Norway

Click here for more Europe Links and Resources

FITA helps you find
service providers for:

Translation Services

Traveling in Norway

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service: Consult the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration website
Visa Fact Sheet at the website
Diplomatic representations: All Norwegian Embassies and Consulates can be found here.

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation: Norway has an excellent transportation system. Public transportation is generally safe and the condition of roads is mainly good. Taxis are expensive, but usually easily available. Taxis can be hailed from the street or picked up from a taxi rank. All taxis accept common credit cards. Oslo has a well-functioning underground service and trams.
Maps of urban networks: Network maps for public transportation in Oslo
Maporama
Mappy

Transportation from Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car rental
Oslo - Gardermoen (OSL)	38 km / 24 miles	NOK 540-900 / 30 min	NOK 120	NOK 160 / 19-22 min	Available

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation: Trains can be used to get from city to city. Local transport in the cities is generally efficient and served mainly by public buses at reasonable prices. Road transportation is the dominant form of transport due to long distances and low population density.

Extensive system of ferries and express boats link Norway's coastal towns, fjords and islands. Ferries are mostly roll-on, roll-off car ferries. Small islands are served by water buses.
Rail companies: Norwegian State Railways
Airport Express Train (runs between Gardermoen and Oslo)

Airlines

Name	Type	Domestic flights	International flights
Norwegian Air Shuttle	low cost	Yes	Yes
Scandinavian Airlines	Major	Yes	Yes

You can consult the list of airlines banned within the EU. Look also the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation: Car rentals are expensive, but easily available. Roads can be narrow and winding in the mountainous areas. Winter tires are mandatory on all motor vehicles from November to April. Road conditions can vary greatly, depending on weather and time of the year. Roadside assistance can be limited in the rural areas. Headlights should be on at all times when driving.

Norway is not ideal for cycling due to the long distances and hilly terrain.
Road maps: Google Maps
Find an itinerary: Norwegian Public Road Administration
Via Michelin Norway

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical: - Folk Museum (Oslo),
- Historical Museum (Oslo),
- Sculptures of Vigeland (Oslo),
- National Museum (Oslo),
- Bergen Museum (Bergen),
- Viking Ship Museum (Oslo)
Cultural: Please consult the list of Unesco's World Cultural Heritage sites in Norway
Nature: Norway's long slender coast with its numerous fjords offers breathtaking scenery. Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, located northeast of Bergen, are considered exceptionally beautiful and are on the Unesco's World Heritage list. More information about the fjords can be found here.

The most famous ferry route in Norway is the Hurtigrute coastal boat. It sails a long and beautiful route from Bergen to Kirkeness. Boat stops at thirty ports along the coast and the whole trip lasts eleven days, making the ride quite an experience.

Reaching the remote and wild Svalbard archipelago requires more effort and money.
Religious: - Trondheim cathedral (Scandinavia's largest medieval building.)
- Urnes stave church (Viking woodcarvings)
Thermal: No.
Beach: The island of Hovedoya lies just off the coast of Oslo. It's great for swimming and sunbathing and reachable by a ferry boat. Municipality of Mandal is famous for its long, sandy beaches.
Winter sports: Cross-country skiing is very popular in Norway. Also opportunities for downhill skiing and ice fishing.
Outdoor activities: Hiking, cycling, rock-climbing, swimming.
Shopping: Shops are usually open 09:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday and until 15:00 on Saturday. Department stores stay open until 20:00 and until 18:00 on Saturday.
Paléet, Oslo City and Galleri Oslo are Oslo's shopping malls. A lot of shops and boutiques around the city centre. Woodcarvings, viking paraphernalia, knitwear and ceramics and wrought-iron pieces are popular souvenirs.

