What is the best way to get to Oslo from the airport?
Thankfully, there are plenty of transport links from the airport to Norway's capital city of Oslo, whether that's the bus, express train, taxi or leaving your car in parking for your return.
Oslo is actually served by two airports. These are Oslo Gardermoen and Oslo Torp. Oslo Torp is actually closer to the city of Sandefjord to the south of Oslo. It is located more than 100 kilometres from the city centre.
Meanwhile, Oslo Gardermoen is 49.5 kilometres from the city centre. More airlines fly into Oslo Gardermoen as it is the largest airport in Norway. However, some of the cheaper flights advertised for Oslo will be to Torp.
As a starting point, it is worth paying the extra money (if you can get a flight from your desired airport) to fly into Oslo Gardermoen as the journey to the city will be considerably shorter.
Journeys from Oslo Torp to the city can take in excess of two hours on transport while travelling from Gardermoen to the capital can be completed within 30 minutes to an hour.
For that reason and because more passengers arrive in Gardermoen, we won't cover Torp in as much detail.
If you fly into Torp, you still have several options available. Vy, the state-owned train operator, runs one service per hour between Torp and Oslo. The journey takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes.
To get from Torp Railway Station, you will need to take a shuttle bus. The shuttle bus costs 35 kroner; train tickets can cost between 260 kroner and 360 kroner depending on how far in advance you book.
There is also an airport express bus from the airport, which runs to Oslo Bus Terminal. The journey takes 1 hour and 35 minutes. Return tickets cost 279 kroner for a return. The bus runs much less frequently than the train. You can view the timetable online. Taxis are also available from Torp, but this is a costly option. Taxi firms charge 19 kroner for the first few kilometres and then 12 kroner per kilometre afterwards.
A taxi, therefore, would cost in excess of 1,200 kroner.
Oslo Gardermoen
Many opt for the Oslo Airport Express train from Gardermoen to the city centre. The direct train has several departures per hour, and the journey takes 19 minutes to get to Oslo Central Station. Additionally, the train stops at three locations in Oslo, the central station, the National Theatre Station (Nasjonalteateret) and Skøyen.
Once at Oslo Central Station, travellers can take bus, tram and taxi links to their final destination. Tickets cost 230 kroner for a single. Children under 16 travel free, and those under 20 and over 67 get half-price tickets.
You can tap your card at the gates to pay or go to a ticket machine where Flytoget employees can answer any question. The train has its own platform at Oslo Central and Oslo Gardermoen.
The train is comfortable and decently equipped to handle passengers with luggage.
There are other train options available, and they are cheaper than the airport express and don't take too much longer. For these, you will need the Ruter app, which covers public transport for the counties of Oslo and Viken. The Vy app, Norway's state-owned train company, can also be used.
If your phone has location services enabled, it will automatically know which zone you are in. If you don't, the airport is zone four. When travelling to all areas of Oslo, the destination zone will be one. Tickets cost 118 kroner when travelling on regional trains.
Regional trains are normally differentiated by their red colour on the departures board and use the "r" designation (the R12, for example). Alternatively, there usually are employees at the airport train station to answer any questions. The regional trains do have room for luggage, but less than the airport express service.
There is also an express bus service, Flybussen. This has some advantages other than the train. Firstly, there is a dedicated luggage hold, and several services run throughout the night.
Secondly, the bus goes to different parts of the city than the train, meaning you can travel to a stop within walking distance of your final destination. This means one continuous journey rather than transferring to different public transport while lugging your bags around.
However, if you strictly travel to the town centre, the airport train is quicker than the bus. The best way to check if the airport bus will get you closer to your final destination than the airport train is to head to the website (which is available in English) and pop in your desired location as the destination to see how close it can get you to where you need to be.
Some airport bus departures run all through the night, too, giving it an advantage other than the train for late and early departures.
Taking a taxi is also an option; the drive to central Oslo takes around an hour. Traffic typically isn't too much of an issue. Taxi services from the airport generally have a fixed rate which depends on the time of day, number of passengers and pickup point. Several providers serve the airport. You can expect a taxi to cost between 945 - 1100 kroner during peak hours.
