Week in Norway

[starlight7]

Next year we are going to Europe and plan to spend just 1 week in Norway- probably Oslo to Bergen. Any suggestions what is reasonably priced, where to stay etc.? We are thinking rail to Bergen and then a few days 'chilling out' before the big trip back to Melbourne. Neither of us like sea travel but would like to look at the fjords.

[Quinkla]

I have never heard Norway described as reasonably priced.

[starlight7]

Compared with the prices we have to pay for a decent holiday in Australia it is! Checked APT prices recently?

[NicF]

Not sure about accommodation costs (ours was family rates when we went) but everything else in Norway is really expensive. We were self catering and mostly ate in the cabin but we ran out of money before the end of the week - and two main meals were provided for us at a wedding and a christening. Can't really provide advice on where to stay as we were half way up a mountain some 4 hours north of Oslo. It's a beautiful place though. You definitely need to make sure you get out of the cities and see the countryside.

 

One of my favourite Norway photos.

[Guest51810]

Yeah I think it's meant to be really expensive but there's maybe some ways to cut down costs. They have flights for £40 from scotland sometimes but I know id spend like a months wages there lol. Does @VERYSTORMY not work there or is that Sweden. He might be able to help

[VERYSTORMY]

I have just returned from Sweden, but did spend some time in Norway.

 

You our will struggle to find things reasonable in price. The whole of scandanavia is expensive and Norway the most.

 

It it is though stunning and well worth it. I didn't go to Bergen and stayed North of the arctic circle. Which would be my recommendation. I was based in a town in northern Sweden called Kiruna which is under two hours drive to Norway and about 4 from the lofoten islands of Northern Norway which are the most stunning bits of norway.

 

It does depend a bit on time of year.

 

If you are there within the winter months - November to early May, then I would suggest considering Kiruna in Sweden and the lofoten Islands for a couple of nights. The advantage of Kiruna would be a lot of experiences to do such as dog sledging, reindeer sledging, snow mobility and other activities. If you have children then santos village in Finland is only 3 hours away. Kiruna is also home to the famous ice hotel which is incredible. You would also see the northern lights.

 

A trip of about 5-6 days would be plenty including a couple of nights in Norway. The drive to Norway is also incredible and goes through mountains and ski fields and comes out at Narvik which has a stunning fjord.

 

The he driving is interesting as the roads are covered in ice and snow, which is a bit hard on the nerves at first, but then you soon realise it is fine as all the cars are fitted with ice tyres.

 

If if you were interested in my recommendation I could probably get you some deals on things in Kiruna.

[starlight7]

What a fabulous place. Worth the splurge I think- live now, pay later, you only live once, a long time dead etc etc:laugh:

[starlight7]

We have decided on a rail trip from Oslo to Bergen ( Norway in a nutshell) which includes a couple of meals and a couple of nights accommodation. Then stay in Bergen for a few nights and then home via Oslo,Dubai, Singapore ( slowly because we are too old to do the long haul in one go these days!)

[Guest51810]

I really want to go now, looks brill! Hope you have a great time

[flag of convenience]

My favourite country that I'm yet to visit. I would definitely do the six day by ship up north. A couple of days in the Arctic staying in Tromso, around the time of Midsummers Day, and experience the twenty four hour daylight. A great country for hiking I believe. A backpack with tent and good walking boots and follow one of the trails would be my other choice.

[Guest51810]

My friend used to go almost every year with her parents. Must have enjoyed it. It's annoying when the flights are so cheap from here sometimes but I know it would cost loads. I've looked at going to Sweden before too. I read somewhere that's slightly cheaper

[VERYSTORMY]

My friend used to go almost every year with her parents. Must have enjoyed it. It's annoying when the flights are so cheap from here sometimes but I know it would cost loads. I've looked at going to Sweden before too. I read somewhere that's slightly cheaper

 

Doesnt have to cost too much.

 

I knowna wonderful lodge lodge in Kiruna that is on the edge of a frozen lake that even has a sauna on the lake with a hole cut through the ice to jump into from inside the sauna and there accomodation is very reasonable.

[Petkula73]

Beautiful place, but Oh My God it's expensive. We did the Nordcap in 2002 and it was hugely expensive.

 

My advice would be don't drink (or bring a few bottles with you) and go self catering wherever you can.

 

Definitely worth doing, but be prepared for some of the highest prices in the world for restaurants, drinks, cafes and fast food.

[starlight7]

Beautiful place, but Oh My God it's expensive. We did the Nordcap in 2002 and it was hugely expensive.

 

My advice would be don't drink (or bring a few bottles with you) and go self catering wherever you can.

 

Definitely worth doing, but be prepared for some of the highest prices in the world for restaurants, drinks, cafes and fast food.

 

Will bear that in mind, thanks for info. These days we don't drink a huge amount but we'll bring some in from Amsterdam I think.

[Guest51810]

Doesnt have to cost too much.

 

I knowna wonderful lodge lodge in Kiruna that is on the edge of a frozen lake that even has a sauna on the lake with a hole cut through the ice to jump into from inside the sauna and there accomodation is very reasonable.

 

How much is reasonable..? My SU is away another week so I'm thinking of using more holidays. A flight to norway popped up again for £40. I wonder if I could go and live on water and beans on toast :laugh:

[Quinkla]

How much is reasonable..? My SU is away another week so I'm thinking of using more holidays. A flight to norway popped up again for £40. I wonder if I could go and live on water and beans on toast :laugh:

I went inter-railing around Scandinavia in 1990. I remember living off bread and tinned tuna in Finland. In Sweden I could only afford biscuits. And in Norway, I was reduced to going up to a market stall selling fruit and vegetables, holding out some money and asking what the trader would give me for it. I did buy a tin of baked beans in Finland and I think it cost me a couple of pounds.