Top highlights of the capital city
The National Gallery
Holmenkollen Ski Jump
Akershus Castle
Kon-Tiki Museum
Viking Ship Museum
City Hall
Munch Museum
Vigeland Sculpture Park
Aker Brygge
Norwegian Folk Museum

Top highlights of the country
Jotunheimen National Park
The Flåm railway
Bergen
The midnight sun
Ålesund
Whale watching and wildlife safaris
The Jostedalsbreen
Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord
Lofoten Islands

Tourism organizations: Norwegian Tourist Board

Living conditions

Health and safety

Health precautions: No.
International hospitals: No.
For further information on sanitary conditions: The World Health Organization webpages devoted to Norway
Ministry of Health and Care Services
For further information on safety conditions: US Travelling information about Norway
Official info website.

Emergency numbers

Fire Department	110
Police	112
Ambulance	113

Time difference and climate

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Oslo (GMT+1 in the winter, GMT+2 in the summer)
Summer time period: Summer time (Daylight Savings Time) is from March until October.

Map of the time zone

Fuseau(x) horaire

Type of climate: Warmer and damper climate than might be expected because of the North Atlantic Current and the Westerlies. Norway spans 13 degrees of latitude and its climate shows great variations. Even local differences in weather can be large due to the rugged topography.

Summers are generally hot and winters cold. Inlands and the northern parts are cooler than coastal areas, which experience more rain. The northernmost part has a maritime subarctic climate. The Svalbard archipelago has an arctic thundra climate. The hottest month is usually July with average temperature 17,3°C in Oslo. The coldest month is January, when the average falls to −4.7°C.

From Novermber to late January, the sun never rises above the horizon in the northern areas, and daylight hours are short in the rest of the country. Conversely, during the summertime there can be 20 hours of daylight per day, except in the north where the sun never descends beneath the horizon.

The best time to visit is from May to September. The winter is cold and dark, but offers possibilities for skiing and watching the aurora borealis.
For further information: The Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Climate

Eating

Food specialties: Being a fishing nation, Norway is one of the best places in Europe to enjoy seafood. Emphasis on game (moose, reindeer, duck) is also typical for Norwegian cuisine.

Some Norwegian specialities: Laks: Smoked (or grilled) salmon in many varieties.
Gravlaks: Raw salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill.
Rakfisk: Raw fermented trout or char.
Fårikål: Lamb meat and cabbage served with potatoes.
Geitost: Brown goat cheese
Drinks: Beer, wine, sodas. The climate isn't hospitable for wine production, but there are some local beers and distilled spirits. Akvavit (schnapps) is a traditional vodka-like drink distilled from potato or grain.
Dietary restrictions: There are no dietary restrictions, but alcohol production and consumption is restricted. Beer or wine does not usually accompany lunch.

Paying

Domestic currency: Norwegian Krone
ISO Code: NOK
To obtain domestic currency: You can exchange currencies in airports and in town centers. Post offices and banks exchange major foreign currencies and accept travellers cheques. ATMs are widely available and give local currency.
Possible means of payment: All major credit cards are widely accepted.

Speaking

Official language: Nearly all Norwegians speak the official language, Norwegian. It has two written forms, Bokmål and Nynorsk. Bokmål is more common of the two. In some districts Sami (spoken by the Sami minority) is also an official language.
Other languages spoken: Official language : Norwegian
Business languages: Norwegian & English.
Business language: Most Norwegians speak at least some English. Business people speak excellent English.
Getting some knowledge: Basics of Norwegian language.
Free translation tools: Dicts - Basic word / sentence translator
Free Translation - Basic word / sentence translator

Useful resources

To find an accommodation: Visit Norway - Hotels
Visit Norway - Bed & Breakfast
Visit Norway - Youth Hostels
Visit Norway - Camping
Visit Norway
Visit Norway
To find an apartment: Oslo Apartments

Finn.no (in Norwegian)
Craigslist Oslo
To find a job: The Public Employment Service
Manpower Norway
Finn.no jobb
Monster Norway
Adecco Norway
Norges Vikar
Corridor

Any comments about this content? Report it to us.