Oslo is expensive and I am not going to soften that. A bottle of water in a restaurant can come to four euros. But the best things in the city are free: the fjord shore, the sculpture park, the forest trails and the roof of the opera house. If you build the budget properly, the Norwegian capital can be seen on middling spending too. Below I have written a three-day route and the ways to save.
The opera house, the museums and the fortress
The roof of the opera house slopes down to the ground and you can walk up it; entry is free. From the top the fjord and the city appear together. The Munch museum nearby is in a new building and several versions of “The Scream” are kept there.
Akershus fortress stands above the harbour and entry to its courtyard is free. In the Fram museum a polar ship is preserved as it was, and you can climb onto its deck. The Viking ship museum was under renovation for a long time, so check whether it is open before you go. Taking the museum tickets in advance saves both time and, usually, money.
Vigeland park and nature
Vigeland park holds more than two hundred sculptures, all the work of one sculptor, and the theme is the stages of human life. Entry is free and the park is open all year. The column called the Monolith is made of one hundred and sixteen human figures and was carved from a single block of granite.
The metro takes you straight from the city into the forest. Walking trails start at Frognerseteren station, and in winter the ski tracks open. The Holmenkollen ski jump is nearby and has a viewing platform. In the summer months the ferry to the fjord islands runs on an ordinary public transport ticket, and it is the best-value outing in the city.
Read more: A Norway travel guide: the fjords, Bergen, the Flåm railway, Lofoten and the northern lights
From Oslo to the fjords
The Bergen train is considered one of the most scenic railways in Europe and takes seven hours. On the way you can change at Myrdal station onto the Flåm line, a stretch of an hour that descends between waterfalls. This route is sold under the name “Norway in a Nutshell” and combines train, bus and boat.
Buying the tickets separately often works out cheaper than the package; compare the options in one search. A train ticket bought early is three or four times cheaper in Norway, and this is the biggest saving available in the country.
Prices and saving in Oslo
Dinner in a restaurant costs 40–70 euros a head. Shopping in a supermarket brings that figure down threefold, and taking an apartment or a hotel with a kitchen makes a real difference here. Cards work everywhere and cash is all but unnecessary.
A three-star hotel is 130–200 euros, while a hostel bed starts at 40–60. A day transport ticket is around 11 euros and covers the ferries too. Official city information is on the Visit Oslo site.
The season in Oslo
May to August is the best period, with 18–24 degrees and daylight lasting until midnight. September is quiet and colourful. Winter is cold and dark, the sun setting at three, but in return the skiing and northern lights season begins. Rain is possible all year round.
A last word
Oslo is expensive but rich in free things, and its real value is in being the door to the fjords. Walk up the opera roof, give Vigeland park half a day, and buy the Bergen train ticket months ahead. For a visa and a route, fill in the application form.
Note: the prices in this article are those at the time of publication and may change with the season.
