Cheap flights to Oslo from HK$3,398

Oslo may be one of the more expensive cities in Europe, but there are ways to enjoy Norway’s sophisticated capital without melting the plastic. The first thing is to find cheap flights to Oslo – Oslo Torp that is – and take the bus to the centre of the city. Another tip is to buy an Oslo Pass, which provides free public transport, free admission to museums and sights and even discounted ice-skate hire.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, summer temperatures can hit 30 degrees and a spot of open-air swimming in the fjord is a free thrill. Days are long too, 21 hours of daylight in the summer months.

Cross the harbour by boat to the Bygdoy peninsula, where you’ll find several fascinating museums including the Viking Ship Museum, Norwegian Folk Museum, Kon-Tiki Museum, which tells the story of Thor Heyerdahl who in 1947 sailed 4,000 miles across the Pacific in a raft, and Fram Museum, which tells the stories of the polar explorers.

Gustav Vigeland’s sculptures populate the Vigeland sculpture park. The almost 200 giant sculptures were not only modelled by Vigeland, but he laid out the park too. It’s Norway’s most popular tourist attraction. The Screaming Baby Statue is one of the best.

Oslo climate

Oslo has perfect weather for winter sports, cold with lots of snow. Winter days are dark and dusky though, and daytime temperatures are below zero (to about -9 degrees). Summers are mild with long sunny days. Oslo is far enough south to not have 24 hours of sun in summer, but the nights never get completely dark. Summertime temperatures range from the teens to low 20s. August is the wettest month and April and May the driest.

Getting around Oslo

To get to Oslo from other major European cities, you can get a train or bus. Oslo’s port also has daily ferry arrivals from Kiel, Germany and Denmark’s Frederikshavn and Copenhagen. If you’re arriving in Oslo by air, an airport bus will take from the arrivals gate to the Oslo Bus Terminal downtown. You can also catch the Airport Express train or hail a cab. Getting around in Oslo is easy. Buses, trams and the underground metro (T-bane) comprise an efficient and affordable public transport system.

What is good to know if travelling to Oslo?

• The open-air Norwegian Museum of Cultural History features 155 authentic buildings from different national regions. In 2004, Bygdo Royal Farm merged with the museum and the farmyard, fields and grazing lands are now part of the museum grounds. Indoor exhibits feature Norwegian folk art and dress, Norway’s First Parliament Hall and … antique toys. The Christmas Fair is Oslo’s largest pre-Christmas event. Houses are traditionally decorated and there are more than a hundred stalls selling arts and crafts, foods and seasonal treats.
• Karl Johans gate is the main pedestrian street, which connects the railway station with the Royal Palace. It’s a buzzy street with shops, cafes and lively performance artists.
• The Oslo Domkirke, the city cathedral, dates from 1697 and boasts elaborate stained-glass windows. Concerts and exhibitions are held there and the square is a nice place to rest.
• Aker Brygge was originally a dockyard and an industrial site – operated by Aker Mekaniske Verksted AS. It was rebuilt in the 1980s and now the area boasts offices, shops and restaurants, apartments and marina. Aker Brygge attracts more than six million visitors each year.
• Museums, museums, museums. Oslo seems to have one to suit every interest. These include the Football Museum, Ibsen Museum, Munch Museum, Norwegian Scout Museum, Oslo Fire Museum and Norway’s Resistance Museum.
• The Nobel Peace Centre, opened in Rådhusplassen in 2005, is where you can learn – through exhibits, films lectures, and interactive installations – about the various Peace Prize Laureates and their activities as well as the history of Alfred Nobel.
• The Vigeland Sculpture Park has a fascinating history with 192 sculptures and more than 600 figures – all full size and modelled – by Gustav Vigeland, the 19th-century sculptor.