Located on the Oslofjord, Oslo is Norway’s capital and largest city. The city is home to about 650,000 people and is surrounded by fjords and forests making it one of the most picturesque and unspoiled cities in Europe. Museums, galleries and green spaces contrast with nightlife in numerous bars, clubs and live music venues, performing arts theatres and a great opera house, along with hundreds of cafés and restaurants.
Oslo is also one of the world’s most expensive cities. But facilities are excellent and incentives are offered for meetings and conventions. That helps to keep costs reasonable for delegates and other attendees. There is an excellent range of top-class budget accommodations, a great selection of free attractions, and good value meals in cafés and restaurants for those who have free time when on the road.
It’s an easy city to get around, with a variety of public transport options as well as a compact city center that can be explored on foot. The locals are friendly and while Norwegian is the official language, English is widely spoken, making it very easy to find out more about the best places to check out in this enticing city.
The currency used is the Norwegian Kroner which is made up of one hundred ore. Major foreign currencies can be easily exchanged and all major credit cards are accepted everywhere.
Oslo has warm summers and snowy winters, while spring and autumn tend to see chilly to mild weather. July and August are generally the warmest months in the city, with average temperatures reaching around 18ºC. Minus figures are not unusual in winter. Thanks to its northern latitude, Oslo experiences a wide variation in daylight hours between the summer and winter months.
Hotels in Olso
Oslo has a wide range of hotels that are geared toward business travellers and are particularly suitable for meetings, incentives, conventions and special events. They include:
Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania
Tel: +47 23 10 80 00; E-mail: https://www.nordicchoicehotels.no/clarion/clarion-hotel-royal-christiania/
This hotel is a minute’s walk from Oslo Central Station and the Flytoget Airport Express Train to Gardermoen. It has 532 modern rooms, 21 conference rooms, restaurant and bar,
Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania has a conference capacity of over 1,000 participants, and the 21 conference rooms are suitable for everything from small meetings to larger conferences and grand banquets. Three separate banquet halls can cater for groups of 70 to 450 seated for dinner, and the largest hall has its own foyer – ideal for larger functions and events. With room for 450 seated dinner guests or 500 standing, the restaurant is a popular venue for major events and functions.
Grand Hotel
Tel:+47 23 21 20 00; E-mail: maren.olsen@grand.no
The Grand Hotel is Norway’s best-known and prestigious hotel right in the very center of the city. It has 292 rooms including 54 suites that are a blend of historic design, two restaurants, a sky bar with magnificent views, 19 meeting rooms, the Artesia Spa and a fitness room.
The conference center on the 7th floor can hold meetings for 4 to 110 people, while the banquet halls can accommodate more than 300 people.
Holmenkollen Park Hotel
Tel: +47 22 92 20 00: E-mail: holmenkollenpark@scandichotels.com
This hotel is close to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump, just a few miles (some kilometres) from downtown. It has 336 hotel rooms and suites. There are 38 conference rooms and halls equipped with the very latest telecommunications solutions.
Saga Hall can host 750 guests and has a number of smaller rooms for groups. Two auditoriums can each accommodate 120 delegates seated in a class room setup, and there is a simultaneous interpretation booth at the back of the rooms. Valhall is a large bright multi-use conference center of 1000 m2, and is well suited for hundreds of guests and presentation of large equipment. The hall can also be split up in smaller sections.
Hotel Bristol
Tel: +47 22 82 60 00: E-mail: post@bristol.no
Hotel Bristol is a unique style of hotel, with an elegance and venerableness that has characterized the hotel since 1920 when the doors opened to its first guests. Today the hotel has 251 guest rooms in close proximity to the city center.
The hotel can offer everything from minimalistic meeting rooms to large congress halls and venerable banqueting rooms. The professional conference department can handle groups from 5 to 500 participants. Bristol Hall seats 500 theater-style while Haakon-salen and Maud-salen both seat 200 in a theater format.
