Just got back from 8 days in Norway and thought I’d share some tips!
We suffered through ~Hans~ but were fortunate enough to not have too much of a disruption in our travel plans. Norway was still a dream, even in the rain. Tips below (we are from America):
-if traveling norwegian, there is a limit on the amount of liquids allowed. they must all fit in a small clear plastic bag (carry on only!). see comments below for more info.
-you can bring alcohol on the plane if traveling between cities within the country (not sure if this is true for all Schengen countries?). My husband and I flew into Oslo and then flew to Alesund the next day. We thought there would be duty free on the departure side of the Oslo airport, however, there was not. We noticed people were bringing unopened alcohol on the plane with them through TSA (the agents would put it in a sealed bag to bring on the plane). We wound up finding beer at the grocery store which wasn’t a terrible alternative. see comments below for more info.
-liquor/wine stores close at 5/6pm
-buying an Esim was one of the best things we did. We had no idea how much it would help having access to the internet at any time (especially because of Hans). We only used about 4 GB for an entire week (see next tip below).
-You can download the map of Norway on Google Maps (on your phone) so that you have access to it without wifi. I think this helped keep our GB usage low.
-we never used or credit card PIN.
-gas is expensive but you shouldn’t have to fill up often if you rent an efficient hybrid car. We paid inside, not at the pump.
-the weather truly changes in minutes. Be sure to be prepared for ANYTHING.
-freida chocolate is unreal.
-geiranger is stunning, however, we feel it’s unnecessary unless you are keen on hiking (our opinion!). We did not think there was a ton to do in the town otherwise and there are other just as beautiful fjords!!
-the trail from Myrdal to Flam is stunning. We chose to hike it (about 12 miles) but biking down looked just as fun. If the bikes rentals are full at Cafe Ralleren, you can walk down the first portion of the trail from Myrdal and should be able to rent bikes at the goat farm (end of the zip line; there were tons available!)
-Bergen is so much more of a city than we thought! We were surprised to see it was
not a small fishing town like we had imagined. We loved it!
All in all, we had an amazing time (storm Hans & all) and would recommend this country to anyone. I would be happy to answer any questions!!
