popular with the locals: there are all sorts of folkloric (and largely apocryphal) tales of men in masks appearing at night with chain saws to chop them down. Speeding fines are so heavy that local drivers stick religiously within the speed limit. If you’re filmed breaking the limit in a rental car, expect your credit card to be stung by the car rental company to the tune of at least 600kr and a maximum of 7800kr (yes, that’s right). If you’re stopped for speeding, large spot fines are payable within the same price range and, if you are way over the limit (say 60kph in a 30kph zone) you could well end up in jail; rarely is any leniency shown to unwitting foreigners. Drunken driving is also severely frowned upon. You can be asked to take a breath test on a routine traffic-check; if you’re over the limit, you will have your licence confiscated and may face a stretch in prison. It is also an offence to drive while using a hand-held mobile/cell phone. On-street parking restrictions are rigorously enforced and clearly signed with a white “P” on a blue background; below the “P” are the hours where parking restrictions apply – Monday to Friday first and Saturday in brackets afterwards; below this are any particular limits – most commonly denoting the maximum (maks) number of hours (timer) – and then there’s mot avgift, which means there’s a fee to pay at the meter.
Breakdown
If you break down in a rental car, you’ll get
roadside assistance from the particular repair company the car rental firm
has contracted. This is a free service, though some car rental companies
charge you if you need help changing a tyre in the expectation that you
should be able to do it yourself. The same principles work with your own
vehicle’s breakdown policy. Two major vehicle breakdown
companies in Norway are Norges Automobil-Forbund (NAF; 24hr;
08 505) and Viking Redningstjeneste (24hr;
06000). There are emergency telephones along some
motorways, and breakdown trucks patrol all major mountain passes between
mid-June and mid-August.
Car rental
All the major international car rental companies have outlets in Norway, especially at the country’s airports. To rent a car, you’ll need to be 21 or over (and have been driving for at least a year), and you’ll need a credit card. Rental charges are fairly high, beginning at around 3500kr per week for unlimited mileage in the smallest vehicle, but include collision damage waiver and vehicle (but not personal) insurance. To cut costs, watch for special local deals – a Friday to Monday weekend rental might, for example, cost you as little as 800kr. If you rent from a local company rather than one of the big names, you should proceed with care. In particular, check the policy for the excess applied to claims and ensure that it includes collision damage waiver (applicable if an accident is your fault). There are lots of these local car rental companies in Norway, listed in the Yellow Pages under Bilutleie. Bear in mind, too, that one-way car-rental drop-off charges are almost always wallet-searing: if you pick up a car in Oslo and drop it in Bodø, it will cost you 6000kr – nearer 8000kr in Tromsø.
By bike
Despite the difficulty of much of the terrain, cycling is popular in Norway in the summertime. Cycle lanes and tracks as such are few and far between, and are mainly confined to the larger towns, but there’s precious little traffic on most of the minor roads and cycling along them is a pleasure. Furthermore, whenever a road is improved or rerouted, the old highway is often redesigned as a cycle/walking route. At almost every place you’re likely to stay in, you can anticipate that someone will rent bikes – whether the tourist office, a sports shop, hostel, hotel or campsite. Costs are pretty uniform: reckon on paying between 120kr and 200kr a day for a seven-speed bike, plus a refundable deposit of up to 1000kr; mountain bikes are about thirty percent more.
A few tourist offices have maps of recommended cycling routes but this is a rarity. It is, nonetheless, important to check your itinerary thoroughly, especially in the more mountainous areas. Cyclists aren’t allowed through the longer tunnels for their own protection (the fumes can be life-threatening), so discuss your plans with whoever you hire the bike from. With regard to bike carriage, bikes mostly go free on car ferries and attract a nominal charge on passenger express boats, but buses vary: sometimes they take them free, sometimes they charge and sometimes they do not take them at all. Nor-Way Bussekspress accepts bikes only when there is space and charges a child fare, while taking a bike on an NSB train costs half the price of your ticket up to a maximum of 175kr. Advance reservations are advised.
If you’re planning a cycling holiday, your first
port of call should be the Norwegian Tourist Board’s website ( visitnorway.com), where you can
get general cycling advice, information on roads and tunnels inaccessible to
cyclists and a list of companies offering all-inclusive cycling tours. Obviously
enough, tour costs vary enormously, but as a baseline reckon on about 6500kr per
week all-inclusive.
CYCLING CONTACTS
Syklistenes Landsforening Storgata 3, Oslo 22 47 30 30, slf.no.
The Norwegian Cyclists’ Association has an excellent range of cycling
books and maps, some of which are in English.
Syklist Velkommen cyclingnorway.no.
The website of “Cyclists Welcome” lists ideas for a dozen routes around
the country from 100km to 400km, plus useful practical information about
road conditions, repair facilities and places of interest en
route.
ACCOMMODATION
Inevitably, accommodation is one of the major expenses you will incur on a trip to Norway – indeed, if you’re after a degree of comfort, it’s going to be the costliest item by far. There are, however, budget alternatives, principally guesthouses (pensjonater), rooms in private houses (broadly this is bed and breakfast, often arranged via the local tourist office), campsites and cabins, and last but certainly not least, an abundance of HI-registered hostels. Also bear in mind that many hotels offer myriad special deals as well as substantial weekend discounts of 25–40 percent.
Almost everywhere, you can reserve ahead easily enough as English is nearly always spoken. Most tourist offices also operate an on-the-spot service for same-night accommodation for free or at minimal charge.
ACCOMMODATION PRICES
Throughout this Guide we give a headline price for every accommodation reviewed. This indicates the lowest price for a double/twin room during high season (usually June to mid-August), barring regularly offered weekend discounts and special deals, which are signified sp/r. Single rooms, where available, usually cost between 60 and 80 percent of a double or twin. At hostels, we have given two prices – the price of a double room and of a dormitory bed – and at campsites, the cost of two people and a tent pitch.
Hotels
Almost universally, Norwegian hotels are of a high
standard: neat, clean and efficient. Special bargains and impromptu weekend
deals also make many of them, by European standards at least, comparatively
economical. Another plus is that the price of a hotel room always includes a
buffet breakfast – in mid- to top-range hotels
especially, these can be sumptuous banquets. The only negatives are the size of
the rooms in the larger cities, especially Oslo, where they tend to be small,
and their sameness: Norway abounds in mundanely modern, concrete-and-glass,
sky-rise chain hotels. though thankfully most of the country’s more distinctive
hotels are gathered together under the De Historiske Hoteller banner. For a comprehensive list of hotels – along with
special bargains and a booking online facility – consult the tourist board’s
principal website, visitnorway.com.
Predictably, prices are very sensitive to demand – a double room that costs 1000kr when a hotel is slack, soon hits the 2000kr mark if there’s a rush on. Generally speaking, however, 1500kr should cover the cost of two people in a double room at most hotels most of the time, nearer to 1200kr at the weekend, slightly more in Oslo. The stated price will include breakfast unless stated otherwise.
Hotel and guesthouse passes
One way to cut costs is to join one of Norway’s hotel
discount and pass schemes, though this may well put paid to any
idea you might have of a flexible itinerary as advance booking can be a
prerequisite. Most Norwegian hotels are members of one discount/pass scheme
or another – there are half a dozen to choose from – and you can usually
join the scheme at any one of them or in advance on the internet. The
majority of schemes are tied to a particular hotel chain, which obviously
affects the variety of your accommodation. Among the hotel chains, Rica ( rica-hotels.com) has a particularly varied portfolio of around
seventy hotels, making their loyalty programme more appealing than most,
though it’s hardly bountiful: after joining the scheme, you earn 500 bonus
points for every night you stay at a Rica – and with 5000 points you get one
night free; you also get the best rate available on weekday nights at any of
their hotels. With only ten properties in Norway, Scandic
Hotels ( scandichotels.com) cannot offer the range of accommodation
provided by some of their rivals, but their hotels are often especially good
and they do have a “Frequent Guest Programme” in which points received for
staying with them are exchanged for discounts and/or free nights.
Much more enticing, however, is the Fjord Pass
( 815 68 222, fjord-pass.com), which offers discounts of around 20 percent at
150 hotels, guesthouses, cottages and apartments all over Norway with a
particular concentration in the western fjords. The Fjord Pass card costs
just 140kr and is valid for two adults and children under the age of fifteen
for the whole year in which it is purchased. Under the scheme, you can
either book online with the place you want to stay at or leave it to the
booking service of the company who run the scheme, the exemplary Fjord Tours. The discount card itself can be bought direct
from Fjord Tours or at the sales outlets detailed on the website.