Hotel Continental
Tel: +47 22 82 40 00; E-mail: reception@hotelcontinental.no
Over four generations, the same family has developed Hotel Continental into one of Norway’s finest 5-star hotels, and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. There are 155 rooms and suites, and four restaurants and bars with world-class food and drinks, all within the city center.
Hotel Continental offers a large and varied selection of meeting and conference rooms, event facilities and function venues. The largest and most versatile facility can accommodate up to 250 guests for meetings and dinners. Salen can accommodate up to 30 guests for dinner and 26 for meetings.
Radisson Blu Oslo Alna/Park Inn Alna
Tel: +47 23 28 77 00; E-mail: info.alna.oslo@rezidorparkinn.com
Located 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) from the city center, this is two hotels in one. The contemporary Radisson Blu hotel offers 142 stylish rooms and suites that overlook the Alna neighbourhood while Park Inn has 206 comfortable guest rooms. The two hotels share 19, 375 square feet (1,800 square meters) of event space.
A total of 21 contemporary meeting rooms offer free high-speed, wireless Internet, high-quality audiovisual equipment and natural daylight, and the elegant ballroom can accommodate up to 800 guests.
Radisson Blu Plaza
Tel:+47 22 05 80 00; E-mail: Conference.plaza.oslo@radissonblu.com
Soaring 37 floors above the street, this Oslo hotel has 676 rooms and suites with free high-speed, wireless Internet access. It is close to the Oslo Central Railwat Station and the Spektrum Arena, the region’s top venue for world-class entertainment events. The hotel’s five on-site restaurants and bars serve Irish pub fare, Norwegian cuisine and international dishes. There is a fitness center with a pool and sauna.
Radisson Blu Plaza has 30 conference rooms spanning more than 1,800 square meters and accommodating up to 1,000 guests. The Plaza Panorama venue offers 6 meeting and function rooms with sweeping views of Oslo and the nearby fjords. This is suitable for meetings, product launches, press conferences and other functions. The Sonja Henie Ballroom can seat up to 1,000 guests and can be split into 3 different sections, and the foyer outside the ballroom is frequently used as an exhibition area.
Radisson Blu Scandinavia
Tel: +47 23 29 30 00; E-mail: conference.scandinavia.oslo@radissonblu.com
This impressive Oslo hotel, with 497 designer rooms and suites, rises 22 stories, is close to the Royal Palace, and overlooks the city. Mediterranean fare is served at ENZO Bar & Restaurant and cocktails are available at Summit, the 21st-floor bar. There is complimentary access to Lagoon wellness center, complete with fitness room, saunas and swimming pool.
The hotel has 18 well-equipped meeting rooms spanning 2,100 square feet (2,000 square meters) in total. All conference facilities are conveniently situated in the same area on the ground floor. The Scandinavia Ballroom can accommodate 750 people in auditorium-style seating or 600 for a banquet.
Scandic Vulkan
Tel: +47 21 05 71 00; E-mail: vulkan@scandichotels.com
This is a modern hotel in the attractive Vulkan area, just a stone’s throw from the trendy Grunerlokka district and right next door to the food hall Mathallen Oslo. It has 149 rooms and is a 15-minute walk from downtown.
Scandic Vulkan has five modern conference rooms. The rooms are flexible – from board rooms to group rooms, and a large conference room for up to 150 people. All are equipped with WiFi, a loop system, projectors and other audio-visual equipment and excellent ventilation. For bigger events, Vulkan Arena, located next door, is available.
The Thief
Tel: +47 24 00 40 00; E-mail: henrik.sauge@thethief.com
This is one of Oslo’s most talked about hotels. It is located between the iconic Astrup Fearnley Museum, the canals on Tjuvholmen and the Oslofjord, within walking distance of downtown. Most of the 118 rooms have brilliant views.
There are five boardrooms of varying sizes for meetings and seminars for 2 to 50 people. The largest is FJORD with its own roof terrace, which has a fantastic view over the city and the fjord. For larger meetings and conferences the hotel collaborates with the nearby Astrup Fearnley Museum, Cafe de Concert, Sjømagasinet and others.
