First visit to Oslo - transportation advice?

We will be in Oslo on June 15, 10-6, on the Ryndam. We would very much like to see the Resistance Museum (very near the cruise terminal, I understand), the Viking Ship Museum, and Vigeland Park. I'd also love to see the Folk Park, but am afraid time is too limited. I figure that we will have a maximum of about 6 hours in which to actually see things.

What is the best way to get to Vigeland Park and the Viking Ship Museum, and then back to the Resistance Museum? I know there is a ferry to the Museum, but I have read that it's better to take a bus there, and the ferry back.

I've seen some awful reviews of the hop-on-hop-off buses lately. Are there other bus alternatives? Thanks for any suggestions!!!

I assume you be berthed alongside Akershus castle so the resistance museum is more or less on your doorstep.

If you can manage the walk the Vigeland Park is within walking distance . We managed at no great pace to walk there, take lots of photographs, walk back to the Castle and looked and then had lunch on the ship.

We also did the Folk Museum in the afternoon going there and back by the ferry which leaves from a pier very close to where we berthed.

The Ryndam is scheduled to dock at Akershuskaia, which is one of the piers alongside the fortress and the Resistance Museum. The tram, bus, and ferry all have stops in the area in front of the city hall, which is just 5 minutes from the pier.

While it is possible to walk to Vigelands Park from the cruise pier, in my experience it takes about half an hour. The tram #12 towards Majorstuen runs every 10 minutes that morning, and the trip to the Vigelandsparken stop takes around 8 minutes from the stop in front of the city hall.

The ferry to Bygdøy only runs every 20-30 minutes. It's a 15-minute trip to the first stop (Dronningen), which is about 10 minutes' walk to the Viking Ship Museum and Folk Museum. So the total trip time from city hall is around 25 minutes plus waiting time. However, the ferry runs in a loop, so the ride back takes an extra 5 minutes, since it stops near the other Bygdøy museums along the way.

Due to long-term construction, the bus #30 has been rerouted and for the next few years, it also stops in front of the city hall. It's scheduled every 10 minutes, and the bus towards Bygdøy takes about 15 minutes to the Vikingskipene stop right outside the museum.

Unless you're heading back to the ship for lunch or other reasons, it doesn't really make sense to head back to city hall between Vigelands Park and the Viking Ships. If you want to make the trip directly between the two, you can transfer between the bus #20 (which stops at Vigelands Park) and the bus #30 (for the Viking Ships) at the Olav Kyrres plass bus stop.

We will be in Oslo on June 15, 10-6, on the Ryndam. We would very much like to see the Resistance Museum (very near the cruise terminal, I understand), the Viking Ship Museum, and Vigeland Park.

The two posters have given you some good background and ideas. For the Resistance Museum, yes, that is super handy from where you are docking, plus it was very moving and interesting to have visited this historic site. I am glad to have visited there and got a more "personal" experience as to how that those historic times impacted people. Very much worth the time to visit, in my opinion.

And Vigeland Park, is a definite "must-see", especially if you enjoy more contemporary arts in a wonderful park settings. Amazing artist and collection!! Below is one of my visuals from that park, plus another to show how close your ship will be docked to the historic fortress.

More on Vigeland/Oslo art: Gustav Vigeland's astonishing figures show the whole range of human life presented in stone and metal. There are nearly 200 sculptures, comprising 600 granite or bronze figures, in the park's large landscapes. All were designed by the Norwegian artist, whose museum, with over 1600 more statues (and his ashes) is just five minutes' walk away. Vigeland also designed the park's layout and setting. He was described as versatile, obsessive and abrasive. It took years of debate before Oslo Municipal Council, in 1922, approved plans for a sculpture park which would express the struggles and aspirations of humanity from birth to death as the artist desired. The result is astonishing in concept, amazing in execution and setting. Walk through the big iron gates and you're on a broad avenue leading to a bridge on whose parapets are mounted. The children shown are more conventional and appealing. Across the bridge rises a big fountain, in the middle of which a ring of giants supports a huge bronze bowl. Like everything else in the park, it's large in scale. From its center soars the monolith, a nearly 40'-high slab of Norwegian granite weighing 180 tons. The 121 writhing, creeping, struggling figures on its surface took three carvers 15 years to complete. There's no denying the drama here.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 177,685 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

This picture shows the main, historic Akershus Fortress/Castle next to where many cruise ships dock in Oslo. The fortress construction started around the late 1290’s. It successfully survived all sieges, primarily by Swedish forces. It surrendered without combat to Germans in 1940 when the Norwegian government evacuated the capital in the face of the German invasions of Denmark and Norway. The very interesting and moving Norwegian Resistance museum can be visited there. Norwegian Royalty have been buried in the Royal Mausoleum in the castle. A portion of this fortress was replicated at the Norway pavilion at Disney’s Epcot Center.:

Vigeland Park has a wide variety of outdoor sculptures in a super, wonderful setting that is a highlight for Oslo. There is a wide variety of art, water features, spectacular settings, etc. Its admission is free and the views and art are "priceless". It is open 24/7 so hours are not an issue.:

Thanks, all! I think we'll likely get either the 24 hour transportation pass or the Oslo Pass, which works on all transportation except the ferry to Bygdoy (Viking Ship Museum), so we'll take buses, except possibly back from Bygdoy, depending upon time. It doesn't seem an efficient use of time to head back to the ship for lunch; we'll probably do take-out somewhere.

Last year the ferry was included in the Oslo Pass and we bought our pass at ferry booth a 5 minute walk from the ship.We used the Oslo pass as well for all the museums at Bygdoy and the Resistance museum,there was so much to see we are back this year to see Oslo and especially Vigeland.The 2 ferry stops were good as we saw all the museums as we walked from one stop to the other.

Last year the ferry was included in the Oslo Pass and we bought our pass at ferry booth a 5 minute walk from the ship.We used the Oslo pass as well for all the museums at Bygdoy and the Resistance museum,there was so much to see we are back this year to see Oslo and especially Vigeland.The 2 ferry stops were good as we saw all the museums as we walked from one stop to the other.

Apparently that ferry is not now included, sadly. I really like the idea of the Oslo Pass that covers (virtually) all transportation and museums. I thought it was very reasonable, as well. We are very excited about this trip!

Apparently that ferry is not now included, sadly. I really like the idea of the Oslo Pass that covers (virtually) all transportation and museums. I thought it was very reasonable, as well. We are very excited about this trip!

According to the Oslo tourism website, the ferry is no longer covered by the regular transit passes, but it is still covered by the OsloPass:

http://www.visitoslo.com/en/product/?TLp=181623

Ticket prices

Båtservice ticket booth on City Hall Pier 3: NOK 35 one way, NOK 55 return

On board: NOK 55 one way

 

Free with the Oslo Pass.

Regular public transportation tickets are no longer valid on the ferries to Bygdøy. - See more at: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/product/?TLp=181623#sthash.KDbcyIru.dpuf

I emailed the Oslo tourism agency because I was planning to use the Oslo pass for a trip to the Bygdoy museums and was concerned about previous posts that it is not longer included. The response I received is below. I hope it is accurate.

Thank you for contacting Oslo Visitor Center.

The Oslo pass includes the ferry to Bygdøy and some of the other ferries.

If you get the opportunity to visit our Oslo Visitor Centre (Monday-Sunday 9 am -6 pm) we will be more than happy to help you find your way around Oslo, as well as supplying you with more brochures. At our tourist information office you can purchase the Oslo Pass, sightseeing tickets, public transportation and train tickets. You can book excursions and accommodation with us, as well as exchange currency.

Welcome to Oslo!

According to the Oslo tourism website, the ferry is no longer covered by the regular transit passes, but it is still covered by the OsloPass:

http://www.visitoslo.com/en/product/?TLp=181623

This is excellent news! Simplifies things considerably.

Definitely get the Oslo Pass. We got ours at the TI near the port with discount!

It doesn't seem an efficient use of time to head back to the ship for lunch; we'll probably do take-out somewhere.

Agree 100% for not wasting the time to go back to the ship for lunch. Enjoy the local dining options and be time-efficient. Lots of interesting options to see and do in Oslo. It is very wise and smart that dixieagle is doing this advance research and planning. Keep up the good efforts.

If time, we found their Oslo City Hall to be both handy and of value. Lots of contemporary art there, history, etc. That is where the ceremonies for the Nobel Peace Prize are conducted each year.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 108,313 views for this posting.

Just came back from Oslo (3 days).

Used the 48 hour Oslo Pass, which DOES include the ferry to Bygdoy, although because it was so rainy and windy the day I went to the museums, I took the #30 bus instead. It stops at each museum. The Folk museum is a bit of a walk from the ferry. The Oslo pass is a deal if you are going to a lot of museums and are planning to take public transportation...not so much if you plan to only go to a couple. The Vigeland park is free, by the way. You can take the #12 tram there (as above) from the City Hall area.

The Resistance museum was very good, and I enjoyed the Folk Museum, the Fram/Gjoa museum, and the Viking ship museum on Bygdoy. I did all of the last 3 in about 5 hours. There are snack bars at most of the museums and parks, so no need to go back to the ship to eat. Food in Norway is not cheap ($6 for a hot dog and $4-5 for a Coke for example), but you can find reasonable snack type lunches in most locations.