This post is part of my Traveling Tuesday Series.
Our first St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, we did the whole thing: the parade, the pubs, the festivals, the green. The next year, when Honeybun was almost three and Sugarplum was 7 1/2 months old, we decided to head to Oslo and Amsterdam to take advantage of the long weekend (St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday and day off work in Ireland).
Here are the basics of traveling to Oslo with kids:
Getting Around
Oslo, like most European cities we visited, is very easy to get around. We arrived into Moss Rygge airport (on an extremely cheap fare) which is well south of the Oslo city centre then hopped on a train into the city centre. We again took the train to the airport at the end of our trip, though this time we flew out of the closer Gardermoen airport on our way to Amsterdam.
There are many things in the city centre which are walking distance from one another but there is also a fantastic streetcar and bus system that we took full advantage of.
Kid Accessibility
Oslo was easy enough to get around with our huge double stroller/buggy. There were a few times that we had to lift the buggy onto the tram/bus because the handicapped entrance wasn’t accessible but we managed. Our visit was a very snowy one but the right buggy and gear (coats, hats, mittens, blankets and stroller covers) made our visit enjoyable.
Eating in Oslo with kids
We did get a few funny looks walking into nicer restaurants with a baby and toddler but our girls quickly made up for the initial shock and won over the waitstaff. While we were in Oslo, we took full advantage of the culture and tried many local specialties like bear and whale which Honeybun tried, too. But for kids who aren’t as adventurous, there are plenty of familiar items as well.
Preparing for a trip to Oslo with Kids:
I’m big on planning our trips ahead of time because traveling with kids makes things just a little bit more complicated as they aren’t always very patient when you don’t have a plan so I always did a lot of research and planning before our trips. Check out my tips and advice for:
- Finding the perfect hotel
- Pre-Planning as much as possible and finding the best Sights to See
- Packing for the kids
What to see and do in Oslo with Kids:
We spent two days in snowy Oslo exploring the culture, history and art of the city and country and while two days seems like a small amount of time, we were able to see and enjoy a good amount of the city.
We filled our time in Oslo with kids as follows:
Day 1:
Viking Ship Museum
Hubby is 75% Scandinavian, his family hails from Finland and Sweden but he still cherishes his viking blood so was excited to visit the museum. We took the bus to the museum in morning and we were all enthralled by the ancient ships and the stories of the Vikings who sailed in them. I learned so much about the Viking people and seafaring ways (like how many of the ships were burial ships, set afire and pushed out to sea.)
Norsk Folkemuseum
After the Viking Ship Museum, we took the quick walk to the nearby Norsk Folkemuseum which houses many Norwegian buildings from throughout the country’s history. Many of the buildings are furnished and show life in the time the buildings were built. There are also a few small buildings with Norwegian culture, history and art exhibits which Honeybun especially enjoyed.
Munch Museum
That afternoon, after a warm lunch, we headed to the Munch Museum. We aren’t really art museum people but we do like to see works by the great artists up close. The museum isn’t huge but was enough to fill the extra time we had that day. We also enjoyed a nice coffee and afternoon snack in the museum’s little cafe.
Day 2:
Vigeland Sculpture Park
The next morning, after more snow had fallen, we hopped on the streetcar and headed out to the Vigeland Sculpture Park (we could have walked from our hotel near the central train station but with the snow, we decided to stay warm!) The outdoor sculpture garden is the world’s largest sculpture park with works by a single artist with over 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and iron, many of which feature children which we all particularly enjoyed. There is also a museum just outside the park showcasing the artist’s works which we did not visit.
Nobel Peace Center
The second afternoon we took the girls to the Nobel Peace Center. The museum which shares information on Alfred Nobel, the history of the prize as well as the recipients and their contributions is extremely interactive and very child friendly though buggies are not allowed in the museum so we got to lug sound asleep Sugarplum through the museum in her car seat!
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