Conventions in Oslo
Oslo has various venues that can handle conventions and meetings of varying sizes. These are the largest:
Norway Convention Centre
Tel: +47 66 93 91 00: E-mail: convention@messe.no
This is the only center in Oslo with the capacity to stage conferences or congresses for up to 10 000 delegates. Norway Convention Centre offers large areas for 6,000 delegates, and 55 meeting rooms. The facility is not in the city but is located by the train station in Lillestrøm, between Oslo Central Station and Oslo Airport Gardermoen. It is 11 minutes by train from each station.
Major statistics of the centre are 420,000 square feet (39,000 square metres) on one level, divided between five halls; 323,000 square feet (30,000 square metres) of outdoor exhibition space; a 6,000-seat conference plenary hall and a 6,000-seat banqueting hall. Accommodation is provided in the Thon Hotel Arena which has 355 rooms directly linked to the exhibition center. An additional hotel is scheduled to open in 2017.
Oslo Congress Centre
Tel: +47 90 70 99 99: E-mail: tina.lauritzen.brodal@oslo.kongressenter.no
Oslo Congress Centre is a modern congress center in the center of the city consisting of more than 20 event rooms of various sizes. The building dates back to 1907 and features wood panelling and fine old paintings, as well as contemporary light and airy modern surroundings. The center hosts nearly 1,000 events over the course of a year.
The flexible rooms, meeting rooms, restaurants and break areas enable the center to cater for small meetings to major conferences and congresses. In total there is approximately 129,000 square feet (12,000 square meters) available in 25 different facilities (halls, meeting rooms, and restaurants). Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 square meters of exhibition area is available (including the Congress Hall and Forum) and it is possible to have 1,400 seats in one hall – conference layout, or 1,040 seats – banquet layout.
Oslo Concert Hall
Tel: +47 23 11 31 00; E-mail: billetter@okh.no
The building consists of two concert halls, several meeting and practise rooms, large foyers and bars, a box office and an office wing. The main hall has a maximum capacity of more than 1,600 and the small hall has 266.
The foyers can be used as exhibition areas (5,060 square feet or 470 square meters), and the bars have a capacity of serving up to 1,400 people. The maximum banquet seating which can be accommodated is 250 and the maximum classroom seating is 150.
Oslo Spektrum
Tel: +47 22 05 29 00; E-mail: wiggo@oslospektrum.no
This major venue for concerts and congresses is available with some 8,500 seats. It is an indoor multi-purpose arena in east central Oslo which opened in 1990. Designed from the outset to be flexible and in line with international standards for sporting events and concerts, Oslo Spektrum can accommodate almost any type of entertainment show or sports event that can fit inside.
Spektrum hosts about 100 events annually, with some 400,000 visitors. Of these, 70 percent are concerts by major national and international artists, 10 percent are other types of entertainment shows, 13 perent are fairs, conferences and corporate events, and only 3 percent are sporting events. The total event space is over 10,750 square feet (1,000 square meters) across 8 venues. The largest space is 600 square meters.
Telenor Arena
Tel: +47 909 97 700; E-mail: booking@telenorarena.no
This is an indoor, multi-purpose arena for sports and entertainment, as well as events, conferences and exhibitions. The arena is located at Fornebu, about ten minutes west of downtown Oslo. Telenor Arena has a capacity of 18,500 for events (theatre-style). Thanks to its flexibility, the arena can easily be adapted for smaller events.
There are 45 meeting rooms; an exhibition area of 107,000 square feet (10,000 square meters); max theatre seating capacity of 18,500; maximum banquet seating of 8500; and maximum classroom seating for 6,000.
