Last month, we met up with my family from Singapore in Norway to spend Christmas together. We departed Heathrow Airport on a Friday night, taking Scandinavian Airlines SAS.
My sister treated us to business class tickets and we were able to use their lounge. It was very well hidden. Once we were inside the lounge, it was packed with people. Maybe it was because it was a Friday night and everyone was heading off to see their family. The food was not amazing, but they did have a free flow of alcohol and other drinks.
As usual, the flight was delayed at Heathrow and by the time we arrived in Oslo, it was nearly 11.30pm. The flight was over 2 hours and Norway is an hour in front of the UK. We quickly took our luggage and caught their airport train – Flytoget. They depart every 20 minutes. I had previously bought the tickets through their app and it lasts for 90 days. If you accidentally bought too much, you can also ask for a refund and they will do it very quickly. The train ticket for those under 16 is free, half price for seniors and 240 Nr for adults. The platform was outdoors and it was only covered by shelter. So it is best to gear up if it is winter.
Once the train arrived, we all struggled to get our luggage onto their train as there were narrow steps on both sides to board the carriage. I find the design rather stupid. It is not great for elderly or disabled people. On the way back (a few days later), we waited for the disabled person’s platform and again, it had steps, just not as narrow as the rest of the carriage.
It was a quick 22-minute ride and we reached Olso Central Station. It was snowing heavily that night. I was surprised that even though it was zero degrees, it was bearable. I was just in my T-shirt navigating through the busy station. It was past midnight and the whole street and station were still buzzing with people.
We booked the Scandic Byporten Oslo hotel, located in Byporten Shopping. It was quite easy to find and very handy to reach most of the locations. The rooms were disappointingly small and the water pressure was not great. We were there on two occasions and the rooms were very small and warm. Also, our room was facing the street and the noise was ridiculous. Tram runs till late and there were a lot of vehicles on the street even past 2 am. On a brighter note, the breakfast was alright. Not amazing but there was a good variety of choices. You will need to book for their breakfast slot and also for housekeeping.
While we were in Oslo, we went to the Nasjonalgalleriet, Akershus Festning, Spikersuppa Ice Skating Rink, Christmas market, Oslo Cathedral, Oslo Opera House and Vulkanfisk AS for dinner. We spent about 3 days walking around the town.
On Day 4, we then took two flights from Oslo to Bodo, and from Bodo to Lekness. From Oslo to Bodo, we flew with Norwegian, which took 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Bodo. We then changed to a smaller flight with Wideroe to Leknes. The flight was free seating as it only had a capacity of 30 people. It can get quite rough depending on the weather. Once we reached Leknes airport, we were welcomed by this gorgeous mountain view.
We then drove to the nearby shopping mall before taking over an hour to reach the cabin – Andoy Vest Rorbuer Reine in Reine. We spent Christmas there in between chasing the Northern lights and visiting their town. Most of the supermarkets and some of the restaurants were closed from 24th until 27th December. Luckily, we arrived on the 23rd and stocked up a lot of food and drink.
On Day 7, we took their first Wideroe flight of the day, then changed at Bodo taking Scandinavian Airlines back to Oslo. The airport departure hall is very small. There are two vending machines at the front and also a drink vending machine after the security check. As usual, there are no drinks allowed when going through security. We were slightly delayed as there was a hail storm. Unfortunately, there was a serious coach accident not far from there. My sister, who took a later flight was more seriously delayed and only reached Oslo at 11pm.
On Day 8, we were off to Sweden! We all took a train from Central Station to Gothenburg Station, which took almost four hours. First, we were met with changing of platforms and we had to push 12 pieces of luggage between 9 of us to the correct platform. Next, when we were going up the train, people without a seat reservation took our seats. So we had a brief argument with them before reclaiming our seat. To be honest, if I were to go again with this group, I’d look at flight options instead. Navigating everywhere with heavy luggage was no joke. We had to place them on top of the seats to keep the aisle clear. Never again, unless we were backpacking!
Once we reached Gothenburg, we went to check in at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia hotel. It is within walking distance from the station. Their rooms are spacious, clean and stylish. It was a shame that our room was facing the restaurant so throughout our stay, we didn’t dare open our curtains. Only the executive rooms get an external window view, which we found out later as my sister decided to upgrade her room.
We were mainly window shopping, checking out their market, Liseberg Park, and eating meatballs there. There was no post-Christmas sale which was utterly disappointing.
On Day 10, 30th December, we took first-class British Airlines back home. Their lounge in Gothenburg was a bit too sad. There was only bread, cereals and a few bites for breakfast. They had a free flow of alcohol and drinks.
We were caught by surprise that the walking distance to the gate was so far. We also had to get our passports stamped before going to the gate. We then had to walk out a distance to go up the flight. My advice is to not dilly-dally and go the moment your gate is shown! This is my BA meal.
