Oslo Pass — to be or not to be
Transport in Oslo. Trip planners, wallets and then more.
You are arriving at Oslo airport (Oslo Lufthavn, Gardermoen).
How to get to the city? What service to choose and app to download?
Let’s sort it out.
TO THE CITY
- Bus.
Flybussen. You can buy tickets onboard or online.
You can buy tickets online even at the airport (free wifi) or download their mob app. Your location is automatically detected, so the closest bus stop with the timetable will be offered to you in the process of the purchase, which is definitely a benefit of the app.
The ticket can be bought in advance. The date is mandatory to choose, unlike the time of the trip as the ticket is valid during the entire day.
To compare. The online price for the ticket from the airport to Moxy X Oslo hotel (zone 2) is 155 NOK, onboard price is 190 NOK (the difference is 35 NOK or about 4 EUR).
2. Train.
Flytoget. You can buy tickets onboard or online.
To use the advantage of the auto-detected location of the mobile application, please check your smartphone general settings first (General settings — Flytoget app — Allow location access).
To compare. The ticket bought online is 10 NOK cheaper (about 1 EUR) than the one bought on board.
3. A taxi is also an option.
AT THE CITY
Oslo is situated in two zones (zone 1 and zone 2). If you chose the hotel in the center, you need to buy a ticket for zone 1.
RutterBillet (a wallet for public transport tickets) is a comfortable mob app in case you have a Scandinavian SIM card. The benefits are online purchases and there is no need to buy tickets beforehand.
A hint. Not to overpay paper tickets can be also bought at some hotels (ask at the reception) or at Ruter’s service points (in the Oslo Airport arrival hall, at Jernbanetorget, Nationaltheatret, Majorstuen metro stations or Aker Brygge ferry terminal).
RuterReise (a trip planner) is a user-friendly mob app which navigates you, optimizing your time. It provides the timetable for public transport, connections and stops you need. You just need to text the address (as in GoogleMaps). It also does not work offline.
A hint. If you do not have mobile internet, you may plot the route beforehand and make print screens.
As we planned to visit a number of museums (the average entrance ticket costs about 100 NOK), we chose to buy the 24-hour Oslo Pass (395 NOK, about 40 EUR). It is valid for all local public transport in 2 zones, museums and galleries, open public swimming pools plus a ferry to Bygdøy, the museum peninsula.
To activate the Pass you need internet access. No limitations for international SIM cards.
A hint. You do not need to be online to show the Pass at the entrance. You can make a print screen of the QR-code which you get after the activation.
Sometimes you will be asked to show the app on the phone to check the countdown, but even offline the number of the hours left can be seen.
Let’s calculate if the Oslo Pass purchase is reasonable or not.
Without
171 NOK (public transportation for 24 hours for 2 zones)
50 NOK (a single ticket to get to the center where you can buy a 24-hour ticket)
69 NOK (a ferry ticket to Bygdøy as Ruter’s public transportation tickets are not valid on the ferries)
100*2 = 200 NOK (entrance tickets for 2 museums)
Total: 490 NOK.
A hint. If you buy tickets on Pier 3 you pay 48 NOK one way and 69 NOK for a return ticket. If you buy tickets on board, you pay 60 NOK one way (in other words, 120 NOK for a round trip)
BONUS
If you still wonder should you take a risk and start your first booking or not, here are bonuses you will benefit with while booking hotels and apartments
Hotels and guesthouses
Click the link and make your booking. Coming back, get 10% cashback.
Apartments
Click the link, join Airbnb and get €35 toward your first trip.
