Oslo, Norway

Hilsen fra Norge!! Greetings from Norway!! This trip has been a long time coming, and I’m so excited to be checking out this beautiful country. I’m currently writing this on the train from Oslo to Bergen, and can’t wait to share this journey with you all. This solo adventure is both the longest duration and farthest from home and it will be the decision maker on if this is something I love doing. I’ve done solo trips before, but this will be my first international adventure. So far things are going smoothly, and it has definitely helped that I picked a country that 98% of the people speak English. The only major difficulties I’ve come across are trying to navigate the train system (bought 2 different tickets till I was able to find the correct one) and trying to find ibuprofen in a pharmacy. But I’m getting by with either pointing at things or attempting the few words I learned in Norwegian till someone takes pity on me. Now let me tell you a little something about my duration exploring this capital city.

Things I learned in Oslo:

• Cash is not accepted pretty much anywhere. Only time I used cash was for a gratuity after a tour
• Tips are not needed at restaurants. They can be given as extra but are not necessary
• It’s a walkable city in the sense that it’s fairly compact. But must leave extra time as it is quite a hilly city
• Like many sea cities, they are very protective of their ocean, and live a fairly green lifestyle. Probably the city I’ve seen the least amount of cars as public transportation is very big. Any cars you do see are either hybrid or fully electric
• It has a fairly strict alcohol policy (compared to the states)
• 2 days is the maximum amount of time you need to visit Oslo properly in my opinion. Had 2 days and definitely left feeling like I hit everything I wanted to see
• People are nice when approached but do not necessarily go out of their way to talk to strangers. If you smile at them on the streets they will ignore you
• Oslo, and the rest of Norway is expensive. Most breakfasts and lunches are between $12-30 USD, and dinner is roughly $25+. But there’s always way to eat cheap so just find ways around if on budget. I’ve given up looking at costs and just say im in vacation
• Stores and restaurants don’t open till after 10 am. Expect slower mornings especially on Sundays
• They love waffles and sausages (more on this later)

I’ve come to really appreciate the red eye flight I took out of Chicago. I had a couple hours layover in Copenhagen before arriving in Central Oslo at around 8:30 pm. I was able to shower and go straight to bed kind of knocking jet lag away. I stayed at Oslo Citybox, and would probably not recommend it unless you are traveling on a budget. Rooms are pretty much dorm room size (you do have you own bathroom) with some very thin walls (if you know what I mean).

Anyhoo, let’s start talking about this wonderful city. It’s a very interestingly designed city. It gave me a combo feeling of France meets like post Soviet Union. Oslo is also a very pedestrian friendly city. There are many streets and plazas solely dedicated to pedestrians with no car access. I also felt very safe here the entire time. It’s rare to see homeless and the only time my senses felt heightened was walking to my hotel the first night. Got lost in the train station and ended up in a low lit area so quickly made my way back inside to find a different exit. But other than that one time, I felt very safe as a solo female traveler.

I’ve mentioned this before but one of my favorite things to do when traveling (solo or with a group) is to go on tours. Going on tours lets you meet so many people from different backgrounds from all around the world. It’s a way to get that human interaction especially when traveling by oneself. I got to meet people from Croatia, Mexico City, India and Dubai on these latest tours. I went on two different tours while in Oslo, and would easily recommend both of them. The first was a food tour which is my favorite kind of tour. A guide walks you around, telling you interesting facts, while you get to try food that makes up their culture. I tried things I would have never tried on that tour, but loved all of it. On that specific tour I got to try: a sample plate that consisted of reindeer, minke whale, and moose sausage, brown cheese, and lingonberries; a Norwegian hotdog which consists of a pork sausage in a potato tortilla with mustard, ketchup and crispy onion; and the classic Norwegian waffle which is a waffle topped with jam, brown cheese and sour cream. The second tour was boat tour through the Oslo Fjords. It was a last minute addition after walking 15 miles the day before and just needing some time to rest my feet. Got to see the city from a completely different point of view. Plus I always feel at peace when I’m on the water.

People warned me about the food in Oslo but I have been greatly impressed with all of of it. You don’t realize how much a melting pot Oslo has become until you get there. I had incredible Indian, Polish, American, Norwegian, and Thai food while there. Oslo is known for having all these indoor markets that have a ton of different food vendors inside and by far the coolest market is a place called Oslo Street Food Market. It’s a building filled with different street food from all around the world. Chicago needs to open something like this pronto. Had possibly the best Pad Thai of my life there.

So you’ve gotten your fill on tours and food, what are some other things to pass the time? I highly recommend walking Karl Johan Gate. It is a street that starts right at the train station and goes all the way down to the Royal Palace. It’s filled with shops and restaurants and great people watching. Unfortunately, did not find a single prince to marry this trip but always next time. After you’re done searching for love, head towards the ocean. For my history fans, highly recommend taking a walk through Akershus Fortress or going to the National Museum of Oslo. Lots of different art and history in both places. If you’re feeling brave, head to one of the floating saunas in the pier where you can find yourself jumping into the Bjorvika Bay. And to end the night, walk to the top of the Oslo Opera House for a fantastic sunset.

Hopes this give you some inspiration for your possible trip to this Scandinavian City. Catch you real soon in Bergen!

Til Neste Gang, The Library Abroad

Hotel Link: https://citybox.no/en/frontpage/

Tours Links: https://www.viator.com/tours/Oslo/Oslo-Fjord-Sightseeing-Cruise/d902-35182FC, https://www.viator.com/tours/Oslo/Get-Tasty-The-Ultimate-Oslo-Street-Food-Experience/d902-177579P14