chrisljo

ksu

I usually stay at the Park Inn using SAS EB points if I have to stay at the airport, the shuttle hotels are too risky, even if much cheaper when paid for by money.

I agree on taking the train to Oslo. Check hotels close to the main station (Oslo S) or Nationatheatret. All local trains, and most airport express trains serves both, and the latter is in a nicer (but more expensive) area. Scandic Solli is close to Nationaltheatret. Next to Oslo S good bets would be Scandic Byporten and Comfort Hotel Grand Central - both actually inside the station complex. Just across the street is Comfort Hotel Xpress Central Station (no breakfast included), Scandic Oslo City and the upmarket Amerikalinjen, Clarion The Hub, Radisson Blu Oslo Plaza and Thon Hotel Opera (the latter is the shortest walk to the Airport Express). There are many others five minutes away.

The OP could also look into staying at Lillestrøm - midway between OSL and Oslo. The Scandic is a new hotel, next to the station, but obviously less convenient for sightseeing the next day.

The fare for the local/regional train to from the airport (including any connecting tram/metro/bus within Oslo) is 105 NOK one way. The corresponding fare for the Airport Express is nearly double that: NOK 196 one way (not including connections within Oslo)

garyn

fassy

Discus

Local/regional trains (nonstop 10 mins, 3 time/hr) to Lillestrøm is almost the same price as a shuttlebus to an airport hotel, and much nicer.

If staying in Oslo and you want to go for a sightseeing with metro etc. there is a 24hr ticket (NOK246) valid to/from airport and on bus/trams/metro/local/regional trains in greater Oslo area.

Heas up for Park Inn at OSL - there are two of them, one within walking distance, the other is shuttlebus.

ksu

The shuttles don't always run to schedule, and they run too seldom, meaning that any irregularity gives a high risk of missing the plane, or needing to put in a large safety buffer.

On the convenience factor: the area around the airport (I commuted to the area for four years) can also be bitterly cold in winter, meaning that waiting for a bus at an outdoor bus shelter, either at the hotel or at the airport can be a very uncomfortable experience.

As the shuttles are not free, I would rather spend the money at a proper airport hotel (Radisson Blu or Park Inn (as noted: NOT Park Inn West)), or go to Lillestrøm or Oslo. Even though trains in Oslo have had their irregularities, they have a set schedule and one can wait indoors in winter.

ung1

Regarding immigration it has been pretty bad recently - in fact it goes much faster if you have a non-EU passport (and are not resident in Norway) because those lines on most flights are much shorter. This is specifically if the automated gates aren't working. I've seen people miss their flight out of OSL because immigration took too long...

highupinthesky

Can't you use the none EU lines with an EU passport like in any other airports in EU?

fassy

Sure you can. I do it all the time. It says "Any passport" which includes the EU passports. Never have been challenged and if, I would just say "Sorry, next time I use the other queue". But as said, never happened. And as you said, I do this in any airport in the EU if the foreign passport (aka "any passport") line is shorter.

Also, I have often enough in ARN or OSL just bypassed the queue and asked if I can just move in because my connecting flight is about to depart in x minutes. If you look real desperate and be humble about it, nobody (who is not a total jerk) would make a fuzz. Actually, if I have the time and somebody asks me to skip ahead, I usually just invite them in as well. And even if people are a bit grumpy since the Nordic mentality kind of frowns about skipping queues but on the other hand has the very non-confrontational attitude, you will not face any opposition. And who cares if some people which you never ever see again thing you are an a$$?

ung1

The immigration officers are pretty insistent about this - and people tend to follow the rules and not skip the queue when 30 other people are patiently waiting in line.

highupinthesky

Well. If the sign says all passports like in other airports, in my view you are entitled to use that queue with an EU passport.

RedChili

The whole point of having a separate line or lines for "EU/EEA/CH passports" is that it's usually much quicker to process those passports, so they can get through quicker. But anybody can use the "Any passport" line if they so wish and if they believe that it will be quicker. I've done that many times at many European airports, and no immigration official has ever complained.

CPH-Flyer

The fact that people wait patiently in a line they don't need to wait in is their problem not mine. So I am not skipping the line, just taking the shortest one available to me.

If you come to the supermarket cash registers and see a line with 10 people waiting, and one with 2 people waiting, which one do you pick?

fassy

Surprisingly a lot of people in Sweden would go for the longer line

ung1

But in this case it is not a "line they don't need to wait in" because the immigration officials insist that anyone with an EU/EEA passport or Norwegian residence permit use the EU line. The other thing is that this line moves super fast, so what looks like a shorter line may in fact take much longer with questions being asked etc (applies more to arrival than departure, admittedly).