Oslo Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

[LindaConn]

Arriving in Oslo on the Regal Princess. Is the Hop-On Hop-Off bus a good way to see the city? Does it have narration? Is it close to the main terminal? Does it run often? What time does it have its last run?

[LHT28]

yes it is easy to do Oslo but with a bit of research you could DIY

 

The HOHO was right at the dock

[kaisatsu]

I believe it has commentary, but I don't think it's particularly convenient, since it only runs every 30 minutes and follows a fixed loop. Most transit within the city runs on a 5-10 minute frequency and is fairly easy to navigate (lots of digital displays showing upcoming stops, in addition to regular announcements). Also, Regal is in port until 23:00, but the HOHO service ends at 16:30! It's worth saving some of the non-museum sights like Vigelands Park for later in the day after the museums close, so with such a late evening port call, a regular transit pass (or the Oslo Pass if you're planning more than a couple museum stops) seems far more useful.

 

Regal has been docking at an alternate pier from April through June, but the schedule has her calling at the main cruise pier (Søndre Akershuskai) for the rest of the season, so the above information about HOHO access should hold true.

 

Looking at the current route map, the stretch down to the museums at Bygdøy essentially just follows the route of the #30 bus, which runs every 10 minutes and stops in front of the city hall (5-10 minutes walk on the waterfront directly in front of the ship). To get up to Vigelands Park, you can either take the tram #12 from the waterfront, or from Bygdøy change from the bus #30 to the #20 at Olav Kyrres plass. All of the sights downtown are within walking distance of one another, so the bus doesn't really make much sense in the area around Karl Johans gate. If you want a quick way to get over to the opera house or the area near the central station (instead of walking down Karl Johans gate or winding your way through Akershus Fortress), you can catch practically any bus from the city hall (they nearly all stop at Jernbanetorget one or two stops later).

 

I also find the HOHO map a bit misleading, since they show the Holmenkollen ski jump and the Munch museum. In reality, both of those stops are just metro stations, where you would need to purchase an additional ticket and connect to local transit anyway.

 

If you mostly want to sit on the bus, listen to the commentary, and watch the world go by, then I think it's a more flexible alternative to a ship tour, but I wouldn't recommend it as a convenient way to get around the city.

[LindaConn]

Thank you for taking the time for such a thorough and helpful reply. Greatly appreciated.

[ROCruiser]

We took public transportation around Oslo last year. Not hard to do.

[Hlitner]

We are not always fans of HoHo buses and Oslo would be one of those places where that is the case. HoHo's a great for those that want to just ride around town and see a place from a bus seat, but the problem starts when you want to get off at multiple locations. The frequency of HoHo buses means you will often waste time just waiting for the next bus which could be 30 minutes away. Using public transit in Oslo will generally save you money and time...and is a great option for folks who are pretty mobile (like to walk), And also consider that going over to the Bygdoy area is more fun if you do it on a fast ferry as opposed to using a bus.

 

Hank

[kaywes]

We took the Island Hopping tour with Viking Biking last week in Oslo. Amazing to see the 3 nearby islands! We had a nice hike, picnic, and swim (for 4 hrs). We were there until 10pm so we still had time to do some shopping and take a taxi to the Vigeland Park afterwards.

 

 

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