By: Chris ⎜ Last updated
If you're coming from a country where Uber is cheap and plentiful, Norway will reset your expectations. Ride-hailing apps work here, Uber and Bolt drivers are licensed taxi drivers, and the cars are generally good. But this is one of the most expensive countries in the world for getting around by car, and while the ride-hailing apps are generally cheaper than taxis they're not outright cheap.
Read on for to learn what you should do at the airports, and why you should not hail a taxi in Norway.
The most important thing first, never hail a taxi off the street unless it´s from a large, serious company such as Oslo Taxi or Norgestaxi. The taxi market is deregulated which means taxi drivers can take any price they want. Book a taxi in advance and you will know exactly how much you will pay. More on that below.
Uber and Bolt in Norway
Uber covers several of the larger cities including Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Tromsø, and a growing list of smaller places such as Ålesund, Bodø, and Drammen. Bolt is currently concentrated in the five biggest cities: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, and Tromsø.
Every Uber and Bolt driver in Norway holds a full commercial taxi licence. Often it's the same car as the taxi sitting at the rank outside the train station, at a completely different price. If the car that picks you up has a taxi roof light (and many do), it can use the public transport lanes to bypass rush hour traffic. If it shows up as an unmarked car, you'll be in regular traffic with everyone else.
A short city ride of a few kilometres will cost somewhere between 150 and 300 NOK. You should check both apps, prices differ and Bolt frequently undercuts Uber on shorter trips. Uber has the largest network and is generally more predictable on longer routes and covers more cities. Both of the companies use surge pricing, which can spike hard late at night or during rush hour.
The reason to book through an app instead of flagging down a taxi is that you see the price before you start the journey. On a metered taxi at a rank, you don't. Metered taxis can turn out to be several times more expensive than a pre-booked one if you jump in the wrong taxi.
Hailing a Taxi off the Street
Norway deregulated its taxi market in 2020. This roughly doubled the number of licensed cabs virtually overnight. Many of the new entrants were independent operators who set their own meter rates with no dispatch company oversight.
The price difference between an app-booked ride and a metered street hail can be enormous if you pick the wrong taxi.
At a taxi rank you're not obligated to take the first car in the queue. Walk past anything unbranded or with only a phone number on the door and look for the established names: Oslo Taxi, Norgestaxi, Bergen Taxi (07000) are safe choices. Or better yet, take up your phone and book a taxi even though you're at a taxi rank with available taxis. You will avoid getting scammed and you will know exactly how much you will pay.
Airport Transfers
Taking a taxi or Uber from the airport to the city centre is the single most expensive transport mistake visitors can make in Norway. At smaller airports you might not have much of a choice, but in Oslo and Bergen public transport is cheap and plentiful. If you decide to take a taxi, make sure you prebook and know the price in advance. You should also check Uber and Bolt, both ride-hailing companies are serving the larger airports.
Oslo Airport transfers
Oslo Airport Gardermoen is 50 km north of the city. A taxi or Uber to the centre runs 700 to 1,000+ NOK for a fixed price transfer, depending on the time of day. The Vy regional train covers the same route in 23 minutes for roughly 135 NOK, and the Flytoget express train take the same amount of time for about double the price. Unless you're splitting the fare across a group, the train wins. If your hotel is next to the train stations at Oslo S or Nationaltheateret, the train might even be faster.
Read more about getting to and from Oslo Airport
If you have an early morning flight, especially out of Gardermoen where the first trains don't run until about 04:30, pre-book a taxi the night before through Taxifix. They offer fixed prices for pre-booked airport transfers. Relying on Uber or Bolt at 3:30 AM is a gamble, and surge pricing in the early hours can be severe.
Oslo Airport to city center: Save money on the airport transfer
Bergen Airport transfers
Bergen Airport Flesland is closer to the city center (18 km), but taxis still run 600+ NOK. The Bybanen light rail leaves from right outside the terminal and reaches the city centre in about 45 minutes for about a tenth of that price. The Flybussen airport bus is faster at around 30 minutes for a mid-range price.
When a Taxi Makes Sense
Public transport covers most visitors needs in Oslo and Bergen, and for routine city travel it's faster and cheaper than any car.
Groups of three or four splitting an airport fare can bring the per-person cost close to what they'd each pay on the Airport Express train or Airport buses. Heavy luggage makes buses and trams impractical. If you're travelling with skis or bulky sports equipment, request a large vehicle through Taxifix.
Travelling with small children
Norwegian law requires approved child seats for anyone under 135 cm. Uber and Bolt drivers almost never carry child seats. Show up with a small child and no seat and the driver will cancel. Taxifix has a child seat toggle in the booking flow. Alternatively, call the taxi company directly and request one when you book.
Payment and Tipping
Norway is functionally cashless. Every taxi takes cards, and app rides handle payment automatically. Tipping is not expected or customary.
Tipping in Norway: What´s expected
