Oslo in a Flash
Oslo is a clean, stylish city with amazing modernity. We arrived from Boston via London around 5 pm which didn’t leave a lot of time for exploration. However, why rest after a long flight when you can rapidly learn another country’s public transportation system and squeeze in a quick 3 hours in the city? There is a very convenient shuttle bus from the airport area hotels to the Oslo airport for about 7 USD per person. It was a bit of downgrade after our transfer from Oslo airport to the hotel initially via Swan Hellenic in a brand new electric Mercedes with only 3 passengers! Once arriving at the airport, you can hop on a train to Oslo S, the central station in Oslo proper for about 20 USD each way per person. There is another more expensive option, FlyRail which is an express but it only shaved off about 10 minutes and was about twice the cost, so we opted for the regular public train. It was super clean, speedy and has incredible frequency making logistics very simple. There is also an app,Vy, that you can use to purchase tickets so no cash is needed.
With such a short amount of time, we didn’t make much of a dent in the requisite tourist attractions. We used our time to grab a quick bite as a gastropub (mainly chosen for their outdoor seating as it was a blue bird weather day). We also explored a bit of the waterfront and the Opera House. This is an architectural marvel with modern, geometric lines which truly make it a standout. We wandered about a bit before heading back the hotel. With a sunset at 10:30 PM, it didn’t feel too late to get back and get ready for the flight to Svalbard the next day.
