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When
to Travel to Norway:
Best: May-Sept
The Midnight Sun occurs in the far north from mid-June to mid-July.
Worst: Winter [short, dark days], unless you want to either ski
or see the northern lights.
Norway
Tours
Tour operators offering travel around Norway can be found
in our listings here: Norway Tours
Length
of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: 4 days, Oslo - Bergen.
A reasonable time: 10 days.
Norway
festival information:
Easter, *Sami [Lapp] traditional celebrations in the north, esp.
Karasjok, including reindeer racing.
May 17, ***Constitution Day - the country's most colourful day,
with national costumes coming out of the closet.
June, *Midsummer's Eve Big parties and big, beach bonfires.
For
some precise dates see: European
Festivals or Arts
Festivals.
Activities
guide:
Driving: an excellent way to explore
the land, with stupendous views and totally safe native drivers,
but watch out for elk [moose].
Biking: surprisingly common considering
the hilly nature and grand distances of the country, but bike hire
is readily available just about anywhere. Car drivers are very
careful and competent.
Hiking: plenty of great hikes not far
from Oslo, from plateaux to glaciers. Geiranger and Jotunheimen
are renowned hiking spots.
Fishing: fjord fishing has to be at
the apex of ambient fishy experiences, tho' freshwater fishing is
also available. Licences are necessary and readily available.
Skiing: all year round, with glacier
skiing in summer time, esp. around Jotunheimen.
Boat Cruises: short or long fjord cruising
is one of the must-dos here, and Sognefjord is the classic spot.
Mountain climbing: if you can handle
low temperatures there's no shortage of serious, beautiful climbs
along the whole length of the country, but stick to summertime!
White water rafting: from half a day
to 2 days.
Museums/galleries:
The Viking Museum with three real ships, the Kon-Tiki Museum and
the huge open-air Norwegian Folk Museum are all in Oslo and interesting.
Visas:
EU citizens and nationals of USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
do not need a visa for up to 3 months travel in Norway; other
Scandinavians don't even require a passport.
Electricity
Guide:
Electric sockets are 230v and take 2 round pin plugs.
Language
advice:
As usual in Scandinavia, many locals speak English though learning
basic greetings is worth the trouble.
Money:
The Krone is the local currency and you'll need a lot of them
to enjoy Norway. Fast food and/or camping can keep expenses down.
Tipping is not strictly necessary in restaurants, but 5-10% for
waiters and taxi drivers seems to be accepted practice.
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Why
Travel to Norway?
This country is primarily about monumental
views of mountains, fjords, waterfalls and glaciers with the occasional
stave church [picture top right] thrown in.
Outdoor experiences range from spectacular summer walks to year
round skiing, though coach potatoes will also be pleasured by superbly
scenic train,
bus, ferry and self-drive car trips.
It's also clean and efficient, safer than just about any country
barring Japan and Scandinavian siblings, and has the most careful
and law-abiding drivers I've ever been held up by.
Downside:
- Like the rest of Scandinavia it's expensive, especially alcohol.
- Booze is also not that easy to find out of town centres since
most Norwegians drink at home.
- Urban life is often less than wildly exciting, particularly if
you have a tight budget.
Main
attractions in Norway:
**Oslo. Not a particularly attractive
city but it's a good place to stroll and worth a day or two for
the museums, Viking relics and especially the amazing sculpture
park, Vigeland. More
information in Oslo Travel Guide.
**Risor [2/3 hours south of Oslo],
a very picturesque fishing village.
***Bergen. This port town, with its
evocative mass of pretty wooden buildings and plentiful culture,
is a popular trip from Oslo - the 7 hour train ride is a scenic
masterpiece - and a natural starting point for fjordland experiences.
***Fjords. You can't leave Norway without
cruising the stunning fjords. Geirangerfjord and Sognefjord are
the two prettiest, with the former offering a terrific waterfalls
bonus while the latter is nearer to Bergen.
*** Geiranger, on the fjord shore.
A tiny village surrounded by mountains, waterfalls and tourists,
this is prime hiking country, but book accommodation in advance.
*** Jostedalsbreen National Park is
a popular hiking destination with many well marked trails, plentiful
accommodation, and natural splendour in spades, including 50 glaciers.
**Tromso. Way up north and well into
the arctic circle Tromso [aka 'Gateway to the Arctic'] is unusually
lively and culturally rich, possibly due to the world's most northern
university being situated there. This is a good base for winter
skiing or summer wilderness hiking.
Travel in Norway:
Buses, trains and domestic planes are highly efficient, though
not frequent and costly.
This is a great country for self drive, with magnificent views
and safe roads, but car hire is expensive. Bring your own wheels!
Safety
Guide:
No worries at all here unless having your car savaged by an elk
is a problem for you.
Cuisine:
A great place for lovers of excellent and varied seafood or exotic
meat dishes such as reindeer or elk, but oceanically deep pockets
will be required.
Vegetarians will have a hard time finding anything interesting to
eat.
Many travellers on a budget survive on fast food, sandwiches at
Konditori [bakeries], or supermarket purchases, with opportunistic
stuffing at hotel breakfast buffets.
If
you plan to travel Norway you may find these other Bugbog guides
useful:
Finland
Guide | Iceland
Guide | Russia
Travel
Stockholm
Guide | Copenhagen
Travel
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