Welcome to the World      

      Search | Sitemap | Advertise | Text Version

International airlines link Oslo with most major European cities. Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim also have international airports. There is no departure tax when leaving Norway. Trains run daily from Oslo to Copenhagen in Denmark and to Helsingborg and Stockholm in Sweden. There are also trains to Stockholm from Trondheim and Narvik. Numerous highways and secondary roads link Norway with Finland and Sweden. A bus and a catamaran service link Kirkenes in northern Norway with Murmansk in Russia. There are also ferries to/from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Money and Costs

Currency: Norwegian krone (Nkr)

Meals


• Budget: US$8-10

• Mid-range: US$10-25

• Top-end: US$25 and upwards
  
  Lodging
  

• Budget: US$10-50

• Mid-range: US$50-125

• Top-end hotel: US$125 and upwards

Norway can be very expensive, but if you tighten your belt there are ways to take out some of the sting. If you use only camping grounds and prepare your own meals you might squeak by for under US$30 a day. If you stay at hostels, breakfast at a bakery, lunch at an inexpensive restaurant and shop at a grocery store for dinner, you should be able to get by for US$45 a day. If you stay at 'cheap' hotels that include a buffet breakfast, have one meal at a moderately priced restaurant and snack for the other meal, expect to spend US$60 a day. This is still pretty bare-bones - entertainment, alcohol and transport costs are all extra.

Post offices and banks exchange major foreign currencies and accept all travellers' cheques. Some banks charge a fee per cheque so you'll save money bringing travellers' cheques in higher denominations. ATMs are widespread and all major credit cards are widely accepted.

Tipping is increasingly common in Norway. There are no set rules to abide by, but most customers leave small change at bars and 5-10% at restaurants. Wait staff are often paid derisory wages on the assumption that tips will boost their salaries, so think twice about leaving a bare table at meal's end. Taxi drivers also expect a small tip. Bargaining for services or goods is not a usual practice.