Oslo is an extraordinary city where you can find either wooden houses and skyscrapers…
Norway on a budget: travel tips to save money
upd 4 April 2024
Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world. It seems that there can be no way to travel there cheap. But it’s not true – if you follow several tips you can save a lot of money. It will be a list only with the tips with optimal price-comfort ratio. So hitchhiking, couchsurfing and camping are not included.
Hot to get to Norway
The cheapest way to get to the country is to fly a lowcoaster: Wizzair, Ryanair, airBaltic, Norwegian. They fly to the biggest airports: Oslo Gardermoen, Sandefjord Torp, Bergen and Kristiansand. Be careful: Torp is often listed as an Oslo airport, but it’s actually pretty far (120 km), so you will need to also pay for the bus and train.
There are usually a lot of flights from Poland, Germany, Hungary, Estonia and Latvia. The easiest way to find a flight is aviasales where you can set the number of days of the trip and see options for all norwegian airports in the needed area at once.
You can also get to Oslo from Sweden on a Flixbus. There are a lot of options including Gothenburg-Oslo and Stockholm-Oslo.
Cheapest way to travel around the country
The main rule is to book a ticket in advance. This way you can save up to 50%. Also the price is usually reduced if you are younger than 26 years old.
Bus
The cheapest and most popular type of transport is bus. The main norwegian bus companies where you can book a ticket: vybuss, konkurenten, nor-way.no. To check all the special offers use the aggregator: lavprisekspressen.no
Trains
Unfortunately trains are not popular in Norway and often are more expensive than buses. But it’s still a good way to travel between the big cities. Always check the Minipris option that gives you an opportunity to travel for a minimal price.
Car
The most comfortable way to travel is a car. You can rent a car in Norway and if you do it in advance that will save you a significant amount of money. To find the best option use the aggregator Economybookings.com. A car for a week will cost about 180-200 €.
Eating on a budget
The are a lot of options to save money on food that is very expensive in Norway – especially restaurants. So if you want to eat out – going to a regular restaurant can cost you at least 25€ for one. So the best way to eat out is choosing ethnic places that are usually singnficantly cheaper.
Don’t forget that tap water is drinkable and you can always ask for tap water in a restaurant for free.
“Too good to go” app
The most effective way to save money is the app Too good to go. It was made to fight food waste, so cafes, restaurants and supermarkets offer their food 3-5 times cheaper. It’s usually the food that needs to be utilized before the next day but is still good. So you choose the nearest place that is in the programm, order food and get it from the cafe. Some examples of how much you can save:
Thon Hotel (dinner, accessible from 21 to 21:30) – hot meal, salad and bread. Price – 35 NOK (3,5 €).
Thon Hotel (breakfast, accessible from 10:20 to 11) – something from the buffet: sandwiches, bread, salads, eggs, fruits. Price – 35 NOK.
Circle K – cafe at the gas station (accessible from 21 to 23:00) – sandwich, wrap and bread. Price – 39 NOK.
Meny – supermarket (accessible from 21:15 to 22:00) – bread, cheese, some meat, fruits and vegetables. Price – 49 NOK.
Cafeterias
You can also eat cheap at student cafeterias and Red Cross and Fretex cafes.
Supermarkets and Holdbart
Of course buying food from supermarkets is always cheaper than eating out. Usually the inner brand of the supermarket is the cheapest: First Price, Eldorado.
And there is also a Holdbart shop that sells products with a close expiration date. Their prices are 3-7 lower.
Entertainment and sightseeings
The main attraction of Norway is nature. Access to almost all natural attractions is free: to Geiranger fjord, Troll language, Prekestulen. Throughout the country there are many hiking trails, covering the most picturesque places. If you wandered into a very remote place, there is a chance to find a house with food in which you can hide for the night.
In cities, there are many free events are held which can be found in advance. Also in almost every city there are free walking tours from local residents. By the way, talking with locals will help you find out about the most interesting places. Usually, Norwegians are very friendly and will be able to suggest unusual points that will not be in the guidebooks.
The best option to save on excursions is to book them in advance on Tiqets.
If you plan to stay in Oslo, it’s worth to get an Oslo pass which includes free public transport, walking tours, entrance in museums ans many varoius activities.
How to save money on accomodation
The best way to save on accomodation is to travel in a small group – at least a group of three. All norwegian hotels cost about the same, so you can save by dividing the price of a room for three. A place in a dormitory costs 250-400 NOK, and a separate hotel room costs about 700-1200 NOK.
Cheapest hostels in Oslo: Anker Hostel, Oslo Vandrerhjem Haraldsheim.
Cheapest hostels in Bergen: City Bergen Hostel, Bergen Hostel Montana, P-Hotels.
Due to the small difference in price when traveling with a company, it is more profitable to stay at a hotel. For comparison, take a triple room in an excellent hotel in the city center. Price per night 1300 NOK, this price includes breakfast and dinner. 1300/3 = 433 NOK each. At an approximate cost of breakfast in the institution 100 NOK and dinner – 150 NOK, we subtract them from the price of the room. 433-250 = 183 NOK, which is cheaper than a hostel. You can check current prices in Thon Hotel for example, which offers great meals included in a room price.
You can find a camping place on the site campingguiden.no. Prices will be around 150-200 NOK.
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