 

I believe Finland has since become much cheaper; Norway hasn't.

[Guest51810]

I think I'll give it a miss then. I'll go when I win the lottery.. To be fair I looked at hostels and they were £20 a night so it was the same as I paid in london but it's everything else that sounds expensive. I promised my mum I would take her to see Iceland at some point so that'll be somewhere we'll be eating toast and beans too haha

[Quinkla]

I promised my mum I would take her to see Iceland at some point so that'll be somewhere we'll be eating toast and beans too haha

I had a friend who went to Iceland and said all the foreign visitors were saying how they couldn't believe it was so expensive - except the Norwegian man who was out buying everything he could find.

[Guest51810]

That made me laugh! They do good packages for Iceland these days

[starlight7]

40 pounds for a flight? That is cheap. Flights here are expensive. Not as bad as they used to be but still pretty dear unless you are lucky and get a special. Penalty for living away from the rest of the world I guess. We get excited at 200 dollar fares ( one way) to Singapore and they are rare. It is 200 dollars each way to Perth on special which is one of the reasons we don't go there much. Trouble is, the place is so bloody big.

[VERYSTORMY]

How much is reasonable..? My SU is away another week so I'm thinking of using more holidays. A flight to norway popped up again for £40. I wonder if I could go and live on water and beans on toast :laugh:

Accomodation can be had for about £30 a night self catering.

Food varies a lot. Fruit and veg are cheap as areas in the arctic are subsidised by the government. Meat is expensive and availability variable. You can go into a large supermarket and find there are rows of empty shelves in the fridge. Though reindeer meat is pretty much always available and gorgeous.

Booze is VERY expensive and most is only available from a government ran shop so no competition. there is only one pub in Kiruna which is lovely and actually a british themed pub. But very expensive. A beer can be £15. Eating out is also expensive.

Attractions are reasonable. For example, a day's dog sledging can be had for about £90. Sounds a lot, but that is for pretty much a full day with a guide.

however, as european, you can simply take booze with you duty free.

[Petkula73]

I went inter-railing around Scandinavia in 1990. I remember living off bread and tinned tuna in Finland. In Sweden I could only afford biscuits. And in Norway, I was reduced to going up to a market stall selling fruit and vegetables, holding out some money and asking what the trader would give me for it. I did buy a tin of baked beans in Finland and I think it cost me a couple of pounds.

 

I believe Finland has since become much cheaper; Norway hasn't.

 

Yes, that's correct. My wife is Finnish and to be honest Finland prices are broadly the same as Australia, with some things cheaper. Sweden is a bit cheaper for groceries, but much more expensive for alcohol and Norway is just off the scale for everything.

 

Absolutely no bargains in Norway, but would definitely recommend it. Nothing quite like having full sunshine at 1am in the Nord Cap. Impossible to sleep, and after a few days you start to hallucinate! The film "Insomnia" (original Norwegian version is better than the U.S. Remake) sums it up perfectly. Very weird feeling.

[Guest51810]

40 pounds for a flight? That is cheap. Flights here are expensive. Not as bad as they used to be but still pretty dear unless you are lucky and get a special. Penalty for living away from the rest of the world I guess. We get excited at 200 dollar fares ( one way) to Singapore and they are rare. It is 200 dollars each way to Perth on special which is one of the reasons we don't go there much. Trouble is, the place is so bloody big.

 

Yep it was maximum £50 from edinburgh. At one point they had like a bunch of cheap flights - £50 to Belgium etc but they've went up. Probably because I kept looking at them. The only cheap scottish ones now are dublin and London. I sometimes wish I lived in London, they get all the cheap ones. I noticed a return somewhere for £6

[PeepingTom]

I have just returned from Sweden, but did spend some time in Norway.

 

You our will struggle to find things reasonable in price. The whole of scandanavia is expensive and Norway the most.

 

It it is though stunning and well worth it. I didn't go to Bergen and stayed North of the arctic circle. Which would be my recommendation. I was based in a town in northern Sweden called Kiruna which is under two hours drive to Norway and about 4 from the lofoten islands of Northern Norway which are the most stunning bits of norway.

 

It does depend a bit on time of year.

 

If you are there within the winter months - November to early May, then I would suggest considering Kiruna in Sweden and the lofoten Islands for a couple of nights. The advantage of Kiruna would be a lot of experiences to do such as dog sledging, reindeer sledging, snow mobility and other activities. If you have children then santos village in Finland is only 3 hours away. Kiruna is also home to the famous ice hotel which is incredible. You would also see the northern lights.

 

A trip of about 5-6 days would be plenty including a couple of nights in Norway. The drive to Norway is also incredible and goes through mountains and ski fields and comes out at Narvik which has a stunning fjord.

 

The he driving is interesting as the roads are covered in ice and snow, which is a bit hard on the nerves at first, but then you soon realise it is fine as all the cars are fitted with ice tyres.

 

If if you were interested in my recommendation I could probably get you some deals on things in Kiruna.

 

Very expensive but absolutely worth it. Attaching some pictures : Northern Lights is one I took deep in the Lyngenfjords, near Tromso, Norway and the icehotel@Kiruna when we went there in Feb 2014.

[Guest51810]

Oh wow!