This page explains how to travel by train from Oslo & Norway to other key European cities, and how to buy the cheapest tickets.  Click here to for journeys starting in another city.  Train information current for 2017.

I want to go from Oslo to...

Before you buy your tickets...

I recommend taking a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets.  It answers all the usual questions, such as "Do I need to book in advance or can I just turn up & buy at the station?", "How far ahead can I book?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just go online & buy a €35 point-to-point ticket?".

European train travel FAQ...

Oslo to Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim & other destinations in Norway...

• Go to www.nsb.no to check times & fares and book Norwegian internal long-distance trains online.  The 'English' button is top right. 

• Seat reservation is compulsory on most long-distance trains, and there are cheap advance-purchase fares if you book ahead so it's well worth pre-booking.  When you reach the fares page, use the drop-down list of fare types to see if you can change ordinaer (full fare) to minipris.  Minipris is a cheap advance purchase fare which only appears if there is a minipris available, 249 Kr to 499 Kr depending on availability. 

• Okonomi means standard class, any fare including the word Komfort means first class with larger seats, more space, laptop power points and complimentary tea and coffee.

• See here for more advice on using NSB.no including useful Norwegian words and what to do if your credit card is rejected, as their site sometimes struggles with some UK and overseas cards (but they now also accept PayPal!).

• NSB Komfort class costs an extra 90 Kr (at the time of writing) per person regardless of the length of the journey.  With power outlets at every seat and complimentary tea and coffee, the free cups of coffee alone can justify the supplement.  NSB Komfort class is available on most mainline routes including Oslo to Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim & Bodo, Gothenburg.

• Can you help with photos?  If you get any decent interior or exterior photos of the Oslo-Bergen trains which I could use here to show other travellers what it's like, please get in touch!

Oslo to Stockholm

• In 2015 SJ Swedish Railways introduced three daily X2000 tilting trains between Oslo Sentral & Stockholm Central taking as little as 4h54.  This has been so successful that the service increases to 5 trains per day as from December 2016.  From city centre to city centre they are pretty much as fast as flying, a lot less hassle and far more enjoyable.  See photos & info on the excellent X2000 trains. 

• Book these trains at www.sj.se (no booking fee, see my advice on using it here) and print your own ticket.  

  SJ.se is sometimes fussy with overseas credit cards, so if you have payment problems try alternative Swedish train booking site www.snalltaget.se. 

• Fares work like air fares, cheap in advance, more expensive on the day.  Reservation is compulsory.  There are some great cheap deals available if you book in advance.

• If you can't get your credit card to work on either of these sites, try agency site www.acprail.com or call SJ telesales on +46 771 75 75 75 (there's a phone menu choice for English)

X2000 trains now link Oslo & Stockholm...		2nd class seating on the X2000.  All seats have power sockets for laptops & mobiles...		Self-service buffet car on the X2000 to Stockholm. More information about X2000

Oslo to Gothenburg & Copenhagen...

Option 1, by train overland...

• Oslo to Gothenburg:  Comfortable Norwegian InterCity trains run from Oslo to Gothenburg several times every day, with departures typically around 07:01 Mon-Sat, 13:01 daily & 18:01 daily, journey time around 3h40, fare 299 SEK (€33).

• You can buy tickets online using either www.nsb.no (see advice on using this) or www.sj.se (see advice on using this) to check times and buy tickets online.  Remember that Gothenburg Central is shown as Gøteborg C in Norwegian and Göteborg C in Swedish.  For Oslo, select Oslo S where S = Sentral.

• ...and onwards to Copenhagen:  After taking one of these InterCity trains from Oslo to Gothenburg in 3h40, change at Gothenburg for the hourly Öresund Link trains to Copenhagen taking another 3h35.

• For example, you can leave Oslo Sentral at 07:01 on Mondays-Saturdays and arrive Copenhagen at 14:28.  Or leave Oslo Sentral at 13:01 daily arriving 21:28.

• Oslo-Copenhagen fares vary, from as low as 425 SEK (€46) though a more typical a typical 700 SEK (€75).

• The easiest way to book is using the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se. 

