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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Norway

International Airports Oslo International Airport (OSL) (Gardermoen) (website: www.osl.no) is 47km (30 miles) north of Oslo. It is the largest land-based development project in Norway. The high-speed airport express trains Flytoget leave every 10 minutes to/from Oslo’s central station (travel time – 20 minutes). Buses serving the airport include the SL buses and Bussekspress which stop in front of the terminal building and take approximately 45 minutes to Oslo. There is a new bus station for regional services located within walking distance of the terminal. Access by car is also facilitated by the construction of new roads (regional no. 174 from Jessheim) and the widening of two others (regional no. 120 from Erpestad and national no. 6 from Tangerud). There is a taxi rank at the terminal building. In addition to regular taxis, there are ‘airport taxis’, cheaper taxis which must be ordered in advance by groups of up to three people, and wheelchair taxis. Airport facilities include duty-free shopping, banks/bureaux de change, restaurants and cafes, car hire, lost luggage, information kiosks as well as laundry/dry cleaning, shoe repair and key-cutting services. Stavanger (SVG) (Sola) is 14.5km (9 miles) southwest of the city (travel time – 20-30 minutes). Airport facilities include duty-free shops, bar, restaurant, snack bar, many shops, tourist information, post office, banks/bureaux de change, left luggage, lockers and car hire (Avis, Budget, Hertz and InterRent/Europcar). There is a coach to the Royal Atlantic Hotel, Jembaneveien 1. Bus no. 40 goes every 20 minutes (0620-2400) for a fare of approximately NOK21 (travel time – 30 minutes). Taxi services are available to the city with a surcharge after 2200 (travel time – 15 minutes). Bergen (BGO) (Flesland) is 19km (12 miles) south of the city (travel time – 25 minutes). Airport facilities include left luggage, lockers, banks, bureaux de change, post office, duty-free shops, bar, cafes, shops, tourist information, nursery and car hire (Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz). Bus (Flybussen) service leaves for the city every 20 minutes (0645-2130). Return is from various points in the city centre. Taxi services are available to the city for a fare of approximately NOK170 with a surcharge after 2200 (travel time – 25 minutes). Departure tax: None. Back to Top Air Travel Norwegian air travel is served by Braathens SAFE (BU) (website: www.braathens.no) and SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK) (website: www.sas.se), a Scandinavian airline. Air France, British Airways, Finnair, Icelandair, KLM, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Ryanair and Swiss also operate services to Norway. Domestic flights are run by Braathens ASA (BU), Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY), SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK) and Widere’s Flyveselskap (WF). A total of 50 airports with scheduled services exist in the fjord country of western Norway and along the remaining coast. Charter sea or land planes are available at most destinations. Reduced airfare tickets are available for families, children under 12 years of age (who pay half price), groups and pensioners. For further information, contact Widere Flyveselskap A/S (tel: (81) 001 200; website: www.wideroe.no). Approximate flight times: From London to Oslo is 1 hour 45 minutes, to Bergen is 1 hour 40 minutes and to Stavanger is 1 hour 30 minutes. From New York to Oslo is 10 hours 45 minutes (including stopover in London). Back to Top Travel By Water The main passenger ports are Bergen, Kristiansand, Larvik, Oslo and Stavanger. The main sea routes from the UK, operated by Fjord Line and DFDS Seaways respectively, are from Newcastle to Bergen (travel time – 25 hours 30 minutes) and to Kristiansand (travel time – 19 hours). Services from Newcastle to Bergen via Stavangar are also operated by Fjord Line, a Norwegian line operating a number of fjord cruises within Norway (in UK tel: (0191) 296 1313; website: www.fjordline.co.uk). Fjord Line also operates services from Bergen to Hanstholm (Denmark). Smyril Line operates services from Bergen to Iceland via the Shetland Islands and the Faroe Islands in the summer (tel: (55) 596 520; fax: (55) 596 530; e-mail: office@smyril-line.no; website: www.smyril-line.no). All coastal towns are served by ferries, catamarans and hydrofoils. The Hurtigruten (express) from Bergen to Kirkenes (near the Russian border) takes 11 days round trip, leaving daily and stopping at 35 ports on the west coast. Various ferry trips are available (half price in spring and autumn). There are also numerous companies operating cruises on Norway’s spectacular fjords, one of which is Norway Fjord Cruise AS, PO Box 110, 6861, Leikanger (tel: (57) 656 999; fax: (57) 656 990; e-mail: nfc@fjordcruise.no; website: www.fjordcruise.com). Back to Top Rail All services are run by NSB (Norwegian State Railways) (tel: 8150 0888; website: www.nsb.no). The main internal rail routes are: Oslo–Trondheim (Dovre Line); Trondheim–Bod (Nordland Railway); Oslo–Bergen (Bergen Railway); and