HISTORIC HOTELS
Most of Norway’s hotels may be modern, but a
goodly number of old ones have survived, many of them distinguished by their
charming, late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century wooden architecture,
all high, pointed gables and fancy scrollwork. Forty-two of these vintage
hotels have banded together as De Historiske
Hoteller ( 55 31 67 60, dehistoriske.com), a
membership organization which publishes all sorts of promotional material
and coordinates special deals and offers. Great stuff.
Pensions, guesthouses and inns
For something a little less anonymous than the average hotel, pensions (pensjonater) are your best bet – small, sometimes intimate guesthouses, which can usually be found in the larger cities and more touristy towns. Rooms go for 650–750kr single, 700–800kr double, and breakfast is generally extra. Broadly comparable in price and character is a gjestgiveri or gjestehus, a guesthouse or inn, though some of these offer superb lodgings in historic premises with prices to match. Facilities in all of these establishments are usually adequate and homely without being overwhelmingly comfortable; at the least expensive places you’ll share a bathroom with others. Some pensions and guesthouses also have kitchens available for the use of guests, which means you’re very likely to meet other residents – a real boon (perhaps) if you’re travelling alone.
Hostels
For many budget travellers, as well as hikers, climbers and skiers, the
country’s HI hostels, run by Norwegian hostelling
association, Norske Vandrerhjem ( 23 12 45
10, hihostels.no), are
the accommodation mainstay. There are around seventy in total, with handy
concentrations in the western fjords, the central hiking and skiing regions and
in Oslo. Oslo-based Norske Vandrerhjem maintains an excellent website, which
details hostel locations, opening dates, prices, facilities and telephone
numbers; hostel bookings can be made online too. The hostels themselves are
almost invariably excellent – the only quibble, at the risk of being churlish,
is that those occupying schools (during the summer holidays) tend to be rather
drab and institutional.
Prices for a single dorm bed per night range from 250kr to 400kr, which almost always includes breakfast, often a lavish buffet at the more expensive hostels. Almost all hostels have at least a few regular double and family rooms, too: at 500–900kr a double including breakfast, these are among the least expensive rooms you’ll find in Norway. There’s usually a choice of en-suite or shared facilities for both rooms and dorms with the en suite costing 70kr–100kr more per person. Bed-sheet rental will rush you a further 50kr, towels 20kr.
If you’re not a member of Hostelling International (HI) you can still use the hostels, though there’s a surcharge of around 15 percent – so, considering the low cost of annual membership, it’s better to join up either before you go to Norway or at the first hostel you stay at. It cannot be stressed too strongly that reserving a hostel bed will save you lots of unnecessary legwork. Many hostels are only open from mid-June to mid-August and many close between 11am and 4pm. There’s sometimes an 11pm or midnight curfew, though this isn’t a huge drawback in a country where carousing is so expensive.
Many hostels serve a hot evening meal at around 110–140kr. Hostel meals are nearly always excellent value, though of variable quality, ranging from the bland and filling to the delicious. Most, though not all, hostels have small kitchens, but often no pots, pans, cutlery or crockery, so self-caterers should take their own. Inexpensive packed lunches are often available as well, which can be particularly useful if you are heading off into the great outdoors.
Rooms in private houses
Tourist offices in the larger towns and the more touristy settlements can often fix you up with a private room in someone’s house, possibly including kitchen facilities. Prices are competitive – from 350 to 400kr per single, 400 to 600kr per double – though there’s usually a small reservation fee on top, and the rooms themselves are frequently some way out of the centre. Nonetheless, they’re often the best bargain available and, in certain instances, an improvement on the local hostel. Where this is the case, we’ve said so in the Guide. If you don’t have a sleeping bag, check the room comes with bedding – not all of them do; and if you’re cooking for yourself, a few basic utensils may not go amiss.
Camping
Camping is a popular pastime in Norway, and there are
literally hundreds of sites to choose from – anything from a field with a few
tent pitches to extensive complexes with all mod cons. The Norwegian tourist
authorities detail several hundred campsites online at camping.no, classifying them on a one-
to five-star grading depending on the facilities offered (and not on the
aesthetics and/or the location). Most sites are situated with the motorist
(rather than the cyclist or walker) in mind, and a good few occupy key locations
beside the main roads, though in summer these prime sites can be inundated by
seasonal workers. The vast majority of campsites have at least a few cabins or
chalets, called hytter.
Most campsites are two- and three-star establishments, where charges are
usually per tent, plus a small fee per person and then for vehicles; on average
expect to pay around 200–350kr for two people using a tent and with a car,
though four- and five-star sites average around twenty percent more. During peak
season it can be a good idea to reserve ahead if you
have a car and a large tent or trailer; contact details are listed online and,
in some cases, in this guide. The Camping Key Europe
Card ( www.campingkeyeurope.com) brings faster registration at many
Norwegian campsites and often entitles the bearer to special/discounted camping
rates. It is valid for one year, costs 120kr and can be purchased from
participating campsites or online.
ROUGH CAMPING
Camping rough in Norway is a tradition enshrined in law. You can camp anywhere in open areas as long as you are at least 150m away from any houses or cabins, though certain restrictions apply in a limited number of circumstances – for example in sea-bird sanctuaries. As a common courtesy, you are also expected to ask the landowner/farmer for permission to use their land if feasible – and it is rarely refused. Fires are not permitted in woodland areas or in fields between April 15 and September 15, and camper vans are not allowed (ever) to overnight in lay-bys. A good sleeping bag is essential, since even in summer it can get very cold, and, in the north at least, mosquito repellent is absolutely vital.
Cabins
The Norwegian countryside is dotted with thousands of timber cabins/chalets (called hytter), ranging from simple wooden huts through to comfortable lodges. They are usually two- or four-bedded affairs, with full kitchen facilities and often a bathroom, even TV, but not necessarily bed linen. Some hostels have them on their grounds, there are nearly always at least a handful at every campsite, and in the Lofoten islands they are the most popular form of accommodation, occupying refurbished fishermen’s huts called rorbuer (or their modern replicas). Costs vary enormously, depending on location, size and amenities, and there are significant seasonal variations, too. However, a four-bed hytter will rarely cost more than 850kr per night – a more usual average would be about 650kr. If you’re travelling in a group, they are easily the cheapest way to see the countryside – and in some comfort. Hundreds of hytter are also rented out as holiday cottages by the week.
TOP 5 ADVENTURE PLACES TO STAY
Mountain huts
One great option for hikers is the mountain hut
(again called hytter). These are strategically
positioned on every major hiking route and although some are privately run, the
majority are operated by Den Norske
Turistforening (DNT; turistforeningen.no) and its affiliated regional organizations. There are three
types of mountain hut/lodge – staffed, self-service and unstaffed. Staffed mountain lodges, found mostly in the southern part
of the country, provide meals and lodging and are often quite large,
accommodating a hundred guests or more. They are characteristically clean,
friendly and well run, usually by DNT staff. Self-service huts, with twenty to forty beds, are also
concentrated in the mountains of southern Norway and offer lodging with bedding,
a shop selling groceries and a well-equipped kitchen. Unstaffed huts, often with fewer than twenty beds, are mostly in
the north. They provide bedding, stoves for heating and cooking and all kitchen
equipment, but you must bring and prepare your own food. Reservations are accepted at staffed lodges for stays of more than
two nights, though the lodges are primarily for guests in transit. Otherwise,
beds are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. During high season,
lodges occasionally get full. If beds are not available, you are given a
mattress and blankets for sleeping in a common area. DNT members over 50 years
of age are always guaranteed a bed. No one is ever turned away.
You don’t have to be a DNT member to use these huts, but annual membership only costs 550kr (less with concessions) and you’ll soon recoup your outlay through reduced hut charges. For members staying in staffed huts, a bunk in a dormitory costs 135kr (non-members 195kr), a family or double room 240kr per person (315kr); meals start at 100kr (130kr) for breakfast, 260kr (290kr) for a three-course dinner. At unstaffed huts, where you leave the money for your stay in a box provided, an overnight stay costs 195kr (300kr).
Lighthouses
The Norsk Fyrhistorisk Forening (Norwegian
Lighthouse Association; lighthouses.no) is an umbrella organization that has taken the lead
in preserving and conserving the country’s lighthouses. Norway’s coastal waters are notoriously treacherous and
in the second half of the nineteenth century scores of lighthouses were built
from one end of the country to the other. Initially, they were manned, but
became mechanized from the 1950s onwards and the old lighthousemen’s quarters
risked falling into decay. The Norsk Fyrhistorisk Forening is keen for new uses
to be found for these quarters and already around sixty are open to the public
for overnight stays or day-trips – and more will follow. Some of these sixty
lighthouses can be reached by road, but others can only be reached by boat and,
with one or two lavish exceptions, the accommodation
on offer – where it is on offer – is fairly frugal and inexpensive, with doubles
averaging around 600kr. The reward is the scenery – almost by definition these
lighthouses occupy some of the wildest locations imaginable.