Ullevaal Business Class – UBC
Tel: +47 23 00 83 00: E-mail: ubc@ubc.no
UBC is located at Thon Hotel Ullevaal Stadion and Norway’s nation football arena, Ullevaal Stadium. There are 42 meeting rooms of which 29 have direct views of the stadium; six conference halls with seating for 30-170 guests; UBC Lounge with seating for 40-130 guests; the auditorium Kinoteket with space for 96 guests; the Colosseum with space for up to 300 guests (192 in theatre-style); the UBC Hall with space for up to 740 guests in theatre-style, 450 in classroom and 540 in banquet seating on long tables; Ullevaal Panorama, with space for 460 guests for mingling arrangements; and 1,418 VIP seats in the stands with direct access from the UBC facilities. There is also a fully equipped TV-studio.
Oslofjord Convention Centre (2 hours out of town)
Tel: +47 33 00 20 00; e-mail: http://oslofjord.com/en/Home/
This facility is not really in Oslo, but it is the second largest congress facility in the country. The main hall spreads across 4,800 square meters and provides seating for 6,800 and standing room for 700. There is the capacity to serve a three course banquet dinner for up to 2,500 guests. The center’s plaza, sprawling over 25,800 square feet (2,400 square meters), welcomes guests with an impressive view over the fjord.
Smaller Meeting Venues
Ekebergrestauranten
Tel: +47 23 24 23 00; e-mail: post@ekebergrestauranten.com
When the Ekeberg Restaurant was built in 1929, it was one of Europe’s foremost functionalist buildings. This restaurant is in the Ekeberg Sculpture Park overlooking the fjord and the opera house. The building contains several restaurants, a bar/lounge, conference and meeting facilities, banqueting suites and a beautiful second floor veranda. It can host groups of up to 1200 people and the surrounding park can accommodate picnics and mingling parties.
Felix Konfereansesenter
Tel: +47 23 89 72 70; e-mail: info@felixkonferanse.no
This is located in the Aker Brygge area which is walkable from the central city. It has 25 meeting rooms, a gross exhibition space of 4,800 square feet (450 square meters); and a banquet capacity of 250 persons. The maximum classroom seating is 110 while the maximum theatre seating capacity is 220.
Festningen Restaurant
Tel: +47 22 83 31 00; e-mail: nicolas@festningenrestaurant.no
This new restaurant is located in an old prison next to the old Akershus Fortress. An outdoor serving area is open for lunch all summer and there is an outside bar with views of the Oslo Fjord. There are banquet facilities with room for approx. 50 persons. A separate room can serve 12 guests.
Fram Museum
Tel: +47 23 28 29 50; e-mail: charlotte@frammuseum.no
This is available for sit down dinners for up to 90 people on the deck of the old boat, or mingling parties for up to 300 standing guests in the Gjoa building which houses the sloop Gjoa and a model of the airship Norge.
Frognerseteren
Tel: +47 22 92 40 40; e-mail: bookings@frognerseteren.no
This is an historic restaurant built in the ‘dragon’ style with a spectacular view of Oslo. It is next to the nordmarka Forest and close to the Holmenkollen ski jump. For conferences the maximum theatre seating capacity is120; maximum banquet seating is150; maximum classroom seating is 80; and maximum number for a reception is150.
Gamle Logen
Tel: +47 22 33 44 70: e-mail: dahl@logen.no
Gamle logen, was built in Empire-style for the Freemasons in 1836. It was left to the city of Oslo when the Freemasons built their present hall in 1898. The building reopened after being fully restored in 1988.
Gamle Logen offers a range of beautiful rooms of various sizes, making it an attractive venue for not only major conferences but also smaller courses and meetings. It can host gatherings of 10 to 500 people. The reception, situated on the ground floor of the building, leads into seven lounges and ballrooms.
Kon-tiki Museum
Tel: +47 23 08 67 67; e-mail: h.tangen@kon-tiki.no
Sit-down dinners are possible for 200 diners around the Kon-tiki raft, or mingling parties for up to 300 guests in the whole museum.
Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Museum
Tel: +47 91 67 19 47; e-mail: post@skiforeningen.no
Both the top floor of the ski jump and the museum itself can be rented exclusively. Events for up to 250 people are possible. During summer there is a zip line from the top of the ski jump to challenge the hardiest.
