Seize the Globe contributor, Tyler Johnson, details how he took advantage of an incredible flight deal to enjoy an exciting weekend in Oslo, Norway.

Oslo, Norway isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when thinking about a grand European holiday. In fact, when sharing with friends and family that I would be spending a long weekend in Oslo, a majority asked, “What is there to do in Oslo? Why not go to London, Paris, or Rome?” I soon discovered that Oslo is a charming, well manicured, and excitingly historic city that is probably one of the most underrated European capitals.

I’m a budget traveler and tend to find an inexpensive flight to a destination, book it, and then figure out the details later. This was very much the case with my journey to Oslo.

Getting to Oslo

If you are interested in flying to Europe from the United States on a budget, be sure to check out Norwegian Air. Norwegian operates long haul flights from 15 U.S. cities to various European destinations. I flew on Norwegian’s red-eye flight aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from JFK International Airport in New York non-stop to Oslo Gardermoen Airport for $339 round trip by booking directly on their website. Norwegian often offers specials on flights to Europe. So keep your eyes peeled!

Photo courtesy of Norwegian Air Media Centre

Day 1

Just like me, my two travel companions had never visited Norway’s capital. After arriving at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on a Friday morning, we were greeted with a very fast and efficient immigration and customs process that took mere minutes. We quickly gathered our bags and weighed our options to travel to the city center. The fastest way to central Oslo is a 20-minute train ride, which costs 190 NOK (roughly $22). Other less expensive options are available but cost precious time. Riding the bus to central Oslo takes about an hour. So if you have the time to spare, then this may be a great budget alternative.

After arriving at Oslo Central Station in the heart of the city, we walked a few blocks to our hotel to check-in. Oslo Central Station is the hub for all public transit throughout the city so finding lodging near this area is a definite plus.

Next, we checked into CityBox Oslo, an innovative and convenient concept that honestly blew our minds. Kiosk machines located at the entrance of the hotel read our credit cards and then promptly provided our room keys. The room was simple with only beds, linens, towels, and a small restroom. In an effort to keep costs low for travelers, housekeeping only offers services every few days for those staying extended periods of time. My two friends and I split the cost of a three-person room at 1,687 NOK (roughly $200) each or $50 per night per person.

View of Akershus Castle within the tall stone walls of Akershus Fortress

We dropped our bags and set out to explore for the rest of the afternoon. We found ourselves walking a few short blocks to Akershus Fortress, a majestic and stately castle on the waterfront of Oslo fjord. Immediately, the fortress was easily recognizable as the inspiration behind the magical city of Arendelle from Disney’s Frozen. The fortress, more importantly, served as a military base, protected the city of Oslo from numerous sieges, and as a royal residence. Thankfully, the fortress is free to enter and explore the grounds.

On the grounds of Akershus Fortress, we stumbled upon Norway’s Resistance Museum, which shares the history of Norwegian resistance from Nazi occupation during the 1940’s. We watched the sunset over Oslo fjord from the centuries old fortress walls as we left the museum.

As the three of us debated where to grab dinner, we noticed that it seemed as if there were burger restaurants on every corner. Apparently, Norwegians love a good burger, which I can’t complain because I do too! We popped into Døgnville Burger right next to Oslo’s Opera building. Many restaurants offer happy hour deals around 4 pm. The meant we could enjoy a few beers and a burger on special!

Day 2

A combination of jet lag and exhaustion contributed to a late start to the day. Fortunately, guests staying at CityBox receive a discount at the café right next to the entrance of the hotel. Every morning of our trip we enjoyed a typical Norwegian breakfast consisting of a coffee and delicious pastry. Be sure to try skolebrød, a divine custard-filled pastry with a coconut shavings sprinkled on top.

Skolebrød, one of the many delicious pastries that you can find in any Oslo café

We started our day with a free walking tour of the city by Free Tour Oslo. I’ve found through my travels that this is one of the best ways to get great local advice and recommendations in any major city around the world. Our guide, a university student, walked the group throughout the city pointing out facts about Oslo and shared her favorite places to eat, drink, and explore. The tour lasted about an hour and a half.