Farm holidays
In Norway, rural tourism is coordinated by Norsk
Bygdeturisme og Gardsmat ( norsk-bygdeturisme.no),
whose assorted members, spread from one end of the country to the other, offer
accommodation, local food, hunting and fishing. NBG’s compendious website
details everything that’s on offer and costs do vary enormously, but for a
night’s bed and breakfast on a farm you can expect to pay around 450kr per
person.
FOOD AND DRINK
At its best, Norwegian food can be excellent: fish is plentiful and carnivores can have a field day trying meats like reindeer and elk or even, conscience permitting, seal and whale. Admittedly it’s not inexpensive, and those on a tight budget may have problems varying their diet, but by exercising a little prudence in the face of the average menu (which is almost always in Norwegian and English), you can keep costs down to reasonable levels.
Vegetarians, however, will have slim pickings (except in Oslo), and drinkers will have to dig very deep into their pockets to maintain much of an intake. Indeed, most drinkers end up visiting the supermarkets and state off-licences (Vinmonopolet) so that they can sup away at home (in true Norwegian style) before setting out for the evening.
NORWEGIAN SPECIALITIES
brun saus gravy served with most meats, rissoles, fishcakes and sausages.
fenalår marinated mutton that is smoked, sliced, salted, dried and served with crispbread, scrambled egg and beer.
fiskeboller fish balls, served under a white sauce or on open sandwiches.
fiskekabaret shrimps, fish and vegetables in aspic.
fiskesuppe fish soup.
flatbrød a flat unleavened cracker, half barley, half wheat.
gammelost a hard, strong smelling, yellow-brown cheese with veins.
geitost/gjetost goat’s cheese, slightly sweet and fudge-coloured. Similar cheeses have different ratios of goat’s milk to cow’s milk.
gravetlaks salmon marinated in salt, sugar, dill and brandy.
juleskinke marinated boiled ham, served at Christmas.
kjøttkaker med home-made burgers with surkål cabbage and a sweet and sour sauce.
koldtbord – a midday buffet with cold meats, herrings, salads, bread and perhaps soup, eggs or hot meats.
lapskaus pork, venison (or other meats) and vegetable stew, common in the south and east, using salted or fresh meat, or leftovers, in a thick brown gravy.
lutefisk fish (usually cod) preserved in an alkali solution and seasoned; an acquired taste. For more information, see Stokfisk, klippfisk and lutefisk.
multer cloudberries – wild berries mostly found north of the Arctic Circle and served with cream (med krem).
mysost brown whey cheese, made from cow’s milk.
nedlagtsild marinated herring.
pinnekjøtt western Norwegian Christmas dish of smoked mutton steamed over shredded birch bark, served with cabbage; or accompanied by boiled potatoes and mashed swedes (kålrabistappe).
reinsdyrstek reindeer steak, usually served with boiled potatoes and cranberry sauce.
rekesalat shrimp salad in mayonnaise.
ribbe, julepølse eastern Norwegian Christmas dish of pork ribs, sausage and dumplings.
spekemat various types of smoked, dried meat.
BREAD, CAKE AND DESSERTS
bløtkake cream cake with fruit
fløtelapper pancakes made with cream, served with sugar and jam
havrekjeks oatmeal biscuits, eaten with goat’s cheese
knekkebrød crispbread
kransekake cake made from almonds, sugar and eggs, served at celebrations
lomper potato scones-cum-tortillas
riskrem rice pudding with whipped cream and sugar, usually served with frukt saus, a slighly thickened fruit sauce
tilslørtbondepiker stewed apples and breadcrumbs, served with cream
Trondhjemsuppea kind of milk broth with raisins, rice, cinnamon and sugar.
trollkrem beaten egg whites (or whipped cream) and sugar mixed with cloudberries (or cranberries)
vafle waffles
Food
There are scores of great places to eat in Norway, but because of the cost many travellers exist almost entirely on a mixture of picnic food and self-catering, with the odd café meal thrown in to boost morale. Frankly, this isn’t really necessary (except on the tightest of budgets), as there are a number of ways to eat out inexpensively. To begin with, a good self-service buffet breakfast, served in almost every hostel and hotel, goes some way to solving the problem, while special lunch deals will get you a tasty hot meal for 150kr or so. Finally, alongside the regular restaurants – which are expensive – there’s the usual array of budget pizzerias, cafeterias, hot-food stands and café-bars in most towns.
Breakfast, picnics and snacks
More often than not, breakfast (frokost) in Norway is a substantial self-service affair of bread, crackers, cheese, eggs, preserves, cold meat and fresh and pickled fish, washed down with tea or ground coffee. It’s usually first-rate at HI hostels, and often memorable in hotels, filling you up for the day and almost universally included in the price of the room – where it isn’t, we have indicated in the Guide.
For picnic food, bread, cheese, yoghurt and local fruit are all relatively good value, but other staple foodstuffs – rice, pasta, meat, cereals and vegetables – can be way above the European average. Anything tinned is particularly dear (with the exception of fish), but coffee and tea are quite reasonably priced. Supermarkets are ten-a-penny.
As ever, fast food offers the best chance of a hot, bargain-basement takeaway snack. The indigenous Norwegian stuff, served up from a thousand and one street kiosks and stalls – gatekjøkken – consists mainly of rubbery hot dogs (varm pølse), while pizza slices and chicken pieces and chips are much in evidence too. A better choice, if a shade more expensive, is simply to get a sandwich, a smørbrød (pronounced “smurrbrur”), normally a slice of bread heaped with a variety of garnishes. You’ll see them groaning with meat or shrimps, salad and mayonnaise in the windows of bakeries and cafés, or in the newer, trendier sandwich bars in the cities.
A standard cup of coffee is bitter and strong and served black with cream on the side, but lots of places – especially city coffee shops – have moved up a notch, serving mochas, cappuccinos and so forth. Tea is just as popular, but the local preference is for lemon tea or a variety of flavoured infusions; if you want milk, ask for it. All the familiar soft drinks are available, too.
STOKFISK, KLIPPFISK AND LUTEFISK
The Vikings were able to sail long distances without starving to death because they had learnt how to dry white fish (mostly cod) in the open air. This dried fish, stokfisk, remained edible for years and was eaten either raw or after soaking in water – chewy and smelly no doubt, but very nutritious. In time, stokfisk became the staple diet of western Norway and remained so until the early twentieth century, with every fishing port festooned with massive wooden A-frames holding hundreds of drying white fish, headless and paired for size. Only in the 1690s did the Dutch introduce the idea of salting and drying white fish, again usually cod, to the Norwegians. The fish was decapitated, cleaned and split, then heavily salted and left for several weeks before being dried by being left outside on rocky drying grounds, klipper in Norwegian, hence klippfisk – or bacalao in Spanish. The Norwegians never really took to eating klippfisk, but their merchants made fortunes exporting it to Spain, Portugal, Africa and the Caribbean. The Norwegians did, however, take to eating lutefisk, in which either stokfisk or klippfisk is soaked in cold water and, at certain stages, lye, to create a jelly-like substance that many Norwegians regard as a real delicacy, though it is very much an acquired taste. The American storyteller and humourist Garrison Keillor would have none of it, suggesting in Pontoon: A Lake Wobegon Novel that “Most lutefisk is not edible by normal people.” Most will find it hard to disagree.
Lunch
For the best deals, you’re often going to have to eat your main meal of the day at lunchtime, when kafeterias (often self-service restaurants) lay on daily specials, the dagens rett. This is a fish or meat dish served with potatoes and a vegetable or salad, often including a drink, sometimes bread, and occasionally coffee, too; it should go for 150–200kr. You’ll find kafeterias hidden above shops and offices and adjoining hotels in larger towns, where they might be called kaffistovas. Most close at around 6pm, and many don’t open at all on Sunday. As a general rule, the food these places serve is plain (though there are exceptions), but the same cannot be said of the much more up-to-date café-bars which abound in all of Norway’s larger towns and cities. These affordable establishments offer much tastier (and sometimes more adventurous) meals like pasta dishes, salads and vegetarian options with main courses in the region of 160–220kr. They are also open longer – usually till late at night. Restaurants are worth investigating at lunchtimes too, as it’s then that many of them cut their prices to pull in extra trade.
