Norway has been one of the top 3 most favorite countries in Europe for me, along with Croatia and Switzerland. Norway is a paradise for nature lovers with snow clad mountains, sea, fjords and forests. You are allowed to camp anywhere in the country, so go on peaceful walking trails in any city or town. Oslo, Bergen, Pulpit rock, Trolltunga, Lofoten islands, Tromso are the most prominent places to visit in Norway
Best time to visit
Summer time from June to August for visiting Fjords. In case you want to experience northern lights, winter time from December to February is good
Visa
Schengen visa is valid here
Getting In and around
Oslo is the capital and hub for trains and flights. Cities are well connected through trains within the country. You can use public transport and walk within cities
You can take one of the free walking tours that work on tips only mode
Cruises operate between Oslo to Copenhagen- an option to consider overnight travel which can be cheaper in case you want to travel further to Denmark and Sweden
Overnight trains might require reservations in even if you have a Eurail pass. Reserve separately ahead of travel
Currency- Norwegian Krone
Euro might be accepted in large hotels and tourist spots, but better to have small change in local currency
Places to visit in Norway
Fjords in Bergen, northern lights in Tromso, hiking rocks in Stavanger are the most popular destinations. Lofoten islands are recently becoming popular with their stunning landscapes. We have been to Oslo and Bergen
Oslo
More a hub to get to other places including travel to Svalbard to see polar bears. Oslo is home to some of the interesting museums, parks like Vigeland sculpture park, buildings with unique architecture
Bergen
Bergen is 7 hours away by train from Oslo costing $40-$60.Bryggen area has colorful wooden houses and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are many museums in town, but we are not fond of museums, so gave it a miss
Take the Norway in a nutshell tour starting $140-$260 that cover multiple modes of transport- ferry, bus, train to cover the Fjords, highlands and lakes.
- Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- The historic Flåmsbana train and cascading waterfalls
- Ferry from Flam to Gudvangen
- Bus from Gudvangen to Voss
- Train from Voss to Bergen
DIY version can cost 20-30% less but takes some effort to go onto 4-5 different websites to book and coordinate times of arrival and departure.
It rains for about 250 days in a year, so carry umbrellas/ ponchos
How much does it cost
Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world
- Flights: $700-900. Indigo with Turkish Airline code share offers cheaper flights
- Accommodation: Hostels cost $25+ per night and mid-range can be around $100. We took night trains and stayed at a friend’s place to save up on accommodation
- Travelling around: Budget $20-30 per day for public transport
- Food: $25 for simple takeaways. Coffee can be easily $10. Finding vegetarian options is quite difficult, so better to cook or make your own sandwiches from supermarket purchase
