Oslo & Drobak, Norway - How to Visit Norway on a Budget

Chris booked our flights from Wroclaw to Oslo (really Moss, Norway) for roughly $25 USD each round trip on Ryan Air. Our cheapest flights to date. You would likely spend more on a nice dinner out than we did on our flight. But buyers be warned - the rumors that Norway is the most expensive country to visit are true! It's not that you can't afford it but it's more like - really $30 for 2 beers? Our cheapest flights but one of the most expensive weekend getaways. That being said - there are plenty of ways to save while traveling and a few things we would do differently.

First, we arrived in Moss, which is about 1 hour by bus south of Oslo. As with most Ryan Air flights - there is a bus company ready for you when you land to take you into Oslo - it is roughly $100 USD for 2 people round trip - it's cheaper if you buy your return ticket at the same time, so we did. There is also a free shuttle from the airport to train station and trains that run to Oslo where you can connect to other locations if you wish as well. The bus to Oslo drops you off right in city center bus station and our hotel was located in the middle of the all the action. Our first money saver was choosing the right hotel. It was still a little pricey but the location was great and comparable in price to other "budget" hotels in the area without slumming it.

Harbor

Harbor Area - Great place for a stroll

Oslo is a great city - as with all the cities we travel, the best free activity to do is go out and walk. See the city on foot and it costs you nothing.

So many little marinas

Marina in Thief Area (main area)

Sunset over Oslo

Oslo Fjord at Dusk

The famous Oslo Opera House - a lot of fun to climb on it - it's a thing to do here for sure

On top of the Opera House - looking to the new town area

They offer free swimming in the Thief Neighborhood - pretty cool - scroll down to see people actually swimming.

Sculpture  Park

You can find cool festivals going on and don't be afraid to go into the cut and explore not only the sights but the local neighborhoods. Oslo has some great, very distinctive neighborhoods - all with their own thing going on.

Neighborhood Festival

Yard Sale

We knew we wanted to do at least one day trip out of the city to see a smaller town so we decided on Drobak. You can take a local bus from the city center, about 45 minutes south, to a small town on the water which is famous for being the narrowest point in the Oslo Fjord and also the home of letters to Santa. We even got to meet Santa's cousin who helps with the mail. (You can mail your letters here for Santa: Tregaarden’s Julehus  Havnebakken 6, 1440 DRØBAK)

Local Library

Street Signs

After touring the small town, we picked up a few beers at the local store (because finding wine is next to impossible) headed to the water and chatted for a few hours before catching the afternoon bus back to Oslo. Unfortunately for when we were visiting - the ferries weren't opened yet for the season but you can also take a ferry to and from which would have been a neat way to get there but the drive is pretty as well.

Amazing Views of the Fjords

Nothings says safety like a cement diving board into a bed of rocks - I'm sure people actually use it when it's warm enough

Old Man and the Sea

A good place to post up - taking in the views

The bus back to Oslo

All in all - we loved Oslo, it's a great city. They are investing a lot in the infrastructure and making it a great place for locals and tourists alike.

And then there's these crazy kids...

We were watching in our coats from the docks

Our tips for people looking to visit Oslo on a budget.

1) They stop selling alcohol at food stores after 6:00PM everyday and none on Sunday. Our suggestion - pick up at duty free at the airport - or if checking luggage - pack it. We missed the 6:00PM deadline on Saturday by 45 minutes (because we didn't know about this fancy little law) and didn't want to pay $30USD for 2 beers that weren't even good beers - so let's just say it was a sober weekend till Monday.

2) Pack any and all foods you can from home that will take well for travel - nuts, apples, cheese... the food stores in Norway, while are still a way to save money - can still be pretty expensive for simple items. For everything else, don't be afraid to skip meals out and try to make meals at the hotel. You will find way better pricing and you can still get what you want to eat. If you do want to go out - try getting away from the main tourist areas as prices are a little higher so you can save a little by going a little further out.