Dinner
They may now share the gastronomic laurels with the nation’s café-bars, but there are first-class restaurants in every Norwegian city and most towns, though the villages can lose out if the local hotel(s) doesn’t cut the mustard. Apart from exotica such as reindeer and elk, the one real speciality is the seafood, simply prepared and wonderfully fresh – whatever you do, don’t go home without treating yourself at least once. Main courses begin at around 220kr, starters and desserts at around 110kr. Smoked salmon comes highly recommended, as does catfish, halibut and monkfish. The best deals are often at lunchtime, though some restaurants don’t open till the evening. In the western fjords, look out also for the help-yourself, all-you-can-eat buffets available in many of the larger hotels from around 6pm; go early to get the best choice and expect to pay around 500kr to be confronted by mounds of pickled herring, salmon (laks), cold cuts of meat, a feast of breads and crackers, and usually a few hot dishes too – meatballs, soup and scrambled eggs.
In the towns, and especially in Oslo, there is also a sprinkling of non-Scandinavian restaurants, mostly Italian with a good helping of Chinese and Indian places. Other cuisines pop up too – Japanese, Moroccan and Persian to name but three.
TOP 5 NORWEGIAN RESTAURANTS
Vegetarians
Vegetarians are in for a hard time. Apart from a handful of specialist restaurants in the big cities, there’s little option other than to make do with salads, look out for egg dishes in kafeterias and supplement your diet from supermarkets. If you are a vegan the problem is greater: when the Norwegians are not eating meat and fish, they are attacking a fantastic selection of milks, cheeses and yoghurts. At least you’ll know what’s in every dish you eat, since everyone speaks English. If you’re self-catering, look for health food shops (helsekost), found in some of the larger towns and cities.
Drink
One of the less savoury sights in Norway – and especially common in the north – is the fall-over drunk: you can spot one at any time of the day or night zigzagging along the street, a strangely disconcerting counter to the usual stereotype of the Norwegian as a healthy, hearty figure in a wholesome woolly jumper. For reasons that remain obscure – or at least culturally complex – many Norwegians can’t just have a drink or two, but have to get absolutely wasted. The majority of their compatriots deplore such behaviour and have consequently imposed what amounts to alcoholic rationing: thus, although booze is readily available in the bars and restaurants, it’s taxed up to the eyeballs and the distribution of wines, strong ales and spirits is strictly controlled and is in the hands of a state-run monopoly, Vinmonopolet. Whether this paternalistic type of control makes matters better or worse is a moot point, but the majority of Norwegians support it.
You can get a drink at most outdoor cafés, in restaurants and obviously at bars, pubs and cocktail bars, but only in the towns and cities is there any kind of “European” bar life. Wherever you go for a drink, half a litre of beer should cost around 60kr, and a glass of wine from 50kr.
What to drink
If you decide to splash out on a few drinks, you’ll find Norwegian beer is almost universally lager-like and uninspiring; Carlsberg owns the country’s largest brewer, Ringnes. That said, recent modifications to the alcohol laws have tried to stir the microbrewery pot and although this has made little headway so far, things may pick up. One notable star-turn is the Ægir microbrewery at the Flåmsbrygga in Flåm. There has also been a minor boom in farmhouse cider-making across the western fjords: Ulvik, for example, has several producers. As regards wine, there’s no domestic production to speak of and most spirits are imported too, with the principal exception being aquavit (akevitt), a bitter concoction served ice-cold in little glasses and, at forty percent proof or more, real head-banging material; it’s more palatable with beer chasers. Linie aquavit, made in Norway from potatoes, is one of the more popular brands.
Where to buy alcohol
Weaker beers (below 4.75% ABV) are sold in
supermarkets and shops all over Norway, though generally (for all but the
weakest) not after 8pm on weekdays and 6pm on Saturday, and some local
communities, particularly in the west, have their own rules and
restrictions. Stronger beers, along with wines and
spirits, can only be purchased from state-run Vinmonopolet stores ( vinmonopolet.no). There’s
generally one branch in each medium-sized town and many more in each of
Norway’s cities. Characteristically, these stores are open Monday to Friday
10am–4/6pm and Saturday 10am–1/3pm, but they all close on public holidays.
At Vinmonopolet stores, wine is quite a bargain, from 80kr a bottle, and
there’s generally a wide choice.
THE MEDIA
You can buy British and some American daily newspapers, plus the occasional periodical, in any major Norwegian city, but elsewhere things are very patchy. The most likely outlets are the Narvesen kiosks at train stations and airports. Most hotels have cable or satellite TV access.
Newspapers and magazines
British newspapers – from tabloid through to broadsheet – as well as the more popular English-language magazines are widely available either on the day of publication or the day after in all major Norwegian cities, along with internationally distributed US newspapers – principally the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the International Herald Tribune.
As for the Norwegian press, state advertising, loans
and subsidized production costs sustain a wealth of smaller papers that would
bite the dust elsewhere. Most are closely linked with political parties,
although the bigger city-based titles tend to be independent. The most popular
newspapers in Oslo are the independent Verdens Gang
( vg.no) and the
independent-conservative Aftenposten ( aftenposten.no); in Bergen it’s the
liberal Bergens Tidende ( bt.no). One reliable and independent source
of Norwegian news in English is online at norwaynews.com.
TV and radio
Norway’s television network has expanded over the last few years in line with the rest of Europe. Alongside the national channels, NRK1, NRK2, NRK3 and TV2, there are satellite channels like TV Norge and TV3; you can also pick up Swedish TV in many parts of the country. Many of the programmes are English-language imports with Norwegian subtitles, so there’s invariably something on that you’ll understand, though much of it is pretty average stuff. The big global cable and satellite channels are routinely accessible in hotel rooms too.
Local tourist radio, giving details of events and
festivals, is broadcast during the summer months; watch for signposts by the
roadside and tune in. Shortwave frequencies and schedules for the BBC World
Service ( bbc.co.uk/worldservice), Radio Canada ( rcinet.ca) and Voice of America ( voanews.com) are listed on their
respective websites.
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
Almost every town in Norway has some sort of summer shindig. There are winter celebrations too, though for the most part at least, these are worth attending if you are already in the area rather than meriting a special trip. Festivals fall broadly into two types, one focusing on celebrations of historical or folkloric events, the other based around music, whether jazz, pop or classical.
As you might expect, most tourist-oriented events take place in summer and, as always, national and local tourist offices can supply details of exact dates, which tend to vary from year to year. Here we have listed the more important festivals, some of which are also mentioned in the Guide.
JANUARY
Nordlysfestivalen (Northern Lights Festival), Tromsø. Late Jan. nordlysfestivalen.no.
This week-long festival of classical and contemporary music coincides with
the return of the sun, hence its name.
MARCH/APRIL
Birkebeinerrennet Lillehammer. Late March. birkebeiner.no.
Famous 58km cross-country ski race from Rena to Lillehammer, which
celebrates the dramatic events of 1206, when the young prince Håkon
Håkonsson was rushed over the mountains to safety. The race follows what is
thought to have been the original route.
Easter Festivals Finnmarksvidda. Easter. festival.karport.no.
Finnmark’s largest festival, held in the town of Karasjok, is something of a
Sámi New Year. Sámis prepare by fashioning new gáktis (Sámi dress), polishing their silver and cooking large
meals, while during the festival there are snowmobile, reindeer and
cross-country-skiing races, lassoing contests and art exhibitions and
concerts.
MAY
Nasjonaldagen/Grunnlovsdagen (National Day/Constitution Day). Nationwide. May 17. Many processions and much flag-waving with cheering crowds celebrating the signing of the Norwegian constitution on May 17, 1814.
Festspillene i Bergen (Bergen International Festival), Bergen. Late May until early June. fib.no.
Much-praised festival of contemporary music that puts a real spring in
Bergen’s summer step. Venues across the city. For more
information, see The Bergen
International Festival.
JUNE
Norwegian Wood Oslo. Mid-June. norwegianwood.no.
Three-day, open-air rock festival, arguably Norway’s best, that takes place
in Frogner Park; showcases big-name international artists as well as
up-and-coming local bands.
Ekstremsportveko (Extreme Sport Week). Voss. Late June. ekstremsportveko.com.
Every reckless sport imaginable and then some – from paragliding and base
jumping through to rafting and bungee jumping.
Midnight Sun Marathon Tromsø. Late June. msm.no.
Taking advantage of 24hr daylight, this “night-time” run attracts hundreds
of athletes. You can opt for shorter distances too.
JULY
Kongsberg Jazz Festival Kongsberg. Four days in early July. kongsberg-jazzfestival.no.
