Getting Around

Getting Around by Water

All coastal towns are served by ferries, catamarans and hydrofoils. The Hurtigruten (Coastal Express) (tel: 0845 225 6640, in the UK; www.hurtigruten.co.uk) from Bergen to Kirkenes (near the Russian border) takes 12 days round trip, leaving daily and stopping at 34 ports on the west coast. Various ferry trips are available (half price in spring and autumn). There are also numerous companies operating cruises on Norway's spectacular fjords, one of which is Norway Fjord Cruise AS (tel: 5765 6999; www.fjordcruise.no).

Rail Passes

InterRail One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Norway. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Getting Around by Road

Traffic drives on the right. The road system is of variable quality (especially under freezing winter conditions in the north), but supplemented by numerous car ferries across the fjords.

Bus: Principal long-distance internal bus routes are from Bø (in Telemark) to Haugesund (journey time - 8 hours); and from Ålesund-Molde-Trondheim (journey time - 8 hours) with links to the Bø line in the north. There is an express bus service to/from Bergen and Oslo every day, departing from and arriving at Trondheim Central Station, which is also the centre for all the district buses. Contact NOR-WAY Bussekspress AS for seat reservations and information (tel: 8154 4444; www.nor-way.no). The official Rutehefte is a must for anyone using public transport, and gives extensive timetable information and maps of all bus, train, ferry and air routes.

Taxi: In most cases, fares are metered. You can find taxis at designated ranks or book them by telephone, but they can't be hailed on the street. It is not customary to tip drivers.

Car hire: Available in airports and most towns, but costly; in general, problems of low speed limits, difficult roads, cost and parking make public transport more practical and convenient. It is also possible to hire bicycles.

Regulations: The minimum age for driving is 18. Tolls are charged on certain cross-country roads, underwater tunnels and in certain cities such as Bergen, Oslo and Trondheim. There are severe penalties (usually involving imprisonment) for drink driving, and fines for illegal parking are high. Fines for speeding are even higher, so keep an eye on your speedometer, and watch out for speedboxes. Seat belts are compulsory. Children under 12 years of age must travel in the back of the car. It is obligatory for all vehicles to drive with dipped headlights at all times. This includes motorcycles and mopeds. Carrying spare headlight bulbs is recommended. Speed limits are 80, 90 and rarely 100kph (50, 56 and 61mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Snow chains or winter tyres are advised during the winter (however, most urban areas now levy a toll on vehicles with studded tyres). More information on driving in Norway is available from the Norwegian Automobile Association (NAF) (tel: 9260 8505; www.naf.no). 

Documentation: International Driving Permit or national driving licence and log book are required. A Green Card is strongly recommended (for those with more than third party cover on their domestic policy). Without it, visitors with motor insurance in their own countries are allowed the minimum legal cover in Norway; the Green Card tops this up to the level of cover provided by the visitor's own policy.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

Generally excellent public transport systems operate in the main towns. Oslo has bus, rail, metro, ferry and tramway services. Tickets are pre-purchased and self-cancelled, and there is one hour's free transfer between any of the modes. Meters on taxis are obligatory.

Bergen has a good bus and tram network, a funicular and an aerial tramway giving access to two of the surrounding mountains. Trondheim has a comprehensive bus network, and one tram line linking the city centre with Lian, a major ski centre high above the city. Other cities rely on buses for public transport.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Oslo to other major cities/towns in Norway.
 

Getting Around by Rail

NSB (Norwegian State Railways) (tel: 8150 0888 (dial '4' for an English-speaking operator); www.nsb.no) runs all rail services. The main internal routes are: Oslo-Trondheim (Dovre Line); Trondheim-Bodø (Nordland Railway); Oslo-Bergen (Bergen Railway); and Oslo-Stavanger (Sørland Railway).

Overnight sleeper services operate on some routes, including the Oslo-Bergen, Oslo-Trondheim and Trondheim-Bodø lines.

You must reserve seats on express trains. There are buffet/restaurant cars on some trains, and sleepers on long-distance overnight services. Heavy luggage may be sent in advance. Children under four years of age travel free; children four to 14 years of age pay half fare.

Recent years have seen the introduction of tilting trains on some routes, which have significantly cut journey times, particularly between Trondheim and Oslo (minimum journey time now around 6 hours 45 minutes), and between Bergen and Oslo (7 hours 30 minutes).