City guide article

Car for Hire

Hiring a car in Oslo is probably unnecessary since the city is fairly small and the public transportation system is excellent. Renting a car can also be very expensive, and gas prices in Oslo are notably higher than they are in North America and even many parts of Europe. Parking is also a nightmare in Oslo--meters expire after thirty to sixty minutes and the police impose large fines for illegal parking or overstaying your meter (starting at 500 NOK).

City guideTransportation

Overview

Renting a car can be a good idea if you intend to make a long trip or to travel to rural parts of the country (although buses do reach these areas as well). Before renting, note that manual transmission is regarded as standard in Norway and is found in most cars. You must place a special request for a car with automatic transmission if that is your preference. The minimum age to rent a car is 21 and you must have a valid driver’s license that is at least one year old to rent a vehicle. Finally, note that insurance on the car is mandatory and is generally included in the overall price.

If you do wish to rent a car, there are several major providers in the city.

Avis, Munkedamsveien (tel: 8153 3044) Budget, Munkedamsveien (tel: 8156 0600) Hertz, Holbergsgate (tel: 6716 8000).

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Transportation

Buses

Transportation

Metro

The metro, in Norwegian is the Tunnelbane or just T-bane. Oslo has 6 main lines, one of which (Ringen) is the ring or loop line, which circles from northern Oslo to the centre and back. All stations except three on Ringen (Sinsen, Storo and Nydalen) have separate entrances and platforms for trains going east or west. Be sure to check the platform number to avoid unnecessary delays.

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Transportation

Taxi

Taxis are mad expensive. Minimum charges of 80 NOK apply and at night times this can double to 160 NOK. Short trips can cost an outrageous 100 NOK so using other modes of transport (trains, buses) is a better choice. Taxis are usually spacious Volvo’s or Mercedes. To avoid being outrageously ripped off, use either Oslo Taxi or NorgesTaxi as these are the more reliable companies. Either way, however, prepare to be ripped off. All taxi companies have a starting fee (which can sometimes range from 0-160 NOK) and a fee per km. Rates vary by time of day. The lowest rate is the day rate, from 6:00am -6:00pm. The next is the evening and night rate from 6:00pm to 6:00am and the last is on Saturday’s after 18.00 till Monday 06.00, but different companies do have different time frames. All taxis accept Visa and MasterCard.

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Transportation

Bike for Hire

Another way to navigate Oslo is to rent a bicycle, which is very easy. The Oslo Citybike service (+47 22 02 34 88) leases bikes for three hour periods at multiple stations throughout the city. By checking in every three hours, you can functionally rent a bike for the entire day. To use the service, you must purchase an access card for 70 NOK (these can be found at the tourist office) and make a 500 NOK refundable deposit. Make sure to return or exchange your bike after three hours, or you will lose your deposit. Also, be sure to pick up a map of the bike racks in the city; bike racks are often full, so knowledge of alternative options is crucial.

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