Large-scale jazz festival, one of the country’s biggest, where the emphasis
is on Norwegian musicians.
Molde Jazz Molde. Mid-July. moldejazz.no.
Held over a six-day period in the middle of the month, this is one of the
best festivals of its type, attracting big international names.
Olsokdagene (St Olav Festival), Stiklestad. Late July. stiklestad.no.
St Olav, Norway’s first Christian king, was killed at the battle of Stiklestad in 1030. Historical pageants and plays honouring him are staged
on the King’s feast day (July 29) as well as during the six days
before.
Rauma Rock Åndalsnes. Late July to early Aug. raumarock.com.
Two-day knees-up showcasing the talents of a wide range of local and
international acts from the likes of the Bare Egil Band to the Raga Rockers
and the Toy Dolls.
AUGUST
Oslo Jazzfestival Oslo. Mid-Aug. oslojazz.no.
A six-day event attracting a veritable raft of big international
names.
Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund. One week in late August. filmweb.no.
Norway’s most prestigious film festival, with a wide selection of the latest
releases from across Scandinavia.
SEPTEMBER
Ultima Oslo. Ten days in early to mid-Sept. ultima.no.
Much-vaunted festival showcasing the talents of contemporary classical
musicians from Scandinavia and beyond. Various venues.
OCTOBER
UKA Trondheim. Three and a half weeks in Oct. uka.no.
Prestigious cultural festival, one of Norway’s largest, featuring a battery
of international and domestic artists in everything from classical music to
rock, theatre to wrestling, juggling and crime writing.
Bergen Internasjonale Filmfestival (BIFF) Bergen. Mid- to late Oct. biff.no.
Week-long international film festival, one of the best of its type in the
country. Various venues across the city centre.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Most Norwegians have a deep and abiding love of the great outdoors. They enjoy many kinds of sports – from dog-sledging and downhill skiing in winter, through to mountaineering, angling and whitewater rafting in the summer – but the two most popular activities are hiking and cross-country skiing.
Hiking
Norway boasts some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world, its soaring peaks accentuated by icy glaciers, rocky spires and deep green fjords. Great chunks of this wild terrain have been incorporated into a string of national parks, 41 in total with 34 on the mainland and seven in Svalbard. These parks, especially the more accessible, are magnets for hikers in search of everything from easy rambles to full-scale expeditions along clearly marked trails, served by an excellent network of mountain cabins, which provide the most congenial of accommodation (see Mountain huts).
The short hiking season, loosely defined by the opening and closing of the mountain lodges, runs from early July (mid-June in some areas) through to late September. This coincides with mild weather – daytime mountain temperatures of between 20°C and 25°C – ideal for hiking. And, of course, it’s daylight for most of the time – beyond the Arctic Circle, all the time – so you’re unlikely to be searching for a mountain lodge after dark.
DNT
Den Norske Turistforening (The Norwegian Trekking
Association; turistforeningen.no) manages all aspects of hiking in Norway. It
organizes all-inclusive tours and, in conjunction with a small army of local
hiking associations, takes care of trails and waymarking. It also operates
several hundred mountain lodges. DNT has outlets in all of Norway’s largest
cities, including Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim, which stock hiking
maps and give advice on equipment. They also sell DNT membership, which confers, among much else, substantial
discounts at its mountain huts (see Rooms in private
houses), though you can also join at any staffed DNT
lodge. Neither is annual membership expensive at 550kr, 295kr for
19–26-year-olds, 175kr for 13–18 years, 67-plus 425kr, under 12
110kr.
Hiking trails and maps
Norway’s hiking trails are typically marked at
regular intervals by cairns (piles of stones). Most junctions are marked by
signposts, some of which are small and hard to spot. There are also red “T”
symbols painted on rocks – especially useful when visibility is poor.
Although waymarking is good, you’ll always need a hiking
map. The classic map range, with red and white covers and
covering every part of the country, is the Statens Kartverk
M711 Norge 1:50,000 series, though in recent years many of
these maps have been updated and upgraded with red or blue covers and made
waterproof and tear-resistant; many of the new maps in the series are also
co-productions between Statens Kartverk (the Norwegian Mapping Authority)
and a commercial publisher. To complicate matters, Statens Kartverk became
part of the Nordeca group in 2011 and Nordeca has now produced top-quality,
GPS-compatible maps – Turkart – for all the
key hiking areas at three scales – 1:25,000, 1:50,000 and 1:100,000. These
are the best hiking maps on the market, and are on sale at DNT outlets, many
tourist offices and some bookshops; you would, however, be well advised to
buy before you go – Stanfords ( stanfords.co.uk), in London, is as good a source as any.
TOP 5 NATIONAL PARKS
Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella Nasjonalpark Reached via the E6 and the Dombås–Trondheim railway, the eastern reaches of this large park are rugged and severe, but as you hike west the terrain gets even wilder as the serrated alpine peaks of the Romsdal hove into view.
Hardangervidda Nasjonalpark Europe’s largest mountain plateau, stretches east from the Hardangerfjord to Finse in the north and Rjukan in the east, its bare, almost lunar-like rocks and myriad lakes make for some spectacular hiking. The Hardangervidda begins about 130km east of Bergen.
Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark Norway’s most famous hiking area has a heady concentration of towering, ice-tipped peaks, more than two hundred rising above 1900m, including northern Europe’s two highest. The park is near the east end of the Sognefjord, about 300km from Oslo.
Rondanse Nasjonalpark The Rondane comprises both a high alpine zone, with ten peaks exceeding the 2000-metre mark, and a much gentler upland area punctuated by rounded, treeless hills. It is on the E6 between Oslo and Trondheim and is especially popular with families.
Nordre Isfjorden Nasjonalpark, Svalbard One of the archipelago’s largest protected areas, this coastal tundra stretches across the Isfjorden north of Barentsburg. It comprises wetlands, lake and pond complexes, and is great for light day-hikes and wildlife-spotting; wildlife includes eider ducks, pink-footed geese, ringed seals, arctic fox and the Svalbard rock ptarmigan.
For a list of all of Norway’s national parks, consult dirnat.no/nasjonalparker.
Guided glacier hiking
Guided glacier hikes can be terrific – and the widest selection are available in the western fjords on the Jostedalsbreen glacier. Glaciers are in constant if generally imperceptible motion, and are therefore potentially dangerous. People, often tourists, die on them nearly every year. Never hike on a glacier without a guide, never walk beneath one and always heed local instructions.
Skiing
Norway has a strong claim to be regarded as the home of skiing: a 4000-year-old rock carving found in northern Norway is the oldest-known illustration of a person on skis; the first recorded ski competition was held in Norway in 1767; and Norwegians were the first to introduce skis to North America. Furthermore, one of the oldest cross-country ski races in the world, the 55km Birkebeinerrennet, is held annually in late March, attracting several thousand skiers to participate in the dash between Rena and Lillehammer. The race follows the route taken by Norwegian mountain-men in 1206 when they rescued the two-year-old Prince Håkon. The rescuers wore birch-bark leggings known as Birkebeiners, hence the name of the race.
Although you may be tempted to go on a ski package
via a tour operator remember that in most places you should find it easy (and
comparatively inexpensive) to go skiing independently.
Even in Oslo, there are downhill and cross-country ski runs within the city
boundaries as well as convenient places from which to rent equipment. As a
halfway house between independence and the package tour, DNT, the Norwegian
Trekking Association ( turistforeningen.no), arranges a limited range of guided skiing
excursions – see their website for details.
In terms of preparation, lessons on a dry slope are useful in so far as they develop confidence and balance, but cross-country skiing needs stamina and upper body as well as leg strength.
Downhill skiing and snowboarding
Downhill skiing and snowboarding conditions in Norway are usually excellent from mid-November through to late April, though daylight hours are at a premium around the winter solstice. Otherwise, Norway scores well in comparison with the better-known skiing regions of southern Europe: temperatures tend to be a good bit colder and the country has, in general terms at least, a more consistent snowfall; Norway’s resorts tend to be less crowded, have smaller class sizes, shorter lift queues, and are at a lower altitude. Three main centres for downhill skiing are Voss, Lillehammer and Geilo.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a major facet of winter life in Norway. Approximately half the population are active in the sport, and many Norwegians still use skis to get to work or school. Wherever you are in wintertime Norway, you’re never far from a cross-country ski route and at major ski resorts sets of parallel ski tracks called loipe are cut in the snow by machine with the cross-country skier in mind: they provide good gliding conditions and help keep the skis parallel; some loipe are floodlit.
