A weekend in Oslo
BEFORE YOU GO Oslo is a city that requires entirely different planning and packing depending on what time of the year you choose to visit and what you wish to experience. You can opt for an urban, big-city experience with shopping, museums and food, a weekend of nature and the outdoors, or a relaxing time in saunas and coffee shops. Each choice calls for different planning, and hopefully, this guide will leave you a little bit wiser as to what to bring and what to expect.
When to go? In short, all year long. Norway is a long country with several different climates. The western parts are cooler and wetter than the east, and the north is colder than the south. Oslo, despite being located by a fjord, is sheltered from the wild and wet coastal climate of the west due to the large mountain chains in the middle of the country. The summers tend to be warm and dry, with the odd heatwave or cool spell and occasional rain showers. The winters are cold and dark, but its location by the fjord leaves Oslo with a milder climate than further north or in inland towns and cities. Still, the temperate can plummet to -10°C and snow is not uncommon. Spring tends to be sunny and mild, whereas autumn brings a bit of everything, meaning it’s not at all uncommon to have sun, rain and snow in the same day. But Norwegians are used to the vastly different seasons, and there is no such thing as downtime. Winter brings skiing, winter sports 6
and Christmas markets; summer brings festivals, hiking and beach life. Spring has celebrations and sunsoaking activities, and autumn brings indoor cosiness. As Norwegians say, ‘Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær’ (‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing’), so if a trip in the wintertime is on the cards, pack layers, woollen clothes and good boots, and you’re good to go. Make sure your boots have proper soles that will grip onto snow and ice, rather than patternless ones that will make them as slippery as ice skates. For summer trips, it’s still advised to bring layers as the nights, though bright, can get quite cool, but also pack sun cream, swimwear and sunglasses. The summers can get hot, and the sun doesn’t set until late in the evening. Norwegians are fond of comfortable clothes and footwear, so focusing on comfort and quality won’t make you stand out among the locals. Oslo is relatively safe, but as is always
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the case in a city with lots of people in the same place, it might be a good idea to bring a backpack or handbag with zippers, to make sure you leave with the same amount of belongings you arrived with. What to book? Oslo does have a reputation for being an expensive city, but public transport is quite cheap compared to many other capitals, and with extra offers in place for tourists to get as much out of their money as possible. Ordinary tickets can be bought at ticket machines and in kiosks all over the city, but for good deals on transport and experiences, buy an Oslo Pass lasting 24, 48 or 72 hours. The pass includes travel on all public transport across the city as well as suburbs and districts (Oslo as well as Lillestrøm, Nittedal, Asker, Ski, Nesodden and Drøbak), and includes free access to several museums and attractions, as well as discounted restaurants, sightseeing and activities. The pass
