IS NORWAY A TRIP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE?

MY TRIP: WHY, WHERE AND HOW

Is Norway a destination that would be suitable for young people?
I’d like to tell you about my trip, including why I went, where I went, and how I made it happen.

I hadn’t considered going to Norway for a quick trip until I was booking my flight to Bangkok, the first stop on my planned trip.
The price increase of around € 900,00 compared to a few weeks ago has convinced me to postpone it and look for another destination.

I’d already added North Cape and the North Pole to my list, but the prices have always been very high.

I looked into some airport combinations and found a great flight deal.
For just 90 euros, I can get to Oslo with an overnight stop in Berlin, while the return from the Svalbard Islands costs 350 euros, with a quick stopover in Oslo, Copenhagen and Rome.

WHAT CAN I DO IN THESE DAYS?

I think North Cape is a must-see landmark.
I’ve noticed that the famous Nordkapp is more than just the North Cape for tourists.
The name is iconic, the cliff overlooking the sea is spectacular, there’s a sculpture of the planisphere and an immense parking area for cars, campers and couriers.
This makes it ideal to hide the existence of the promontory of Knivskjellodden, which is clearly further north at around 1,500 metres but only accessible after a 20-kilometre trek.
I think it’ll take about a day to get to Nordkapp and another day to get to Knivskjellodden.

WHAT TRANSPORTS OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

I didn’t drive in the snow, so I thought it was a bad idea to arrive by car from Alta.
I’m not willing to take that risk.
Honningsvag is the closest city for trips to Nordkapp, and you can get there by ferry from Tromsø on the postal ship Hurtigruten.

SO, WHAT’S NEXT?

There are some fantastic Hurtigruten options, including a 5-day cruise to Svalbard and a longer journey from Bergen to Honningsvag with stops in lots of ports for excursions.
The programme looks really comprehensive and diverse, but unfortunately the price is pretty steep.
I usually just contact them directly by email to see what they can offer me.

After a great back-and-forth, I got a fantastic price for the 5-day tour to Svalbard, the 3-day cruise from Bodo to Honningsvag with a tour of the Lofoten Islands, and then a night without a bed from Honningsvag to Tromsø, where I’ll take a plane to Longyearbyen.

The total cost with Hurtigruten was around €2,500, which was at least a third less than what I would have spent with an agency or by booking directly on their website.

The Svalbard cruise has a fixed departure date so I’ve planned to start my trip in Oslo and then flying to Trondheim and Bodo, which are the cities I’ve chosen to visit.

I’ve got my travel plans and everything is organised.
I’ve managed to get everything booked in just three days.

CONCLUSIONS

Outside the EU and the eurozone, Norway is one of the richest countries in the world thanks to the hydroelectric power, oil, gas, and the export of fish, wood and minerals.

The government deserves a lot of credit for its forward thinking.
By keeping a tight hold on the country’s biggest economic activities, it has been able to invest the profits in shares, bonds and luxury properties.

The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund is now worth almost 1,000 billion USD.
The difference in debt between an Italian and a Norwegian newborn is stark: while an Italian child is born into debt of around €40,000, a Norwegian child is born into a credit of around €160,000!

This is reflected in a very high standard of living, supported by a GDP of almost 100,000 USD.

You can see this in everything from street cleaning to the fact that almost all the cars you see are electric or hybrid, in line with the goal of having only these vehicles by 2030.
I’m also impressed by the high level of respect, honesty, low crime rate and trust in others that I’ve seen.

On the other hand, Norway is known for its merciless hunting of whales.
The number of whales killed, especially pregnant females, is higher than that of Iceland and Japan combined.