How to make the best out of your Norway trip!

By Kishen Prasad Norway 0 Comments

Thinking of travelling to Norway? You can choose to travel either during the summers or the winters. The experience is completely different in both cases. Travelling during the winters will give you an opportunity to catch up with the celestial northern lights and the arctic adventures whereas the summers give you an opportunity to experience the midnight sun.

Is Oslo safe for Solo travel?

Norway is absolutely safe and if you are deciding to travel solo you don’t need to be concerned. Oslo in specific is a vibrant city with and dates back many centuries from a historical aspect.

What can I see in Oslo for 8 hours?

If you have just one day and wondering what to see in Oslo, the following should be covered as points of interest in your Oslo sightseeing: Go on a day tour covering the Vikings Ship Museum that houses the Vikings ships that date back to the 9th century , Fram which showcases images of polar bears and penguins and Kon-Tiki Museum which houses the maps and vessels of the Kon-Tiki expedition, Holmenkollbakken ski jump area that is used for the ski championships, Nobel Peace Center which represents the work of the Nobel Peace prize winners and Vigeland Park which has a stunning sculptures of human form in bronze and granite.

If you are unsure where to stay in Oslo; I would recommend you stay in the heart of the city for a few reasons a) It’s easily accessible by train from the airport and b) you can walk around to some centers of attraction of this vibrant city c) The city hall area is close by from where the day tour sightseeing tours begin.

4 days in Oslo:

If you have 4 days in Oslo, I would suggest the following places to visit in Norway – a scenic train ride exploring Flam and Bergen for 3 nights followed by covering the important locations of Oslo on the 4th day.

Train from Oslo to Flam and Flam to Bergen:

The suggested Norway itinerary covering the Oslo-Bergen trip would be as below:

Day 1:

Get on a scenic train ride to Myrdal and once there, swap to the famous Flåm Railway which cuts across stunning scenery with waterfalls and steep mountain sides. The railway descends from a height of 900 meters down to Flåm at a sidearm of the Sognefjord.

There is no other adhesion railway in the world running on normal tracks that is so steep over a long distance. Stay overnight in Flam.

Day 2:

The next day, early morning head out and explore Flam its surroundings by walking, cycling or kayaking. Later in the day go on a cruise to Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen. The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest fjord channel in Europe and is a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Stay overnight in Bergen.

Day 3:

The next day, catch your train back to Olso from Bergen. Stay overnight in Oslo.

Day 4:

Go on a day tour covering the main attraction in Oslo – Vikings Ship museum, Fram, Kon-Tiki museum, Holmenkollbakken ski jump area, Nobel Peace Center and Vigeland Park.

If you have an extra night, which I strongly recommend – stay overnight and explore the city of Bergen.

Best time to visit Norway:

If you are wondering what would be the best time to visit Norway, it depends what you want to experience! If the intent is to see the mesmerising beauty of Norway, its fjords and the natural landscape, the best time would be during the summer holidays (April to October). If the intent is to cover the Northern Lights and experience the arctic adventure, the best time would during the winter holidays (October to March).

What is the best thing about Norway?

If I were to describe Norway it’s a country with unparalleled beauty with its majestic fjords, great hiking trails, the land of the midnight sun, a place to witness the northern lights. All put together Norway is a perfectly safe destination for a solo traveller or a family trip.

What is the best place to visit in Norway?

Norway tourist attractions which are worth visiting are Flam and Bergen, Tromso, Oslo, Trondheim, Alesund, Kirkenes, Geirangerfjord and Svalbard.

What are the best places in Norway to visit for a regular adventurer? First time in Norway

If you are unsure what to see in Norway or where to go in Norway or things to do in Norway being a regular adventurer, I would suggest exploring Norway tourist spots such as City of Oslo, the fjords, Flam railway and Bergen, Tromso or Alta or Kirkenes in the winters to witness the Northern Lights.

Norway in a nutshell to me will be an expansion on the above points of interest:

If you are a history buff, then you must visit the Vikings Ship Museum, Fram and Kon-Tiki museums in Oslo. Likewise, if architecture is of your interest, you must head to Vigeland Park to see the sculptures made up of bronze and granite. Some other places which are worth visiting are taking a Fjord day trip, visiting the Nobel Peace Center and seeing the Holmenkollbakken ski jump area

About a train ride away from Oslo is Flam and Bergen, the ride descends from a pretty steep height of 900 meters down over a long distance to Flåm.

You could also go on a cruise from Tromso all along the coast covering Alesund, Trondheim, and Kirkenes from Bergen. The cruises operate both in summers and winters and the scenery is equally spectacular in both seasons.

If you are visiting Norway in the winters, apart from witnessing the Northern Lights from Tromso, Alta or Kirkenes, you must experience the artic adventures in store such as Dog-Sledding, Reindeer farm, Snowmobiling, Ice fishing, Skiing, Whale watching.

Weather in Oslo in late-January / early-February:

I travelled to Oslo in Jan and the weather was really cold and below freezing. My recommendation is you need to bundle up and wear enough warm clothing and many layers of them. Thermals, woollen wear, sweater, beanie, gloves, woollen socks are a must and will surely come in handy if you intend to participate in artic adventure activities or witness the Northern Lights further north in Tromso or Alta.

Norway in March, September, December:

In March, the winter would be in the waning phase, temperatures warming up welcoming spring. The temperatures will be around 4C-6C and much warmer than the earlier months. It is the best month to witness the Aurora Borealis from Tromso, Alta or Kirkenes.

If you are planning on visiting Norway in September, one can witness the trees changing colour and the temperatures drop to about 8-10 C. September being the between the summer and winter season is easier on the purse. If you are lucky, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights

If you are planning on visiting Norway in December, it will be pretty cold with freezing temperatures. I would avoid planning a vacation around Christmas to New Year’s as it will be flocked with tourists, accommodation could be a challenge and expensive.

But yes, visiting Norway in winter is a perfect time to witness the Aurora borealis and experience the arctic adventures. This can be best experiences from either Tromso or Alta or Kirkenes.

Oslo + other cities or countries in ten days:

If you have about 2 weeks to spare then the Norway itinerary for 10 days is as follows:

Spend a couple of nights in Oslo before catching a scenic train ride to Flam and then go to Bergen. Spend a couple of nights in Flam and Bergen, go on a cruise from Bergen that takes you to Trondheim, Alesund and Kirkenes and back to Bergen. On your return to Bergen, you could fly to Tromso and spend a few nights there before flying back to Oslo.

If you would like to club Norway with the neighbouring Scandinavian countries, you can fly to Helsinki in Finland and spend a couple of nights there and also take a cruise to Tallinn in Estonia and spend a couple of nights in the medieval village. If you are interested in seeing the Santa Claus village and crossing the Arctic Circle, you can fly to Rovaniemi in Finland. If you are an ABBA fan, a visit to Stockholm in Sweden might interest you.

The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights is best experienced from Tromso or Alta or Kirkenes in Norway, Rovaniemi or Ivalo in Finland during the winter months.

Advice on driving, Oslo to Tromso by car in August

Self-driving in Norway is fine but do pay attention that from a terrain perspective as you will pass through mountains and passes, tunnels, narrow roads and at times need to ferry your vehicle across

Driving to Tromso is a long way although equally picturesque. Driving 1600 kms would not be very easy as the terrain is not flat. It might be preferred to fly to Tromso instead and then rent a car from the airport and drive around Tromso and to Lofoten.

Driving during the winters could be challenging when compared to the summers. Do ensure you have spiked tyres while driving in snowy conditions as it helps grip the surface. If you haven’t driven in icy conditions earlier, you might want to give it a pass.