By GlobalDetail.com reader theoven

New:Show Norway on GoogleEarth

Polar bears in the streets, everything is expensive and the people are everything but friendly? Heard it before? Well, if you’re thinking about Norway, I’m here to change your mind. Obviously, me being Norwegian makes me pretty biased here, but I’m willing to take the risk! In a series of articles I would like to invite you on a Tour de Norvege, in different stages we will cover the land of the midnight sun, the cold winters and the warm summers. To get the best possible experience I would suggest you put on some Grieg, A-ha or Lene Marlin on your stereo. That said, some good music would give the same effect.

Ways of traveling to Norway.

Being fairly isolated up north in Europe, Norway might not be the most accessible country around.

By Air:
The birth of online, low-fare airlines such as Ryan Air have changed this a fair bit. You can now travel from 4 different airports in the UK (Glasgow, London, Newcastle and Liverpool), Frankfurt in Germany and Milan in Italy. Check out GlobalDetail's Ultimate Guide to no-frills airlines. Aside from this there are flights to Norway from every major airport in Europe.

By Sea:
Several ferries operate between Norway and Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Holland and the UK. This is a good alternative for those who want to bring their car, but it is rarely recommended for those of us who don’t travel well by sea. Check out http://www.aferry.to/ferries-ferry-to-norway.htm for routes and to compare prices.

By Land:
With the new Oresund bridge between Sweden (Malmö) and Denmark (Copenhagen), you can now drive from most of Europe and reach Norway without taking a ferry (again, a nice thing for us who don’t travel well by sea!). It’s a long drive from, let’s say Germany, but new, well-built roads take you through Denmark and Sweden in just a few hours. Check out http://www.mapquest.com if you are planning your route.
There is always the option of taking a train or bus. There are services from several European cities going to Norway for you backpackers out there!

Part 2 in the Tour de Norvege will present Oslo, Norway’s capital and biggest city, and the areas surrounding it.

For more information on Norway, also see http://www.visitnorway.com.

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