Oslo, August 20th..need suggestions

[Jade13]

Are you trying to get to the hotel from the airport? The OsloPass or transport passes don't cover the distance to the airport, and the fastest and easiest way into town is the Flytoget airport express train, which costs 170 NOK. There are also regional and local trains that are a bit slower and only run every half hour or so, but tickets cost around 100 NOK. You can buy tickets for both from machines at the airport (the machines accept credit cards).

 

/quote]

 

Thank you for all of the great information. I hope my CC works in the machines as I have had problems in the US of and on. The Flyoget sounds like the way to go. Is there a schedule? I think our flight gets in around 7:00pm and we still need to get our luggage.

 

I need to get some NOK today and was trying to figure out how much. We still need to get taxis in Tromso and LYR etc.

[TracieABD]

You went to 11 museums in 5 hours? Did you see anything :) That is less than 30 minutes per museum not to mention the transportation etc.

I did see what I wanted to see. I had been to Oslo several times before, and I really wanted to capture pictures of sites that I remember.

I do wish that I had more time at the Folk Museum, the Resistance Museum, and just walking around downtown Oslo.

Honestly, I ran out of gas, before I ran out of time.

It was fast but fun.

TL

[Jade13]

I did see what I wanted to see. I had been to Oslo several times before, and I really wanted to capture pictures of sites that I remember.

I do wish that I had more time at the Folk Museum, the Resistance Museum, and just walking around downtown Oslo.

Honestly, I ran out of gas, before I ran out of time.

It was fast but fun.

TL

 

How many miles do you think you ran?

[msmoger]

That was how long that I was in port. I was off the ship at 6:45am and at the trolley across the street with my OsloPass by 7:05. I walked/ran through Vigland Park in the early morning, took the trolley back and caught the very first ferry to the Bygdoy. I went to the second stop which housed the Fram and the KonTiki museums, because they opened first. I then ran about 2 km to the Viking Museum and the Folk Museum. I was back on the ferry by 10:30. I was back in Oslo by 10:45 and I hit the ground running. I did have an interesting time at the Nobel Peace Museum as it was Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday, and there was cake and a band and a lot of dignitaries. I was only able to see the museum because I promised to be gone by 2:00 when the festivities really got going (I was out of there by 11:45). From there I went to the City Hall to take pics of the murals. I stayed long enough to take some photos. I walked two blocks north to the the National Gallery and looked at the 20 or so paintings that I knew that I wanted to see. After, I went back to the harbour area to see the Akon fort, castle and the Resistance museum. I was back on ship by 1:45 and eating in the dining room (boy, was I hungry!).

 

I attribute the day to my physical conditioning ( I had run 3 miles on board that morning) and my ability to plan events sequentially.

Would I recommend this for everyone? Nope. It was very busy and very fast. And there are places that I would have liked to have spent more time at... No rose smelling on that day.

 

Having said all of that, I think that I am a frustrated Amazing Race wannabee!:)

 

'Nuf sed- That was how I spent my half day in Oslo.

(PS- I keep a journal, and wrote in it as I sat on various transportation so that I would remember what I did)

 

I salute your Fitness, Stamina, Perseverance, Anal Retentive Organizational Skills.......and Youth!! :) For my part, I will utilize your hard work and cherry pick a more manageable itinerary.

 

Thanks,

[TracieABD]

How many miles do you think you ran?

Not sure. Probably 3-4 total, but it was incrimental and not continuous.

BTW it was all flat!

[TracieABD]

I salute your Fitness, Stamina, Perseverance, Anal Retentive Organizational Skills.......and Youth!! :) For my part, I will utilize your hard work and cherry pick a more manageable itinerary.

 

Thanks,

 

Sounds like a good plan. Enjoy Oslo. It is one of my favorite cities in the world.

[kaisatsu]

Thank you for all of the great information. I hope my CC works in the machines as I have had problems in the US of and on. The Flyoget sounds like the way to go. Is there a schedule? I think our flight gets in around 7:00pm and we still need to get our luggage.

You can find the schedules online here. It looks like the summer schedule will be in effect from 6 July to 2 August, which means the trains from the airport run every 20 minutes (at :16, :36, and :56) and all of the trains will stop at all of the stations. Before and after those dates, there are additional trains during the day that run directly to Oslo S at :06, :26, and :46. The trains run all day from around 5:30am to 12:56am, so you shouldn't have any problem at all arriving at 7 and collecting luggage.

