Hello - I'm thinking of going in either July (when the days are longer and the weather appears to be warmer) or September (around Labor Day in the US) when the prices appears to be lower and there are less tourists. Any suggestions between the two? I would prefer September as I've had good experiences traveling at that time.
Dan
It depends very much on where you intend to go and what you want to do. If you want to go hiking and/or further north, then weather is more important. Do you want to rent a car and drive to more remote places? If you only want to see Oslo, Bergen and the Norway in a Nutshell trip between them, then I guess weather is less important.
I went with a group of 17 friends to Norway this August. Every 2 years in September this same group of friends goes on a trip to Europe someplace. One of the group has a good friend that lives in Stavanger and he advised us that September would not be as good for travel weather wise. This was our 5th trip and for the first time we opted out of Sept and we went instead August 1 - 14. We had some rain but overall good weather. And even then it was pretty chilly when we had our farm stay in the mountains. Several of our group also spent time in Copenhagen and Stockholm first and in none of the areas did we feel that we had any noticeable tourist crowds.
Norway's main attractions are outdoors, so increased number of tourists will never feel like a busy July day at the Louvre or Vatican museum. I wouldn't let that be a determinate for the time of year you visit.
In the far north (of Europe), the weather often "goes south" in September--Rains and colder temperatures specifically.
We were there a year ago in September, and were fortunate to have unusually nice weather. It never gets really hot up there, however. You may or may not be as fortunate if you went the first week of September.
We traveled by cruise ship to all the major cities north of Copenhagen. You'll really enjoy the place.
As said, Norway never gets the kinds of crushing crowds you'll get at Versailles or the Vatican Museums. And unless you have an unusual reason for visiting, most people want to focus on Norway's outdoor beauty. So, if at all possible, go in July.
And when you say "the prices are lower" in September, do you just mean airfares, or have you also looked at hotel rates? I haven't been there since 2003, but I remember Rick emphasizing that hotels were cheaper in summer, when they didn't get business travelers.
Do pick up Rick Steves Snapshot: Norway (or Rick Steves Scandinavia if you're seeing other places in the region). He has various money-saving tips, which are particularly necessary for this very expensive country.
... Rick emphasizing that hotels were cheaper in summer, when they didn't get business travelers.
Not so much summer as the July Fellesferie where Norwegians are on holiday for three or more weeks. Norway's commercial activities basically shutdown from the second week of July to the end of July. Norwegians head for the mountains or seashore. http://www.lifeinnorway.net/2011/07/the-big-july-shutdown/
This means that Oslo, a quiet capital at the best of times, becomes a
ghost town. Already just a few days into the month, the streets and
T-Bane are noticeably quieter. Some buses are less frequent. Some
opening hours are shortened. For a city which is becoming a bigger
tourist destination every year, it might seem staggering to think you
scale down operations during one of the main holiday months of the
year!
Easter Week is another shutdown period, with Oslo empty from Easter Thursday through Monday After Easter.
