Practical information

Arrival & public transportation

The main airport is Oslo-Gardermoen, a small and efficient facility to the north of Oslo, which also offers eduroam. From there it takes about 25 min by train to the city center, either using the private Flytoget service for 190 NOK per trip, or the local NSB trains R10 to Drammen, R11 to Skien, or L12 to Kongsberg at the cost of 93 NOK per trip (from zone 4N to zone 1). In any case, you must have a valid ticket before boarding the means of transportation. If you intend to use public transportation during your stay (which is quite convenient and reliable in Oslo), you can even get it cheaper: The service (metro, street cars, buses, ferries) is provided through Ruter, and their website is informative and well-structured. A convenient planning tool is their app RuterReise. Ruter tickets are also valid on NSB trains in Oslo and Akershus. To get tickets, you can use the app RuterBillett in case you have a credit card from the right country (see the FAQ on the app's page), or you need to obtain a Travelcard for 50 NOK from one of the numerous small shops (Narvesen, 7-Eleven). While you are at it, you can already charge it with (most of) the tickets you may need when you buy it. Otherwise, all the metro stations have machines for this purpose. You probably want a 7-day ticket for zone 1, which covers all of Oslo and costs 240 NOK. What you then need for taking the NSB train is a supplementary ticket for 3 zones (60 NOK) for each trip. That means you may have essentially full coverage for 360 (+50) NOK, including the airport trips.
 

Accommodation

If your accommodation is not arranged through the organizers, we suggest to choose a place with a convenient connection to the campus at Blindern (via metro or street car). Hotel chains like Thon and Scandic offer pleasant accommodation at different price levels. There are also very many options for airbnb-stays and alike. If you are looking for neighborhoods with a particular flair, we might be able to provide some useful information on that.

 

Groceries  

The common supermarket chains are Coop, Kiwi, Meny, Rema 1000. Smaller versions, often with extended opening hours are Bunnpris, Joker. If the fridge is completely empty and it is fairly late (or early), there is still Narvesen and 7-Eleven to satisfy basic needs. The general rule is that there is always something near your place, as long as you are in the center. If you want that little bit more, try Jacob's Majorstuen.
 
 

Dining

There are plenty of places to enjoy a delicious meal as you can see here or here (in Norwegian), but one should say that it is relatively expensive compared to most other places in the world. If you don't (need to) mind the price, there are some very distinguished restaurants in Oslo that offer gourmet adventures.

 

Paying by card

Oslo (possibly Norway in general) is a place, where you can pay almost everything everywhere electronically (card or even through apps in some places), for instance at the small Christmas market shops or when you buy a coffee. So you probably don't need to withdraw huge amounts of cash, but just a little in case you end up at one of the rare spots where they ask for bills & coins (kun kontant).

 

Sightseeing

There are plenty of things to see/visit/do in Oslo in December, for instance

  • Frognerparken/ Vigelandsparken 
  • Holmenkollen ski jump and museum
  • the city hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded
  • the Nobel Peace Center with exhibitions related to the latest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
  • the National Gallery (showing Munch's famous The Scream; free admission on Thursdays)
  • shopping on Karl Johans Gate, or at Steen og Strøm, or...
  • the vibrant neighborhood of Grünerløkka
  • Mathallen
  • walk around the peninsula Bygdøy with its Fram Museum, Kon-Tiki Museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum
  • hiking/cross-country skiing in Oslo's city woods featuring some beautiful lakes and huts (stua), where you can get a waffle and a hot drink
  • skiing at one of the nearer resorts around Oslo (depending on the weather, some of them you can reach using public transport in zone 1)
Published June 22, 2017 11:24 AM - Last modified Nov. 22, 2023 10:35 AM
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