For lunch we walked to Kaffistova, an excellent lunchtime spot serving Nordic style plate lunches. We enjoyed a plate of Norwegian meatballs doused in gravy with potatoes and roasted vegetables. On the way to the bus stop to continue our days’ adventure we stopped by the Oslo Visitor Center to purchase an Oslo City Pass. This pass grants you access to free admission to over 30 museums and free access to public transportation. If you are a museum enthusiast like me, I highly recommend purchasing the Oslo City Pass as the costs of admission to most museums cost anywhere from 120-190 NOK (roughly $14 to $22). We purchased a 24-hour pass for 395 NOK (roughly $46).  Be sure to research all of the museums in Oslo to see which ones you’d prefer to visit and determine if this deal is for you!

With our Oslo City Pass in hand we caught a 20-minute bus ride to a neighborhood of Oslo called Bygdøy, a beautiful peninsula on the western side of the city. 5 museums call the peninsula home. We first stopped at the Norwegian Folk Museum to take a look at a Nordic Stave Church and village as we stood in awe of the outstanding craftsmanship and detail on each of the structures. Then we walked a few hundred meters to the Viking Ship Museum, which shared the history of excavated Viking ships and remains from these famous Scandinavians. After that we hopped back on the bus and rode 10 minutes to the Norwegian Maritime Museum to learn more about Norway’s famed shipping, fishing, and seafaring culture. The final museum on our “tour d’ museums” was the Framm Museum highlighting Norway’s supremacy in polar exploration. Each of the museums offered a unique and interactive perspective into Nordic culture that shaped our views of Norway’s appetite for pioneering, adventure, and exploration.

Built entirely from wood with load bearing pine posts, stave churches were an important part of northern European medieval culture.

We took the bus back to central Oslo and made our way to Mathallen, one of Europe’s best food halls. Food stalls lined the hanger-like room featuring menus from all over the world. We gravitated to Vulkanfisk, a seafood bar that serves fresh caught seafood. Naturally, we ordered Lutefisk which is a traditional Norwegian dish consisting of dried and salted fish that is soaked for nearly a week. If you’re a foodie, then I highly recommend giving it a shot!

Day 3

After walking nearly 10 miles throughout the city the day before, we started our day off wanting to take advantage of the final hours of our 24-hour Oslo City Pass. We made our way to the Nobel Peace Center, which shares vignettes of peace initiatives around the globe and some of the history behind the Nobel Peace Prize. Each year the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo. We explored the seaside shopping area of Aker Brygge and home to the Museum of Modern Art.

The Royal Palace, home of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, as seen from the Palace Square

Next, we made our way to the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum and explored the history of Viking warfare all the way to current missions that Norwegian forces are involved in around the world. Everyday at 1:30 PM the changing of the guard occurs at the Royal Palace, which we were determined to see. So we trekked across the city to witness this once a day ceremony.

We stopped for a snack at the famous Harolds Waffle, which was one of the most delicious waffle’s I’ve ever tasted. Their signature waffle includes a thin soft waffle topped with sour cream, raspberry jam, and brown cheese (caramelized milk that has solidified and sliced like cheese).

With our bellies full we took a short 15-minute tram ride to one of Oslo’s famous sculpture parks, Ekebergparken. It is located in the southeast corner of Oslo and features a number of trails with sculptures adorning each of the trails. If you’d like a great panoramic photo of the city, this is a great place to snag a picture!

We ate dinner at Taverna’n and enjoyed delicious local fare in a cozy atmosphere. After dinner we ventured to HIMKOK, rated one of the best bars in the world in 2017. HIMKOK distills a number of different spirits. If you enjoy trying local drinks, then try a Norwegian spirit called Akvavit. It’s made from grain and potatoes with a distinctive mixture of spices.

Evening view of downtown Oslo from Ekebergparken, the site where Edvard Munch gathered inspiration for his famous painting known as The Scream

Day 4

On our final day in Oslo we decided to do as the Norwegians often do and venture outside the city into nature. First, we rode the metro to one of the furthest stops outside the city to Hollmenkollen to check out the National Ski Arena. Then we explored the former Olympic complex and took a tour through the Ski Museum. Luckily, the museum allowed us to take an elevator to the top of the 463-foot ski jump.