Louise Restaurant and Bar
Tel: +47 22 83 00 60; e-mail: therese@restaurantlouise.no
This popular restaurant is situated in the modern Aker Brygge area and has been recently renovated. There are several rooms for meetings and private dinners and it can also be used for conferences.
Mathallen Food Hall
Tel: +47 40 00 24 09; e-mail: kristin@vulkanoslo.no
This opened in 2013 and operates as a large food hall with many retailers selling specialties and delicacies from all over the world. There are ‘foodie tours’ which include tastings from several booths and there are several areas which can be rented for private parties, conferences or cooking classes.
Mini-bottle Gallery
Tel: +47 23 35 79 60; e-mail: post@minibottlegallery.com
Both The Liqueur Room and The Banqueting Hall are fully equipped with audio-video facilities. The Banqueting Hall is a room with a stage and dance floor with space for 88 sitting guests. The Liqueur Room accommodates up to 90 persons, and seats a maximum of 30 persons around a table.
Nobel Peace Centre
Tel: +47 48 30 10 00; e-mail: post@nobelpeacecenter.org
This has permanent and temporary exhibitions which provide an insight into topics such as war, peace and conflict resolution. The venue is suitable for both small and large events, conferences, lectures, launches, seminars and concerts. The building is heritage listed as it is a conversion of an old railway station. Maximum capacity is 350 delegates.
Norwegian Maritime Museum
Tel: +47 24 11 41 50: e-mail: linda.luna.rudd@marmuseum.no
Meeting facilities for up to 100 guests can be held in cinema seating and there is a capacity of at least 300 for mingling parties.
Wallmans Restaurant
Tel: +47 23 22 65 90: e-mail: booking@wallmans.com
Wallmans offers excellent conference facilities with everything under one roof, including conference rooms, lunch, service during breaks, aperitifs, and a unique evening event. At night, artists perform from special stages in the restaurant and also serve the food at your table. Maximum capacity is 620 delegates.
Things to Do in Oslo
Oslo has more than 50 museums that cater to all interests: art, history, history, sports, the city, animals, magic, beer, mini bottles and much more. No MICE delegate should leave the city without seeing several of these and in fact most MICE organizers should consider holding events in some of them. Five of the major museums are on the Bygdoy Peninsula a few kilometres from downtown. You take a city ferry there from the jetty behind the town hall or a bus from the central city.
Other museums and galleries are in the city center while a few are in East Oslo – just a short tram or metro ride away. Which ones you visit will depend on your interests, but the Natural History Museum, the Stenersenmuseet, the National Gallery, the Norwegian Folk Museum, the Viking Ship Museum, and the Fram Museum are among the most popular. There are many more.
Oslo Parks and Recreation
Oslo’s most popular attraction is Vigeland Sculpture Park. This is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist and is open to visitors all year round. There are more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron. The sculpture park is within a large green area called Frogner Park. Fifty eight of the park’s sculptures, including the popular Angry Boy, are arranged along what is called The Bridge, the main connection between the Main Gate and the Fountain. It is really something worth seeing. In another part of the city there is the Ekeberg Sculpture Park.
A large part of Norway’s population resides around the Oslofjord, and even though it contains hundreds of populated islands, few actually live on them. The Oslofjord has Norway’s busiest traffic of ferries and cargo boats and it is possible to go kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and sailing.
As Norwegian fjords go, the Oslofjord is certainly not spectacular like the western fjords, but there are scores of pretty little islets which add to its appeal. Many of these have summer chalets on them, but several have been protected from development.
Hovedøya, the nearest island to the city center, has rocky, rolling hills decorated with woods and pastures. There is a little art gallery, the substantial ruins of a Cistercian monastery, built in the twelfth century, and some military remains. A cafe operates here in summer.