If you live in Oslo and own a car, you can leave it at parking at the airport. There are a number of providers which offer shuttle buses to and from long-term parking, such as Dalen Parking.
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Oslo is actually served by two airports. These are Oslo Gardermoen and Oslo Torp. Oslo Torp is actually closer to the city of Sandefjord to the south of Oslo. It is located more than 100 kilometres from the city centre.
Meanwhile, Oslo Gardermoen is 49.5 kilometres from the city centre. More airlines fly into Oslo Gardermoen as it is the largest airport in Norway. However, some of the cheaper flights advertised for Oslo will be to Torp.
As a starting point, it is worth paying the extra money (if you can get a flight from your desired airport) to fly into Oslo Gardermoen as the journey to the city will be considerably shorter.
Journeys from Oslo Torp to the city can take in excess of two hours on transport while travelling from Gardermoen to the capital can be completed within 30 minutes to an hour.
For that reason and because more passengers arrive in Gardermoen, we won't cover Torp in as much detail.
If you fly into Torp, you still have several options available. Vy, the state-owned train operator, runs one service per hour between Torp and Oslo. The journey takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes.
To get from Torp Railway Station, you will need to take a shuttle bus. The shuttle bus costs 35 kroner; train tickets can cost between 260 kroner and 360 kroner depending on how far in advance you book.
There is also an airport express bus from the airport, which runs to Oslo Bus Terminal. The journey takes 1 hour and 35 minutes. Return tickets cost 279 kroner for a return. The bus runs much less frequently than the train. You can view the timetable online. Taxis are also available from Torp, but this is a costly option. Taxi firms charge 19 kroner for the first few kilometres and then 12 kroner per kilometre afterwards.
A taxi, therefore, would cost in excess of 1,200 kroner.
Oslo Gardermoen
Many opt for the Oslo Airport Express train from Gardermoen to the city centre. The direct train has several departures per hour, and the journey takes 19 minutes to get to Oslo Central Station. Additionally, the train stops at three locations in Oslo, the central station, the National Theatre Station (Nasjonalteateret) and Skøyen.
Once at Oslo Central Station, travellers can take bus, tram and taxi links to their final destination. Tickets cost 230 kroner for a single. Children under 16 travel free, and those under 20 and over 67 get half-price tickets.
You can tap your card at the gates to pay or go to a ticket machine where Flytoget employees can answer any question. The train has its own platform at Oslo Central and Oslo Gardermoen.
The train is comfortable and decently equipped to handle passengers with luggage.
There are other train options available, and they are cheaper than the airport express and don't take too much longer. For these, you will need the Ruter app, which covers public transport for the counties of Oslo and Viken. The Vy app, Norway's state-owned train company, can also be used.
If your phone has location services enabled, it will automatically know which zone you are in. If you don't, the airport is zone four. When travelling to all areas of Oslo, the destination zone will be one. Tickets cost 118 kroner when travelling on regional trains.
Regional trains are normally differentiated by their red colour on the departures board and use the "r" designation (the R12, for example). Alternatively, there usually are employees at the airport train station to answer any questions. The regional trains do have room for luggage, but less than the airport express service.
There is also an express bus service, Flybussen. This has some advantages other than the train. Firstly, there is a dedicated luggage hold, and several services run throughout the night.
Secondly, the bus goes to different parts of the city than the train, meaning you can travel to a stop within walking distance of your final destination. This means one continuous journey rather than transferring to different public transport while lugging your bags around.
However, if you strictly travel to the town centre, the airport train is quicker than the bus. The best way to check if the airport bus will get you closer to your final destination than the airport train is to head to the website (which is available in English) and pop in your desired location as the destination to see how close it can get you to where you need to be.
Some airport bus departures run all through the night, too, giving it an advantage other than the train for late and early departures.
Taking a taxi is also an option; the drive to central Oslo takes around an hour. Traffic typically isn't too much of an issue. Taxi services from the airport generally have a fixed rate which depends on the time of day, number of passengers and pickup point. Several providers serve the airport. You can expect a taxi to cost between 945 - 1100 kroner during peak hours.
If you live in Oslo and own a car, you can leave it at parking at the airport. There are a number of providers which offer shuttle buses to and from long-term parking, such as Dalen Parking.
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