Our 3 Secret Tips To Make Norway Affordable
Our 3 Secret Tips To Make Norway Affordable.
Or should that read Afjordable? Either way, Norway is renowned for having one of the happiest societies on earth. That’s because everyone has secure jobs and decent wages. And that means prices in restaurants, hotels and just about everywhere else are WAY higher than you’re used to. We had held back from going to Norway because we didn’t feel buying $20 sandwiches and having to watch every penny. But then (thanks to Travelzoo) we found the solution! Now, here are our 3 secret tips to make Norway affordable
Affordable Norway Secret Tip #1: Take A Cruise
Derek and I are not “cruising aficionados.” But when we saw a Holland America offer for 8 days in Norway including air for $1499, we jumped at it. Frankly, the thought of being stuck on board a floating hotel can be terrifying to us: cruising with folks whose definition of adventure is very different from ours; eating as THE main attraction; being limited to a painfully short time in each destination. It’s just not us. So, did we enjoy our 7 day cruise from Rotterdam to Norway aboard Holland America’s Rotterdam? YES! 80% of the cruisers were Dutch, and they were a delight to travel with. The food, service and accommodations were fabulous, and this was VERY different from our previous Caribbean cruise experiences. We ate and slept better than we would have on shore – at a fraction of the land prices.
Plus, when you think of Norway, your first thought is of fjords. It turns out that there’s no better way to truly experience the fjords than on board a ship. Sure, you can take a train or drive to the ports our ship visited, but it’s just not the same as sailing for hours down one awe-inspiring fjord after another.
Affordable Norway Secret Tip # 2: Book Your Own Excursions
First Port: Flam, Norway.
From Rotterdam, (which was really cool to visit…take at least an afternoon to see it), we spent a full day at sea until reaching Flam in the gorgeous Sognefjord. Disembarking, we headed towards what was our favorite excursion of the entire trip – a zodiac boat trip through the Naerofjord. This World Heritage site is perhaps the most iconic fjord in Norway. During our pre-trip planning, we opted for adventure, and decided to experience the Naerofjord on a high speed zodiac boat. It was a simple bit of poking around the net to find www.fjordsafari.com. For $99 each, we booked a 2 hour trip.
(A word about excursions: Although booking them directly from the cruise line is easy, you’ll probably end up paying double what it would cost you to do some online research and book directly yourself.)
The Fjord Safari tent is right at the harbor. You’ll see it as soon as you disembark. (You should DEFINITELY book this popular trip well in advance. It is one that is not offered by the cruise ship. During our day in Flam, all of the zodiac boats were fully booked.) The company “suits you up” in an oversized jumpsuit. They also provide a beanie hat, goggles, plus inner and outer gloves. Yup, we looked like Michelin Men, but hey – we kept toasty and dry. Once appropriately attired, you and your 11 boat mates motor out of Flam harbor. The scenery is everything you think it will be. Dramatic cliffs drop dizzyingly to the sea; waterfalls everywhere you look, tiny villages dot the shore. Over the two hour trip, your guide/pilot stops to give you info about the fjord and the different villages. At times, you motor slowly to take in the scenery. Other times, you experience the thrill of zooming down the fjord. So much fun!
Second Port: Stavanger, Norway
The 4th largest city in Norway, Stavanger has moved from a fish-centric economy to a booming oil town. Yet, historic Old Stavanger is charming to stroll through. We’d arranged a boat tour of the Lysefjord from Shore Excursions www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com (again, more affordable than a similar trip offered by the cruise line. For example, a similar excursion offered by the cruise line was 169.95 per person. We paid $80 each.) We sailed by Pulpit Rock, a famous natural rock formation. The steep cliff rises nearly 2000 feet about the Lysefjord, then flattens into a 260 ft. top. (My biggest regret of our cruise is that we didn’t book the excursion that allowed you to do the 3 hour hike up and back to Pulpit Rock. See our video interview of two fellow passengers who did do the climb. It was the high point of their trip. www.linkhere)
Third Port: Kristiansand, Norway
Known as the “Floral Town of Norway,” this polite little city gives you the feel for what living in modern Norway must be like. Truthfully, Kristiansand was our least favorite stop. We would have gladly missed this for more time in Oslo.
Affordable Norway Secret Tip # 3: Use Public Transportation
Fourth Port: Oslo, Norway
The country’s capital is vibrant, alive and growing. Because the cruise ship lands you in the middle of the action at the small towns we visited first, we didn’t need transportation. But when we got to Oslo, which is spread out pretty far, we were faced with paying hideous taxi prices – or taking the very affordable public transportation.
It’s an easy city to navigate, so we skipped the official excursions, and did Oslo on our own, using ferries buses and trams.
First stop (via a $2 ferry boat ride -half price for Seniors – and short uphill walk), was the fascinating Viking Ship Museum, home to four of the world’s best preserved Viking ships. Each of the ships had been used as an ocean going vessel, later brought ashore to be used as a burial ship. The earliest one, the Oseberg, built in 820 AD, was the final resting place of two powerful women. (You go, girls!) Make sure to leave time to view the incredible artifacts on display. The carvings will astound you. (Entry $12; https://www.khm.uio.no/english/visit-us/viking-ship-museum)
Next, and a short walk away, was the highly touted Norsk Folkemuseum, a large open air facility chronicling Norway’s cultural history. Forgive me, citizens of Norway, but we would NOT recommend this museum if you only have one day to explore the city. It’s a hodge podge of older structures and 1950’s apartment buildings. Huh? (Entry $19; https://norskfolkemuseum.no/en). So we jumped on a bus for a buck and went to the next stop.
Much more worthy of your time is the Fram Museum, (a quick city bus ride away) which chronicles Polar Exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic. On display is the Fram, the strongest wooden ship ever built. It still holds the record for sailing the farthest north and the farthest south. (Entry $14; https://frammuseum.no/).
We took another bus to Vigeland Sculpture Park. This must-see 79 acre park holds 200 sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland in granite, bronze and wrought iron. The artist’s life work of 40 years was installed between 1940-1949. The artist never explained his work, leaving it for the observer to interpret. Admission to the park is free, and it is an easy tram ride back to central Oslo.
So our transportation costs in Oslo amounted to about $10 each and we saw a lot!
Of course, we managed to squeeze in some time walking through central Oslo. We could have used at least another 6 hours on the ground to get a true introductory taste to the Norwegian capital.
That’s it: Our 3 Secret Tips To Make Norway Affordable! Enjoy.
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