Norway is a Scandinavian country encompassing mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords. Norway shares its borders with Sweden, Russia, and Finland.  In Scandinavia, along with Sweden and Finland, you can experience the midnight sun in June and Polar nights in December/January. Norway is a home of world’s northernmost settlement, the Longyearbyen in Svalbard archipelago. So, it’s a year-round destination for world travelers. About two-thirds of Norway is mountainous, and off its much-indented coastline lie, carved by deep glacial fjords, some 50,000 islands. Oslo, the capital, is a city of green spaces and museums.

• Official Name: Kingdom of Norway. Norge in Bokmål and Noreg in Nynorsk
• Capital: Oslo
• Population: 5.38M in 2021
• Currency: Norwegian Krone, 1 US$= 10.39 NOK
• Some stores, restaurants, and hotels accept payments in euros but the exchange rate may not be very favorable.
• Official Language: Norwegian
• Visa Requirements: Norway is a part of Schengen area. Anyone can visit it with a valid Schengen visa.
• Best Time to Visit: late Spring(April-May) to early Autumn(September-October) is the best time to visit Norway. Due to the attractions of Northern lights and Polar Nights, it is the year round destination for travelers.

Norway is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world. If you’re going to Norway, the odd of you being involved in crime is very low. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take any precautions.

The majority of the criminal cases reported to the police continue to be theft-related incidents. In Oslo and the other major urban areas, crime focuses in the inner city and high transit areas. Tourists and other short-term visitors should be aware that instances of pickpocketing and petty theft are common in the major tourist areas, hotel lobbies, and in the areas around train and transit stations. Travel in all areas of Norway is safe. Areas close to and immediately east of the main train station in downtown Oslo have higher instances of open drug use and crime in general, especially at night.

A  Recent Report is beneficial before a visit to Czechia.

Transportation -Norway has a well-established public transport system and a large network of buses, ferries, trains and planes. There are many different transport companies in Norway, some of which specialize in local services, while others run long-distance services. Within county you can search your journey Travel Planner Entur, while inter county travel can be planned at ruter.no.

Oslo has a well-established network of buses, trams and underground trains, operated by Ruter. Every city and town in Norway has a local bus service, and there is an extensive network of express coaches throughout the country. Buses will be on time even on village routes and you can even travel without prior booking and paid at bus with your credit card. However, it is cheaper to buy your ticket before getting on the bus.

Accommodation – In Oslo a hostel dormitory bed/basic hotel starts around 50$, while in northern Norway you can take you bet by Air BnB and can get a homestay within same range. The crux of saving or get an accommodation is the time frame of your booking and visit.

I stayed most of my time in tromso and Lyngen and booked my stays with a combination of Booking.com and Air BnB.

Other sites to plan and choose your accommodation in Capital might be Booking.com,  Air BnB, Agoda, or Hostelworld. However, when you’re looking for a hostel, do your research, read reviews to get a feel for the place. and book somewhere that suits you

Food and local Dishes -In Oslo you can find any type of international restaurant which can provide you your local dishes. However, in northern Europe you have very limited choices. Here are a few must-try food items from Norwegian Cuisine.

• Lefse, Norwegians love this sweetened variety of the traditional soft flatbread with a blend of butter, sugar and cinnamon. It is just like a sweat Shawarma.
• Svele, his batter-based cake has gained popularity throughout the country in the last few dacades.
• Skoleboller(School Buns),  a custard filling and grated coconut
• Stockfish, Stockfish is air-dried cod that’s commonly served with vegetables and potatoes.
• Potato lefse, it’s a thin potato pancake
• You can also try a Brown Cheese, or Norwegian waffles.