Travel - International
AIR: Norwegian air travel is served by Braathens SAFE (BU) and SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK), a Scandinavian airline. Air France, British Airways, Finnair, Icelandair, KLM, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines and Swiss also operate services to Norway.
Approximate flight times: From London to Oslo is 1 hour 45 minutes, to Bergen is 1 hour 40 minutes and to Stavanger is 1 hour 30 minutes.
From New York to Oslo is 10 hours 45 minutes (including stopover in London).
International airports: Oslo International Airport (OSL) (Gardermoen) (website: www.osl.no) is 47km (30 miles) north of Oslo. It was opened in October 1998 and is the largest land-based development project in Norway. The high-speed airport express trains Flytoget leave every 10 minutes to/from Oslo’s central station (travel time – 20 minutes). Buses serving the airport include the SL buses and Bussekspress which stop in front of the terminal building and take approximately 45 minutes to Oslo. There is a new bus station for regional services located within walking distance of the terminal. Access by car is also facilitated by the construction of new roads (regional no. 174 from Jessheim) and the widening of two others (regional no. 120 from Erpestad and national no. 6 from Tangerud). There is a taxi rank at the terminal building. In addition to regular taxis, there are ‘airport taxis’, cheaper taxis which must be ordered in advance by groups of up to three people, and wheelchair taxis. Airport facilities include duty-free shopping, banks/bureaux de change, restaurants and cafes, car hire, lost luggage, information kiosks as well as laundry/dry cleaning, shoe repair and key-cutting services.
Stavanger (SVG) (Sola) is 14.5km (9 miles) southwest of the city (travel time – 20-30 minutes). Airport facilities include duty-free shops, bar (1300-2000), restaurant (Sun-Fri 1000-2000, Sat 1000-1700), snack bar (Mon-Sat 0615-2100, Sun 0800-2200), many shops, 24-hour tourist information, post office (Mon-Fri 0830-1600, Sat 0830-1200), banks/bureaux de change (Mon-Fri 0745-1730, Sat 0745-1630 and Sun 1100-1630), left luggage (0800-2200), 24-hour lockers and car hire (Avis, Budget, Hertz and InterRent/Europcar). There is a coach to the Royal Atlantic Hotel, Jembaneveien 1. Bus no. 40 goes every 20 minutes (0620-2400) for a fare of approximately NOK21 (travel time – 30 minutes). Taxi services are available to the city with a surcharge after 2200 (travel time – 15 minutes).
Bergen (BGO) (Flesland) is 19km (12 miles) south of the city (travel time – 25 minutes). Airport facilities include left luggage (0730-2400), lockers (0600-2400), banks (0730-1530; until 1730 in summer), bureaux de change, post office (Mon-Fri 0830-1630, Sat 0900-1230), duty-free shops, bar (1200-2200), cafes, shops, tourist information (Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat-Sun 1100-1800), nursery (0600-2400) and car hire (Avis, Budget, Hertz and Europcar). Bus (Flybussen) service leaves for the city every 20 minutes 0645-2130. Return is from various points in the city centre. Taxi services are available to the city for a fare of approximately NOK170 with a surcharge after 2200 (travel time – 25 minutes).
Departure tax: None.
SEA: The main passenger ports are Oslo, Larvik, Stavanger, Kristiansand and Bergen. The main sea routes from the UK, operated by Fjord Line and DFDS Seaways respectively, are from Newcastle to Bergen (travel time – 25 hours 30 minutes) and to Kristiansand (travel time – 19 hours). Services from Newcastle to Bergen via Stavangar are also operated by Fjord Line, a Norwegian line operating a number of Fjord cruises within Norway (in UK tel: (0191) 296 1313; website: www.fjordline.co.uk). Fjord Line also operates services from Bergen to Hanstholm (Denmark). Smyril Line operates services from Bergen to Iceland via the Shetland Islands and the Faroe Islands in the summer (tel: (55) 320 970; fax: (55) 960 272; e-mail: office@smyril-line.no; website: www.smyril-line.no).
RAIL: Connections from the UK are from London via Dover/Ostend (via The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden) or Harwich/Hook of Holland, or from Newcastle to Bergen via Stavanger. There are two principal routes to Sweden, with daytime and overnight trains from Copenhagen, Malmö and Stockholm.
Cheap Fares: Reduced fares on rail services have vastly increased the use and range of internal services. Scanrail cards allow five or ten days within two months or 21 consecutive days’ unlimited travel in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland on railways and selected ferries, and a 50 per cent reduction on other ferry services. InterRail tickets are valid in Norway and are now also available for those aged over 26 years.
ROAD: The only international routes are from Sweden or Finland in the far north. Camping trailers up to 2.3m (7.5ft) wide, with number plates, are permitted on holiday visits. Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in Norway. For further information, contact Eurolines (4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, L41 1PP; tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; website: www.eurolines.com or www.gobycoach.com).
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