NORWAY. Travel Documents, Health Care, Vaccinations, Electricity, Telephones and Internet, Money and Banks, Shopping, Typical Products

USEFUL INFORMATION FOR A TRAVEL TO NORWAY

NORWAY

Travel Documents: Norway takes part in the Schengen co-operation and hence nationals from countries within the Schengen area do not have to show their passport when entering Norway. However you must show an official document that satisfactorily establishes your identity. For all other nationals a valid passport is necessary. For some nationals a visa is required as well. A visitor's visa may be issued for tourist travel, family visits, official assignment, business travel, study or for other reasons. A visitor's visa is valid for a maximum of three months.

Health: The standard of health in Norway is high. It is advisable to have an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in case of a medical emergency.

Pharmacies: There are many chemists in Oslo and they usually follow regular opening hours from 10-18 on Weekdays. Chemists are called Apotek.

Telephones: Country Dialing Code 0047.

Public telephones take NOK 1, 5, 10 and 20 coins. You need minimum NOK 5 to get through. Most call boxes in Oslo city centre accept both credit/telephone cards and money. Norwegian telephone cards are called “Telekort” and can be purchased at Narvesen newsstands, Mix (kiosk) and post offices.

Mobile Telephones: Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is mostly good, not so in rural areas.

Mobile Telephone Companies: Telenor, NetCom.

Internet: Internet cafes can be found everywhere in towns and cities. Internet can also be accessed via public libraries.

Money and Banks: The Norwegian currency is the Norwegian Krone (NOK). One krone is made up of 100 øre.

You can change money in almost all banks and post offices. Credit cards can be used in most shops, all major credit cards (American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa) are accepted widely.

There are ATM’s (Automatic Teller Machines) everywhere and they accept foreign credit cards.

Traveller’s checks are accepted, and these should be purchased before arriving in Norway.

Banking Hours: Mon-Wed, Fri 08.15-15.30, Thu 08.15-17, Sat closed.

Electricity: 220 volts AC (50 Hz) is the Norwegian standard. If you are traveling with electrical or electronic devices be sure to bring a two-pin continental adapter with you.

Shopping hours: In general, shops in Norway are open between 10 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday, and from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturdays. Food stores are normally open between 9 am and 8/9 pm. Most towns have late shopping on Thursdays when the shops stay open until 7 pm. Opening hours at larger shopping centres are usually from 10 am until 8 pm on weekdays and 6 pm on Saturdays. Shops are closed on Sundays.

Typical products: Popular things to buy whilst on holiday include knitted sweaters, gloves and mittens, pewter, silverware, porcelain, hand-painted wooden articles, goat and reindeer skins, furs, glassware, ceramics and speciality food.

Cuisine: The traditional Norwegian dish is the smoked salmon, it exists traditionally in many varieties, and is often served with scrambled eggs, dill, sandwiches or mustard sauce. Close to smoked salmon is gravlaks, (literally "dug salmon"), which is salt-and-sugar-cured salmon seasoned with dill and other herbs and spices. A more peculiar Norwegian fish dish is Rakfisk, which consists of fermented trout. A large number of fish dishes are popular today, based a large variety of species, such as salmon, cod, herring, sardine products and mackerel. Seafood is used fresh, smoked, salted or pickled. Variations on creamed seafood soups are common along the coastline. Lamb's meat and mutton is very popular, mainly used in fårikål (mutton stew with cabbage). Pinnekjøtt, cured and sometimes smoked mutton ribs, steamed for several hours. Smalahove, a smoked lamb's head. Preserved meat and sausages are usually accompanied by sour cream dishes and flat bread or wheat/potato wraps; the fenalår, a slow-cured lamb's leg, and morr, usually a smoked cured sausage. Cheese: Jarlsberg cheese, the sweet geitost or brown/red cheese, the gammelost, an over-matured, highly pungent brown cheese. Distilled beverages include akevitt, a yellow-tinged liquor spiced with caraway seeds. NORWEGIAN CUISINE RECIPES.

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