Oslo–Stavanger (Sorland Railway). There are also services to Charlottenburg (Stockholm) and Halden (Malm) on routes to Sweden. Seats on express trains must be reserved. There are buffet/restaurant cars on some trains, and sleepers on long-distance overnight services. Heavy luggage may be sent in advance. Children under 4 years of age travel free; children 4 to 14 years of age pay half fare. The ScanRail Pass, valid for all of Scandinavia, offers a substantial reduction. For further information, contact NSB (Norwegian State Railways) (telephone number above) or the Norwegian Tourist Board (see Contact Addresses section). Connections from the UK are from London via Dover/Ostend (via Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden) or Harwich/Hook of Holland, or from Newcastle to Bergen via Stavanger. There are two principal routes to Sweden, with daytime and overnight trains from Copenhagen, Malm and Stockholm. Cheap Fares: Reduced fares on rail services have vastly increased the use and range of internal services. Scanrail cards allow 5 or 10 days within 2 months or 21 consecutive days’ unlimited travel in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden on railways and selected ferries, and a 50 per cent reduction on other ferry services. InterRail tickets are valid in Norway and are now also available for those aged over 26 years. Back to Top Travel By Road Traffic drives on the right. The road system is of variable quality (especially under freezing winter conditions in the north), but supplemented by numerous car ferries across the fjords. Bus: Principal long-distance internal bus routes are from B (in Telemark) to Haugesund (travel time – 8 hours); from lesund–Molde–Kristiansund to Trondheim (travel time – 8 hours); and from Fauske to Kirkenes (travel time – 4 days) with links to the B line in the north. Inter-Nordic runs from Trondheim to Stockholm. There are also extensive regional local bus services, some of which are operated by companies with interests in the ferries. Visitors can contract NOR-WAY Bussekspress AS for seat reservations and route information (tel: (81) 544 444; fax: (23) 002 449; e-mail: ruteinformasjon@nor-way.no; website: www.nor-way.no). The official Rutehefte is a must for anyone using public transport, and gives extensive timetable information and maps of all bus, train, ferry and air routes. Taxi: In most cases, fares are metered. Taxis can be found at ranks or booked by telephone. Car hire: Available in airports and most towns, but costly; in general, problems of cost and parking make public transport more practical and convenient. It is also possible to hire bicycles. Regulations: The minimum age for driving is 18. Tolls, ranging from NOK5-50, are charged on certain cross-country roads, underwater tunnels and in certain cities such as Bergen, Oslo and Trondheim. There are severe penalties for drink-driving and illegal parking. Seat belts are compulsory. Children under 12 years of age must travel in the back of the car. It is obligatory for all vehicles to drive with dipped headlights at all times, even on the brightest summer day. This includes motorcycles and mopeds. Carrying spare headlight bulbs is recommended. Speed limits are 80 to 90kph (49 to 56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Snow chains or studded winter tyres are advised during the winter. Petrol stations are numerous, although tourist are only able to use credit cards in some of them. The contact for AIT (Alliance Internationale de Tourisme) is the Norwegian Automobile Association (NAF), PO Box 494 Sentrum, 0105 Oslo (tel: 2234 1400; fax: 2233 1372; e-mail: medlemsservice@naf.no; website: www.naf.no). Documentation: International Driving Permit or national driving licence and log book are required. A Green Card is strongly recommended (for those with more than Third Party cover on their domestic policy). Without it, visitors with motor insurance in their own countries are allowed the minimum legal cover in Norway; the Green Card tops this up to the level of cover provided by the visitor’s own policy. The maximum legal blood to alcohol ratio is 0.5 per cent. URBAN: Good public transport systems operate in the main towns. Oslo has bus, rail, metro and tramway services. Tickets are pre-purchased and self-cancelled, and there is 1 hour’s free transfer between any of the modes. Meters on taxis are obligatory. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Oslo to other major cities/towns in Norway. Air Road Rail Bergen 0.35 9.00 8.00 Kristiansand 0.30 5.00 5.00 Lillehammer 0.20 3.00 2.30 Stavanger 0.35 7.00 8.00 Troms 1.40 20.00 - Trondheim 0.40 10.00 8.00 The only international routes are from Sweden or Finland in the far north. Camping trailers up to 2.3m (7.5ft) wide, with number plates, are permitted on holiday visits. Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in Norway. For further information, contact Eurolines (tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; website: www.eurolines.com) or National Express (tel: (08705) 808 080; website: www.nationalexpress.com). Back to Top

Car Hire Norway

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout Norway.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Norway