Tag: Oslo

Hotel review – Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret, Oslo

As part of my two month Scandinavia tour, I spent 5 nights at the Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret in Central Oslo.

I had known what to expect from the Clarion Collection chain from my previous visit to one of their properties in Tromsø.

However, I was still impressed with this property.

My Nordic Choice Unlimited Nights package included a room in the “moderate” category, the most basic of several categories.

I was given a small, but well fitted out room.

The deal included buffet breakfasts with a good variety, as well as a single choice main course for dinner.

There was also a small afternoon tea offered each afternoon, as well as a reasonably varied if expensive selection of beers.

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The hotel is also equipped with a nice guest lounge, which is open all day and offers indoor and outdoor seating.

The best thing about this hotel was the location, less than 10 minutes’ walk from Oslo Cetral Station and with a tram stop right outside the door.

However, although I had a public transport pass for the 5 days of my stay, the hotel was central enough to walk to the vast majority of attractions.

Overall, this property was stunning value at around €51 per night with my two month pass.

Normal rates range between around €175 and €250, which for a very central location in a blisteringly expensive city, with meals provided, is not bad for a reasonable level of comfort.

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Destination guide – Oslo, Norway

The Norwegian capital of Oslo is entirely free of covid restrictions and is a great place to visit at this time of the year.

I recently spent five days there as part of a two month tour of Scandinavia.

Oslo has something for everyone, from nightlife and fun parks, to serene parks and gardens, fjord cruises and even beaches.

As I had dinner included at my hotel, I decided to skip the dedicated dinner cruises in favour of several relaxing trips on the several ferries which are included in the city’s public transport system.

Above all, Oslo is a fabulous city for walking and has many miles of waterside paths suitable for cycling, running or simply strolling and enjoying the surroundings.

I particularly enjoyed the area around the Munch Museum and the main harbour area.

The area around the Royal Palace is especially pleasant for enjoying some green spaces, more or less in the centre of the city.

I rounded of my visit with a stroll along the riverside in the Grüneløkker area, a little way north of central Oslo.

In terms of getting around, the city’s public transport system is very efficient, although the trams and buses are often very crowded. As parking a car is difficult and very expensive, I chose to walk almost everywhere. The distances are not overwhelming and Oslo is a very safe city at all hours of the day and night.

In conclusion, Oslo is a pleasant and relaxing city to explore and nicely rounded off my 12 day tour of Norway.

If you have any questions or experiences to share, please visit our Norway Forum.

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Trip review – Norway in a Nutshell Tour

On July 1 of this year, I took the spectacular one-day Norway in a Nutshell tour, including a fjord cruise and a trip on the world famous Flåm Railway.

Moving on from the charming coastal city of Bergen back to Oslo, I investigated several ways to travel between the two cities.

The obvious would be a flight at a cost of around €200 one way or a direct train for around €150.

In comparison with these options, the one way Norway in a Nutshell tour seemed to be an intriguing option at around €250. It turned out to be a good choice.

I started the day by dropping my luggage at the front desk of the Hotel Oleana to be collected at 06:30 and delivered to my hotel in Oslo. At around €30, this option saved a lot of hassle and I would highly recommend taking it.

The tour started with an hour’s train journey from Bergen to Voss and continued by bus to Gudvangen with a short break at the scenic Stalheim Hotel.

The next stage of the tour was a relaxing two-hour cruise along the picturesque Sognefjord from Gudvangen to Flåm, before joining the world famous Flåm Railway for a spectacular one-hour climb to Myrdal.

This was really the end of the scenic part of the day and it was time to settle back for the 5-hour train connection to Oslo.

One tip I can share is that, although there is officially no first class on these trains, some carriages are configured in the old first class layout and are decidedly more comfortable than the standard seats. There is no extra cost to reserve a seat in these carriages.

With a scheduled 20:45 arrival in Oslo, which turned out to be around 21:30 after a few delays, I decided to eat my evening meal on the train. The food on board is expensive and honestly nothing special, but it was worth it for the convenience. This little feast was mine for around €30.

On arrival in Oslo, I transferred to the Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret a few minutes walk from Oslo Central station, to find that my luggage was waiting for me at reception.

In summary, I would say that the Norway in a Nutshell tour is an excellent option for travelling between Bergen and Oslo. It is a long day, but very much worthwhile and the price of the tour is not much more than the basic direct options for travel.

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Hotel review – Comfort Hotel Runway, Oslo Airport

Prior to my flight to Tromsø, I parked up at Oslo Airport and stayed overnight at the Comfort Hotel Runway, a 10 minute bus ride from the terminal.

This is an airport hotel, designed for one night stays before or after flights and that is reflected in the facilities provided.

With that said, I was perfectly happy with the comfort of my room, which had a double bed, functioning air conditioning and a hot shower, which is all I really cared about for a one-night airport stay.

As a bonus, there was a nice view of the airport taxi ways.

I have to say the food was a bit of a let down. Guests have to option of dining at the restaurant belonging to a neighbouring hotel, but there is very little choice of food on site. I ended up dropping the better part of $20 on a microwaved taco and a soft drink.

Breakfast was limited with the usual bacon and eggs and the addition of a few cold cuts. However, the juice and milk had run out so I was stuck with water and black coffee.

Honestly, this hotel is a perfectly acceptable option for a one-night layover, but the catering is poor. I would recommend eating before arrival or choosing one of the similarly priced options on the other side of the airport, with more options nearby.

Flight review – SAS Oslo – Tromsø

As my tour of Scandinavia continued to the Arctic North, I decided to leave my car at Oslo Airport and fly to Tromsø, rather than take a three day drive each way.

There were several options for this route, including Norwegian and Widerøe. However it turned out that the best deal was on the direct afternoon flight with SAS.

The flight was quite expensive for a domestic one-way at €226 for the most basic hand luggage only ticket.

I, however, chose to upgrade to the SAS Plus fare at €270, including checked luggage and access to the SAS Domestic Lounge at Oslo Airport.

This proved to be a good choice, as the American Express lounge to which I would normally have access was located after customs controls and therefore not accessible to domestic passengers. It also allowed me to check in my small rollaboard rather than fighting for overhead bin space.

The lounge was pretty basic in terms of its food offerings, but offered wine and both draught and canned beer and provided a comfortable place to sit while waiting for boarding, so it suited me fine.

The on board experience was not up to the standards of even intra-European Business Class, in that middle seats were not kept free and refreshments were limited to a snack and drink. However, given the short length of this flight and the small premium that I paid, I was perfectly happy with it.

Overall, this was a nice, easy little flight and “upgrading” was worth it in my very specific case.

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