The local currency is Krone. I don't believe that dollars or other currencies are accepted. Credit card-readers are available at most commercial locations, but you'll need a credit/debit card with a chip. I don't have a pin, so I still needed to sign the receipt. Also, you'll put the tip directly into the machine at restaurants. So calculate the total including the tip to input.
On tipping: our local guide in Bergen informed us that people don't typically tip and that the service is considered paid for in the cost of the food. Our Spanish server in Norway told us that 10-15% is typical. So...I'll let you decide. Comment below if you have more info!
Trains and buses are very clean.
Transit systems are extensive BUT not easy to navigate without assistance.
Here's a Norwegian website in English for some different transportation opportunities around Oslo.
Day 1 in Oslo around 9 am.
Trying to figure out where we're going and how to get there.
(Norwegian man in blue eavesdrops and saves the day - after first allowing us to figure it out ourselves).
Bergen is THE RAINIEST city in Europe. It's true. Look it up.
Oslo is super-walkable. European views on walk-ability, however, are not equivalent to those of the US (where going long distances to work, shop, and visit friends/family is typical). Plan accordingly, by checking out distances before paying high prices for bus rides or taxis. That being said, there are a lot of twists and turns in both of these cities, and it can be difficult to find your way even when you've been somewhere before. Give yourself extra time to get places!
It's illegal, and if they check there are heavy fines involved, but you CAN get on and off the bus without a pass in both Bergen and Oslo if you act like you know what you're doing. OTHERWISE, you can buy a pass at electronic ticket machines near many bus stops, at the bus station (one block southeast of the train station in Bergen), or at some small shops (you'll have to ask around to locals to know where they are cheapest). You can also buy a pass on the bus for an additional fee (currently at about 20 extra krone (about $3-4 at present).
I highly suggest going to the bus station if you need tickets in Bergen (it's inside of a mall) and asking all of your questions and calculating out the options to see what works best for you. **Getting a 24 hour or longer pass will almost always be worth it based on the high prices of bus rides at slightly less than $10 for a one-way bought on the bus.**
Ask the bus driver for help or learn Norwegian before trying to use your bus card in Bergen. Oslo's bus pass use is simple...just touch the card to the little reader when you enter the bus starting with your first ride and it activates. In Bergen, there are a few small steps, but they are all in Norwegian. Even with instructions from the guy at the bus station on how to activate, I attempted it and still had no idea when I was done if I had activated it or not. I ended up leaving it behind for my amazing AirBnB Host, Adelheid.
On long train rides, ask the conductor/ticket-checker if there are any unbooked sets of seats. They will happily point out or even lead you to open seats so you can spread out, lay down, or sit with friends!
The Oslo Pass and/or Bergen Pass is only worth it if you plan to try to do multiple museums and galleries in one day (and generally within a very small time frame as many museums open in late morning and close in the early afternoon).
Some of the most recommended things in Oslo are free or low-cost: the Vigeland Statues at Frogner Park (go during the day as the park, though lit, does not have the statues lit up) -free, national gallery (open til 6pm-a few hours after many museums)-free, and the Viking Ship museum (open limited hours, small, and informative) - ~$10 USD.
Viking Ship Museum
The Underwater Pub is a really unique bar experience on certain days (tues/thurs?) where professional opera singers show off their skills for free while you drink moderately-priced drinks at approximately $10-$15 USD each in a 2-story, dark and cozy atmosphere with friends and fellow bar-goers. (Sitting on the top floor will give you a better view but you have to arrive early). The show starts at 9:30 pm with a cycle of 3 songs followed by a break. You can't help but feel cultured hearing opera in a bar!
Underwater Pub "Stage"
People are generally quiet. Not being the loudest of our friends, we still found ourselves the loudest around and lived up to the "loud Americans" generalization. It might also be because there were more than 2 of us....maybe...maybe not...
There are buttons for everything! Trains, buses, doors...Norwegians have also mastered revolving doors which are especially useful in cold conditions! Thank you.
Get to the Oslo airport early. There are literally TRAINS full of people arriving at the same time every 15 minutes throughout the day.
The Oslo Airport (Gardemoen) & Central Station (Oslo S) are beautiful and very busy!
Rimi, Rema, and Kiwi are the least expensive grocery stores. Ica and Lime are also reasonable. 7-11 is gold: you can get two slices of pizza, bacon-wrapped hotdogs, or other freshly-cooked baked goods at GREAT prices by Norwegian standards. My mistake? Not realizing this sooner.
