Travel guide to Norway

Kongeriket Norge

Oslo (494,793)

323,758 km2

Norwegian

Christianity

4,417,599

Monarchy

A large part of Norway is uninhabited because the landscape consists of mountains, glaciers, cliffs, rivers and waterfalls. The Norwegian east coast is green with rivers and lakes, whereas the west coast, benefiting from the Gulf Stream, is sometimes lashed by severe rainfall. If you go north to the North Cape you will experience a very rough wasteland where it is difficult for trees and plants to survive.

You can visit Norway all year around. During the winter the challenging alpine skiing areas and the beautiful cross-country routes tempt, whereas the summer offers lovely bright Northern nights, fishing trips and hiking in beautiful natural scenery. Norway is fantastic all year around and has something on offer for everybody.

Lonely Planet Norway
Fordor's Norway

In Norway, the following units of weight and measurement are used:
Length: metre
Weight: kilo
Liquid: litre

In Norway it is allowed to photograph everything. However, ask for permission before taking photos of persons.

You can drink the tap water in Norway.

In Norway is the following power source is used:
220volt AC/50Hz

Notice that smoking is not allowed in most public buildings. The Norwegians are usually very punctual, and being late is not welcome.

Banks are open from 9.00 to 15.30 (Monday-Friday), however most banks are open until 17.00 on Thursdays. Shops are open from 9.00 to 17.00/18.00 (Monday-Friday) and from 9.00 to 15.00/16.00 (Saturday). Furthermore, it is common that shops are open one night every week, which is Thursdays in Oslo.

If you do not eat fish and shellfish, you should not go to Northern Norway and Western Norway - because that is all that they eat there. Cod and kveite are the most popular fish and are eaten freshly killed. Drinks are expensive in Norway especially if you want alcohol. However the range is wide, but if you consider the alcohol to be too expensive - try the country's pure drinking water instead .

There are excellent facilities for disabled travellers in Norway. There is no other country with better facilities, and it does not matter where in the country you are, there are always special facilities for the disabled.

New Years Day, 1st January
Labour Day, 1st May
National Day, 17th May
Christmas Day, 25th December
Day after Christmas Day, 26th December
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day, March or April
The Ascension, May
Whitsunday, May or June

There are plenty of hotels in Norway and the quality is high. In several places in Norway it is also possible to rent guesthouses and mountain cottages. There are approximately 100 hostels spread all over the country. Furthermore there are many good camping possibilities. A special accommodation option is the Rorbu, which is a cottage used by fishermen during the winter period. Rorbus available for rent are equipped with up-to-date facilities.
Book your Hotel in Norway here

In Norway there are plenty of camping sites with good facilities, and furthermore it is possible to camp out in the open.

There are many hotels in Norway of high quality. Luxurious hotels are all over the country, whereas it may be difficult to find an inexpensive Hotel.

It is possible to rent guesthouses and mountain cottages in many places in Norway. They are often small and have less modern facilities as the hotels, but they are of a fine standard.

There are approximately 100 hostels spread all over the country. Anybody can rent a room here, but 'The Norwegian Hostel Union' (Den norske Sammenslutning af Hostels) members have priority.

Rorbu is a kind of fishing cottage, which is used by the fishermen during the winter. They are inexpensive and have good facilities.

There are domestic Flights between the large cities in Norway, and the railway is well developed and is a comfortable and nice way to travel. However, the trains do not go all the way up north. In return, there is excellent bus traffic for most places in Norway, including the northern part of Norway. Furthermore, there is good ferry service. It is also possible to rent a car, which may be a challenge because of the mountainous landscape.

There are domestic Flights between the large cities in Norway, however it is an expensive way to travel.

There are several coaches in Norway, and moreover, most cities have local bus lines.

You can get a taxi at the taxistand or by telephone. Most taxis have a faremeter and you get a taxi in almost every town in Norway.

It is possible to rent cars in all large cities and at the airports. However, it is often expensive and an inconvenient way to travel around in Norway.

Ferries, catamarans and flying boats leave from all coast towns in Norway. The express service from Bergen to Kirkeness (close to the Russian border) is an exciting trip, which takes 11 days.

Norway has beautiful scenery, and if you want to see the most beautiful part of it, then take the 470km long train trip from Oslo to Bergen.

 • Eastern Norway
 • Northern Norway
 • Southern Norway
 • Western Norway

 • Kirkenes
 • Kristiansand
 • Oslo
 • Risor
 • Tromso