| Norway ((nb)Norge, (nn)Noreg) | |
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| Norwegian fjord | |
| Flag | |
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| Information | |
| Capital city | Oslo |
|---|---|
| Altitude | Between 0 and2 469 m |
| Area | 385 203 km² |
| Population | 5 295 619 hab. () |
| Density | 13,75 inhab./km² |
| Nice | Norwegian |
| Form of State | constitutional monarchy, representative democracy |
| Official language | Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk) |
| Other languages | Sami languages |
| Cash | Norwegian krone (NOK) |
| Electricity | 230 V/50 Hz, European plug |
| Telephone prefix | 47 |
| Internet suffix | .no |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 1 |
| Location | |
 64 ° 45 ′ 36 ″ N 16 ° 43 ′ 12 ″ E | |
| Government site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Norway, or in long form kingdom of norway, is a country ofNorth Europe crossed by the polar circle in its middle.
Understand
Although very northern, Norway enjoys a relatively temperate climate thanks to the gulf stream, a sea current that warms Europe.
Regions
 Norway |
|
Cities
- 1 Oslo – the capital
- 2 Bergen –
Hanseatic city - 3 Ålesund – famous for its art-nouveau style, built on an archipelago
- 4 Stavanger
- 5 Trondheim
- 6 Tromsø
- 7 Narvik
- 8 Lillehammer
Other destinations
- the North Cape (Nordkapp), often presented as the northernmost point ofEurope. The sun never sets there during the summer, as in all regions above the Arctic Circle. Very touristy in summer.
- The Lofoten Islands, located above the polar circle, superb wild islands.
- the Hardangervidda, largest plateau ofEurope.
- the Svalbard, the northernmost inhabited islands in the world, in latitude 78 ° North.
To go
Formalities
- See as well: Traveling in the Schengen area
Norway is part of theSchengen area. The citizens of the Swiss and the European Economic Area which includes theEuropean Union, the'Iceland, the Norway and the Liechtenstein only need a national identity card or a passport valid. They don't need any Visa to enter or circulate in the Schengen area and are generally allowed to stay as long as they wish.
Remarks (1) Nationals of these countries need a biometric passport to enjoy visa-free travel. (2) Serbian nationals with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (residents of Kosovo with Serbian passport) need a visa. (3) Taiwanese nationals need their ID card number (a letter followed by nine digits) written in their passport to enjoy visa-free travel. |
Nationals of the following countries do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area: Albania(1), Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and herzegovina(1), Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, United States, Grenade, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, North Macedonia(1), Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova(1), Monaco, Montenegro(1), New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. LUCIA, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia(1,2), Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan(3) (Republic of China), East Timor, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela as well as holders of a passport of Hong Kong SAR, of Macau SAR and all nationals British (including those who are not citizens of the European Union).
- The visa-free travelers mentioned above and not members of theEEE or from Swiss cannot stay more than 90 days out of a 180-day period in the Schengen area in its entirety and, in general, cannot work during their stay (although some countries in the Schengen area allow certain nationalities to work). The counting of days begins once you enter one of the Schengen countries and does not return to zero when you leave one Schengen country for another.
- New Zealand citizens can stay longer than 90 days, but without working if they do not have a work permit, in some countries of the Schengen area, namely Germany, Austria, the Benelux, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland
If you are not a national ofEEE or from Swiss, even if you are exempt from a visa, unless you are Andorran, Monegasque, San Marino or Vatican, make sure your passport is stamped both when entering and leaving the Schengen area. Without an entry stamp, you may be treated as having exceeded your stay when trying to leave the Schengen area. Without an exit stamp, you may be refused entry the next time you seek to enter the Schengen area as you may be assumed to have exceeded the time allowed on your previous visit. If you cannot get a stamp in the passport, keep documents like boarding passes, transportation tickets, etc. which can help convince border control personnel that you have stayed in the Schengen area legally.