Pizza at 7-11...because it actually IS open til 11.
Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day...even if they don't know what St. Patrick's Day IS...UNLESS they call themselves an Irish bar and then they "celebrated it only on the Saturday before" and did not at least make it a 4-day celebration of Irishness...go back to Ireland for training, you're drunk (yes, I'm looking at you, Scruffy Murphy's of Bergen!).
Finnegan's, however, knew what was up for St. Patty's
(and had a fabulous indoor AND outdoor turnout even with the constant rain)
Both the Flobanen in Bergen and the Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo are totally worth it. I might even be willing to say that this is true of the highest point in any city on the planet...but I'll withhold ultimate say-so having not been to and experienced every city on the planet (yet). Let me know if you know a time when it ISN'T worth it by commenting!
Floibanen Overlook of Bergen Port (not raining*)
Holmenkollen Ski Jump (That's a ginormous amphitheater way down there at the bottom).
I think taxis only accept cash. They often park near bus stops after the buses cease to run for the night, so they are generally easy to find. Also--avoid them when possible as they are much more expensive than other options when available.
The Oslo Opera House has SUPER-reduced-price standing-room-only and student tickets around $20-$30 USD (and when the show isn't sold out you're allowed to take any open seat after the 1st act.
Oslo Opera House
You can't bring glasses or food into the auditorium of the Opera House so if you're going to bite the bullet and pay for it, make sure you finish it before the end of the intermission.
Opera House Interior
Walk the entire roof of the Opera House.
Every corner has a cool new view and photo opp.
Opera House Roof (1)
Opera House Roof (2)
Opera House Roof (3)
Norway may be the MOST bilingual English-speaking country I have been to thus far! I didn't meet a single person who didn't speak at LEAST enough English to be helpful (except maybe the drunk girl who directed us incorrectly while in search of a specific bar...but we'll blame that on her directional impairment and not a language barrier). In fact, even signage was bilingual (and I don't mean exact translations like in airports, I mean, actually intertwined English/Norwegian advertisements). I'm impressed, Norway. I wish I could convince the US to take multilingualism so seriously.
Food is not included in the Norway in a Nutshell tours, but it also isn't any more inflated on the train than anywhere else in the country. A hot chocolate, for example, cost approximately 30 kr.
You can save daylight hours by taking an overnight train between cities and you can ALSO save a night's hotel fare IF you don't pay for a sleeper car. (See comments on talking to the train-master near the beginning of this post for more info).
Overnight NSB train (Bergen to Oslo) at Dawn
March is winter in Norway. This means very few crowds but very unpredictable weather (except, as we now know, in Bergen, where rain is nearly always in the forecast).
Count yourself lucky if you get a cloudy day without rain in Bergen. Count yourself luckier if you get a glimpse of sun in Bergen. Buy a lottery ticket if you have an actual sunny day in Bergen (and remember me when you dole out your fortune).
Sunset our last night in Bergen (I've never been so happy to catch a glimpse of the sun)!
Stay up late on your night-flight and keep your window open to catch the Northern Lights! From the ground it can be hard since rain and snow clouds can block your views OR you could be too far south to catch them. I spotted them from the plane around 2 am local time!
Norwegian Sundays....OHHHHH joy. I hope you have nothing planned for this day because it's unlikely you'll be doing much of anything that you can think of except some excessive walking, hiking, or outdoor fun! Nothing is open on Sundays and holidays in Norway. Plan for this and be pleasantly surprised if otherwise proven (an all-day Norway in a Nutshell tour, for example, would be a perfect use of this day).
Everything closes on Sunday.
If it isn't closed...count yourself lucky for finding it.
When crossing streets: at a stop light: you need to wait for either ZERO traffic (please be careful!!) or for the little green "walk" symbol. Any other crosswalks WITHOUT A LIGHT are considered "yield-to-pedestrian"-zones; You can walk and the vehicles are expected to stop. (No need to be wary, people here actually follow their traffic laws unlike in SOME places we know...eh-ehm....)
Norwegians are super-helpful: Just ask!
Unless you are traveling at night, don't expect to want to sleep much once you get onboard! The views are constantly changing and ALWAYS spectacular. Norway definitely lives up to the pictures and then some!
Thanks for sharing Meg. Some great photos and advice.
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