Norway has a reputation for being one of the most expensive countries in the world. This is a reputation that hasn’t been plucked from thin air – whichever way you look at it – Norway IS expensive.
But is there still a possibility of doing things on the cheap? I took to Oslo, Norway’s capital city to find out.
Here are my top tips on doing Oslo on a budget:
1. Don’t eat in restaurants
“Don’t eat in restaurants”? What horrible advice! But it’s impossible to visit Norway’s capital city cheaply if you intend on eating out. Instead you should explore the supermarket shelves and go back to your hostel to cook; or head to the park with a little picnic during the summer. I suggest trying Norway’s brown cheese – you’ll either love it or hate it! Other authentic snacks include reindeer slices, and pickled herring.
2. Revise your map reading skills & avoid taxis like the plague!
Arriving in Oslo coach station tired and grumbling with hunger all we wanted to do was head straight to our hostel. Caught between conflicting ideas, the ‘inner traveller’ in us said we should find our own way to the hostel by foot, but as the taxis glided up to the pavement in front of us like shining angels on wheels, they proved difficult to ignore.
Before jumping in we had the common sense to ask for the price upfront:
“How much to Anker Hostel?”
“250 kroner”
“What?! No way!” We gasped and turned to the taxi directly behind and asked the same question.
“250 kroner” he answered.
We replied with the same flabbergasted expression and asked why it was so expensive. (In retrospect that was a pretty silly question – was I expecting him to say that taxis are fuelled by magic gas?).
“Look” he pointed to his metre, it starts at “150 kroner”.
To give you more perspective on how much 150 kroner is, there is 10 kroner to every pound sterling, so that means the base rate of a taxi starts at £15!! Whereas in England it ranges between £2.50 – £3.50!
At this point, Lily got out the map, and an hour of trawling through the centre of Oslo with a noisy suitcase ensued. It was one of those situations where you feel deflated in the moment, but when you reach your destination and realise your map skills aren’t so crummy, you feel pretty good about yourself! (It’s the small challenges in life ;-))
3. Buy your alcohol in the duty free
I wish I had done this beforehand because I bought a single rum and coke and it came to 120 kroner! On another occasion, I asked a bar tender for the cheapest bottle of wine and it still cost the equivalent of £40!! If you were in England it would be something like £10, sometimes less.
4. Head over to the Opera House and Oslofjord
Few sights are more stunning than seeing the newly built Opera House and the Oslofjord simultaneously. The Opera House is an architectural feast of Scandic architecture that is designed with light and nature in mind.
Make sure you go inside the Oslo Opera House too because it’s the epitome of contemporary design (and in keeping with this post – it’s free!)
5. Go to museums on Sundays
Most of the museums have free admission on a Sunday so you can see and learn a lot on this day without spending a penny! I recommend the National Gallery which houses work by famed Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch.
6. Explore Vigeland Sculpture Park
I can’t believe the world’s largest sculpture park created by a single artist is free for the world to enjoy!
The Verdict
There is no avoiding the costs of some things such as the coach from the Airport to Oslo city centre (approx. £25 pp), but there are certainly plenty of things you can do for free so don’t let this city’s reputation for being expensive put you off. The only thing I would like to see change is an increase in more affordable restaurants – if this change happened it would make Oslo an exceptional place for families looking for a different European break.
(N.B. 1st image is credited to Jim Corwin)
14 Responses
I must admit that the perceived expense of Norway has deterred me from travelling there but you have offered some great suggestions Shing to lessen the expense! There is one problem though…it would be very hard for me to avoid the restaurants!
Hahaha Jenny travelling without trying the restaurants? Surely that must be an oxymoron!
Although this post is aimed at budget travellers, I would definitely recommend trying some of the restaurants if you can afford because Norway has some incredible restaurants (seafood heaven) that would be wonderful for A Taste of Travel! However, if we’re talking food and Scandinavia, then surely Copenhagen would be your mecca!
It really is too bad the Scandinavian countries have such a reputation for being so expensive. Wait until you get to Iceland 🙂 I would love to visit Oslo especially Vigeland Sculpture Park. These are all great tips with fantastic photos, Shing. Happy New Year!
