We will be in Oslo in early July and trying to finalize lodging plans. I posted earlier about two hotels in Oslo city center we were looking at but now considering the Frogner area.
Appreciate views on Frogner as a base for 3 nights in Oslo. We like to walk so being a little out of the main center doesn’t concern us.
*corrected spelling: Frogner
Do you mean Frogner?
What did you want to do in Oslo? Check the transport to places like Bygdøy or Akershus Fortress or other spots where you want to visit.
City center was my choice. Why the appeal of staying near Frogner? We did walk back to city center after taking a taxi to Frogner for explorations. Fine for a one time, but I would have been using public transport often if staying in the area. Taxis aren’t as convenient as most cities - we had to negotiate a fare and several refused our trips to standard tourist spots claiming they didn’t know the route. We still walked a lot from city center.
The description of the Frogner neighborhood — quieter, historic — appealed to us, but the issues you flag are worth considering. Thank you.
Also corrected my original post — yes, misspelled. Should read Frogner!
The trams are easy to use and Frogner is very well connected. Oslo is also relatively compact and not too hilly, ideal for walking. We enjoyed the neighborhood feel and architecture, plenty of restaurants etc. It’s a fairly upscale area and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there as long as you’re close to a tram stop for when you have tired feet.
Frogner is not a bad place if you're looking to stay a bit outside the centre. Much calmer than the city centre but a nice area and a decent selection of shops and restaurants. Well connected to the city centre as well as long as you stay within a reasonable distance of a tram stop.
The only issues I see mentioned so far is trying to use taxis to get around Oslo.
I wouldn't plan to use taxis. They are likely to be shockingly expensive. But public transit is very good.
Frogner is distinctly uphill from the center of the city. I stayed at Coch's Pensonjat (and would heartily recommend it to other serious budget travelers), and most of the time I did the walk both downhill and back uphill at the end of the day. But the Frogner area may be even more uphill (I don't remember), and it's far from nearly all the traditional Oslo sights than I was except perhaps those in the Aker Brygge area. I took transit from my hotel to Frogner Park. I must have been in a hurry, because I know Rick has nice things to say about the area around Bogstadveien/Hegdehaugsveien/Majorstuen, and I missed that area.
Incidentally, if you're flying into Oslo, you can take one of the regular trains into town that stops at the Nationaltheatret Stasjon, which is a lot closer to Frogner than Oslo Sentralstasjon is. As of 2022 a ticket on that train allowed one to use public transit for the next hour or so, making it possible to hop on a bus or tram to cover most of the distance to a hotel. Of course, you can use that same feature if you take a regular train and get off at Oslo Sentralstasjon.
I think this decision (aside from potential financial aspects of it) comes down to how you prioritize traditional sightseeing and wandering around interesting neighborhoods. I very much enjoy both.
