Oslo's main station: Location map
Oslo Sentral is Oslo's main central station.
Station overview
Oslo Sentral consists of a modern station building dating from 1980 standing side-by-side with the original station building from 1882, now converted into a retail mall and food hall. The main entrance is in the centre of the photo below, marked Oslo Sentralstasjon. Immediately inside this entrance you go up escalators or steps to a long station hall leading to a broad concourse with the main departure board and slopes & travelators down to platforms 1-12. Platforms 13-19 are over to the right, at the eastern end of the original trainshed. Photos in this section are courtesy of Richard Alderton.
The modern 1980 station is on the left, the original 1882 building on the right, now a retail mall & food court.
Immediately inside the entrance to the modern station, you go up escalators or steps to the station hall which leads towards the platforms.
The long station hall in the modern station, leading towards the concourse & platforms. You can see the departure board in the background.
Which platform for your train?
The station has 19 platforms, numbered 1-19 from left to right.
Platforms 1-12 are lined up next to the modern concourse, you descend a travelator or slope to reach them. Platforms 13-19 are to the right of these.
Platforms 1-13 are 'through' platforms so trains can leave eastwards towards Trondheim, Gothenburg or Stockholm, or westwards through a tunnel under the city towards Bergen, Kristiansand & Stavanger. Platforms 14-19 are dead-end terminus platforms facing east, trains can only leave these eastwards.
The Airport Express normally uses platforms 13 & 14. For live departures see www.trainoclock.com/en-NO/station/oslos/departures.
Main departure board, with the slopes/travelator to platforms 8 & 9 in the background.
Ticket office
The station has a large ticket office, on the right as you walk through the station hall towards the platforms.
Left luggage & ATMs
There is a large left luggage locker room, down escalators from the main level, opposite platform 13, for prices & opening times see the left luggage page.
There are ATMs in various locations.
Down escalators to the luggage lockers.
Food & drink
You'll find plenty of food outlets around the station, including a Starbucks, Yo Sushi, and an O'Leary's American restaurant.
In the Ostbanehallen in the 1882 building you'll find an Olivia Italian restaurant and the Royal Gastropub (www.royalgastropub.no)
Let me know if you find somewhere good for a coffee, beer or meal.
There's a Coop Prix supermarket on the main concourse near the stairs down to platforms 1 & 2, ideal for stocking up for a journey.
The Ostbanehallen, the original trainshed from 1882. The tracks were once here, now a food court & retail mall.
Local transport: Walking, metro, taxis
Walking: The station is in the city centre, most sights are walking distance away.
Taxis: For a taxi fare calculator see www.taxi-calculator.com/taxi-fare-oslo/771.
Buses, trams, metro: For Oslo metro information see ruter.no/en/plan-journey/timetables-and-route-maps/metro.
Suggested hotels
The Grand Hotel Oslo: Oslo's most famous hotel is the 5-star Grand Hotel Oslo, opened in 1874. The annual Nobel Peace Prize banquet is held here and the winner traditionally stays in the hotel's Nobel Suite, read more at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Hotel_(Oslo). The hotel occupies a prime position on Oslo's main thoroughfare, Karl Johans gate, between the Norwegian Parliament and the Royal Palace, a 10-minute 750m walk from Oslo Sentral Station. It has an indoor swimming pool & spa. It would be my own first choice as it's relatively affordable for such a historic property, especially in the off-season, so before ruling it out, check prices!
Amerikalinjen Hotel: At the luxury end if you feel like a splurge, the Amerikalinjen Hotel occupies a historic building completed in 1919 as the headquarters for the Norwegian America Line, the shipping line that transported over half a million Norwegian emigrants to the United States. The Norwegian America Line switched to cruises and eventually disappeared in the 1980s, and after various uses the building reopened as a luxury hotel in 2019. It's directly across the road from Oslo Sentral station, ideal for those arriving and leaving by train. If you can afford it, a great choice.
Scandic Byporten: If the Amerikalinjen (or even Grand Hotel) is beyond your budget, the Scandic Byporten is also ideal for train travellers, it's directly adjacent to Oslo Sentral Station with great reviews and more down-to-earth prices.
Comfort Hotel Grand Central Oslo: You can actually stay in Oslo Sentral station itself, in the south wing of the old 1882 Ostbanehallen building, at the Comfort Hotel Grand Central Oslo. It gets great reviews and doesn't get any more convenient for train departures than this!
Hobo Oslo: In the same price range as the Scandic with excellent reviews, also try the Hobo Oslo, a 4-minute 280m walk from the station.
City Box Oslo: For something cheaper still, also with great reviews, try the City Box Oslo, a 5-minute 350m walk from the station.