O$lo on a Budget
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By Rick Steves
Note: This article was written in December 2004.
I'm in Oslo now, on Santa Lucia Day. Girls in white wear candles in their hair and hand out saffron buns to young and old, reassuring them that the light will return to the land of the midnight sun. Can they assure me that the dollar will rebound? I don't know, but we travel on.
Norway is expensive. And with our dollar where it is, the exchange rate adds economic insult to injury. Even so, Europe is still affordable. Traveling off-season saves you about 50 percent on your flight — a savings that will more than make up for the loss in your dollar's buying power once you arrive. With vacation budgets tight, you'll need to hone your budget skills. One solution: Take public transit everywhere you go.
A taxi from Oslo's airport to downtown costs $100. Smart travelers catch the shuttle train, which costs $15. It goes 100 miles per hour with a departure every 10 minutes, zipping non-stop to the Oslo Central Station — an easy walk from most hotels. In the past, I'd spend $50 for a taxi in from other European airports. Today, with my new (low-value) dollars, that $50 ride now costs $65 — and I catch the shuttle. Once on board, I'm almost thankful to be forced into going smart and local.
Yesterday, I drove to see my cousin outside of Oslo. It took an hour of searching and finally I hired a cab ($20) to lead me there. Upon arrival, she pointed to a tram threading through the forest, which had left from near my hotel. It would have taken 20 minutes and stopped right at her doorstep, costing $3 and saving a lot of stress.
A great way to get the most out of every minute of your experience in Europe is to hire a private guide, sharing the expense with three or four travelers. With a group, a private guide costs no more than a typical half-day bus tour. Especially in Eastern Europe — where the local pay is quite low and Americans typically know less about the countries' histories — a private guide can be an excellent value. If you're on a tight budget, linger in Eastern Europe, the new budget wing of the continent. You'll pay Western prices for hotels, but half the cost for everything else.
Anywhere in Europe, a picnic in the hotel room makes sense. Yesterday, I had tasty little carrots, caviar spread on thick crunchy Norwegian crackers, and apple juice for $6, with plenty of leftovers to snack on later. Up here in Scandinavia, where the taxes on restaurant-served food and drink are so high, locals buy their beer in the grocery store. They drink at the harbor or at home with friends. Normal working people in Europe cope with high prices as they have since Marie Antoinette said, "Let them eat cake."
Tonight I ate at a pasta restaurant in a bright, busy mall as local shoppers passed by my table. In the States, most of us order soda with every meal, but the heavily taxed Norwegians know how to stretch their cash. Out of 20 diners, all but three had only tap water to drink. Even the tap water costs money — but paying $1 for water instead of $5 for a Coke takes the sting out of eating out. For a budget meal, try the daily specials in mom-and-pop restaurants, rather than the big emporiums with neon signs that brag "We speak English and accept Visa cards."
Best of all, search out the authentic local experience, often much cheaper than a packaged performance for tourists. That's what I'm doing — skating with a new generation of Sonja Henies in front of the Oslo's National Theater for $7 per hour, skates included. We can always enjoy exploring our world. Don't travel less, just cut corners smartly.