The Oslo region is well suited for both hiking and biking. It is easy to find a forest to explore, or try one of the many well-kept coastal paths where you can walk or bike the shorelines, visit picturesque towns, and stop off for a swim at a secluded beach. A bicycle tour around Bygdøy is one of the best. You travel through lush woods, park-like countryside, and see views of the sea, beaches, and historic buildings.
The Nordmarka forest represents a source of recreation that the city’s inhabitants use a lot, but also increasingly by visitors, both in summer and winter. You just get on the metro, go to Sognsvann or Frognerseteren and you’ll find yourself in the middle of the forest. The area is great for hiking, biking or winter activities as skiing.
Oslo Restaurants, Spas and Golf
You find restaurants in all price categories and genres in the city. The Michelin Guide gives four Oslo restaurants stars with Maaemo the first ever restaurant in Scandinavia to receive two stars on its first rating. Many Oslo chefs have developed dishes based on classic Norwegian recipes but with exciting variations. I recommend spending a sunny summer afternoon harborside at Aker Brygge eating in one of the many seafood restaurants and watching the world go by.
Norwegians have deep-rooted traditions in health and well-being and it is increasingly popular for visitors to spend some time and money to indulge oneself in a spa or wellness center. Several places in Oslo offer top-quality treatments and the number is rapidly growing. Here you get different treatments, massage, skin care, manicure, pedicure, etc., in a relaxing environment.
Artesia Spa, located in the Oslo’s historic Grand Hotel, is a modern oasis that is mood lit and themed. It offers personalized treatments that change depending on seasons, trends and each client’s preferences. Beth’s Beauty is another one of Norway’s most exclusive spas, blending a historic feel with top-notch modern treatments and a client list that includes the royal family.
Norway has plenty of golf courses, many of them in beautiful locations. A few courses In the Oslo area open all year round, but in most other parts of the country the season starts in early May and ends sometime in October/November. The finest golf courses in Norway are Oslo Golf Club and Miklagard, according to the Rolex Golf Guide. Oslo Golf Club, established 1924, is the oldest golf club in Norway and is the only 18-hole course within the city limits. Miklagard is located 20 minutes from downtown Oslo and is close to the Gardermoen International Airport and it was designed with the intention that it will rank in the top clubs in the world.
Entertainment in Olso
The spectacular Oslo Opera House is the home of The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national opera theater in Norway. The main auditorium seats 1,360 and two other performance spaces can seat 200 and 400. International visitors to productions will find text displays built into the back of each of the seats where you can read the librettos in English or Norwegian.
Concerts and performances are held all year. Summer at the Oslo Opera House has become a popular tradition and from June to August visitors can experience a range of concerts and performances, guided tours and more. The Oslo Jazz Festival, in August, holds its opening concert at the Oslo Opera House.
The National Theatre is one of Norway’s largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts. The theater had its first performance in 1899 and was founded as a private institution. The theatre organisation manages four stages: the main stage, the amphitheatre and Painting Parlour within the main building and the Torshov Theatre in another district of Oslo.
Oslo is known for a wide variety of concerts and festivals during the summer months. The Norwegian Wood Festival in June is Norway’s top rock music festival while the Øya Festival in August is Oslo’s largest outdoor music festival. The jazz festivals in Molde and Kongsberg are probably the most popular in the country but the Oslo Jazz Festival also has a good reputation. The Oslo International Church Music Festival in March presents church music from the Middle-Ages to the present day. The Oslo Chamber Music Festival in August showcases music from Norwegian and international musicians.
Rockefeller Music Hall is a music- and entertainment complex in downtown Oslo. It consists of three venues; Rockefeller Music Hall (capacity 1350), John DEE Live Club & Pub (capacity 520), and the Sentrum Scene (capacity 1750). It host shows in a wide variety of musical genres, club nights, film screenings, television broadcasts and a variety of private events for businesses and organizations.
Blå, down by the river, is considered by many to be the best jazz club in Oslo. Dedicated to up-and-coming acts from all over Norway, it also hosts many big, international names and is also into hip hop and soul. The traditional pub, Herr Nilsen, plays recorded jazz early in the week then live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Oslo’s jazz aficionados flood in to hear performers specializing in everything from bebop to experimental to old-fashioned Dixieland.