Cross-country skis can be waxed or waxless. Waxless skis have a rough tread in the middle called “fishscales”, which grips adequately at temperatures around zero. Waxed skis work better at low temperatures and on new snow. Grip wax is rubbed onto the middle third of the ski’s length, but a sticky substance called klister is used instead in icy conditions. All skis benefit from hard glide wax applied to the front and back thirds of the base.
All the main skiing centres, including Oslo’s Holmenkollen, have designated cross-country skiing areas with at least some floodlighting.
Telemarking
In the Telemark region of southern Norway a technique has been developed to enable skiers to descend steep slopes on free-heel touring skis. This technique, known as Telemarking, provides a stable and effective turning platform in powder snow. Essentially the skier traverses a slope in an upright position, but goes down on a right knee to execute a right turn and vice versa.
Summer skiing
Summer skiing on Norway’s mountains and glaciers –
both alpine and cross-country – is very popular. Lots of places offer this,
but one of the largest and most convenient spots is the Folgefonn Sommar Skisenter ( folgefonn.no), not far from Bergen, which has ski rental, a ski
school, a café and a ski lift to the slopes.
Fishing
Norway’s myriad rivers and lakes offer some of Europe’s finest freshwater fishing. Common species include trout, char, pike and perch, not to mention the salmon that once brought English aristocrats here by the buggy load. In the south of the country, the fishing is at its best from June to September, in July and August in the north. Seawater fishing is more the preserve of professionals, but (amateur) sea angling off the Lofoten Islands is a popular pastime.
Sea- and freshwater fishing are both tightly controlled. The first does not
require a national licence, but is subject to national
and local restrictions regarding the size of the fish you can land and so forth.
The second, freshwater fishing, needs both a local licence, which costs anything
from 50kr to 400kr per day, and a national licence if you’re after salmon, sea
trout and char – while, that is, these fish are in fresh water. National
licences are available at any post office and online ( inatur.no) for 235kr and local licences
(fiskekort) are sold at sports shops, a few
tourist offices, some hotels and many campsites. If you take your own fishing
tackle, you must have it disinfected before use.
A number of tour companies specialize in Norwegian fishing trips and holidays, but if you’re just after a day or two’s fishing, it’s easy enough to get fixed up locally – start off by asking down at the nearest tourist office.
Whitewater rafting
Norway has literally dozens of top-notch whitewater
rafting runs. Two of the best places are Voss and Sjoa. For a full list of tour operators
offering rafting trips, consult the Norges Padleforbund (the Norwegian Canoe
Association) website, padling.no.
Fjord and sea-kayaking
Fjord and sea-kayaking are increasingly popular in
Norway with a small army of tour operators concentrated in the western fjords.
Local tourist offices have the details of what’s on offer, and there’s more
information on the website of the Norges Padleforbund (the Norwegian Canoe
Association; padling.no), but one
place to aim for is Flåm, which is home to the sea-kayaking specialists, Njord Flåm ( 91 32 66 28, njord.as).
SHOPPING
Norway has a flourishing retail sector and all the large towns and cities are jammed with department stores and international chains. There are a handful of obvious Norwegian goods – cheese, knitted pullovers and dried fish (klippfisk) are three that spring to mind – but it’s the Norwegian flair for design that is the country’s most striking feature, especially as reflected in its fine art and interior design. You will, however, have to dig deep to bring any of it home – Norway is not a land of bargains. If you’re visiting the far north, resist the temptation to bring back reindeer antlers – they really are naff.
Taking advantage of their decision not to join the EU, the Norwegians run a tax-free shopping scheme for tourists. If you spend more than 315kr at any of the three thousand outlets in the tax-free shopping scheme, you’ll get a tax refund cheque voucher for the amount of VAT you paid. On departure at an airport, ferry terminal or frontier crossing, present the goods, the voucher and your passport and – provided you haven’t used the item – you’ll get 12–19 percent refund, depending on the price of the item. There isn’t a reclaim point at every exit from the country, however – pick up a leaflet at any participating shop to find out where they are – and note that many of the smaller reclaim points keep normal shop hours, closing for the weekend at 2/3pm on Saturday. The downside is the shops themselves: the bulk are dedicated to selling souvenir goods you can well manage without.
NORWEGIAN SWEATERS
No single item is more emblematic of Scandinavian tradition, heritage, workmanship and attention to detail as the Norwegian wool sweater. These beautiful items, many of which are handcrafted, have defined the Scandi look at home and abroad for centuries.
Knitting has a strong tradition in Norway, and the stitching techniques used in the wool sweaters of today had already been put into place by the ninth century, when the garments were the simple colours of natural wool. The best-known traditional design – the bespeckled black, grey and white lusekofte sweater – dates from the nineteenth century and hails from the Setesdal region. This sweater, traditionally worn by men, translates as “lice jacket” on account of the black and white diagonal check pattern.
Today, a number of shops in Oslo sell everything from poor-quality, machine-made discount sweaters to hand-knitted gems; the best ones are the hand-made items from the Dale of Norway brand, the best known in the country. Other respected names include Devold, Norway’s oldest knitwear producer, and Nordstrikk, a company based out of Ålesund whose products employ a combination of durable Norwegian and soft, nimble Australian wools.
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Addresses
Norwegian addresses are always written with the number after the street name. In multi-floored buildings, the ground floor is always counted as the first floor, the first the second and so on.
Alphabet
The letters Æ, Ø and Å come at the end of the Norwegian alphabet, after Z (and in that order). Note that for convenience – rather than linguistic accuracy – we have alphabetized Æ as ae, Ø as O and Å as A throughout this guide.
Climate
The Gulf Stream keeps all of coastal Norway temperate throughout the year. Inland, the climate is more extreme – bitterly cold in winter and hot in summer, when temperatures can soar to surprising heights. January and February are normally the coldest months in all regions, July and August the warmest. Rain is a regular occurrence throughout the year, particularly on the west coast, though there are significant local variations in precipitation (see Average daytime temperatures and rainfall).
Costs
Norway has a reputation as one of the most expensive of European holiday destinations, and in some ways (but only some) this is entirely justified. Most of what you’re likely to need – from a cup of coffee to a bottle of beer – is very costly, but on the other hand certain major items are reasonably priced, most notably accommodation which, compared with other North European countries, can be remarkably inexpensive: Norway’s (usually) first-rate youth hostels, almost all of which have family, double and dormitory rooms, are particularly good value. Getting around is reasonably good news too, as the relatively high cost of normal bus, boat and train tickets can be offset by a number of passes and there are myriad discounts and deals. Furthermore, concessions are almost universally available at attractions and on public transport, with infants (under 4) going everywhere free, plus children (up to 15 years) and seniors (over 67, sometimes 60) paying – on average at least – half the standard rate. Food is, however, a different matter. With few exceptions – such as tinned fish – it’s expensive, while the cost of alcohol is enough to make even a heavy drinker contemplate abstinence.
Travelling by bicycle, eating picnics bought from supermarkets and cooking your own food at campsites, it’s possible to keep average costs down to 400kr a day per person. Moving up a notch, if you picnic at lunch, stick to less expensive cafés and restaurants, and stay in cheap hotels or hostels, you could get by on around 850kr a day. Staying in three-star hotels and eating out in medium-range restaurants, you should reckon on about 1500kr a day, the main variable being the cost of your room. On 2400kr a day and upwards, you’ll be limited only by time, though if you’re planning to stay in a five-star hotel and have a big night out, this still won’t be enough. As always, if you’re travelling alone you’ll spend more on accommodation than you would in a group of two or more: most hotels do have single rooms, but they’re usually around sixty to eighty percent of the price of a double.
Crime and personal safety
Norway is one of the least troublesome corners of Europe, so there’s little reason why you should ever come into contact with the Norwegian police. You will find that most public places are well lit and secure, most people genuinely friendly and helpful, and street crime and hassle relatively rare even late at night. It would be foolish, however, to assume that problems don’t exist. Oslo in particular has its share of petty crime, fuelled – as elsewhere – by drug addicts and alcoholics after easy money. But keep tabs on your possessions and use the same common sense you would use at home and you should have little reason to visit the police. If you do, you’ll find them courteous, concerned, and usually able to speak English. If you have something stolen, make sure you get a copy of the police report or its number – essential if you are to make a claim against your insurance.
As for offences you might commit, drinking alcohol in public places is not permitted, and being drunk on the streets can get you arrested. Drinking and driving is treated especially rigorously. Drugs offences, too, are met with the same attitudes that prevail throughout most of Europe.
Customs
Duty-free limits at points of entry into Norway are:
one litre of spirits and 1.5 litres of wine and two litres of beer. Or three
litres of wine and two litres of beer. Or five litres of beer if no other
duty-free alcoholic drink is brought in. For tobacco, it’s 200 cigarettes or
250g tobacco and 200 cigarette papers. For further details, go to toll.no.
