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Getting There By Air:

Oslo Gardermoen (OSL)
Tel: 9150 6400.
Website: www.osl.no

Situated 47km (29 miles) north of Oslo, Gardermoen is Norway’s main international airport. Users are wise to allow a little extra time to get to their gates as the layout of the terminal entails quite a lot of walking (or running if connections are tight).

Airport facilities: These include airport hotels, bank and currency exchange office, ATMs, cafes, bars, restaurants, various shops (including newsagents, a pharmacy and gift shop) and a travel agency. There are also lounges, a silent room/meditation area, first aid room and a tourist information desk. Car hire firms with representation in the terminal building are Avis, Europcar, Budget, Hertz, SIXT and Rent-a-Wreck.

Transport to the city: Flytoget (tel: 8150 0777; website: www.flytoget.no) is the express train from the airport to Oslo S station. The journey time is 19 minutes and departures are every 10 minutes. Flytoget operates regularly thorughout the day. SAS Transport Service (tel: 2280 4971; website: www.flybussen.no/oslo) operates a bus service from the airport to Oslo center (journey time - 45 minutes). These are available to serve all departing and arriving flights. Special fixed price airport taxis can be ordered in advance from Oslo Taxi Central (tel: 2323 2323; website: www.oslotaxi.no) and Norges Taxi (tel: 08000; website: www.norgestaxi.no). There are also regular taxi ranks outside the arrivals entrance. The fare to central Oslo starts at NOK600.


Sandefjord (Torp) (TRF)
Tel: 3342 7000.
Website: www.torp.no

Although situated some 118km (74 miles) to the southwest of Oslo, the independently operated Torp airport has grown in importance since closure of the capital’s centrally situated Fornebu Airport in 1998. It is much smaller than Gardermoen but offers low-cost alternative international routes, as well as some domestic connections.

Airport facilities: Torp is small, but there are shops, a bar and cafeteria facilities at the airport. Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz.

Transport to the city: A coach service, in association with Ryanair, links Torp with Oslo’s city center and serves all incoming and outbound Ryanair flights - buses depart from Oslo three hours before flight time. Journey time is approximately two hours. There are regular trains to the capital from Sandefjord station, hourly from 0500-2200 on weekdays. The station is approximately 8km (5 miles) from the airport, and a taxi journey to the station takes about 10 minutes.


Moss Airport Rygge
Tel: 6923 0000.
Website: www.ryg.no

Moss Airport Rygge is situated 60km (38 miles) south of Oslo. The airport opened in 2007 to handle regional flights as well as low-cost and charter airlines.

Airport facilities: These include shops, a restaurant, a cafe, duty-free shopping, car hire, a bank and an information desk.

Transport to the city: NSB (tel: 8150 0888; website: www.nsb.no) runs trains from Rygge station to central Oslo (journey time - 50 minutes). The station is located 4km (2.5 miles) from the airport and is connected to the terminal by free buses. Rygge-Ekspressen (website: www.rygge-ekspressen.no) runs buses between the airport and Oslo (journey time - 1 hour 5 minutes). Taxis are also available.

Getting There By Road:

Driving conditions in and around Oslo are generally good with well-maintained roads, and some dual carriageways. Elsewhere in Norway, particularly in the mountainous areas, roads are less good and should be used with great care. It is also essential to check that mountain passes are not closed by snow.

Major routes are designated by the European ‘E’ prefix - for example, the roads from Oslo to Trondheim are the E3 and E6. Other roads take the ‘R’ (Riksvei) prefix. All roads leading into Oslo have toll booths.

Speed limits on roads outside towns vary between 80 and 100kph (50-60mph). In urban areas, the general speed limit is set at 50kph (30mph), while some residential streets are designated with a 30kph (19mph) limit and are often equipped with unmarked speed-humps - drivers should proceed with care. Additionally, away from ‘priority’ routes (designated by yellow diamond signs) drivers should beware of vehicles suddenly pulling out from side turns on the right - they officially have right of way and fault falls on the driver who hits them.

Traffic drives on the right. The minimum age for driving is 18 years and drivers must be in possession of a full national driving license or an International Driving Permit. Licenses must be carried at all times when driving. If bringing a vehicle into Norway, registration documents and a valid certificate of insurance are required. A Green Card, while not compulsory, is desirable. The wearing of seat belts is compulsory and at least dipped headlights must be illuminated at all times. Children under 12 years must travel in the back of the car. Drink driving is severely dealt with (short prison sentences are common) and the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.02%.

NAF - Norges Automobil-Forbund or Norwegian Automobile Association (tel: 2234 1400; website: www.naf.no) provides further information and offers reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in many other countries.

Emergency breakdown service: NAF (tel: 8100 0505).

