Currency and Money
Norway once had the reputation of being the most expensive country in Europe. Price differences between Norway and the rest of Europe have now narrowed or disappeared. It’s not that Norway has grown less expensive; the rest of Europe has caught up with it. The total cost of visiting Paris, Stockholm or Copenhagen may easily exceed that in any part of Norway.
The Norwegian crown (krone) is commonly abbreviated as NOK. One Norwegian krone equals 100 øre. Coins come in denominations of 50 øre and 1,5,10, and 20 kroner coins; bills come in 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 kroner amounts. Norwegians round off change to the nearest 50 øre. The Norwegian krone differs from the Swedish, Danish, and Icelandic kroner which are not accepted.
Post offices and banks exchange major foreign currency and traveller’s cheques. You will find money exchange offices in all major airports and railway stations. They offer the best rate for traveller’s cheques, but there is often a charge for cashing them. Major credit cards are accepted in most places in Norway, and at some full-service, self-service and unstaffed huts.
Customs and Duties
Cigarettes and alcohol may be brought into Norway in restricted amounts. These restrictions are usually not of concern to visiting walkers. Returning Norwegians tend to bring in the limit.
Language
Norwegian, like Danish and Swedish, belongs to the northern group of Germanic languages. A mixed group of the three nationalities freely converse among themselves, each speaking his native tongue. If you speak a Germanic language, such as English, German or Dutch, you will recognize a large part of the Norwegian vocabulary. Norwegian is not a language for the shy; many words are enunciated and spoken with great vigour. In addition to normal vowels, Norwegian has three additional ones: å, æ and ø, which come at the end of the alphabet. Do try to learn a bit of Norwegian, although pronunciation is notoriously difficult for the native English speaker. Because of the difficulty with pronunciation I have not found phrase books helpful.
The Sami in northern Norway have their own language. Sami is closer to Finnish than to Norwegian, and thus even more incomprehensible to the English visitor. When visiting Finnmark you will notice the unusual characters, accents and spellings.
Norwegians must now take English in school, and many, particularly if under 50 years of age, can communicate in English, but only at a basic level. Norwegians will want to practise their English language, but never assume advanced proficiency. English skills fade away as you travel deeper into the rural areas. In some of the more remote lodges, the guardian may not speak English. You’ll wish then that you’d learned at least the numbers in Norwegian!
Health
For entry into Norway from infection-free nations, such as Canada, the United States or anywhere in Western Europe, you need no vaccinations nor must you take any special medical precautions. A yellow fever vaccination is required if entering Norway from an infected area.
In case of illness, only visitors from Britain are covered by the Norwegian Health Plan. Ambulance and in-patient care is free; doctor’s visits, usually paid in cash, cost around £10. Chemists (Apotek) are open during normal shopping hours. In most towns an emergency pharmacy will serve you during closing hours. Prescriptions from foreign countries will not be honoured; you should bring plenty of your prescription medicines with you. Medicines should be carried in their original bottles, or you should carry a doctor’s letter of verification.
Time
Norway, like Sweden, Denmark and the rest of Western Europe, is one hour ahead of Greenwich mean time (GMT). Daylight savings time (DST), when the clocks are pushed ahead one hour, runs from the end of March to the end of September.
GETTING THERE
Train
Many international trains connect Britain and the European continent with Scandinavia via Copenhagen and Hamburg. Ferry trains run between Copenhagen and Oslo several times a day.
Air
Scheduled air services from Europe and overseas arrive in Oslo, Bergen, Kristiansand, Sandefjord, Stavanger and Trondheim. From overseas Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Finnair and Icelandair will route you to Norway through their European hub city.
From the rest of Europe, SAS (Scandinavian Airlines Service) and foreign airlines work together to connect you easily to Norway, usually through Copenhagen. Direct flights or flights with convenient connections can be made from all major European cities several times a day. From Copenhagen you can connect to almost all cities in Norway.
From London, British Airways has flights to Bergen, Oslo and Stavanger. SAS operates from London to Bergen, Oslo and Stavanger and from Manchester to Oslo. Braathens SAFE, Norway’s major domestic airline (SAFE stands for the South Asian and Far Eastern routes of the shipping company), has flights between Newcastle and Stavanger, Bergen and Oslo. Other services to Norway from the United Kingdom are operated by Widerøe Norsk Air, Air UK and Dan-Air.
From the United States, SAS routes its flights from Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles through its hub in Copenhagen. There is a daily flight from New York (Newark) to Oslo.
Ferry/Boat
There are major ship connections between Denmark and Norway, and you can reach Norway by sea from Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Iceland.
Bus
You can travel to Norway by bus from London via Amsterdam and Gothenburg. Other bus connections from Europe connect from Belgium, France, Spain and Denmark. Most regular bus connections from abroad connect with domestic bus services.
GETTING AROUND
Train
Rail travel in Norway by NSB, the Norwegian State Railway, cannot be faulted. NSB links up with bus and boat services from its southern tip to Bodø on the northwest coast. Several main railway lines combine to constitute 4000 kilometres of track. Around 775 tunnels and more than 3000 bridges carry the trains through the mountainous terrain, 76% of which run on a gradient, and 50% on curves.
The main Norwegian lines are Oslo to Bergen, Oslo to Trondheim, Trondheim to Bodø, and Oslo to Stavanger. There are connections to Sweden via Trondheim, Narvik and Oslo. The Bergen Line, considered one of the world’s most scenic train journeys, links Oslo with Bergen with an extension to Flåm, and runs 100 kilometres across the treeless Hardangervidda plateau. Connecting Oslo with Trondheim with a western branch to the Romsdalfjord, the Dovre Line crosses the Dovre mountains providing fine views of Norway’s inland countryside. The Roros Line connects Oslo with Trondheim via an easterly route through the famous mining town of Roros. The Nordland Line, one of the few trains in the world to cross into the Arctic, runs between Trondheim and Bodo. A rock pyramid at 66° and 67°N marks the train’s entry into the Arctic. The Sorland Line links the country’s southern peninsula and coastal communities with Oslo, Kristiansand and Stavanger. There are also local and commuter lines in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim. Buses run in areas where there is no train service; they have replaced the secondary train lines.
In the Far North Narvik is served by bus lines from Bodø/Fauske and not by the Norwegian railway. Railways from Narvik connect with Stockholm via the Swedish railway, the Ofot Line, the northernmost railway in the world. Another Swedish line connects with the Norwegian railway east of Trondheim and runs to Stockholm.
Trains offer both first-class and second-class modern service. For all trains, you are required to make a reservation. Second-class, both clean and comfortable, is superior to the second-class rail travel in some other parts of Europe. You can take a compartment or berth for overnight trips, but be sure to reserve ahead. If you hold a rail pass, you will have to pay a small additional fee for your seat reservation. It is possible to send your luggage ahead to pick up later. When you collect your baggage, you must pay a minimal daily storage charge.
The NSB participates in a range of European ticket-pass plans. The Nordturist