Surgery in Norway : Travel and accommodation

Norway has 50 airports located around the country connecting flights nationally, to and from the rest of Europe. Oslo International airport (Gardermoen) is an attractive, modern airport located 48 km north of the city with excellent road and rail connections. Other airports offering international flights include Bergen, Haugesund, Moss Airport at Rygge, Sandefjord Airport at Torp, Tromso and Vigra Airport at Aaelsund.

Travel to and from the centre of town from Gardermoen airport is best done by bus (a 40 minute journey) or the shuttle (‘Flytoget’) which departs every ten minutes and takes just 20 minutes into town. Taxis can be quite expensive and the journey time doesn’t tend to be any quicker. In the southwest of Oslo, the smaller international airport, Torp, is located 120 km south of town in the town of Sandefjord and serves the budget airlines and charter planes. In the west of Norway, Haugesund Airport, Karmoy is located 20 minutes from the centre of town and has an airport bus serving the route to and from town.

Arriving by boat and train

Travelling to Norway is pretty easy. As part of mainland Europe, Norway can be reached by car, bus and train, and there are also ferry connections to various Norwegian ports. The crossing time can be  quite long but the boats are modern, comfortable car ferries with restaurants and cabins for overnight journeys.

An extensive rail network links Norway to Europe with high-speed trains connecting the Scandinavian capitals of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo and international trains arrive at Oslo Central (Oslo-S) from all over Europe.

Travelling within the country

The best way to get around the country is to fly and there is a very good domestic network. Train travel is also of a high standard and the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) has a well developed domestic rail network with standard local, intercity and long distance trains. Driving in Norway is not the easiest as there are many give-way rules and drivers have their headlights on at all times of the years. Although many new roads have been developed in Norway you should watch out for potholes and bumps caused by frost and damage from the snow - even in the summer. For helpful tips about the rules of the road and information about tolls see the Guide to driving in Norway. Driving is on the right.

Oslo has a compact centre and the ‘Oslo Pass’ is handy to buy as it provides travel and entry into many museums and sights. You will find an excellent choice of good quality hotels in Norway. Many city hotels are geared towards the business client in the week so the visitor can take advantage of their reduced rates at the weekends and during June, July and August.

The currency is the Norwegian Kroner (NOK) and €1 = around 7.8 NOK.

Norway is in the Central European time zone = GMT + 1.