Oslo, Norway

Most important, if you're relying on public transportation (train, subway, bus, ferry) pack light so you can manage 1 or 2 bags/pieces of luggage on your own, and with free hands. I can't get by with just a backpack or just 1 carry-on size suitcase, so I use 1 of each. I can travel for 2 full weeks with that which includes 1 extra pair of shoes, too.

What is your spending maximum for your trip? Figure that out and then search for lodging that fits your budget and expectations. Tripadvisor is useful to read reviews and find suggestions, paired with Google maps for locations.

I've found that hotel prices for the 7 cities and towns we're staying throughout Norway really aren't that different in price from types of hotels we stay at in the US. We like to book smaller, independent hotels when we can and stay at hotels that offer breakfast in the price for the room. Most hotels in countries we've visited offer breakfast.

I've reviewed menus online at some restaurants in a couple of the cities we're staying, and food may be a bit more expensive compared to the US in some cases, but not all.

Norway is expensive. If you're traveling in the summer, you may get a bit of a break on hotel costs if you want to stay in the sort of places business folks use, because they will not be making a lot of work trips at that time of year. In other words, chain hotels may be less expensive than one might fear. If you're pinching pennies, I can recommend Coch's Pensjonat: https://www.cochspensjonat.no/ Its rooms are basic, but all the necessities are there. For many people it would be a tram ride to the sights, but it would be a quick tram ride. I'd stay there again. The one thing that annoyed me was that, rather than having a hair dryer in each room, they keep them at the desk and you need to return them after using them. I wash my hair every day, and that was irritating. (It's the owner's rule, not something the staff people like.)

Sit-down restaurants in Norway are relatively pricey. If you go to the sort of place where you order at the counter, that will keep costs down to some degree. I confess to having eaten a lot of Wasa crisp bread, cheese, yogurt and bananas--the sort of thing easy to find at little grocery stores.

Our family found that many things we enjoyed in Oslo were relatively inexpensive. We stayed at Thon Hotel Cecil near Parliament, and it was good value for the money. Breakfast was enormous and had lots of options, and no one looked at us funny if we happened to take a piece of fruit or a small sandwich with us for later. They also had mid afternoon snacks, and a grocery store was close by—about 500 feet away. We didn’t eat out every meal as a result. We enjoyed the fortress, the harbor, city hall, the museums at Bygdoy, the opera house, the parks near the royal palace, and the beer gardens! Trams were convenient and inexpensive. Vigeland Park was also a favorite. Loved the Norsk Folkemuseum! So many things to see in Oslo—and such kind people. Norway is one of the best places we have ever been. Would love to return someday.

Two comments:

To me the best part of Oslo is Frogner Parken.

Consider an apartment instead of a hotel. If you are staying a week, you can stock up on breakfast and light dinners. Food is expensive in Norway, but the supermarket is still cheaper than a restaurant.

We enjoy spending a couple of hours over breakfast and a cup of coffee in the afternoon. And then we make a salad or a sandwich or a TV dinner in the evening. Lunch is eaten wherever we are sightseeing.

My room at Coch's Pensjonat had a mini-fridge and even a microwave, though I didn't use the m/w. I don't know whether all the rooms are so equipped.