Vigeland Sculpture Park is a feast for the eyes! Yes, its a shame that Scandinavia can be outrageously expensive, but at least there are still many ways to cut costs – I forgot to mention that public transport is very efficient and no more expensive than the UK (much nicer too!). Happy New Year too! 😀
I lived in Oslo for two years, but it was six years ago. You’re spot on, it’s expensive as hell. But, there are dive bars where you can get a beer (pils) for around US $8. There’s a place called Lompen, where they had a pils for 37 NOK and authentic Norwegian dishes for 100 kroner ish. There are also kebab places that are very affordable. At least the grocery stores aren’t so pricey and you can get great quality stuff there including affordable beer.
Oh thanks for all the local tips on where to eat on the ‘cheap’! It’s cool that you’ve experienced living in Oslo!
Haha, yes I had a kebab on my first night, but it wasn’t tasty enough to recommend 😀 However, I did live off sandwiches during my time there and found them highly satisfying! They were still double the price of most sandwiches in the UK but they were much tastier so that seemed to justify the price increase ha!
Great tips for visitng Oslo on a budget. I actually live in Oslo, and know that some things are just too expensive for travellers!
There are some affordable restaurants, “Lompa” mentioned above has taken a step up and are not am affordable place anymore. It is very nice and worth a visit though! Make sure to avoid the restaurants around Karl Johan and the big shopping malls, take a walk around Youngstorget or on Grønland in stead, and you may stumble upon some “cheap” eats.
One great tips to eat out: there is a place called Oslo Mekaniske at Grønland where you can bring your own food as long as you buy the drinks! That means you can buy your food wherever you like, bring it here and buy what you want to drink in the bar. This is one of the most cosy places in Oslo with a great offer you don`t find many other places in Norway – so please be nice and make sure they also make some money on your visit if you bring your own food 🙂
Another free and very nice activity: take a walk along Akerselva which starts in the city center by Grønland. It`s a beautiful walk, and will eventually bring you to the waterfall Møllefossen (about 25-30 minutes walk from the city center).
Hello Elin, thank you for your in-depth comment – they certainly provide a good addition to the tips already made for budget travellers! It’s a shame that ‘Lompa’ has increased since the time EarthDrifter lived there! Oslo Mekaniske is a great concept, and a good alternative to having a picnic in the park for days that it’s rainy!
When I’m next in Oslo I will definitely walk along Akerselva to the waterfall – sounds lovely. Thanks again for all the info!
My answer to your question in the title is: “not much”.
However, we could look at it from a different angle: Norway is worth a visit, as it is so beautiful. I think that planning a journey in advance, taking account of the different cost entries, could help a lot in avoiding surprises.
Wish you a happy new year!
Haha ‘not much’ would have been my reply if I had written this yesterday! Because myself and a few friends spent New Years Eve in Norway, and we asked for the cheapest bottle of wine at a bar, and it cost 395 Kroner! We almost cried, but it was NYE after all, and alcohol was in order! In England a cheap bottle of wine is £4 not £40 so I can’t even imagine what damage an expensive bottle of wine would do to my bank balance!
Happy New Year, I hope 2013 is full of adventure for you!
Eating at restaurants and drinking in bars are my two hobbies, so I can’t see me going to Oslo any time soon! Is it cheap to buy booze in a supermarket for drinking in the hotel before you go out?
Hmmmm I’m not too certain, but my guess is that it’s going to be cheaper by Norwegian standards, but still not cheap for us!
The best advise is stocking up in the duty free… they allow up to a 1 litre for spirits. That should be enough for a city break, but I’m not sure how much you drink ….?! As I’ve mentioned in a comment above – I asked for the cheapest bottle of wine in a bar on NYE and it came to £40, and it didn’t even taste nice! So don’t make my mistake – duty free all the way when you’re heading to Norway!
I spent a few days in Oslo doing some couchsurfing and it was sooooooooooooooooo expensive. I had heard it was one of the most expensive cities in the world, but did not expect to be that expensive. I was not eating out, went shopping to the supermarkets, cooked at my host’s place but despite that it was still way too much for me, especially the food and metro tickets 🙁
Couchsurfing is such a BRILLIANT idea in a place like Oslo! I agree, all those extra ‘o’ on ‘so’ are very necessary for describing how expensive Oslo is! Going by the theme of your blog, did you manage to travel there on $25 or less per day??