Caven Rock n’ Roll Club caters for more than just rock ‘n’ roll aficionados, with an eclectic line-up that includes just about everything. The setting is in a marvellous old air-raid shelter, the music is ultra loud and the crowd is hip. Mono is an intimate little venue where you’ll find would-be musos and arty student types, tapping their toes to the sounds of some of Oslo’s hottest new acts.
All over the city you find everything from Irish pubs to cocktail bars. Four central city bars are worth a mention. Sir Winston Public House is an English-style pub in the middle of the city. There is traditional pub grub, tasty ales, mustard-hued walls and stained woodwork. The pub is known for great live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and there are three large-screen TVs for big sporting events. Restaurant Scotsman is a terrific place for drinks and good times with a large group, with the pub featuring duets and trios each night. If live music isn’t your bag, the Scotsman also boasts a sports bar with events on the big screen, a pool table, and a few dart boards. Bar Boco is possibly the smallest bar in Oslo and its 1960s retro style and excellent cocktail selection makes for a great atmosphere. Headline has a mellow candlelit ambience, enormous bar, and there is often a DJ.
Logistics in Oslo
Oslo Airport Gardermoen is the principal airport serving the city. It is a hub for Scandinavian Airlines, and an operating base for Norwegian Air Shuttle and regional airline Wideroe. There are services to 28 domestic and 115 international destinations. The airport handles more than 24 million passengers a year and is currently being expanded by the addition of a new bay to the terminal. There are 20 restaurants, stores and other services such as banks and post within the airport terminal with the departure duty-free shop being the largest in Europe.
The airport is 27 miles (45 kilometers) northeast of the city and is connected to it by the high-speed Flytoget train which covers the distance in about 20 minutes. Trains operate at 10-minute intervals for a large part of the day and these cater for about 35% of the passengers who use the airport.
Visitors need to be careful with airports, however, as Oslo is also served by the low-cost Torp and Rygge airports. Sandefjord Airport, Torp is 68 miles (110 kilometers) south of Oslo. Wideroe has an operating base here and flies to domestic destinations and Copenhagen. KLM Cityhopper flies to Amsterdam and Ryanair, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Wizz Air provide a range of services throughout Europe. There is a coach service to Oslo (about 2 hours) and a bus/train service which takes about the same time.
Moss Airport, Rygge is about 40 miles (65 kilometres) east of Oslo. Ryanair has established a base here and has moved most of its flights from Torp. Norway Air Shuttle also operates some flights from here. There is a bus/train service to Oslo which takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Oslo public transport is provided by an organization called Ruter. City buses, regional buses, trams, subway/metro, ferries and local trains are included in the system so this makes getting around very easy. The metro system, known as the T-bane, is the largest metro system available in any city the size of Oslo, and it is growing as the area grows. There are six different T-bane lines currently running which connect the downtown area of the city with the outer areas, all of which connect at the Oslo Central Station (Jernbanetorget).
Downtown Oslo is relatively compact and large parts can be done on foot. Taxis can be hailed on the streets or hired at one of the taxi ranks located throughout the city. The most popular ranks are those located at the main shopping center and those near the Oslo Center Station. Ferries serve destinations in the Oslo fjord.
Visitors can rent a vehicle through one of the major national car rental companies. A rental car is particularly convenient if you are visiting the country side, but parking and navigation downtown Oslo can be difficult and confusing.
Visitors from a Schengen country do not have to show their passports when entering Norway but all other visitors need to establish their identity and nationality. Residents of many countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand do not need a visa to enter Norway short-term. VisitOSLO, the city’s visitor and convention bureau, provides free information and assistance to help you plan your event in Norway’s capital.
For more information about Oslo business travel, meetings and events, contact the Visit Olso.
Have you visited Olso, Norway for business, meetings or events? Share your experience with us.
Updated. Initially published, November 14, 2016
