Norway Transportation

By | October 8, 2021

Airplane: a network of domestic flights connects the roughly 50 Norway airports from Kristiansand in the south to Longyearbyen and Ny Alesund (Spitzbergen) in the north. Flights within Norway are offered by Widerøe, Danish Air, for example transport Norwegian, Coast Air and SAS Braathens.

Ship: Norway has an excellent ferry system. By ferry or speedboat, otherwise inaccessible and isolated communities in the fjords or on the islands off the mainland can connect to the rest of the country. Cars can be taken on most ferries. However, some coastal express ferries only offer passengers and bicycles space. Timetables and routes for local ferries are shown in the route for Norge, which is available from tourist offices, among others.

In southern Norway there is an extensive network of canals, rivers and lakes that can be traveled by ferry. Exploration trips with your own boat are also available.
For more than a century, the legendary Hurtigruten ferries have served Norway as a lifeline, connecting the coastal towns and villages with one another. Even today, ships are a popular way of traveling along the spectacular Norwegian coast. The six-day trip with one of the 11 Hurtigruten ships starts in Bergen and finally leads to Kirkenes via 35 ports. From there it goes back south to Bergen. The return trip takes 11 days and covers a distance of 2,500 nautical miles. Those who wish can interrupt the trip for shore excursions and continue at a later point in time. The prices for such a trip vary depending on the season and are considerably higher from April to September than in the winter months.

Rail: the Norwegian State Railways (Norges Statsbaner, NSB) operates an excellent, albeit limited, train system. It connects Oslo with Stavanger, Bergen, Andalsnes, Trondheim, Fauske and Bodø. Some lines run between Sweden and Oslo, Trondheim and Narvik. Most train stations offer travelers lockers for luggage storage, and some have additional storage facilities.
Most long-distance trains are equipped with first and second class seats, dining cars and a refreshment service. There are public telephones on all express trains and on most inter-city trains. The doors of the trains are wide, so that bulky luggage such as rucksacks and skis can easily be taken on board. Reservations are possible for a fee.
Long-distance trains offer comfortable reclining seats with footrests in the second-class cars. Traveling in a first class car costs 50 percent more. The cars offer more space and some additional amenities. Nevertheless, the additional costs are hardly worth it. Visit smartercomputing for Norway Tour Plan.

Train travel in Norway is expensive. It is often cheaper to fly by plane. However, if you book Minipris offers, which are also available for buses, rail travel will be inexpensive for you. There is a 50 percent discount on tickets for travelers over 67 and under 16 years of age. Children under the age of four travel free of charge. Students receive a discount of up to 60 percent.

Car: Norwegian petrol stations have both petrol (leaded and unleaded) and diesel available. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. In the cities, opening times are often until 10 p.m. or midnight. Some petrol stations offer a 24-hour service. In rural areas, petrol stations often close in the early evening. Many are also closed on the weekends.
Drivers traveling along the Norwegian fjord coast can look forward to breathtaking landscapes, but also expect high additional costs. Time and again, short distances have to be covered by ferry, which is time-consuming and also quite costly in the long run.

Rental car
Norwegian rental cars are expensive and mostly geared towards business travelers. Those who rent for a longer period of time receive better daily rates. All large companies such as Avis, Hertz, Budget or Europcar have branches at many airports in the country as well as in some city centers. In general, however, local car rental companies come up with better deals. Some landlords also have special weekend rates on offer. The vehicle can be picked up on Friday lunchtime and must usually be returned by 10 a.m. on Monday. Unlimited driving kilometers are available at an additional cost.
Rental car users who are flashed because of excessive speed, the fine will be deducted directly from the credit card account. Therefore, the accounts should always be checked carefully.

Bus: Norway has a well-developed, comfortable long-distance bus system. The largest bus network, which stretches across towns and cities from Mandal in the far south of the country to Alta in the far north, is operated by Nor-Way Bussekspress. There are also a number of independent long-distance bus companies that offer similar services at comparable tariffs.
In comparison, the journeys with the buses of the Lavprisekspressen, which sells its tickets over the Internet, are significantly cheaper. The company operates along the Oslo-Bergen and Trondheim-Kristians and routes. In northern Norway there are some so-called Togbuss routes – a combination of bus and train – as well as a large number of local buses, the majority of which only run within one municipality.

Reservations are almost never necessary. Minipris tickets only offered in summer should be reserved early. However, the earlier trips are booked, the cheaper the trip often becomes. Cheap tickets are especially available for bookings on the Internet. Many companies offer cheaper special rates for students, children, seniors and families. Groups are often also entitled to discounts. In Northern Norway, holders of Inter-Rail and Eurail passes can also look forward to special conditions.

A bus directory, the free route booklet, with all timetables and prices is available at all major bus stations. The timetables of the respective local buses are available at the local tourist offices and at the smaller bus stations.

Local transport: almost every Norwegian city has a network of local buses that connect the respective centers with the periphery. In many smaller cities, the local bus station can be found right next to the train station, ferry terminal or the train station for long-distance buses. In addition to single tickets, day and combination tickets are also available there.

Bicycle: Due to long distances, hilly terrain and narrow roads, only professionals often cycle long distances in Norway. An additional obstacle for cyclists are the thousands of tunnels that exist in Norway. Most of the tunnels, which are mainly located in the western fjord areas, are closed to non-motorized traffic. Not in all cases there is a cycle path that runs parallel to the tunnel. In such cases, detours of sometimes several days or over high mountain passes are sometimes necessary.
Many buses, ferries and trains, but not express trains, allow bicycles to be taken for a surcharge. On trains on international routes, however, they are billed as expensive excess baggage. Nor-Way Bussekspress charges around half of the adult tariff for transporting a bicycle.
Many tourist offices and numerous youth hostels and campsites rent bicycles. There are also a few bike rentals outside of the big cities. Some bike shops also rent out.

Norway Transportation