Travel guide to Norway

Norway is a magnificent country for nature lovers. It owns very beautiful scenery - many fjords and high mountains. Norway is consequently an excellent choice for mountain climbing, hiking or a boat-trip along the many fjords.

Facts

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Local name
Kongeriket Norge
Capital
Oslo (494,793)
Size
323,758 km2
Principal Languages
Norwegian
Principal Religion
Christianity
Inhabitants
4,417,599
Government
Monarchy
Geography
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.

Travel preparation

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Best time to visit

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.

Literature

Lonely Planet Norway Fordor's Norway

Local conditions

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Currency

Norwegian kroner (NOK)

Net cafes

It is not difficult to find an Internet café in Norway. Most of them are situated in the large cities such as Oslo and Bergen, but there are also Internet connections in the remote areas. It is not inexpensive but in return the cafés are good and will contain several computers and bars.

In case of emergency

The police and fire service (112) Ambulance (113)

Timezone

When the time is 11.00 in Britain, it is 12.00 in Norway

Weight and Measures

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

Photography

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

Drinking water

You can drink the tap water in Norway.

Electricity

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

Behaviour

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

Business Hours

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.

Food and drink

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 .

Disabled travellers

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.

Holidays

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

Accommodation / Hotel

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Camping

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

Hotels

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.

Bed og breakfast or guesthouse

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.

Hostels

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.

Other Accommodation

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

Local transport

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Planes

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

Bus

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

Taxi

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.

Car rental

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.

Boat or Ferry

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.

Special conditions

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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.
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