Norway on Budget

Some of you might wonder if I can, will or want to write about anything else than Norway. And the answer is yes.

But will I do it? Clearly not, as the few previous posts have either been all about Norway, or the arrival of the Little Man. Both quite significant fixtures in my life these days.

However, I felt that this post was timely and nearly necessary as I have recently received comments about Norway’s expensiveness, and how it is putting people off from traveling here. But the midnight sun, northern lights, fjords and waterfalls, I wouldn’t want you to miss all these just because the little hick up that goes by the name of a budget.

So, instead of robbing a bank or staying at home, here’re few tips on how to do Norway on a budget, my way. My way meaning that you might have to forget the luxury of five start hotels for a moment even if that’s your cup of tea, and concentrate in the luxurious views and outdoor lifestyle instead.

As thursday’s are all about Instagram Travel Thursday in this corner of the web, all these images can be found in my Instagram gallery. Want to participate, scroll down to find out more!

Traveling in Norway

Once you get yourself to Norway, public transport will take care of the rest. Traveling by rail, bus or internal flights can be done for affordable cost, especially if you do bit of forward planning.

NSB, the state owned rail service offers “minipris” tickets for early bookers. With the specially priced tickets you can travel for as little as NOK 249,- (€30/£25/$40), even all the way from Oslo up to Bodø, a nice little 17h train journey.

Internal flights are also a handy way to travel the length of the country from the busy streets of Oslo, to the edge of Europe and shores of the Arctic Ocean. Besides the traditional point-to-point flight tickets offered by several airlines, in the summertime you can also experience Norway by air with the Widerøe Explore Norway Ticket. This is the equivalent for an InterRail ticket, but up in the sky. Widerøe also offers “Fly and Bike” combination tickets in Northern Norway, where you can pick up a bike on arrival at selected airports and explore the region on two wheels.

Accommodation

If you want to do Norway really cheaply, your accommodation doesn’t have to cost a penny. According to the “Right of Access”, also known as everyman’s rights, everyone has the unrestricted right of free access to the countryside. This means that you can pitch your tent anywhere for a night, as long as it is at least 150 meters from the nearest house or cabin, and not on a cultivated field or a lay-by. If roughing is not your thing and you want to see the cities too, there is also a wide selection of campsites with small cabins, and hostels with shared rooms.

Wining and Dining

This is where you will have to break that bank if you want to eat outside and drink a bottle of wine every evening. Don’t do it. Instead, fill up your quota in the tax-free and buy your food at the local supermarket. And when you eat out, pick carefully. There are some cool on-going schemes at local restaurants like “Smak av Kysten” (loosely translated “the taste of the shoreline”) in which the participating restaurants are focusing on local and seasonal seafood with high-quality ingredients. And although Norway might not be renown for its culinary delights, you can find some amazing food on offer in restaurants, for a cost that goes with it though.

Of course if you want to really save on eating costs, you could always go fishing. Fishing in the sea from the land is free (everywhere else you do need a permit). Good luck!

Activities

If you are into outdoors you are sorted. It doesn’t matter where you go and which valley you travel along, there are likely to be hundreds of kilometers of hiking and biking paths calling your name nearby. On some of the most popular spots like the beautiful hike on Besseggen or the trek up to the highest mountain in Norway, Galdhøpiggen, it does get crowded on sunny summer days. But it is never hard to find a hike off the beaten path where you can almost feel like you are out there exploring, all on your own. For tour ideas check www.ut.no.

Or you can do what my daughter does in the picture above, stay in town, find a tunnel and create some vocal art by testing the echo in different tunnels. Apparently the best sound is produced close to the wall!

Highlights

I dug deep in the archives and found some of my favorite moments and places in Norway for you. Just in case you still need little convincing of what is there to do and see, have a look at the links below.

• Where the Sun Never Sets – I fell in love with Northern Norway the first time I landed up north.
• The Best of Best in Norway – the title says it all!
• For the families out there: Adventure Park Fun Norwegian Style
• Cross-Country Skiing into the Wild. Kind Of. Kind of an adventure in the wintertime for those ready to face the winter weather.
• Chasing Sheep and Other Fun Activities in the Norwegian Mountains. Something fun for the summertime.

For those with bit of a budget

If you have bit of a budget, yes, do stay in hotels, eat out and check out the night scene! Norwegian cities, albeit small in cosmopolitan terms, are buzzing with life and full of interesting little cafés, bars and restaurants all the way from the south to the north. In fact, Tromsø, the town with the most bars and restaurants per capita, can be found all the way up north past the arctic circle. Worth a visit? For sure!

I’m part of the team co-hosting the Instagram Travel Thursday Linky, an initiative started with Skimbaco Lifestyle online magazine to connect travel and Instagram enthusiasts across borders and I would love if you joined us! Read the guidelines on Skimbaco’s site and get to know us co-hosts better by hovering your mouse over the interactive image below. And once you are ready with your own post, please add it to the Linky in the bottom of the page and check out some of the other participating bloggers! All images except the feature image are from my personal Instagram gallery, you can find me there at @todestinationunknown.