[patwell]

Hello Meg...and thank you for all the extraordinary detailed information you've shared here. The maps in particular have been most helpful in planning a route we'd like to take.

 

It has been many years since I was in Oslo...I am Norwegian American and spent many pleasant summers of my childhood with my grandparents, and all my relatives. All are sadly gone now and this return trip is to be very special for me.

 

I have contacted Oslo taxi for a car to take the 4 of us first to the street where my grandparents lived. I doubt the old building is still there...I believe the area now is called Grunnerloka....back then it was a very simple place to live.I'd just like to feel that connection to them one more time.

 

From there we will have the taxi take us to Vigelandsparken and leave us there. If I understand the maps it would be possible to take Bus #20 from Vigelands to Olav Kyrres Plass where it appears we can switch to Bus 30 to go to Bygdøy and the museums. Is this possible and if so are the bus stops in the same place and easily seen?

 

Do you know if there are taxis that are available at Vigelands should we decide to go to Bygdøy that way?

 

We are there on a Sunday but it appears there are restaurants open at Aker Brygge but perhaps not any shops.? Are there shops near the pier that might be open as our friends will want to pick some things up to take home.

 

Mange takk for alt...

Penny

Penny’s Affair to Remember Queen Mary 2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

 

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continued...did it ever!

 

October 16,2008...the “Affair” goes transatlantic as we sail in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage...what a thrill!

 

December 9, 2008....the “Affair” resumes again....Life is good!

 

July 30, 2009....transatlantic again...some “Affairs” just get better

 

August 7, 2009....the “Affair” goes on...this time “home” to Norway

[Jade13]

You can find the schedules online here. It looks like the summer schedule will be in effect from 6 July to 2 August, which means the trains from the airport run every 20 minutes (at :16, :36, and :56) and all of the trains will stop at all of the stations. Before and after those dates, there are additional trains during the day that run directly to Oslo S at :06, :26, and :46. The trains run all day from around 5:30am to 12:56am, so you shouldn't have any problem at all arriving at 7 and collecting luggage.

 

Thanks!

[Jade13]

You can find the schedules online here. It looks like the summer schedule will be in effect from 6 July to 2 August, which means the trains from the airport run every 20 minutes (at :16, :36, and :56) and all of the trains will stop at all of the stations. Before and after those dates, there are additional trains during the day that run directly to Oslo S at :06, :26, and :46. The trains run all day from around 5:30am to 12:56am, so you shouldn't have any problem at all arriving at 7 and collecting luggage.

 

Thanks!

 

Btw, what is the closest stop to the Grand Hotel and how far is the walk? Is it the National theatre?

[cruzisme]

hi all,

just trying to figure out how much money to get for snacks etc.

 

our plan: 2 coffees and 2 sandwiches/buns or something similar as our lunch break

 

price (approx. idea)

 

we are buying the Oslo Pass at the cruise terminal (yes, this is possible is it not?) So much info so getting a touch confused re ports

 

thanks!

[kaisatsu]

I have contacted Oslo taxi for a car to take the 4 of us first to the street where my grandparents lived. I doubt the old building is still there...I believe the area now is called Grunnerloka....back then it was a very simple place to live.I'd just like to feel that connection to them one more time.

 

From there we will have the taxi take us to Vigelandsparken and leave us there. If I understand the maps it would be possible to take Bus #20 from Vigelands to Olav Kyrres Plass where it appears we can switch to Bus 30 to go to Bygdøy and the museums. Is this possible and if so are the bus stops in the same place and easily seen?

 

Do you know if there are taxis that are available at Vigelands should we decide to go to Bygdøy that way?

 

We are there on a Sunday but it appears there are restaurants open at Aker Brygge but perhaps not any shops.? Are there shops near the pier that might be open as our friends will want to pick some things up to take home.

 

If you know your grandparents' street and/or address, check out http://kart.gulesider.no/ You can search for the address, and then click on Skråfoto for an angled view that you can rotate and see bits of the building facades. Not as good as Google Streetview, but similar.

