Hi
I am in Oslo for 4 nights later this month and will travel to Bergen for 5 nights via direct train (ticket already bought).
Are there any travel passes that the group may recommend for both Oslo and Bergen which may offer discount on not only rail but also on Fjord cruises and other sightseeing attractions.
Also, is there Uber or local version of riding hailing app in Norway? Will appreciate the name
thanks
For Oslo, the Oslo pass might be worth considering: https://www.visitoslo.com/no/aktiviteter-og-attraksjoner/oslo-pass/ But there are regular tickets as well if you just want to travel around the city. They are a bit cheaper, a 24 h-ticket costs 121 kr for 1 zone and a 7 day-ticket is 335 kr for one zone. If you're only travelling around central Oslo, 1 zone should be more than enough. No combined passes in Bergen, but you can buy a 24-hour ticket or a 7 day-ticket for the local buses and trams.
For app travel, have a look at Taxifix for Oslo, https://taxifix.no/booking and 07000 for Bergen, https://delivr.com/1byci But you should only use them in an emergency in my opinion.
We were just in Norway last month. We didn't use any transportation or sightseeing passes. But we used apps on our phone for train to/from airport and for the local bus/tram systems in Oslo and Bergen. Very easy to use. And Uber worked well both cities too.
https://www.vy.no/en/traffic-and-routes/airport-trains-and-buses
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vy/id439655098
https://ruter.no/en/journey/the-ruter-app/
https://www.skyss.no/en/tickets-and-prices/buying-tickets/skyss-ticket-app/
All the public transportation we were on you just walk on, nowhere to show your ticket as you boarded. And only once in about 10 rides did we ever see a ticket inspector. But you do have to have a ticket on your phone or otherwise in advance. Do allow yourself a minute or two to book the ticket before you board as it has a slight delay to load I think to prevent you buying the ticket just when you see the ticket inspector. And do download the apps and put your credit card information in at home before you go. We had some issue with other apps not taking our credit cards once we were in Norway. Finally, you can buy a ticket for more than one person on your phone. I had the apps on my phone so I purchased the tickets for the two of us both.
Enjoy the planning!
Thank you for all your useful tips. Will definitely download and get the apps running.
How's the weather expectation in Norway in July last week/August 1st week. ?Any clothing advice? Do we need to pack in a windbreaker kind light jacket or something heavier? Rain coat? denim and sneakers fine?
Apologies for basic questions but we will be travelling with young kids from the Middle East and do not want to pack inappropriately nor overpack.
regards
Definitely a waterproof jacket for everyone; that can serve as a windbreaker, which is also likely to be useful. I was glad to have waterproof shoes, but it probably won't be so cold that your feet will absolutely freeze if they get soaked, and I guess you probably don't already have waterproof shoes for the family. That's not an expense I'd want to incur if I lived in a hot, dry climate and was making just a brief trip to Northern Europe.
I also used a merino-wool underlayer under my slacks because I am cold-natured and I knew I'd get wet below the waist since I had only a rain jacket with me. Worn under 97% nylon slacks, that extra layer helped keep me comfortable on chilly, wet days. The nylon slacks tended to shed water rather than absorbing it, but they still ended up somewhat damp. (As for denim, what would soaking-wet jeans feel like when the temperature's 52F/11C?) Note that I was in Norway for nearly 3 weeks, with many more weeks in Sweden and Finland, so I had a lot of potential exposure to cool, wet weather to consider.
Norway--especially the west coast (including Bergen)--gets a great deal of rain. On rainy days the temperature can get rather cool--and Bergen is rarely really warm because it is overcast so much of the time, so everyone should have a warm layer (like a light fleece jacket) that can be worn under the rain jacket.
To get a good idea of the range of weather I may experience at a particular destination, I like to check the actual, historical, day-by-day weather data on the website timeanddate.com.
I've linked you to the data for July 2022, but it's really important to check multiple years, because weather is highly variable. I normally look at the most recent five years' worth of data. You'll want to check early August as well. Use the pull-down box at the right above the graph to change the month and year displayed.