By plane
There are direct flights from abroad to major cities in Norway (Oslo and Bergen especially). The airports are connected to the city center by public transport networks.
Direct flights from France:
- Ajaccio to Oslo Gardermoen (summer link) (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Beziers to Oslo Rygge (Ryanair)
- Bordeaux to Oslo Gardermoen (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Grenoble to Oslo Gardermoen (winter link) (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- La Rochelle to Oslo Rygge (Ryanair)
- Nice Côte d'Azur to Bergen (Norwegian Air Shuttle and SAS)
- Nice Côte d'Azur to Oslo Gardermoen (SAS and Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Nice Côte d'Azur to Oslo Rygge (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Nice Côte d'Azur to Oslo Torp (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Nice Côte d'Azur to Stavanger (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Nice Côte d'Azur to Trondheim (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Paris Charles de Gaulle to Oslo Gardermoen (Air France and SAS)
- Paris Orly to Oslo Gardermoen (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Paris Orly to Bergen (Norwegian Air Shuttle)
- Paris Beauvais to Oslo Rygge (Ryanair)
- Toulon to Oslo Rygge (Ryanair)
- Vatry to Oslo Rygge (Ryanair)
Direct flights from Belgium:
- Brussels Zaventem to Oslo Gardermoen (Brussels Airlines and SAS)
- Brussels Charleroi to Oslo Rygge (Ryanair)
Direct flights from Switzerland:
- Geneva Cointrin to Oslo Gardermoen (Norwegian Air Shuttle and SAS)
- Zurich to Oslo Gardermoen (SAS and Swiss)
On a boat
There are links between the Denmark, the'Germany, the Sweden, the Faroe Islands, the'England and Norway
By train
From central Europe, trains provide the connection Malmö (Sweden) - Oslo, Day and night. Malmö is accessible from Copenhagen (Denmark), where foreign trains mostly come from Hamburg (Germany).
By car
Various possibilities are available to you. If you want an exclusively road trip, you have to cross Germany, Denmark to Copenhagen (København) then take the toll bridge to Malmö (Sweden) to then join Norway.
You can also take ferries, the connection Hirtshals (north of Denmark...) - Kristiansand (south of Norway ...) being the fastest. There are also ferries between Fredrikshavn and Oslo and Larvik as well as between Copenhagen and Oslo.
The national driving license in European format is sufficient, as well as the green insurance card and the vehicle registration certificate.
Circulate
By plane
If you have to go to the North of the country and you have little time, this is the best solution, interesting prices are offered, international flights local flights for example.
On a boat
The coastal express (Hurtigruten) serves 34 stopovers, large cities such as Trondheim of course but also many small ports especially in Finnmark, departing from Bergen to Kirkenes near the Russian-Norwegian border beyond the North Cape. The round trip lasts 11 days. It is an original way (ships carry passengers but also goods) to discover the Norwegian coast. In fact, ships sail permanently in the immediate vicinity of the coast and very often between the continent and the archipelagos. This is really not an ordinary cruise: no formal attire, no endless meals, no organized shows ... the show outside is permanent and the atmosphere on board is very relaxed. On the way back (north-south direction), the ships passing by day where they passed by night on the outward journey (south-north direction), it is interesting to make the round trip. If you only make one trip, the timetables are more interesting in the north-south direction: in particular, passage to the Vesterålen Islands and the Lofoten Islands by day as well as along the Helgeland coast. The ships sail every day of the year and many regulars particularly enjoy sailing on board in February, March or April or then in September or October. 6 journey aboard the Hurtigruten
By train
The Norwegian network has a good reputation, it is safe and comfortable It exists on Internet the way to book unlimited mini-price tickets for 199NOK (approx. 30 €). This allows you to cross Norway for nothing, apart from the 12 h train in a wonderful atmosphere.
For those who want to go further north, know that the northern terminus of the trains is in Fauske.
By car
The motorway network is chargeable (toll ...) but is not extensive.