Routes to the city: The main highways into Oslo are the E6 running from Sweden in the south east via Oslo to Lillehammer, Trondheim and the north of Norway, the E16 from Bergen in the west and the E18 from Stockholm in the east and on to Stavanger in the west. The Øresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark, opened in 2000, makes it possible for travelers to drive from Norway to Denmark without using a ferry.

Coach services: The bus station, Bussterminalen (tel: 2300 2400), Schweigaards gate 10, is located under the Galleriet shopping center, behind Oslo S station. Nor-Way Bussekspress (tel: 8154 4444; website: www.nor-way.no) operates a network of domestic and international long-distance routes and tickets are available for purchase at the station or on the bus. Destinations include larger Norwegian towns and European destinations such as Copenhagen, Stockholm, Warsaw, Berlin and Hamburg.

Getting There By Rail:

Norges Statsbaner - NSB (tel: 8150 0888; website: www.nsb.no) is the national rail provider, operating the local and long-distance services from Oslo. Trains are generally clean and punctual. Catering service is minimal, so travelers are advised to bring their own food and drink if embarking on a lengthy trip. Speeds away from the immediate Oslo area are low, due to difficult terrain. Oslo S station or Oslo Central (tel: 8150 0888), located on Jerbanetorget, is the terminus for long-distance routes. Facilities such as cafes, a bar and shops are available at this station. Local commuter trains operate both from here and the Nationaltheatert T-Bane (Underground) station, located at Karl Johans Gate.

Rail services: The Dovre Line connects Oslo with Trondheim. The Bergen Line goes from Oslo to Bergen, along Northern Europe’s highest railway, while the Southern Line runs from Oslo to Stavanger along the south coast. Trains to Copenhagen (via Gothenburg) leave three times daily. From there, it is possible for travelers to get a train to London via the ferry from Ostend, Belgium. Trains also run to Hamburg and direct to Stockholm.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
Oslo has a comprehensive and efficient public transport network of trains, buses, trams, ferries and underground (T-Bane), mostly operated by Oslo Sporveier. For more information on all public transport in and around Oslo visit Trafikanten, Jerbanetorget 1 (tel: 177; website: www.trafikanten.no), located in front of the Central Station.

Some 50 separate bus lines and eight different tram lines cover the city. These can be boarded opposite Oslo S station on Jerbanetorget, with tickets available from the driver. The Oslo T-Bane consists of five underground lines. Tickets are available from vending machines at the various stations.

Båtservice Sightseeing A/S (tel: 2335 6890; website: www.boatsightseeing.com) operates seasonal ferries (April-October) from City Hall to Bygdøy Island, where many museums are situated. Other small ferries operate from Vippetangen, just behind Akershus Slott, to all the harbor basin islands.

Taxis
Taxi ranks can be found throughout the city, mainly near the shopping center, city squares and outside Oslo S station. When it is very busy or late at night, long waits may be experienced at ranks. Cabs are operated by Oslo Taxi (tel: 02323; website: www.oslotaxi.no) and Norges Taxi (tel: 08000; website: www.norgestaxi.no) and advance bookings can be made at any time.

Driving in the City
Driving in Oslo is fairly straightforward. However, the city is relatively small and has an excellent public transport system, so a car is really unnecessary, unless longer trips are planned. Rush hours (0700-0900 and 1500-1800) are best avoided and navigating can be difficult, as there is a complicated one-way system.

Another plus point for public transport is that parking is a nightmare in Oslo, with many places having a one- or even half-hour maximum stay. Illegal parking or overstaying the allotted time is dealt with severely - fines start at NOK500. Once a parking spot has been found, a ticket must be obtained from the on-street ticket machine and displayed in the vehicle windscreen. Controlled city center street parking spots are free to Oslo Card holders (see Sightseeing). There are daytime car parks at C J Hambros Plass, Prinsens gate, Chr. Krohgsgate, Oslo Plaza, Asker Stasjon and Skøyen Stasjon.

Car Hire
The major car hire providers are Avis, Munkedamsveien (tel: 8153 3044; website: www.avis.no), Budget, Munkedamsveien (tel: 8156 0600; website: www.budget.no), and Hertz, Holbergsgate (tel: 6716 8000; website: www.hertz.no). The minimum age for hiring a car is 21 years and a credit card will be required as security. The driver must have a national driving license (in Roman script), which he/she has held for a minimum of one year. Insurance is mandatory and tends to be included in the cost of the hire.

Bicycle Hire
Information about cycling can be obtained from Syklistenes Landsforening, Storgata 23D, Operapassasjen (tel: 2247 3030; website: www.slf.no). Bicycles can be hired from A/S Ski Service, Voksenkollen Stasjon (tel: 2213 9504).

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