Electricity
The current is 220 volts AC, with standard European-style two-pin plugs. British equipment needs only a plug adaptor; American apparatus requires a transformer and an adaptor.
Entry requirements
Citizens of the EU/EEA, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand need only a
valid passport to enter Norway for up to ninety days. All other nationals should
consult the relevant embassy or consulate about visa requirements. For longer
stays, including periods of paid employment in Norway, there are different rules
for different nationals with EU/EEA citizens having greater ease of access than
non-EU/EEA citizens. For further information, contact the relevant embassy in
your country of origin, referring first to udi.no.
NORWEGIAN EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES ABROAD
Australia norway.org.au
Canada emb-norway.ca
Ireland norway.ie
New Zealand norway.org.au
South Africa norway.org.za
US norway.org
Gay and lesbian travellers
In 1981, Norway was one of the first countries in the world to pass a law making discrimination against homosexuals and lesbians illegal. Twelve years later, it followed this up by becoming only the second country to pass legislation giving lesbian and gay couples the same rights as married couples, while retaining a bar on church weddings and the right to adopt children. Further legislation in 2002 and 2003 relaxed the restrictions on gay adoption, and same-sex marriages became legal in 2009. All this progressiveness, however, has more to do with respect for the rights and freedoms of the individual than a positive attitude to homosexuality – Norway remains, in essence at least, very much a (heterosexual) family-oriented society. Nevertheless, the general attitude to gays is so tolerant that few feel the need to disguise their sexuality. The age of consent for both gays and straights is sixteen.
It’s commonplace for bars and pubs to have a mixture of straights and gays in
their clientele. There is something of a separate scene in Bergen, Trondheim and
especially Oslo, but it’s pretty low-key stuff and barely worth seeking out
– and the same applies to the weekly gay and lesbian nights held in some
small-town nightclubs. The best source of information on the Oslo scene is Ungdomsinformasjonen or Use-it, a youth information shop near Oslo S train station
( 24 14 98 20, use-it.no). They produce a
free annual booklet, Streetwise, also available
online, which includes a “gay guide” to the city. The main gay event in the Oslo
calendar, the Skeive Dager (Queer Days; skeivedager.no), takes place over
ten days each June and includes the city’s Gay Pride celebrations.
Landsforeningen for Lesbisk og Homofil frigjøing (LLH;
llh.no), Norway’s strong and effective
gay and lesbian organization,
has its national office in Oslo
Health
Under reciprocal health arrangements, all citizens of the EU and EEA (European Economic Area) are entitled to discounted medical treatment within Norway’s public health-care system. Non-EU/EEA nationals are not entitled to discounted treatment – though some of the countries concerned, for example Australia, do have limited mutual agreements – and should, therefore, take out their own medical insurance to cover them while travelling in Norway. EU/EEA citizens may want to consider private health insurance too, in order to cover the cost of the discounted treatment as well as items not within the EU/EEA’s scheme, such as dental treatment and repatriation on medical grounds. Note also that the more worthwhile policies promise to sort matters out before you pay (rather than after) in the case of major expense; if you do have to pay upfront, get and keep the receipts.
Health care in Norway is of a very high standard and widely available: even
the remotest communities are within relatively easy – or well-organized – reach
of medical attention. Rarely will English speakers
encounter language problems – if the doctor or nurse can’t speak English
themselves (which is unlikely) there will almost certainly be someone at hand
who can. Your local pharmacy, tourist office or hotel should be able to provide
the address of an English-speaking doctor or dentist. For medical emergencies, call 113.
If you’re seeking treatment under EU/EEA reciprocal public health agreements, double-check that the doctor/dentist is working within (and seeing you as) a patient of the relevant public health-care system. This being the case, you’ll receive reduced-cost/government-subsidized treatment just as the locals do; any fees must be paid upfront, or at least at the end of your treatment, and are non-refundable. Sometimes you will be asked to produce documentation to prove you are eligible for EU/EEA health care, sometimes no one bothers, but technically at least you should have your passport and your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to hand. If, on the other hand, you have a travel insurance policy covering medical expenses, you can seek treatment in either the public or private health sectors, the main issue being whether – at least in major cases – you have to pay the costs upfront and then wait for reimbursement or not.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Ambulance 113
Fire 110
Police 112
MOSQUITOES
These pesky blighters thrive in the myriad lakes and lochs of northern Norway, though they can be a handful (or mouthful) in the south too. They are especially bothersome if you are camping. An antihistamine cream such as Phenergan is the best antidote, although this can be difficult to find – in which case preventative sticks like Autan or Citronella are the best bet.
Insurance
Prior to travelling, you’d do well to take out an insurance policy to cover against theft, loss and illness or injury. Before paying for a new policy, however, it’s worth checking whether you already have some degree of cover: for instance, EU/EEA health-care privileges apply in Norway, some all-risks home insurance policies may cover your possessions when overseas, and many private medical schemes include cover when abroad.
After exhausting the possibilities above, you might want to contact a travel insurance company. A typical travel insurance policy usually provides cover for loss of baggage, tickets and – up to a certain limit – cash or cheques, as well as cancellation or curtailment of your journey and medical costs. Most of them exclude so-called dangerous sports – climbing, horseriding, rafting, windsurfing and so forth – unless an extra premium is paid. Many policies can be chopped and changed to exclude coverage you don’t need – for example, sickness and accident benefits can often be excluded or included at will. If you do take medical coverage, ascertain whether benefits will be paid as treatment proceeds or only after your return home, and whether the policy has a 24-hour medical emergency number. When securing baggage cover, make sure that the per-article limit will cover your most valuable possessions. If you need to make a claim, keep receipts for medicines and medical treatment. In the event you have anything stolen, you should obtain a crime report statement or number.
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Internet
Almost all of the country’s hotels, B&Bs and hostels provide internet access for their guests either free or at minimal charge and wi-fi is increasingly commonplace too. Most cafés offer internet access too, as does almost every library, though here services are free but time-limited.
Left luggage
There are coin-operated lockers in most train and bus stations and at all major ferry terminals.
Norway has a very efficient postal system ( posten.no). Most post offices are open
from 8am/9am–4/5pm and Saturday 9am–1/3pm. Postage
varies according to weight, size and urgency. Currently, a standard-size letter
or postcard under 20g that is sent “Priority” class costs 9.50kr within Norway,
13kr to the EU, and 15kr to everywhere else. Mail to the US should take about a
week, two to three days within Europe. Stamps are
widely available from post offices, tourist offices and many hotels.
Maps
The maps in this guide should be adequate for most general purposes, especially as they can be readily supplemented by the free local maps given out by almost every tourist office. Drivers, cyclists and hikers will, however, require something more detailed. Buying before you go helps in planning, and often saves a bit of money too.
For Scandinavia as a whole, the AA ( theaa.com) produces a good-quality
road map with the southern part of the region at
the 1:800,000 scale, the north at 1:1,500,000. As regards Norway itself, Hallwag’s Norge/Norwegen road map ( swisstravelcenter.com) is
excellent. It has two scales – one for the south (1:800,000) and one for the
north (1:900,000) – an index and a handy distance calculator on the back.
Michelin ( viamichelin.com) also
publishes a widely available Norway map (1:1,250,000),
but although this is very accurate and useful for route planning, the index is
very scanty.
Currently, the most detailed book of Norwegian road
maps is the Stort bilatlas Norge
(1:325,000) produced by Cappelen Damm ( cappelendamm.no). It has a comprehensive index and includes 75
good-quality city and town maps, but it’s expensive, hard to get hold of outside
of Norway, and much too cluttered for clarity in the country’s more populated
areas. Best bet is to use it in conjunction with the Hallwag map. Cappelen also produce excellent city
maps covering Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim and so on; they are at a
variety of scales (1:4000 to 1:10,000) and are on sale locally at any good
bookshop.
Cycling maps, with route suggestions, are usually on sale at tourist offices in the more popular cycling areas. Hiking maps are covered under “Hiking trails and maps”.
Money
Norway has its own currency, the kroner; one krone
(literally “crown”; abbreviated kr or NOK), is divided
into 100 øre. Coins in circulation are 50 øre,
1kr, 5kr, 10kr and 20kr; notes are for 50kr, 100kr, 200kr, 500kr and 1000kr
(though note that smaller retailers often look askance at this last, largest
note). At time of writing the rate of exchange for 1kr is £0.11, €0.13, US$0.17,
Can$0.17, Aus$0.16, NZ$0.20, ZAR1.34. For the most up-to-date rates, check the
currency converter website oanda.com.