You must pay a toll to travel in Oslo and Bergen as well as to use certain road bridges and tunnels. Be careful though: change is not always given when you pay in cash and bank cards are sometimes refused! In addition, most of the country's tolls are now done through the "Autopass" system, the equivalent of our electronic toll. There is therefore no more counter and cameras read your license plate if you pass without the device. The bills must then be paid in the following days and the fines are heavy if the procedures are not respected! It is therefore imperative to inform yourself before any trip (Autopass). On the other hand, all local rental cars are equipped with the system and the toll amounts are collected by the agency after the return of the vehicle.
Regarding the "Fjörds", you sometimes have to bypass them or take ferries to cross them. Remember to find out about the practicability of the roads before moving in the mountains, some roads are closed in the winter season (which is very long!).
Despite this, the car is still a good way to get around Norway.
Switching on the dipped beam headlights (codes) is compulsory day and night.
A reminder of the speed limits:
- - highway: 100 km / h
- - ordinary route: 90/80 km / h
- - city : 50 km / h (sometimes 40/30 km / h in some areas ...)
Vehicles towing a trailer see their speed systematically limited to 80 km / h regardless of the type of road outside built-up areas, like all heavy vehicles (trucks and buses, etc.).
It is strongly recommended to respect these limitations because in Norway, we do not joke! Fines can exceed the equivalent of 140 € for an excess of 10 km / h. The tolerated blood alcohol level is 0.2 g/ l so dear drinkers: abstain! It is possible to pay, if necessary, each ticket by payment card (which is normal given the amounts inflicted ...). On the traffic side, it will be necessary to deal with the slowdown often caused by a coupling of vehicles (trailer or caravan ...) or even heavy goods vehicles. You should know that the crossing between two large vehicles is difficult on certain axes.
Using a mobile phone without a "hands-free" kit is prohibited in Norway while driving.
Be careful when you come across signs announcing the crossing of wild animals such as reindeer and elk, which are themselves often reckless. In the event of a frontal impact, needless to say it hurts a lot!
Service stations line the roads and motorways, some of them also house a snack bar where you can quickly eat fresh and hot dishes (including hamburgers for the most voracious ...), a really appreciable break in a country where it is rather cold. Other add-on items are available there for your vehicle. A washing area and a workshop are generally attached to it. All fuels including LPG are of course distributed, local brands (Statoil, national company) as well as multinationals (such as the well-known Shell ...) are present there.
Standard rest areas exist but are only to be used for short stops. Sidings on narrow roads are to be used when they are on your side of traffic, when crossing with other vehicles.
It is compulsory to have a warning triangle on board the vehicle as well as a fluorescent vest.
The driving license of a third state is recognized in Norway, however, car rental is very expensive unless it is made from 3 people.
By bike
Norway is a great country to cross by bicycle. The fjord region is particularly beautiful and it is easy to find solitude on its roads. Be careful though: the roads are almost never flat, and the many tunnels that are forbidden to bicycles (rightly so) require you to plan your route.
Bicycles are not chargeable for ferry crossings. You will pay the same price as pedestrians. In addition, you will not queue at the ferry piers, and you will be the first to exit at the piers.
To speak
The official language of the country is NorwegianThis language has two variations:
- the bokmål, ie "the language of books", widespread in the north and east of Norway;
- the nynorsk, which means "the new Norwegian" and which is found in the mountains of the southwest.
THE'English is widespread, it is taught to children by their parents from an early age. Norwegians often speak another foreign language as well, for exampleGerman, the'Spanish where the French, but you better ask first.
To see
- The fjords, these tongues of the sea that enter the land are not to be missed. The most famous of them, undoubtedly the most beautiful, is that of Geiranger (Geirangerfjørd). A tourist boat offers a visit (the commentary is in French).
- Typical Norwegian stave churches
- The preikestolen, cliff of 600 m from above falling steeply over the Lysefjord in southern Norway.
