Travel International
Air: Norwegian air travel is served by Braathens SAFE (BU)
and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), a Scandinavian airline.
Air France, British Airways, Air UK, Finnair, Icelandair, KLM,
Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines, Ryanair and Swissair also operate
services to Norway.
Sea: The main passenger ports
are Oslo, Larvik, Stavanger, Kristiansand and Bergen. The main
sea routes from the UK, operated by Fjord Line and DFDS Seaways
respectively, are from Newcastle to Bergen (travel time - 25 hours
30 minutes) and to Kristiansand (travel time - 19 hours). Services
from Newcastle to Bergen via Stavangar are also operated by Fjord
Line, a Norwegian line operating a number of Fjord cruises within
Norway. Fjord Line also operates services from Bergen to Hanstholm
(Denmark). Smyril Line operates services from Bergen to Iceland
via the Shetland Islands and the Faroe Islands in the summer.
Rail: Connections from the UK are from London via
Dover/Ostend (via The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden)
or Harwich/Hook of Holland, or from Newcastle to Bergen via Stavanger.
There are two principal routes to Sweden, with daytime and overnight
trains from Malmö and Stockholm.
Cheap fares:
Reduced fares on rail services have vastly increased the use and
range of internal services. Scanrail cards allow 21 days' unlimited
travel in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland on railways and
selected ferries, and a 50 per cent reduction on other ferry services.
InterRail tickets are valid in Norway and are now also available
for those aged over 26 years.
Road: The only international
routes are from Sweden or Finland in the far north. Camping trailers
up to 2.3m (7ft 6 in) wide, with number plates, are permitted
on holiday visits.
Transport in Oslo
Oslo's international airport is a whopping 50km (30mi) north
of the centre of town in Gardermoen. To get to the airport from
Oslo (or vice versa) take the Flybussen shuttle bus, which departs
every 10 minutes for the 40 minute trip. The airport express train
departs Central Station every 10 minutes and the trip takes about
20 minutes. All 'regular' intercity trains arriving from northern
regions will stop at Gardermoen and the train from Skien also
stops at the airport.
Oslo is well served by air from most of Europe and North America.
Travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa will have
to fly to Europe and board a connecting flight to Oslo.
If you're already in Europe, then buses regularly do the trip
from neighbouring countries Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany,
Russia and, if you're a masochist, the UK. The journey from London
to Oslo takes about 38 hours and flying can sometimes be cheaper
- not to mention much faster.
There's an efficient ferry service between Oslo and other Scandinavian
countries as well as the UK and Germany, popular for people with
their own vehicles. Certainly a ferry trip is one of the more
enjoyable ways of getting to and from Oslo, and some of the scenery
along the way is unforgettable.
Trains operate between Oslo and several European cities including
Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg and London. |
