Visiting Norway
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Traveling to Amsterdam and Norway with teen daughter
Oct 2007
We are so excited! We have booked a trip to Norway through Amsterdam on some londstanding (over the past 10 years) frequent flyer miles!! We will be traveling the summer of 2008 for 18 days! We will see Anne Frank's Museum/house in Amsterdam. If anyone has any suggestions with regards to other must sees in Amsterdam and Norway I'd really appreciate it. I'm traveling with my daughter who will be going into highschool and she has never been out of the country, but we have travelled all over the US. She is really into museums and nature. Any suggestions, tips, places to stay will be most appreciated! Many thanks in advance. Summer travelling mom
Norway is a great place for nature lovers! I'd recommend taking the train trip between Bergen and Oslo and doing the ''Norway in a Nutshell'' daytrip, which takes you though mountains, on a boat along a fjord and some truly spectacular scenery. Besides that rather sedentary way of enjoying the country (!) there are all sorts of hiking options. Contact the Norwegian Hiking Assoc. before you leave and when you get there and I'm sure you'll get some great suggestions (and maps, etc.) http://www.turistforeningen.no/english/
Even if you stay in Oslo you can do some nice minihikes by taking the commuter train out the end of of the line at various places. The tourist info booths in the main railway station are very helpful (if crowded in summer, so be prepared for a wait) in this regard and can also give you maps.
Oslo has some nice museums (if rather small by continental European standards). The Munch Museum in Oslo is obviously pretty unique as are the Viking Ship Museum just outside the city and the Norwegian Folk Museum. In Bergen Bryggens Museum is a must see as is the Bryggen part of town -- a preserved/restored medieval trading center. Again, the tourist info people can tell you more about other art and culture museums. Last I was in Bergen, about five years back, there was a fantastic arts and music festival on that, I believe, is held every two years. Huge names in contemporary art and classical music, theater, and so on.
I haven't been to Amsterdam for about 15 (!) years but I did love the enormous Rijksmuseum and the modern (well, then...) Van Gogh museum. And kinda cheesy, but it was fun to watch a diamond being polished in Amsterdam. Also, the Netherlands is a TINY country so do make sure to get out to nearby cities. You can get a train to Delft (home of the famous ceramics) e.g. Not much in particular to see except for ceramics painting there but it's a very pretty town. If you like science museums there's also a great medical museum in Leiden. Have a great trip! Vicarious traveler
We spent one day in Oslo as part of a cruise this summer. We met up with a Norwegian friend of mine who lives in Bergen. It was the one place I wish we had spent more time. Be prepared that Oslo is the most expensive city in the world. The viking museum is a must, and there is also a museum devoted to the arctic explorers all within walking distance of each other. we took the ferry from downtown and they drop you off at the museum stop. The Edvard Munch museum is small and has one (there are 3) of the original ''The Scream'' paintings. We had a salad with smoked salmon on it that cost $25! Since you enjoy nature, just spend more time outdoors. A trip on the fjords near Bergen would be a great idea. Anon
[Editor note: more responses to this question are on this page: Amsterdam and the Netherlands
My family (kids were 16 and 18) traveled in Norway last summer. We also visited Stockholm (our second time there). I recommend the royal stables tour in Stockholm. It is located in the heart of Östermalm. Even those of us who aren't especially fond of horses enjoyed it. Our favorite cafe in Stockholm is the Rosendals Garden Cafe on Djurgarden.
Our trip to Norway is one of the best travel decisions we've ever made. It was spectacular. We did a lot of hiking. We were part-way through our trip before discovering the incredible resources available at the Norwegian Trekking Association. Try to find one of the visitor centers. The trails were steeper than what I'm used to in the PNW, but so worth the effort to climb above the fjords and gape at the glaciers, achingly charming vacation cottages, and gorgeous views of the water below.
Here's what I wish I'd known before traveling there in early July:
1. EVERY coastal trail included wet boggy sections that resulted in thoroughly soaked feet. I wish we had packed closed-toe sandals. Rain boots would have been ideal, but not practical for travelers.
2. Check the ferry schedules directly - do not trust google maps. We had an unexpected 4 hour wait during our trip because we assumed the ferry ran much more frequently.
3. It rained almost everyday. Be sure to bring a good rain coat and warm layers like a down jacket or vest, and warm hats. You might be glad to have an umbrella as well.
4. Download all the maps/schedules you'll need in advance because we had trouble getting a cell signal sometimes in the remote areas.
Have a great trip!
I just posted (I have the 11 year, and have been to Norway a lot) - but had to add: in Oslo two things my family loved: the Fram museum (Antarctic and Arctic Explorers Museum) in Bygdoy Island an Huk Strand - beach on Bygdoy - you can walk from the train. My son LOVED these and so did we. The tourists all go the the Viking Museum (worth it but very crowded) - the Fram was empty and amazing. The beach was nice and you can swim in the Oslofjord!
What an amazing trip!! We are also going to Norway this summer for my cousin's wedding - and working in Copenhagen in too! I have an 11 year old. I have been 8 times to Norway over the course of my life because of family and mostly near Oslo, so hopefully this is helpful:
Balestrand is absolutely beautiful. We went in 2009. I don't remember the hotel we stayed at but I didn't feel we needed a car - we took the train from Oslo to Bergen. Ferry from Bergen to Balestrand. Everything was small and walkable in Balestrand. Train from there to Flam where we went back to Oslo. It was amazing. Bergen is amazing. So is Balestrand. Bergen is kind of like Seattle- but nicer and more walkable. It is the center of death metal in Norway and maybe the world. My 11 year old son thinks that is cool - not sure about your kids. This is a world class trip if this is your plan. Balestrand was so beautiful it was unreal. Bergen is an easy city, but also a unique and wonderful experience.
Oslo is nice, but I feel like Norway's strengths are not city but nature. In Oslo - Frognerparken and Munch Museum are worthwhile. Walking around is nice, and Aker Brigge (the harbor) and the Nobel Center are interesting. But all in all, if you had to choose - Bergen is a unique and interesting city, Oslo is just nice and tranquil. My cousin is 20, and right now doing study abroad in Copenhagen and for city stuff, and that is the real cosmopolitan center of Scandinavia.
This time, we are doing something different and I can't speak to it but here is our itinerary: Fly to Copenhagen. Take the overnight ferry to Oslo from Copenhagen (I did this in 1997 when I was 18, it was amazing - hopefully it still is)
My cousin is getting married in Laerdal and the mouth of the Aurlandsfjord. We will then stay in Aurland (near Flam) and maybe paddleboard on a fjord! Then back to Oslo.
But if you have Bergen and Balestrand in your itinerary this is a world class amazing trip. You will like it.
Hope this helps!
Hi! My husband and I went to Norway in 2018, mainly Bergen because he has family there. We enjoyed taking the train to Flam and catching a boat down the Sognefjord and the Naeroyfjord (UNESCO world heritage site). In Bergen we really enjoyed the hike up Mt Ulriken, its really hard and there is a tram, but the hike was well worth it and you can take the tram back down! We have family in the Hardangerfjord area which is not well known but absolutely beautiful. Best to rent a car if going that way, there are tons of waterfalls there. We did a hike through a canyon to Vorringfossen waterfall and it was super fun and no one was there. Have fun! It sounds great!