All the tips to save on your trip to Norway, from advice on supermarkets, food markets, to services and how to make the most of them, even with children.
La Norway it is considered one of the most expensive countries in Europe, but only those who have been there on holiday with children know that the cost of living is directly proportional to the services that are guaranteed to you.
An example? Modulated playgrounds for children of all ages, from 0 to 2 years, from 2 to 4 and so on, fenced, as natural and free as possible, therefore also linked to the inventiveness of the little ones. We then talk about public transport, with wifi, car seats for babies even on buses, family train carriages with space for prams and wagons dedicated to games for children for longer routes, such as the one from Oslo to Bergen which is about 7 hours.
Furthermore in Norway, as well as in the United States, water in bars and restaurants is free, as in most public places.
Services in Norway start long before they arrive, thanks to the flag carrier Norwegian Air offering air passengers with Free wifi, with many services and family friendly, like the rest of the country. Furthermore, a mention should be made for the airports: large, beautiful, with a recognizable design and free wifi.
In addition to these tricks that serve to make it clear how the cost of living is actually proportionate to the quality of life, even on vacation, there are certainly some tips and tricks that you can follow to save something while traveling, both alone and with children.
Let's start with food. In Norway, cooking is very expensive, nothing to say. You can save money by shopping at the supermarket and making sandwiches for lunch, while hiking or commuting, by train or plane (since the distances in Norway are enormous). The supermarkets where to go are Row 1000 e Kiwi, the ones that I have found more frequently and that have a good gastronomic department.
In the evening you can only save in one way, by eating at home! Seriously, cooking something at home, perhaps with local ingredients, can be a good way to taste Norwegian cuisine. Also going to the market, perhaps the fish market, you can combine business with pleasure, then see a part of the local culture of Norway, that of the fish market and cook something good with local products.
You are not always lucky enough to have a lot of time traveling, so for those who prefer to eat out at home cooking, I recommend the local street markets. There are several, for example in Oslo there is the Vippa Market, opened in 2017 with lots of street food from the world at reasonable prices and with tasty products, even Italian for the homesick.
Another market that I recommend in Oslo is the famous one Mathallen full of little shops to eat from sweet to savory, not only Norwegian. Certainly a little more expensive than the previous one also because it is less street food and more gourmet, but a place where you can pick up what you are interested in, help yourself and put everything in place yourself.
To give another example a Bergen, fish market as well as being an institution, it is full of places to eat. The tables are located right in the middle of the fish stalls, so in addition to fresh fish, you will have the opportunity to eat delicious dishes for less, compared to the cost of many other dishes in restaurants scattered around the Norwegian town.
