Norway’s rugged countryside and remote mountain farms gave birth to one of the most feared seafaring civilizations of pre-medieval Europe: the Vikings. Modern-day Norwegians have inherited their ancestors’ independent streak, voting against joining the EU in 1994 and drawing the ire of environmental groups for their refusal to ban commercial whaling. Because of high revenues from petroleum exports, Norway enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world. Its stunning fjords and miles of coastline make the country a truly worthwhile destination—but sky-high prices and limited public transportation in rural areas may challenge even the best-prepared budget traveler.
Facts And Figures Official Name: Kingdom of Norway. Capital: Oslo. Major Cities: Bergen, Stavanger, Tromsø, Trondheim. Population: 4,628,000. Land Area: 307 ...more
Citizens of the 40 signatory countries of the Svalbard Treaty, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, can work on the Svalbard archipelago , including at the University Center in ...more
☎ 61 Lillehammer Lillehammer (pop. 27,000) cherishes the laurels it earned as host of the O 1994 Winter Olympics. Travelers strap on their skis to hit the slopes here, as well as to indulge in the city’s ...more
Norway’s southern coastline is a premier summer holiday destination. Its towns feature red-tiled bungalows and jetties full of boats. The nearby rocky archipelagos can be explored on the cheap by hopping ...more
No trip to Norway is complete without seeing the Western Fjords. The region boasts a dramatic grandeur, from the depths of Sognefjord to the peaks of Jotunheimen National Park. Tourists come to Sogndal ...more
Between the Western Fjords and the sparsely inhabited stretches of northern Norway, a group of coastal cities forms the third point of a triangle with Oslo and Bergen. Travelers are only beginning to ...more
Visitors encounter everything from the city center of Tromsø to the natural wonders of the Lofoten Islands. Even farther north, the remote, frozen Svalbard Archipelago, where polar bears roam, sits ...more
For 50 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.