Norway
A country like no other. Here, you can along stunning fjords and hike in dramatic mountains overlooking intriguing towns, villages, and cities. And if you ever want a bit of culture, places like Oslo will deliver. Norway is a land of extremes, where the Northern Lights brighten the perpetual winter darkness and the sun shines beyond midnight in the summer.
Places to Visit in Norway
Articles About Norway
My Honest Thoughts on Oslo, and if It’s Worth Visiting
Hiking Fløyen: One of Bergen’s Seven Peaks
Oslo Itinerary: How to Spend 2 Days in the Norwegian Capital
My Favorite Experiences in Norway
Tromsø
Feeding reindeer and exploring Norway’s biggest Arctic city.
Fløyen
Taking the cable car or hiking for the best view of Bergen.
Oslo – Bergen Railway
Enjoying the scenery on Europe’s most beautiful train journey.
Stavanger
Unique experiences in Norway’s surprisingly cool oil capital.
Must-Read Norway Travel Guides
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Planning Your Trip to Norway
Norway’s beauty is hardly a secret, but it’s not until you visit that you realize *just* how stunning this country truly is. Its extensive network of fjords and mountains are rightly at the top of many people’s bucket lists, and to be honest, one visit is not enough to truly sample everything that Norway has to offer. Even though I’ve visited over 10 times, this country always has something new to offer.
While Norway’s nature is well-documented, its cities also deserve a lot of attention. Bergen and Trondheim are two of the most picturesque in Scandinavia, while Oslo is much more interesting than it might initially seem.
How to Get to Norway
You can reach Norway internationally by air, rail, sea, and road; I’ll cover all your options below.
Flying to Norway
Norway has several international airports, including:
- Oslo Gardermoen (OSL): Norway’s busiest airport serves the capital and is well-connected to the world. You can fly directly from various European cities, in addition to Asia, North America, Africa, and the Middle East. Gardermoen Airport is well-run, clean, and just 30 minutes from Downtown Oslo.
- Bergen (BGO): The best option if you want to visit Western Norway. Well-connected to Europe, but you may have to fly to Oslo first if visiting Norway from further afield.
- Tromsø (TOS): Your best choice for visiting the Arctic. Tromsø is easy to reach from various parts of Norway, and direct flights operate from a handful of international destinations—such as London.
- Stavanger (SVG): Plenty of flights to and from the UK, Scandinavia, and various European destinations (e.g. Amsterdam and Frankfurt).
- Trondheim (TRD): Serves various flights in Scandinavia and Europe.
To fly to Svalbard, you’ll need to change in Oslo or Tromsø. Since Norway is huge, I recommend flying to the airport closest to the main activities you want to do. If you don’t find direct flights, getting a connecting flight from Oslo or Bergen is often your best option.
Arriving by Sea
Direct ferries operate between Denmark and Norway; the journey from Copenhagen takes around 18 hours and stops in Frederikshavn before continuing its onward journey. I took this trip in 2023 and can recommend it if you want to enjoy some slow travel. You sail through the islands of the Oslofjord leading into the Norwegian capital, which is lovely.
The ferry has an all-you-can-eat buffet for an additional fee, and you can also choose your rooms.
You can reach Norway by sea from Germany and Sweden, too. From Denmark, it’s also possible to sail from Hirtshals to Kristiansand, Bergen, Stavanger, and Larvik.
Getting to Norway by Train
You can reach Norway by train from Sweden; Gothenburg is just three-and-a-half hours away from Oslo. In the north, you can take the train from Northern Sweden to Narvik; the journey from Abisko is just under two hours, for example.
Reaching Norway by Road
Norway is easily reachable from Finland, Sweden, and even Denmark by road. From Copenhagen, you can drive to Oslo in just over seven hours; direct buses (7.5 hours) also operate from the Danish capital.
Direct buses also operate between Gothenburg and Oslo. If you travel from the north of Finland, it’s much easier to drive across the border than take any other form of transport.
When to Visit Norway
Norway’s cities are year-round destinations, but for other experiences, you’ll need to plan your trip around your priorities. If you want to do a lot of hiking, you should visit Norway between June and August. Similarly, you’ll need to visit in the summer if you wish to see the Midnight Sun.
To experience the unique Polar Night, you will have to visit Norway between late November and early January. Svalbard has a longer Polar Night, lasting from late October to mid-February, while the Midnight Sun in Svalbard is from 19th April to 24th August.
While summer is great for camping and road trips, winter is essential for skiing and husky sledding. Fjord tours can often be taken year-round, though some might be more seasonal.
Seasonal Lighting Differences
When traveling north of the Arctic Circle in Norway, you’ll have the opportunity to see the Northern Lights, Polar Night, and Midnight Sun—depending on when you visit. The Midnight Sun is generally visible from late May until the final few weeks of July, though this will vary depending on where you visit.