• It can sometimes be cheaper to split the booking.  First go to the Norwegian Railways website www.nsb.no and book from Oslo S to Goteborg looking for a cheap Minipris fare.  Then go to the Swedish website www.sj.se (no booking fee, see my advice on using it here) or www.bokatag.se (English button bottom right, small booking fee) and add a ticket from Gothenburg Central to Copenhagen.

Option 1: Oslo to Gothenburg by Norwegian train...  This is the Norwegian train from Gothenburg to Oslo, arrived at Oslo Sentral.  Photos courtesy of Ivor & Ines Morgan.		NSB Komfort class on the train to Oslo.

...then Gothenburg to Copenhagen by train.  Take an Öresund Train (Öresundtåg, pictured above) from Gothenburg to Copenhagen.  The train crosses from Denmark to Sweden on the 1999-built Öresund Link tunnel & road/rail bridge...

Option 2, by overnight cruise ferry to Copenhagen - comfortable, scenic and time-effective...

• You can travel from Oslo to Copenhagen by overnight DFDS cruise ferry in a comfortable en suite cabin.  Enjoy the departure from Oslo down Oslo Fjord.  Highly recommended!

• The ship sails from Oslo daily around 16:30, arriving in Copenhagen around 09:45, see www.dfds.co.uk for times, prices & online tickets. 

The huge DFDS luxury overnight cruise ferry to Oslo, at its terminal in Copenhagen...  Courtesy of Andrew Leo.

The ferry is a floating hotel, with cabins, suites, restaurants, bars and entertainment.  Courtesy of Andrew Leo.

Commodore Class suite on board the DFDS superferry to Oslo...  Courtesy of Andrew Leo.

Sunset at sea on the voyage to Norway...  Courtesy of Andrew Leo.

Oslo to Cologne, Brussels & London...

• See the London to Norway page, and look for the return train times from Oslo to Cologne, Brussels & London.  Buy tickets as shown on that page.

Oslo to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Zurich & other European destinations...

Option 1, via Copenhagen...

• Step 1, travel from Oslo to Copenhagen by daytime train or by overnight DFDS cruise ferry as shown in the Oslo-Copenhagen section above.

• Step 2, travel from Copenhagen to anywhere in Europe as explained on the International trains from Copenhagen page.

Option 2, via the overnight Color Line cruise ferry from Oslo to Kiel in Germany - easy, comfortable & time-effective...

• Step 1, travel from Oslo to Kiel overnight by Color Line cruise ferry.  The m/v Magic or m/v Fantasy usually sails from Oslo at 14:00, arriving Kiel around 10:00 next day, see www.colorline.com or use the seat61 Ferry Shop for times, dates, fares & online booking.  These luxurious ships have a full range of en suite cabins, suites, bars, restaurants and so on.  Enjoy a scenic sailing out of Oslo Fjord...

• Step 2, in Kiel it's a 5-6 minute walk from the Color Line ferry terminal to Kiel Hbf.  Regional trains leave Kiel Hbf for Hamburg Hbf every hour, journey time 1h16, fare around €23 bought at the station - but if you're going beyond Hamburg it's cheaper to book a through ticket from Kiel to your final destination as explained in step 3 below.

• Step 3, travel from Hamburg to anywhere in Europe by train, as shown on the International trains from Hamburg page.

  It's possible to leave Kiel after 12:30 and arrive in Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Warsaw, Basel, Zurich or even Paris by evening the same day. 

  That's right, you can leave Oslo at 14:00 and arrive in any of those cities the very next day in the evening, centre to centre with no airports, no flights!

  Book from Kiel Hbf to any of these cities from just €39, or from Kiel Hbf to anywhere in Germany from €19 or from Kiel to cities in most neighbouring countries at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.  You usually print your own ticket.

  You can of course spend the day in Hamburg, then catch the sleeper train to Vienna or Switzerland, as shown on the train from Hamburg page.

The Color Line ferry in Kiel...

A 5 Star Suite on the ferry...		More cruise liner than ferry!  The restaurant.

The view from the ferry....

Back to top

Hotels in Oslo & other cities

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

Backpacker hostels...

• www.hostelworld.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

Back to home page