Travel Deals Europe

When is the best time to travel to Europe? In particular, Norway?

What is considered a good deal for airfare and food expenses? I have a friend there so I do not need to worry about housing. However, I realize the currency there is stronger than the Pound and the Euro as they have their own currency. I also know Oslo is one of the most expensive places to live. I live in the US.

Public Comments

1. Norway is expensive for everyone - if you want to go there then you will have to accept the cost. In my opinion, the best time to visit is in June, at the summer solstice. You get the very long days (midnight sun in the north) and midsummer celebrations everywhere. You might get better weather a bit later, but as a northern European country it is all unpredictable anyway. A truly beautiful country, well worth a visit (and the expense - let's be honest!)
2. Norway- definitely in the summer ;) and don't expect it to be a REAL summer :D maybe you should buy some of those guide books, they are really good, you can find a lot of useful information there, and learn something about the country
3. I would say that mid to late May is the best time to visit Norway. The weather is warming up and the days are getting brighter and longer, so everyone is excited about the coming summer. Additionally, the flowers all seem to bloom at once, and May 17 is Norwegian Constitution Day - the national holiday. I personally think that May 17 is the single best day to be in Norway, because you get to see so much national pride and spirit, especially in the bigger cities like Oslo and Bergen. In Oslo, the national Children's Parade takes place and almost everyone heads downtown to wave flags and cheer. Many people also come dressed in bunad, the traditional Norwegian dress. Additionally, the year's graduates (called Russ) have their own costume of highly decorated caps and overalls and put on their own parade full of crazy antics. Other than May, any time in the summer is definitely best. Aside from the weather, a lot of tourist attractions operate shorter hours or are closed altogether outside the summer season (mid-May to mid-August). I fly back and forth to the US a few times a year, and these days, a decent airfare in the summer is around $1200 USD. So any flight under $1000 would be quite good. This summer, I'm flying in mid-July, and the best fare I could find was nearly $1400. If you're really trying to cut costs, Oslo is served by a few different discount airlines, including Sterling, RyanAir, etc., so if you can find a good fare to another city in Europe, you may be able to book continuing flights on a discount airline. Unfortunately, the discounters often operate from different airports than the main carriers, meaning tricky connections. As for food, eating out is quite expensive here. In Oslo, the least expensive sit-down restaurants tend to cost around 80-120 NOK for a main dish. Restaurant prices typically move up from there with mid-range main courses at 150-200 NOK and high end places easily topping 250 NOK. The least expensive option is almost always sausages or hot dogs, which can be purchased from most kiosk shops like Narvesen or 7-11 for 20-30 NOK. A step up from that would be something like Deli de Luca, where you can get a decent panini-style sandwich for around 50 NOK or premade take-out dishes for a bit more. Like most cities in Europe, Oslo has quite a few kebab shops offering a less-expensive alternative (usually around 50-75 NOK), and generally speaking, asian cuisine restaurants tend to be less expensive than European and American options. For some inexpensive restaurant options, see the following list from one of the local newspapers: http://oslopuls.no/restaurant/article1103392.ece (FYI - For converting prices, the current exchange rate is hovering around 1 USD = 5 NOK, so you can just divide those by 5 to get the prices in USD) And of course, you might also consider self-catering. While groceries are still more expensive than in the US, they're certainly cheaper than eating out! Just remember that most supermarkets are closed on Sunday, so plan ahead!