 

Your bus route from Vigelands Park to Bygdøy is correct. I'm not sure the buses stop at exactly the same place, but if they don't, the stops are very close to each other, so switching buses shouldn't be a problem. There aren't any taxi stands close to the main park entrances, so you would have to hope to catch one on the street. I think the bus would be an easier option if you have cash for the tickets (or if you have an Oslo Pass). I believe the Vigelands Park tram stop has a ticket machine, so you could buy tickets before getting on the bus, which is significantly cheaper (25 NOK compared to 36 if purchased from the driver).

 

FYI - If you wanted to use public transit to get to Grunnerløkka, the #12 tram near the Akershus cruise pier heads there and takes around 10 minutes. The same tram going the other direction will also take you to Vigelands Park, but it requires backtracking all the way back downtown and up to the park, so the trip is around 20 minutes. However, the frequency is reduced on Sundays, so it could mean up to 20 minutes' wait.

 

The normal shops at Aker Brygge won't be open on Sunday, though the convenience stores will be (though they may open a bit later in the morning). The restaurants are generally open. Most of the souvenir shops are around the City Hall (there are a few behind the building, and a few on the streets just to the east), so they'd be convenient from the cruise pier. I believe some (or even most) of them are open on Sundays, especially during the summer.

 

Thanks!

Btw, what is the closest stop to the Grand Hotel and how far is the walk? Is it the National theatre?

Yes, Nationaltheatret is the closest stop. It's about 500 m. from the station exit. Follow the signs toward the subway (marked with a capital T for T-bane) and the exit for "Karl Johans gate." Start by walking down the platform towards the back of the train when you get off (I find the signs on the platform aren't as well marked).

 

just trying to figure out how much money to get for snacks etc.

our plan: 2 coffees and 2 sandwiches/buns or something similar as our lunch break

price (approx. idea)

Coffee runs from around 15 NOK at places like 7-11 to 30+ at an upscale coffee shop. On average, I'd say 25 NOK. The cheapest on-the-go snack is pølse (sausage/hot dogs) which typically cost around 20 NOK. A simple bun or roll is also around 20 NOK. A sandwich at a convenience store generally costs around 40-60 NOK. The chain Deli de Luca tends to have some decent options for pre-made food. So for 2 coffees and 2 sandwiches, I'd expect to pay around 150 NOK (~$23). You can understand why on our Norwegian cruise, people were always coming back to the ship starving!

 

Another thing to mention, soda and bottled water typically cost around 22 NOK at a corner shop, so I'd definitely recommend bringing a bottle from the ship if you can. There aren't a lot of drinking fountains or bubblers, but the tap water in Norway is very good, so you may be able to just refill your bottle if needed.

[cruzisme]

thank you for the advice re food/prices etc.

helps us with the budget

I still think we will just buy in town as we need the 'fuel' rather than return to the cruise ship for meals

[patwell]

Meg....thank you so much for that information about the bus from Vigelands. I thought it was possible....nice to know I was right! You've been most helpful. We plan to get an Oslo card before we leave the pier. Hopefully it won't be too crowded with others having the same idea.

 

And for that map reference. I most certainly will never forget their address and with that map I was able to put myself right back on the street again. And I do remember the tram that used to go to near Akershus...I used to take it all the time when I"d go in to town.

 

The map was such fun that I deviated and had a lovely wander thru downtown Oslo and favorite places I remember so well. What a great map! Thank you again.

 

Cheers, Penny

 

Penny’s Affair to Remember Queen Mary 2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

 

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continued...did it ever!

 

October 16,2008...the “Affair” goes transatlantic as we sail in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage...what a thrill!

 

December 9, 2008....the “Affair” resumes again....Life is good!

 

July 30, 2009....transatlantic again...some “Affairs” just get better

 

August 7, 2009....the “Affair” goes on...this time “home” to Norway

[parker6]

sorry if this is already posted, but does anyone know which bus to take to get from the ship to the Viking Ship museum and the Norwegian Folk museum?

[kaisatsu]

sorry if this is already posted, but does anyone know which bus to take to get from the ship to the Viking Ship museum and the Norwegian Folk museum?

The bus that runs to the Folk Museum and Viking Ships is bus #30. The easiest place to catch it is the National Theater, which is a few blocks from the city hall, near the Akershus cruise pier. You can also take ferry #91 from the piers in front of the city hall (right by the cruise pier), and then walk a few blocks (about 10 minutes) from the first ferry stop to the museums. The ferry is part of the public transit system and is covered by the Oslo Pass and transit passes just like the bus.