3) Pick the right hotel for your budget - an obvious suggestion but there are nicer budget hotels which some may even offer breakfast. Our hotel offered a fridge and mini kitchen to prepare meals if you wanted - which for us was great. We even heard the little island right outside Oslo offers free camping - you just have to take a ferry back and forth but I think would be a blast with a group of friends.

4) Walk and take public transportation. 

5) Go when you have more money - For other travelers who have lots of money to spend, we were originally looking at renting a car and driving to Flam. You can also take the famous train there but for the weekend getaways - the train schedules didn't match up. There are so many neat places to explore outside Oslo but can be pricey to get there between transportation and lodging but worth it if you have the time and money.

Norway has so much to offer in the way of natural beauty and we hope to be back on day with more time and money to spend to explore. Until then...

Review of Hotel: Oslo: Citybox Oslo:Location, Price and Facility are Great

Yup these are for real - Cool American - and no we did not spend over $6 USD to see if they tasted the same...

Munich, Germany and Salzburg, Austria - Weekend Escape

It wouldn't be living if we didn't hit the road every 2 weeks or so. This trip: Munich, Germany and Salzburg, Austria.

Munich is a cool city: culturally diverse, friendly, pretty architecture, historical, modern, good markets, big beers, walkable.

A Few Musts:

Stroll through Englischer Garten (English Garden) - possibly stop at the lake for pint and lunch or afternoon nap in one of the many lawns

 Viktualienmarkt: the outdoor market great for picking up fresh cheeses, produce, fish, meats, flowers 

Schrannenhalle: the indoor market which is a great place to stop for a glass of wine and snack at one of the many cafes or a little shopping in the market

Marienplatz: Stop and enjoy the Rathaus-Glockenspiel - walk into the main square on one of the pedestrian only shopping streets

Churches and Historical Sites: One of our favorite things to do when walking around is to visit churches. It has some of the best free art and no matter how many you walk into, they all are a little different - also cool to pick up on regional differences.

The Opera House, not a church

Hofbräuhaus: Cap off the night with a beer, music and chance to meet some cool people from around the world. Known for their beer, but you may or may not be able to order wine too (yes, I did that at a beer hall but in all fairness, I drank some beer too)

There is so much to see in Munich and the best is just to get out and walk. Also, they have a great variety of cuisine there so if you are like us and need a fix of good ethnic food and fish - which can be hard to come bye in Eastern Europe - this is a great place to fill that void.

Also, for anyone visiting Munich, the Bavarian region is running a promotion with the local trains and offering round trip tickets to a few cities within the region for 23 euro for the 1st ticket and the second ticket for 4 euro. We were originally planning on driving to Salzburg but with round trip tickets at only 27 euro for the two of us - we took the train. You get to see the country side and don't have to worry about parking or gas which was an extra plus. Tickets can be purchased at the train station.

Day Trip to Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg to me was perfection. It was beautiful. The town is so tiny and posh. Every corner is another quaint street with darling stores. They were decorated for Easter which made the town feel like spring is upon us.We strolled along the river until we hit the main area but not before stumbling into the local Saturday farmers market.You can learn so much about a place by their farmers markets.

We enjoyed in some of the local sausages and then picked some local cheeses and fruits and headed to the river. It was a perfect day so we found a nice spot and posted up for awhile.



Salzburg is an easy day trip. You can see pretty much the whole town in a few hours and even have some time left over to wander around until the train leaves.

All in all, Chris and I say - we both like both locations but he liked Munich more than I did and I liked Salzburg more than he did.

Travelers Tips: When looking at where to stay in Munich - it is true, most of the hotels are by the train station. There are some closer to Marienplatz but when we were looking, those tended to be the very high end hotels for a slightly exaggerated price of 700 euro a night (not our budget).  

Also, if driving into Munich it is pretty awesome because there are a ton of hop fields in the country. They look similar to a vineyard but the stakes are super tall and have vines growing up them and a net at the top. I didn't know what they were before so had to Google it. Worth seeing if driving past.