Destinations
Homeland of the Vikings Norway invites you to enjoy the harsh northern romance: swim in a fjord cruise, stand under the northern lights and take a walk in the melancholy Oslo. National parks, Troll Road and excellent fishing are all about Norway.
The land of fjords, ice and the aurora borealis, Norway is probably the “Vikingsest” country in the whole globe. Only Vikings and Valkyries are born here, for which everything is in vain: cold, impenetrable forests, harsh northern nature. In addition, the Norwegians have a straightforward manic attraction to dangerous measures. Frithof Nansen, for example, when skiing from his native country at the young age of 27, walked across all of Greenland, and then headed an expedition to the North Pole and opened up a bunch of territories along the way. And not less famous Tour Heyerdahl not only lived like Robinson on a deserted island in the Marquesas Archipelago all year long, so after that the Pacific Ocean from South America to Polynesia (neither much nor 8000 km!) – and it is on a primitive raft on sailing draft. The secret of success that Norway shares with its citizens is most accurately voiced by Heyerdahl himself. “Borders?” He said. “I heard they existed, but I never saw them.”
Accommodation in Norwegian hotels is more expensive than the average in Europe, but you do not have to despair: there are discounts on weekends, for large companies and families are offered special rates, and the choice of places to spend is huge. Demanding travelers should pay more attention to luxury chain hotels or historic De Historiske hotels in ancient buildings with carefully restored interiors. Ecotourism enthusiasts are encouraged to visit traditional farms and huts, as well as Rohrbach fishing lodges surrounded by fjords. The most affordable option is youth camps and hostels.
A bed at the Oslo Hostel costs from 500 NOK per day, a 2* room is from 700 NOK, and at a 5* rate is from 1500 NOK. You will have to pay from 500-600 NOK per day (rooms in private homes) for accommodation in Flom. Stavanger Three Rooms – 700-800 NOK per night, Historic Hotel Accommodations – 1100 NOK in Geilo and up to 3400 NOK in Beckyarwick.
The harsh northern climate has forced Norwegians to eat well. Traditions are still preserved today: the main course at the local tables is fish and meat prepared with a simple recipe, as well as milk, bread, porridge and a minimum of sauces to preserve the natural taste of the products. In Norway, they love the gifts of the sea: herring, salmon, trout and halibut they put in soups, pies and hot dishes, except they do not put them in desserts.
The main delicacies are shrimp, whale meat, legumes and venison.
The most interesting of the traditional dishes – soaked in meadow and water cod “lutefisk”, fermented trout “rakfisk”, lamb with potatoes and cabbage “forikol”, smoked or fried salmon “lask”. For meateaters with strong nerves, we recommend stewed lamb’s head “smalahove”. Goat cheese “brunost” has a unique taste, reminiscent of salt condensed milk. Norwegian pork is almost never eaten, and vegetables are cooked except for potatoes – the most popular garnish and the main component of dry cakes “lefse”, which is here instead of bread. The first thing you should try is a fish soup, a snack – a cold sandwich “smørrebrød”, for dessert – a wafer cookie “krumkeik”.
The most common catering option in Norway is fish restaurants and homemade pastries that make all sorts of buns and pies. Fast food network points are closing in large numbers: conscious Norwegians are giving up fast food. There are plenty of bars where you can sample local beers or a warming jug. Popular cafes, as well as establishments with European and Japanese cuisines.
Materials are from the site: tonkosti.ru
There are several international airports in Norway: in Oslo, Bergen, Kirkenes and Svalbard. The largest air hub, Gardermoen, is based in the capital. AirBaltic regularly departs here from Kiev with a change in Riga: departure from Boryspil, duration of flight – 4 hours 30 minutes.
From Odessa to Oslo it is possible to fly only with transfers: «AirBaltic» take via Riga (from 6 hours), and «TurkishAirlines» – via Istanbul.
The cost of a ferry ride from Sweden to Norway depends on many factors. From the age of the passenger, whether he will take food, whether or not he has a bicycle, a motorcycle, a car and what dimensions.
ColorLine operates the route from the Swedish Strömstad to the Norwegian Sandefjord. Ferries depart several times a day throughout the week, duration is 2.5 hours and cost for an adult without a car approximately 18.60 EUR. A seat at the restaurant table will help to brighten up the trip, but the ticket price will then rise to 34.60 EUR. Children under the age of 4 travel free of charge, the presence of a motorcycle will cost a trip of 11 EUR, the bike – 3 EUR. If a car is added up to 2 m in height and 5 m in length, the trip will cost 41 EUR. However, if the number of passengers is greater (up to 5 people), a discount is issued and the total price is already 25 EUR. It is very profitable to take such a package even in the high season, from mid-June to mid-August, when prices increase by about 3-4 EUR.
Train
Norway has a railway and consists of 9 main thoroughfares connecting almost all major cities. The trains are comfortable, with sockets and free Wi-Fi (though you will need to create a profile on the Norwegian Railways’ official website to use them). Tickets come in two categories: standard, refundable, and Minipris – non-refundable, but cheaper. You can buy them online, at vending machines at stations or on trains themselves, with an allowance of around 40 NOK.
The largest bus operator is Nor-Way Busexpress, there are also budget and luxury carriers. Most buses are equipped with dry closets, air conditioning and other amenities. Estimated cost of the trip from the capital to Flom – 520 NOK.
In the western part of Norway, which is along and across cut by deep-sea fjords, the most convenient and fastest way of movement – on water. Most ferries, high-speed vessels and catamarans go frequently, with no waiting issues. Ferry fares are cash only, credit cards are not accepted.
Most Norwegian cities have buses and trams, the capital and surrounding areas are covered by a network of bus lines, subways (T-bane), trams and ferries. A one-way ticket to any type of Oslo transport costs 35 NOK (all zones – 123 NOK) and is valid for one hour after composting (bicycle fare is charged separately). Daily travel – 105 NOK per area (237 NOK for all), monthly – 736/1876 NOK respectively.
Renting a car requires an international driving license, credit card and paid insurance (or a cash deposit, the amount of which depends on the type of car). Minimum driver age is 18 years.
You can rent a compact car for NOK 570 per day, station wagon for NOK 660, premium model or SUV for NOK 1050. There are serious fines in the country for lack of seat belt (NOK 2700), red light (NOK 5000) and especially for driving while intoxicated (NOK 6000-10,000 depending on the amount of drinking). All parking in the country is paid, and outside of it is impossible to park. You will also have to pay for entry by car between Oslo and Bergen.
Taxis are quite expensive and operate only within cities. Credit cards accepted. All machines are radio-modified, so you can order them from any phone, as well as catch in special parking lots or right outside. The landing is from NOK 40, each km of the journey is from NOK 10.
Drammen (36.01km)
Lillestrøm (17.21km)
Fredrikstad (78.08km)
Sandefjord (92.20km)
Norwegian krone, kr
FIN, SWE, RUS
40.67 kr
175.00 kr
+47