The National Ski Arena and Holmenkollen Ski Jump were key sites during the 1952 Winter Olympic Games

Next, we walked through the village of Hollmenkollen and made our way to Frognersetern, which is known as the start of a number of trails and ski trails. Situated just a few feet from the metro station is Frognersetern Restaurant where we enjoyed a lovely lunch overlooking a majestic Norwegian forest. For lunch we tried reindeer for the first time, which to my surprise was quite tasty!

After exploring a few trails and enjoying the fresh air and outdoors we ventured back into the city center to do some shopping. We stopped by the Freia shop to purchase some Norwegian chocolate to share with friends and family back home. Finally, we leisurely walked throughout the city enjoying the last hours of daylight and made our way to dinner at Cathedral Café. A creamy fish soup was perfect for a cold evening in Oslo and our final meal in a great city.

The next morning we flew back to JFK International Airport after an amazing long weekend in Oslo.

The post Jetting to Oslo, Norway for an Outstanding Weekend appeared first on Seize the Globe.

After five years of wishful hoping and planning, my best friend and I finally decided to book the ultimate Europe trip. We spent four grueling years at West Point together. Always wishfully discussing our epic trips that we would one day take together. Backpacking Europe during festival season was the penultimate for us as young twenty-somethings. With both our shared love for international travel and dance music, it just made sense that we create the most ridiculous itinerary to hit all the major music festivals. This included Ibiza, Split, Prague, and Brussels.

First stop: Ibiza, Spain

Although there weren’t any major music festivals in Ibiza, there’s simply no way you can skip Ibiza during a European trip if you love dance music. Plus, this summer was the final year of Carl Cox’s residency at the iconic club, Space. Clearly we needed to see Carl Cox perform live before that ended. Some other highlights included seeing Nicky Romero perform at Amnesia, Flower Power night at Pacha, and of course a boat party.

Needless to say Carl Cox exceeded all expectations!

We stayed at an Airbnb one block from Pacha. Our hostess went far above and beyond to make sure we felt right at home and acted like a hotel concierge. Literally anything we needed, she secured for us. From making dinner reservations at 971 to booking our scuba dive to giving us tips on how to navigate the bus routes, she made sure we enjoyed an unforgettable experience.

We ended our stay in Ibiza with a Cirque de la Nuit Ibiza boat party and coincidentally ran into a newlywed couple we met at Space the night before. So we enjoyed unlimited sangria and beer while cruising the Mediterranean listening to sick house beats with our new friends for the entire afternoon before we departed for the airport.

Second Stop: Split, Croatia

Now backpacking Europe was strictly a budget adventure for us. Although, my typical travel style involves using points and miles to create luxurious itineraries to exotic destinations. This trip wasn’t intended to be luxurious by any means. So we flew from Ibiza to Barcelona, slept in the Barcelona airport overnight, and then boarded an early morning flight to Split. We landed around 8:00 AM and took a bus to Split before checking-into our next Airbnb in Bacvice Beach.

We took a nap in preparation for the pub crawl through Split that evening and boy was that worth the grand total of $20 USD! They advertised it as open bar for the first two hours, but it lasted the entire night and even included hosts walking around with open boxes of free pizza. Every single person we spoke to came from a different country and were backpacking Europe themselves. Plus 99% of them chose Split as a destination in order to attend Ultra Europe–just like us!

Ultra Europe

So the next few nights included raging at Ultra Europe and meeting even more friends from all over the world. Ultra is a music festival that draws over 100,000 attendees from over 143 different countries with four different stages featuring top international DJs from sunset until sunrise.

Ali and I have attended several music festivals together in the United States and the majority include Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. Experiencing a music festival in Europe is definitely unique because there are cultural differences between how people dress and behave. Plus, many Europeans grew up listening to dance music from a young age whereas dance music only recently reached mainstream popularity within the past few years. Despite the first night getting cancelled due to inclement weather, the festival overall was incredible and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Plus, Ultra refunded us our money for the first night.

