Travel advice for Norway
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for visiting Norway
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Getting to Norway is an integral part of the journey to experiencing this nation’s fjords, cities, and natural landscapes. Here’s our guide on how to get to Norway, with tips from our local travel experts.
Flying is the most common and efficient way to get to Norway, especially if you're travelling from a long distance or internationally. There are regular direct flights to major cities in Norway such as Oslo, Bergen, and Stavanger from various European destinations and some cities in the United States.
If you're interested in exploring other parts of Scandinavia or Europe along the way, you might like to travel with a vehicle.
When you're planning your trip to Norway, you'll have a few international airports to choose from. The main ones are Oslo Airport (OSL), Bergen Airport (BGO), and Stavanger Airport (SVG). Oslo Airport is the biggest and busiest, with tons of international flights coming in from all over the world. Some major airlines that fly to Norway are:
The cheapest time to fly to Norway typically falls during the off-peak season, which is generally during the winter months, particularly from November to March. For a more in-depth look, see our guide to the best time to go to Norway.
If you're flying from the US to Norway, you'll usually need to catch a connecting flight, with Oslo Airport being the most common destination. Major airlines like Norwegian Air, SAS, and United Airlines have both direct and indirect flights to Oslo from various US cities. The flight time varies depending on the route and any layovers.
You’ll find there are plenty of direct flights available when flying to Norway from the UK. You can hop on a plane with Norwegian Air, British Airways, or Ryanair from major airports like London Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, and Edinburgh. These flights will take you to cities like Oslo, Bergen, and more.
If you're up for a road trip adventure, driving from the UK to Norway is fun way to travel. Start by taking the Eurotunnel or a ferry crossing to mainland Europe. From there, you can drive through Denmark and enter Norway via the Svinesund Bridge, or take a ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand.
The whole journey from London to Oslo is around 1,200 miles (1,930 km) and can take about 24-30 hours, including ferry crossings and rest stops.
While there are no direct trains from the UK or Ireland to Norway, you can still make the journey by rail if you prefer to avoid flying. First, take the Eurostar from London to Brussels or Paris.
From there, connect to high-speed trains heading to cities like Copenhagen or Stockholm. Once you reach one of these cities, you can continue your trip to Norway by ferry. Keep in mind, though, that this option is likely to cost more than flying.
If you're travelling from Canada, getting to Norway usually involves a connecting flight through major European hubs like London, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt. Airlines such as Air Canada, Lufthansa, and KLM offer convenient routes to Oslo and other Norwegian cities.
If you live in Europe, or are taking a larger, multi-country trip, you’ll find you can easily access Norway.
For travellers from Australia, reaching Norway usually means catching a connecting flight through major European hubs like London, Frankfurt, or Amsterdam. Airlines like Qantas, Emirates, and British Airways fly from cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth.
Those coming from New Zealand can connect to Norway through Australia, Asia, or the Middle East, with transit points in places like Dubai, Singapore, or Hong Kong. Airlines such as Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways offer routes from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
Norway is part of the Schengen Area, which means that citizens of many countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, can enter Norway visa-free for short stays (up to 90 days within a 180-day period) for tourism, business, or family visits.
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for visiting Norway
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written by
Rough Guides Editors
updated 23.05.2024
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