During this period, the sun never truly sets in the northern parts of Norway. It’s a perplexing and wonderful experience, regardless of whether you’ve seen the Midnight Sun before or not. While you can’t see the Midnight Sun further south (i.e., in Oslo), summer days are still very long.
On the flip side, the Polar Night is typically visible from the end of November through the start of January. During this time, the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. Most of the time, you’ll see a bluish-gray in the sky; it’ll look like dawn/dusk for a few hours before getting dark again.
You can see the Northern Lights in Norway from September to April. You’ll have much better chances if you go north of the Arctic Circle, though they are sometimes visible further south. You need a night without significant cloud cover to see them.
Tromsø is a good place to base yourself for Northern Lights tours.
Practical Information
Money
Norway uses the Norwegian Krone (NOK). Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere; I cannot remember the last time I used cash in Norway. The Norwegian Krone’s exchange rate fluctuates quite a lot, but as a general rule, I say that 1 USD is around 10 NOK.
Safety
Norway is one of the world’s safest countries, and crime rates—even in Oslo—are low. Take the usual precautions you would elsewhere, such as not showing off expensive items in touristy areas, and you shouldn’t have any issues.
Nature will pose your biggest threat. Many hiking routes are seasonal, and you should stick to routes within your level of expertise. Make sure you dress in layers, too, as the weather can change with little notice.
Language and Culture
The official languages in Norway are Norwegian and Sámi. Norwegian Bokmål is spoken by most of the population, while Nynorsk is predominantly spoken in Western Norway. Norwegian is pretty easy to learn if you speak another Germanic language.
Sámi is spoken by the native Sámi population, who live predominantly in Northern Norway. It’s in a completely different language group from Norwegian.
English is widely spoken in Norway, especially in its main urban areas. You should have no issues getting around with English. If you want to use a couple of local phrases, here are some useful ones:
- Hei (pronounced “hi): Hello
- Kan jeg få…: Can I get…
- Ja: Yes
- Nei: No
- Takk: Thank you
- Menyen: The menu
- Jeg vil gjerne ha…: I would like to have…
Nynorsk is a little harder to understand than Bokmål. For example, “jeg” (I) is “eg” in Nynorsk. However, Norway has a lot of dialects—so you’ll likely still be understood. Norwegian sentences end higher than they start.
Getting Around Norway
Norway has a comprehensive network of trains, roads, ferries, and flight routes. Public transport is very good in most of the major cities; in more rural locations, you may need a car.
Train and Bus
Norway has an excellent long-distance train network, and journeys are often stunning. Oslo to Bergen is one of the most frequented routes, but Trondheim to Bodø—the country’s longest train journey—is also popular.
Train travel in Norway is generally quite affordable if you book far enough in advance. Vy is the country’s main operator. Trains in Norway don’t go further north than Bodø, unless you take the train from Sweden to Narvik.
Bus travel is also possible, but you may experience longer journey times.
Ferry
Many Norwegian cities, including Oslo and Stavanger, have a network of ferries as part of their public transport infrastructures. If you’re traveling long distances, you can reach multiple ports via the iconic Hurtigruten ferry.
Booking longer-distance ferries in advance is a good idea; you can normally show up for public transport ferries on the day.
Flying Around Norway
Sometimes, flying around Norway is the best option. This is particularly true if you’re covering multiple areas.
Norwegian airports are efficient, and planes typically run on time. Some fares can be expensive, but generally, flying within Norway is reasonably priced. SAS, Wilderøe, and Norwegian all have comprehensive routes in Norway.
Driving in Norway
You don’t need a car if you’re visiting Oslo or Bergen, but having one is useful in more rural locations. For example, having a rental car in Lofoten is a good idea.
Road conditions in Norway are generally very good. You should be particularly careful when driving in winter as conditions can be challenging.
When driving in Norway, DO NOT underestimate the distances. When I said that the country is big, I wasn’t joking. Distances are often much further than they look on a map.
Food
Norwegian cuisine features a lot of seafood, which is unsurprising given the country’s long coastline. Salmon is a staple, and you can get some excellent fish soup in many towns and cities.
One of the most peculiar (but good, I promise) foods in Norway is brunost—which translates to brown cheese. It tastes sweeter than normal cheeses and is commonly served with waffles and jam. While my mom isn’t the biggest fan, I think it’s really good.
Pickled herring is big in Norway, too. While I thought it was disgusting at first, I’ve grown to really like it. In northern communities, meanwhile, you’ll often find reindeer on the menu.
Entry Requirements
While Norway is not in the EU, it is a member of the EEA and Schengen Area. You can visit for up to 90 days if you have an EU, EEA, or Swiss passport. Nordic citizens are allowed to stay indefinitely.
Some nationalities can stay for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. These include:
- The UK
- The US
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- Singapore
The full list of visa-exempt countries is here.
Some people will need a visa to visit Norway. You can use this page to determine if you need a tourist visa.
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