Do
- Open your eyes wide! Norway is a beautiful country, impressive natural architecture, breathtaking beauty. Whether you are in the south in the middle of the Fjords or in the deserted north, take the time to live the Norwegian way. Watch, appreciate the moment and the light that changes to the rhythm of the mountains.
- If you can, but it's a destination in itself, head to the Lofoten Islands, a gem of rugged beauty.
- The climb to Briksdal glacier is a tourist attraction: the friendly ride is accessible to all, the less motivated can ride in a horse-drawn carriage and the more athletic can play mountaineers.
To buy
The currency of Norway is the Norwegian krone (NOK).
Norway is an expensive country, we don't often come here for shopping. We come there first to watch and hike. But you can indulge yourself by buying wooden items or silver jewelry. Consider stocking up on tin cans if you are on a budget and traveling by car.
Eat
- Blueberries from Lapland. So excellent.
- Fish, prawns and prawns. Backpackers from elsewhere should take a fishing rod with them! In the islands, it is an excellent solution for eating fresh fish.
- Reindeer
Drinks
- Alcohol is overpriced: 15 € minimum for a bottle of wine, 40 € minimum for a bottle of basic vodka.
- The sale of alcohol is strictly regulated, beer can only be found in supermarkets, other spirits are sold only in special stores, vinmonopol.
- Consider tasting Aquavit, a national specialty. It is a spirit with accents of mead.
Housing
Tourist towns have good quality hotels.
Cheap
Several solutions are available to you :
- Wooden chalets, offered in all campsites or sometimes by individuals, are an excellent solution. You find them from the simplest: beds and tables, to the most luxurious (bathroom, equipped kitchen or sauna). These chalets, or fishermen's houses (actually used by fishermen during the winter season) on the coasts or in the Islands, as in Lofotens, can be rented for one or more days, in the evening, from 12 h in general. It is not necessary to book in advance, except in the most touristy periods.
- The Youth hostels (vandrerhjem): there are 72 in the country, the prices vary according to the hostels and the rental of sheets is extra. website
- the camping : this solution is pleasant, especially in summer. You can find campsites in Norway almost everywhere, even if some of them are limited to the simplest expression (a piece of land with sanitary facilities and nothing else). Even during the summer, it is quite easy to find space. Compared to French campsites, you will be amazed: pots and pans available, games for children, etc. Welcome to Norway! Respect for the collective takes precedence.
- the wild camping: it is allowed on any land if you are camping at least 150 meters from the nearest residence, practical and easy to respect outside the cities!
Communicate
There are phone booths everywhere and cyber cafes in the main cities. Almost all of the country is covered by mobile phone networks (GSM 900 and GSM 1800 standard). Traders can sell you stamps for your postcards; remember to specify the destination.
European roaming
Since June 15, 2017, "European roaming" has been introduced. It allows all SIM card holders belonging to one of the European member countries to maintain the same pricing conditions as in the country of origin.
Telephone calls and Internet browsing are valid at no additional cost in all European countries, unless authorized by national authorities (generally minor operators) or when a data Gbit threshold is exceeded, which increases year by year. To use this service, simply activate the roaming option on your mobile phone.
The participating countries are those ofEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, UK, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and some Oversea territories (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).
Manage the day-to-day
Health
European citizens
Citizens ofEuropean Union (EU), who fall unexpectedly ill during a temporary stay, studies or a professional stay, are entitled to the same medical care as in their country of residence. It is always useful to take the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which constitutes physical proof of your insurance in an EU country. However, if you do not have the card with you or if you cannot use it (as in the case of private assistance), you are still entitled to treatment, but you are obliged to pay the costs on the spot. , then you will ask for a refund on your return.
The countries in which health coverage is provided are all those that are members of theEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), the Swiss, the UK and the Oversea territories member of the European Union (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).
Security
 | Emergency telephone number: All emergency services:112 |
Norway is a safe country, which shouldn't stop you from being on the safe side.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Respect
Respect nature, queen in Norway!
