Getting There & Getting About

International Airports

• Oslo (OSL): 47 km from nearest city.
• Stavanger (SVG): 14.5 km from nearest city.
• Bergen (BGO): 19km from nearest city.
• Full list of airports in Norway with associated airport codes >

Internal Transport

Norway has a good domestic air network, with a total of 50 airports with scheduled services western Norway and along the coast. Flights from Oslo to Bergen, Stavanger or Trondheim take just 35-40 minutes, whilst a trip to Tomso will take about 100 minutes.

Coastal towns and fjords are served by ferries, hydrofoils and catamarans. The Hurtigruten leaves daily from Bergen to Kirkenes (near the Russian border), stopping at 34 ports on the west coast. The round trip takes about 12 days.

There is also a good rail network, with internal rail routes including Oslo-Trondheim, Oslo-Bergen, Oslo-Stavanger (all taking 8 hours) and Trondheim-Bodø. There are also services to Halden (Malmö) and Charlottenburg (Stockholm) on routes to Sweden. Seats on express trains must be reserved. The InterRail One-Country Pass offers travel for 3, 4, 6 or 8 days in one month within Norway. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes.

The roads in Norway are of variable quality, especially under freezing winter conditions in the north. Car hire is easily available but costly; in general, the problems of cost and parking make public transport more practical and convenient. Tolls are charged on underwater tunnels, certain cross-country roads, and in certain cities such as Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim. Speed limits are 50 kph (31 mph) in built-up areas and 80 to 90 kph (50 to 56 mph) outside built-up areas.

The major long-distance internal bus routes are from Bø (in Telemark) to Haugesund and from Ålesund-Molde-Trondheim (both routes taking 8 hours) with links to the Bø line in the north. There is also an inter-Nordic route that runs from Trondheim to Stockholm.

There is usually a good public transport system operating in the towns and cities. In Oslo, there's bus, metro, rail and tramway services; tickets are pre-purchased, with an hour's free transfer between any of the modes. Taxis can be found at ranks or booked by telephone. They are usually metered (this is obligatory in Oslo); it It is not customary to tip drivers.