Oslo Pass- where do I pick up pre-purchased?

[Junebug1]

We will arrive in Oslo on Sapphire Princess 9/6/18. I would like to buy the Oslo Pass online. It says to pick up the actual pass at the Visitors Center. Can anyone tell me where the Visitors Center is ? Did you experience long lines?

 

I thought about using the HOHO bus but everyone says that the public tranportation is very easy to use.

 

We would like to go to Vigeland park first then take the bus to the Viking Museum and then the Folk museum.

 

Thanks for any info/advice.

 

June

[marylizcat]

It was a few years ago, but we bought our Oslo Passes inside the cruise terminal at Oslo, where they were sold at a discount.

 

We used it to go to the three places you mention, though not in that order. We took the boat across to go to the Viking museum and the folk museum and then continued by bus to the Vigeland Park. Then I think we returned to the city centre by train. All went smoothly.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[afto]

When we visited last year, the Oslo Pass was newly available in an online version that you could activate on your phone. I was not keen to experiment with that and decided I wanted to have the pass in hand. We read some reports indicating that there can be delays in picking the pass up at the Oslo Visitor Centre and, besides, our ship was docking quite early in the morning so we wanted to get on with our day before the Visitor Centre opened. So we purchased our passes at the Thon Panorama Hotel, near the pier. Many hotels sell them -- check the details on the Oslo Pass web site. Note that you cannot pick up a pre-ordered pass at the hotel; you have to just buy them on a walk-in basis and pay locally. Remember that there is a senior version of the pass, if you qualify. Public transportation is quite easy to use. We had no problems travelling to Vigeland, VIking Ships, and Folk Museum by bus. If you get back on the #30 bus again after you visit the museum (get back on at the stop you got off at) and continue for a few minutes to the end of the line, you will be at the Fram and Kon-Tiki Museums. If you still have time, you may be able to visit one or both of those museums, which are also covered by the Oslo pass. We had a long port day and were able to make quick visits to both. There is a nice waterfront park area there, with views across the harbour. If your ship is docked at Akershus Castle, you will be able to see it from there. If it's a nice day, you may enjoy taking the passenger ferry back from here to the pier in front of City Hall. It's a short walk back to the dock from there.

Oslo has a lot to offer tourists. Hope you enjoy your day there.

[kaisatsu]

If you’re not using the mobile app (which requires a brief internet connection - eg using the ship WiFi, at a nearby coffee shop, etc - to activate it at the start of the day) then I would NOT buy it up front. You MUST pick it up at the visitor info in the central train station, which is not very convenient to the usual cruise piers. Even if you’re docking at Rivierkaia (uncommon, but closer to the station than Akershuskai, Vippentangen, and Filipstad), you can just walk in, wait in the same queue, and buy it then. I don’t see any advantage at all of purchasing it up front and don’t understand why that’s even an option.

[marylizcat]

If you’re not using the mobile app (which requires a brief internet connection - eg using the ship WiFi, at a nearby coffee shop, etc - to activate it at the start of the day) then I would NOT buy it up front. You MUST pick it up at the visitor info in the central train station, which is not very convenient to the usual cruise piers. Even if you’re docking at Rivierkaia (uncommon, but closer to the station than Akershuskai, Vippentangen, and Filipstad), you can just walk in, wait in the same queue, and buy it then. I don’t see any advantage at all of purchasing it up front and don’t understand why that’s even an option.

So you are saying that it is no longer sold inside the cruise terminal by Akershus Castle? The tourism people had a stand there where they were selling them when we were there back in 2010.

[afto]

I did just check the Oslo Pass web site which still indicates a number of sites where the pass can be purchased, including the hotel that I mentioned. I don't know about the place at the pier; it was not an option for us last year anyway because our port call was so early in the morning.

[Capt_BJ]

the wait to see a person for ANYTHING at the Oslo Visitor Info Center was over 30 minutes when I was there last week.

 

I was there early, not long after opening ... you take a number and wait .... and wait ... and wait.

 

(p.s. not much different at the VC in Bergen .... had to p/up our 'Norway in a Nutshell' tickets here and there was a similar 30 plus minute wait for our number to be called ....)

[marylizcat]

I have looked at the official website, and it does show the Oslo Cruise Terminal (Vigdis Design in Terminal on cruise ship days) as a sales point.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Junebug1]

Thanks for your replies/info. Very helpful

[kaisatsu]

So you are saying that it is no longer sold inside the cruise terminal by Akershus Castle? The tourism people had a stand there where they were selling them when we were there back in 2010.

No, if you buy it online before you arrive in Oslo, you have to pick it up from the central visitor’s information center. If you wait until you arrive to buy it, you can do so at any of the sales points.

 

I’m not sure if the pier sales point still offers the discount for cruise passengers, but that’s another reason not to buy it online beforehand!

[sunseekerlee]

Just got back from our Baltic cruise and we did purchase the Oslo pass at the ferry ticket kiosk!

we were told the passes were available at the pier, we were docked below the castle, but one side of the building had the pass erased, the other did not. The ferry is an easy walk from the ship and a nice ride to the Island. We visited all 3 museums here, Norway Maritime, Fram & Kon Tiki, then walked ( advice is to take the bus) to the Viking Museum.

We missed the National gallery, but all the family that got there thought it was excellent and well worth the trip!