How many days are enough for Oslo?+
Two days cover Vigeland Park, the Munch Museum, the opera house, Akershus and one museum on Bygdøy. Three days let you add Holmenkollen and a ferry trip to the islands, the most pleasant thing to do in Oslo. Anyone heading on to the fjords and mountains should plan Oslo as two days at the start and spend the rest of the time on the train to Bergen.
Is Oslo really that expensive?+
Yes, it's the most expensive capital in Europe. Dinner runs three hundred to five hundred kroner per person, a half-litre of beer over a hundred. You can save money at the Mathallen and Vippa food halls, with lunch menus, at Rema 1000 and Kiwi supermarkets, and by taking advantage of the fact that many of the best sights cost nothing — Vigeland Park, the opera house roof, Akershus Fortress and the viewpoints are all free, and ferries to the islands are covered by an ordinary transit ticket.
Is the Oslo Pass worth it?+
It pays off for anyone who can manage two to three paid museums a day and uses public transport — the card covers zone 1 transport including ferries, over thirty museums, and restaurant discounts. Anyone who mainly wants to walk the city, look out from the opera house and stroll through Vigeland Park will lose money on it, since those things are free anyway. Work out your specific list first: individual entries cost 140 to 200 kroner.
Can I see fjords and the northern lights in Oslo?+
The fjord, yes — the Oslofjord starts right in the city, and a ferry to the islands costs no more than an ordinary ticket. But it isn't the dramatic, narrow, cliff-lined fjord from the photos; for Geiranger or Nærøyfjord you need to head to the west coast, at least seven hours by train. The northern lights are practically never seen in Oslo — for those you need to go north of the Arctic Circle to Tromsø, two thousand kilometres away.
Where can you buy alcohol in Oslo?+
Wine and spirits only at state-run Vinmonopolet shops, open until six on weekdays, until three on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. Beer up to 4.7 percent is sold in supermarkets, but sales stop at eight in the evening on weekdays and six on Saturdays — after that hour the till won't ring it up even if it's already in your basket. In a bar it's poured as normal, just for around a hundred ten kroner a half-litre.
What's the cheapest way from Gardermoen into the centre?+
On the ordinary Vy train, not the Flytoget. They run on the same track to the same station; Flytoget is four minutes faster and costs twice as much — two hundred forty against a hundred twenty kroner. The Vy train runs two to three times an hour. The Flybussen coach takes forty-five minutes and costs more than the Vy train, so it only makes sense for a stop near your hotel.
Can you ski right from the city in Oslo?+
Yes, and it's the city's biggest winter advantage. Metro line 1 gets from the centre to Frognerseteren in twenty-five minutes, and from there two hundred sixty kilometres of cross-country ski trails run through the Nordmarka forest, lit at night in winter. The Oslo Vinterpark downhill slopes at Tryvann are at the end of the line, with rental on site. The season runs reliably from January to March.
Is Oslo safe, and do I need cash?+
Oslo is one of the safest cities in Europe, and you can walk anywhere at night; the only real risk is pickpockets at the central station in summer. You barely need cash at all — cards work on buses, ferries, at stalls and at markets, and many places don't take cash at all. There's no point exchanging Norwegian kroner at home; the card exchange rate on the spot is better.