Day 1 at the Ultra Europe venue: Stadion Poljud in Split, Croatia

We ended our Croatia chapter with a calm dinner and a scenic view at Dvor restaurant. I must say, not only is Croatia gorgeous with jaw dropping beaches and fun nightlife, their food is also incredible and VERY affordable. We enjoyed a six course gourmet meal with wine for two for only $50 USD total.

Third Stop: Prague,  Czech Republic

We decided to shift gears from the non-stop partying activities in Croatia and to take it a bit easier during the 48 hours we spent in Prague. We also switched it up a bit by not staying in an Airbnb, because let’s be honest…you’re not truly backpacking Europe until you stay in a hostel.

We booked The Old Prague Hostel on hostelworld.com and found it nestled in the perfect location. Not to mention it’s super easy to access from the airport via the metro system.

Here we essentially did our own self-guided walking tours of Prague instead of paying for any bus or boat tours. We ate traditional Czech food and wandered for hours around the gorgeous city touring places like Old Town, Prague Castle, and the Charles Bridge. We even found a vegan restaurant to try one day for lunch…of course we did this after we tried one of the fabulously healthy trdelníks–which are donut cones filled with ice cream. This is a MUST HAVE Prague street food item.

I was shocked by how delicious and cheap the food was. The entire duck meal was only $7 USD

After our brief stop in Prague we continued onto Brussels on a cheap 40 euro flight on Ryanair!

Final Stop: Brussels, Belgium

Brussels was extra special to us because not only did we plan to attend one of the biggest music festivals in the world (TomorrowLand), but our old West Point volleyball teammate graciously hosted us in her home in Waterloo. Another teammate and her husband joined all of us on the tail end of their honeymoon, too!

Our backpacking Europe experience was now enhanced with old college friends and the expert recommendations of a local to help guide us. As luck would have it, the day we landed was Belgium’s Independence Day. So we headed to the heart of Brussels to celebrate during their festival!

The next day we went on a chocolate tour through Brussels! We learned so much about chocolate making and the various levels of quality. We even made our own chocolate designs and picked them up at the end of the tour. But of course no holiday is truly complete without macarons.

TomorrowLand

And we ended our epic journey with the ultimate European music festival: TomorrowLand. Now TomorrowLand is a festival with around 20 different stages that lasts three days and draws over 180,000 attendees. It even features its own campground called, “Dreamville” in which you can select from a basic arrangement to a luxury suite complete with beds and swimming pools. It is a very popular event/destination for those backpacking Europe because it always takes place during the summer in Boom, Belgium which is located just outside Brussels. It hosts the most famous and talented DJs in the world from across a wide range of dance music subgenres. It’s sense of community is what keeps attendees both young and old coming back for more each year.

We were lucky enough to meet up with one of the friends we previously met in Split, Croatia during Ultra Europe! TomorrowLand is a much bigger music festival than Ultra Europe with a different vibe to it because it takes place mostly during the day and ends at night. It’s definitely one of the more expensive music festivals in terms of ticket prices, but you can choose to attend one, two, or three days. Additionally, we opted to only attend on Saturday due to the other activities we planned with our friends, cost, and that we wanted to squeeze in visiting Prague.

Overall, the entire trip was a blast to say the least. There is never the perfect time to really ever plan something like this, but Ali and I seized the moment this year. Whether we like to admit it or not, we’re getting older. As someone who unexpectedly got married way sooner than I thought I would at the age of 25, I knew that there was only so much time to do crazy trips like this with my girlfriends before other life obligations (i.e. children) would come along. I’m so happy that we moved forward with crossing off SO MANY items off our bucket list–and I’m not even a fan of that phrase because I think it’s way overused. But this truly was a trip of a lifetime with once of my closest friends on the planet and I’m so thankful to have a husband who supported me in pursuing my dream trip. Now I can officially say that I conquered backpacking Europe at least once in my life and not only that–I danced to my favorite music through iconic clubs in Ibiza, Ultra Europe, and TomorrowLand.

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