Oslo Warnings Or Dangers

On the streets of Oslo you will see stalls selling a rather wide range of this let's say.... acquired taste. One of the strangest flavours is salt - i'm afraid it tastes a bit like licking the back of your hand & can't be recommended!

Although the problem is probably no worse than other countries Oslo has a very visible heroin problem. It is not unusual to see groups of people injecting heroin in the area around the railway station and harbour during the day. Although we experienced no problems with the people we did on a number of occassions come across discarded hypodermic needles on the footpaths and grass. These could present a real danger of infection particularly if you wear open toe shoes or sit on the grass. Don't wish to alarm or put you off visiting but please take care and watch where you walk.

This is just a warning for anyone staying in or near the Comfort hotel, the hotel is great but just across the road there is a methadone outlet, and it quite upset me seeing so many young people getting their daily fix. I know it goes on all over the world but I had never seen it before.

Many hotels, especially those budget ones, are usually closed during the Christmas holidays and reopened in January.
This situation pushs up the hotel prices during that period and leave tourists mostly expensive options.

Plan ahead if you really have tight budget, otherwise, be prepared to spend more on accommodation (around 100 eur /double room). However, the services you'll may get are among the best.

There are many taxi companies operating to and from Oslo airport Gardermoen, and they all have different prices, depending on the time of day, ranging from 400 NOK to 1000 NOK for the same distance and time of day, so be warned. Do not hail a taxi outside...ask at the counter inside and choose your company and price first.

Example: Airport - city centre, weekdays, daytime:
Taxi 2: 395 NOK
Norgestaxi: 490 NOK
Oslo Taxi: 610 NOK
Asker og Barum: 550 NOK
Ovre Romerike Taxi: 740 NOK
City Taxi: only by meter, approx. 1000 NOK, but you can negotiate

According to the people who operate the counter there are about 30-40 fixed price schemes depending on time of day and company used...what a mess! Better take the airport train or bus instead:

Airport express train 150 NOK
Runs every 10, 20 or 30 mins depending on time of day, takes 20 mins
Local/regional trains 77 NOK, runs every half hour or so, takes 40 mins
Airport bus 110 NOK, runs every 20 mins, takes 40 mins, and btw for 170 NOK you get a return ticket that's valid for a month!

Oslo is generally a safe city, but as in most cities you should be careful when walking alone at night. The area around the main street Karl Johan should be safe as any, but there are other areas that have a reputation of being unsafe (such as Grünerløkka, Grønland and Tøyen for example). Dark alleys and parks should also be avoided (duh..). Don't get too paraniod though, Oslo IS generally a safe city to walk alone in so just use your common sense and you should be fine.

Despite the country's reputation of being rich and safe Oslo literally swarms of junkies and beggars. This is a very sad sight and unfortunately something you get used to after a while. But bare in mind that there might be used cannulas lying around in the street (or even on the beach - one of my friends put her foot on it), so watch where you put your feet down. There are also reputations of junkies cleaning their cannulas in citrus fruits like lemon and orange in the fruit stalls. I don't know if this is true, but after I heard that I stopped buying my fruit at the stalls by the train station Ostbanehallen where most junkies hang out.

Out of 67 checked restaurants, museums and accommodations 62 are inaccessible to wheelchair users, the blind, the deaf and those with allerigies according to "VisitOslo" (tourist authorities). I take an interest in this because my mom is wheelchair bound.
Typically, Oslo's politicians wanted to make Oslo European No. 1 access city for the physically handicapped within the 10-year period 1995-2005. Typically, the very same politicians and political parties have done nothing with regards to this in respect to old buildings, and next to nothing regarding new buildings (laws, regulations, financial incentives). Not has the private sector done anything. Very little has changed over these years. Oslo cannot hide behind a bad topography, either... In fact, the city is becoming less accessible for the elderly and physically handicapped. This is not a polemic against Oslo's gallup- and cash-focussed next-month-statistics politicians (well, it could easlily become a nice blog, no?). It is simply a warning against Oslo as a place to visit for the physically handicapped. Check hotels and restaurants and museums etc. for access, toilets etc.