ATMs are liberally distributed around every city, town and large village in Norway, and accept a host of debit cards without charging a transaction fee. Credit cards can be used in ATMs too, but in this case transactions are treated as loans, with interest accruing daily from the date of withdrawal. All major credit/debit cards, including American Express, Visa and MasterCard, are widely accepted. Typically, Norwegian ATMs give instructions in a variety of languages.
You can change foreign currency into kroner at most banks, which are ubiquitous; banking hours are usually Monday to Friday 9am–3.30pm, sometimes till 5/6pm on Thursdays. All major post offices also change foreign currency and they generally have longer opening hours.
Opening hours and public holidays
Business hours (ie office hours) normally run from Monday to Friday 9.30/10am to 4.30/5pm. Normal shopping hours are Monday through Friday 10am to 5pm, with late opening on Thursdays till 6pm, 7pm or 8pm, plus Saturdays 10am to 1pm, 2pm or 3pm. Most supermarkets stay open much longer – from 9am until 8pm in the week and from 9am to 6pm on Saturdays, but close on Sundays. In addition, many kiosks-cum-newsstands open from 8/9am or so till 9pm or 10pm every day of the week (including Sun), but much more so in the cities and towns than in the villages. Many fuel stations sell a basic range of groceries and stay open till 11pm daily. Vinmonopolet, the state-run liquor chain, has outlets in almost every town and large village, but they operate limited opening hours; each store fixes its own schedule, but generally they’re open Monday to Friday 10am–4/6pm and Saturday 10am–1/3pm. Norway has literally hundreds of museums. The more important open all year, but many close for winter from October or November to April, May or even mid-June. Opening hours usually 9.30/10am–5pm every day, including Saturday and Sunday, but some limit their hours on the weekend and many more close on Mondays.
There are thirteen national public holidays per year, most of which are keenly observed and, although much of the tourist industry carries on regardless, almost every museum and gallery in the land is closed. The result is that Easter, when four of these public holidays fall, is not a good time for museum-lovers to visit. Otherwise most businesses and shops close, and the public transport system operates a skeleton or Sunday service. Some of these public holidays are also official flag-flying days, but there are additional flag days as well – for example on Queen Sonja’s birthday (July 4).
NORWAY’S PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
New Year’s Day
Palm Sunday week before Easter
Maundy Thursday Thursday before Easter
Good Friday
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday
Labour Day May 1
Ascension Day early to mid-May
National (or Constitution) Day May 17
Whit Sunday seventh Sunday after Easter
Whit Monday
Christmas Day
Boxing Day day after Christmas Day
Note that when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, then the next day becomes a holiday as well.
Phones
Given the sheer size of the country and its wide wilderness spaces, it’s amazing just how much of Norway has mobile phone (cell phone) coverage – it’s around 80 percent and counting. Norway is on the mobile phone (cell phone) network at GSM900/1800, the band common to the rest of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Mobile/cell phones bought in North America need to be of sufficient specification to adjust to this GSM band. If you intend to use your mobile/cell phone in Norway, note that call charges can be excruciating – particularly irritating is the supplementary charge you often have to pay on incoming calls – so check with your supplier before you depart. You might also consider buying a Norwegian SIM card, though this can get complicated: many mobiles/cells will not permit you to swap SIM cards and the connection instructions for the replacement SIM card can be in Norwegian only. If you overcome these problems, there are myriad deals on offer beginning at about 100kr per SIM card; larger 7-Eleven and Narvesen kiosks sell them. Text messages/SMS, on the other hand, are normally charged at ordinary or at least bearable rates – and with your existing SIM card in place.
INTERNATIONAL CALLS
PHONING HOME FROM NORWAY
To make an international phone call from within Norway, dial the appropriate international access code given here, then the number you require, omitting the initial zero where there is one.
Australia 0061
Canada 001
New Zealand 0064
Republic of Ireland 00353
South Africa 0027
UK 0044
US 001
PHONING NORWAY FROM ABROAD
To call a number in Norway, dial the local international access code,
then 47, followed by the number you require, omitting the
initial zero where there is one. There are no area
codes in Norway and the vast majority of Norwegian
telephone numbers have eight digits; where this isn’t the case, it’s
probably a premium-rated line, except those numbers beginning
800, which are toll-free.
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Domestic directory enquiries 1881
International directory enquiries & Operator
assistance 1882
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in all public buildings, including train and bus stations, as well as in restaurants, clubs, bars and cafés. Nonetheless, one in five Norwegians still puffs away.
Time
Norway is on Central European Time (CET) – one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, six hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time, nine hours ahead of US Pacific Standard Time, nine hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time and eleven hours behind New Zealand. There are, however, minor variations during the changeover periods involved in daylight saving. Norway operates daylight saving time, moving clocks forward one hour in the spring and one hour back in the autumn.
Tipping
Cafés and restaurants often add a service charge to their bills and this is – or at least should be – clearly indicated. Otherwise, few Norwegians tip at cafés, restaurants or bars and, given the country’s high prices, you‘ll probably be disinclined as well, though restaurant waiters and taxi drivers may be disappointed not to get a tip of 10 per cent. Rounding your bill up by a few kroner to make a round number is, on the other hand, pretty standard and considered polite.
Tourist information
The Norwegian Tourist Board operates an all-encompassing website, covering everything from hotels and campsites to forthcoming events. It also publishes a wide range of glossy, free booklets of both a general and specific nature, which for the most part at least are available at all the larger tourist offices throughout the country. Inside Norway, every town and most of the larger villages have their own tourist office; we’ve given their addresses, opening hours, websites and telephone numbers throughout the Guide. Staff almost invariably speak good to fluent English and dispense, among much else, free local maps, local brochures and public transport timetables; many will also help arrange last-minute/in person accommodation. In addition, Norway is spectacularly well represented on the internet in terms of everything from activity holidays through to bus timetables; we’ve listed a few general websites here – many more are in the Guide.
SOME USEFUL WEBSITES
goscandinavia.com The official website of the joint Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North
America, offering a general introduction to Scandinavia, latest travel
deals and links to the Norwegian Tourist Board website.
kulturnett.no Comprehensive information on the country’s museums, culture and
current exhibitions.
regjeringen.no Government site which, despite its plain presentation, has everything
you ever wanted to know about contemporary Norway and then some.
Especially good on political/contemporay issues.
visitnorway.com The official site of the Norwegian Tourist Board, with links to all
things Norwegian and good sections on outdoor activities and
events.
Travelling with children
In general terms at least, Norwegian society is sympathetic to its children and the tourist industry follows suit. Extra beds in hotel rooms are usually easy to arrange, baby-changing stations are commonplace, and highchairs for young children are usually at hand in cafés, if not so much in restaurants. Furthermore, concessionary rates are the rule, from public transport through to museums, and pharmacists carry all the kiddie stuff you would expect – nappies, baby food, and so forth – but this being Norway they cost a lot, so try to bring the gubbins with you. As far as breastfeeding in public is concerned, the Journal of Human Lactation states that in Norway “there is no problem with breastfeeding almost anywhere at any time. A mother might get an ugly glance once in a while, but restaurants, shopping centres, and even government offices allow breastfeeding without any discussion”. As for things to do, Norway’s many adventure activities can be ideal for kids, from kayaking to fishing, horseriding to skiing. Big-city Oslo has perhaps more child-friendly attractions than anywhere else (see Oslo with children).
Travellers with disabilities
There are decent facilities for travellers with disabilities across the whole country. An increasing number of hotels, hostels and campsites are equipped for disabled visitors, and are credited as such in the tourist literature by means of the standard wheelchair-in-a-box icon. Furthermore, on most main routes the trains have special carriages with wheelchair space, hydraulic lifts and disabled toilets; domestic flights either cater for or provide assistance to disabled customers; and the latest ships on all ferry routes have lifts and cabins designed for disabled people.
In the cities and larger towns, many restaurants and most museums and public places are wheelchair-accessible, and although facilities are not so advanced in the countryside, things are improving rapidly. Drivers will find that most motorway service stations are wheelchair-accessible and that, if you have a UK-registered vehicle, the disabled car parking badge is honoured. Note also that several of the larger car rental companies have modified vehicles available. On a less positive note, city pavements can be uneven and difficult to negotiate and, inevitably, winter snow and ice can make things much, much worse.
Getting to Norway should be relatively straightforward too. Most airlines and shipping companies provide assistance to disabled travellers, while some also have specific facilities, such as DFDS Scandinavian Seaways ferries’ specially adapted cabins.