Tromsø is situated at almost 70 degrees north, far above the Arctic Circle. It is a lively, humorous and beautiful city packed with culture and history, and surrounded by mountains, fjords and islands. Please click below to find more useful information.
Air Transportation
If you are traveling to Tromsø from abroad, you will most likely need to fly through Oslo. The Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) is easy to navigate and security lines are generally short. Major airlines connecting from abroad to Oslo are SAS, KLM, Lufthansa, Icelandair, Air France, British Airways, TAP Portugal and United. Within Europe, you may also want to check Norwegian Airlines for direct connections to Oslo.
There are several daily flights from Oslo (OSL) to Tromsø (TOS). The flight time is 1 h. 50 min. These flights are offered through SAS, Norwegian and Wideroe. Check their webpages for flight schedules.
For your transfer in Oslo you need to pick up your baggage, go through customs, then go up one floor to the departure area to check in for your domestic flight and go through security. Distances are relatively small. There are check-in automats and fast baggage drop for most airlines.
Tromsø International Airport is situated 5 km from the town centre and is small and easy to navigate and security lines are most often quite short. Ground transportation, taxis, rental cars, and buses to the city centre are located just outside the terminal.
Transportation from Tromsø Airport to the City Centre and elsewhere
Airport Express Bus (Flybussen) operates regular buses from the airport to the city centre for NOK 70 (60 until the 28.10) and city bus routes 42 and 40 run from the airport to the city centre for NOK 40. There is a monitor with the bus schedule in the baggage claim area at the airport. See the airport web pages for further information and click here for city bus schedules.
Taxis are also available from a cue outside the terminal and cost 150-200 NOK to the city centre. Taxis take most major credit cards and almost all taxi drivers are fluent in Norwegian and English. In the unlikely event that there is no taxi waiting, join the queue outside, make sure you are visible to the camera and a taxi will arrive shortly or call Tromsø Taxi at +47 776 03000 (if you have a Norwegian phone call 03011) or text TAXI to 2233.
Boat, Train and Car Transportation to Tromsø
The Coastal Steamer (Hurtigruten) is generally considered to be the world’s most beautiful voyage, and is an excellent way of going to Tromsø – if you have the time and the money. The Costal Steamer sails from Bergen (northbound) and Kirkenes (southbound) every day. Check Hurtigruten for more information.
Tromsø cannot be reached directly by train. The Swedish rail network (www.sj.se) operates trains to Narvik, Norway, and there are regular buses from Narvik to Tromsø (www.nor-way.no), approximately a four-hour ride.
Express buses connect Tromsø and major cities in Northern Norway, especially Narvik (appr. 4 hours), from where you can go by train to Stockholm (if you have more time than money). For schedules, check NorWay Bus Express.
Visa Information for Norway
Do you need a visa to visit Norway?
Visas are not required by visitors from the following countries* for visit up to 90 days: Albania, Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, St Kitts and Nevis, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela.
* Please double check with your embassy to make sure this is current information.
How do you apply for a visa?
Visa Application forms
Norwegian Embassies Worldwide
Norwegian Embassy in China
*** If you need an invitation letter from the meeting organizers to accompany your visa application, please send the info you need to have included.
Accommodation
The participants of the Norway-China workshop have rooms reserved at the Thon Hotel Polar Tromsø visit the website and see map.
Money and Currency
| The Norwegian currency is Norwegian Kroner (NOK). Things can be quite expensive for foreigners, but several shops offer a tax refund receipt you can cash in at the Oslo airport on your way home.
There are several banks in the town centre as well as in the shopping malls. There are also many outside ATM machines in the town centre and at the airport that take foreign cards, but most places accept credit/debit cards. Taxis take credit cards, but buses require cash. |
Weather Conditions
Tromsø is at close to 70 degrees North, the same latitude as parts of the Northern coast of Alaska. The Gulf Stream helps, but there are limits … YOU NEED TO BRING WARM CLOTHES AND GOOD FOOTWEAR, any time of year. Winter is generally mild around 0C and summers can also be quite chilly in northern Norway. A jacket for wind and rain is a must any time of year. Gloves, hat, and a scarf would also be good to have. Consider bringing long, wool underwear and a wool sweater/fleece if you want to spend a few hours outside. Remember that the weather can change quickly in Northern Norway. Winter nights are dark, with no sunshine and Summer days are long with no darkness, so bring a sun lap or sleep mask if you think you’ll have trouble adjusting.
You can check the weather forecast here.
Finding Your Way Around Tromsø
Tromsø is an easy city to navigate and most everything is centrally located. Ask your hotel desk for a city map or check out this online version to help you find what you are looking for.
Buses
The city buses will take you around the town and the immediate vicinity. A bus schedule (in Norwegian) can be found at http://www.tromskortet.no/ (click Reiseplanlegger to find exact times from specific bus stops). You will need a bus pass or cash to ride the bus (40 NOK per ride). Some common buses you may be interested in (many stop at Frederik Langes gata in the city centre):
- Bus 20/21 to the University of Tromsø: leaves from Fr. Langes gate (F1) in the centre of the city and takes approximately 10 minutes.
- Bus 26 to the Fjellheisen and the Cable Car: leaves from Storgata 1 and Skippergata (outside Peppe’s Pizza)
- Buses 40 and 42 to the Airport (see above).
- Buses 24, 26, 28, and 40 go to the major shopping area at Giæverbukta near the airport.
Taxis
You can get a taxi at several taxi stands in the centre of the city. If you want to call for a taxi (you can speak Norwegian or English), these are the numbers you need:
- Din Taxi: +47 02045
- Tromsø Taxi: 03011(if you have a Norwegian phone ) if not call +47 776 03000 or text TAXI to 2233.
Electricity
Norway uses the Europlug (Type C & F), which has two round prongs. Most laptops will automatically work with 220 volts (check the back of your laptop for power input markings.) That means, you’ll only need an adapter to change the shape of your power plug to fit into an outlet in Norway. These power adapters are relatively cheap.
If you bring small appliances, be careful. The shape adapter may not be enough. While basically all personal electronics in recent years will accept both voltages, some older, smaller appliances don’t work with the hefty 220v in Europe. Check if the label near the appliance’s power cord shows 100-240 v and 50-60 Hz. If it does not, you will need a “step-down transformer” (also called a converter) – these are usually not the cheap adapters you can find in an airport.
The converter will reduce the 220 volts from the outlet to provide just 110 volts for the appliance. These converters cost a little more than simple adapters. Compare prices of converters here.
Tip: Don’t bring any type of hair dryer to Norway – they can be hard to match up with a suitable converter due to their high power consumption. Instead, just check if your accommodation in Norway has one in the room, or buy a cheap one locally.
(modified from http://goscandinavia.about.com/od/norwa1/f/eleoutletnorway.htm and http://www.adaptelec.com)
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