“TRAVEL IS THE ONLY THING YOU BUY THAT MAKES YOU RICHER.”
One of the best things about studying abroad is how many opportunities there are to travel. My schedule is really great: I only have classes Monday through Wednesday, so I usually have Thursday through Sunday free to explore London and visit other countries. My first big weekend trip was with three friends to Oslo, Norway.
I had never considered visiting Oslo before coming to London, and I actually ended up going on a whim. My friends and I were searching for cheap flights from London on Skyscanner (you can put your destination as “everywhere,” which is great if you don’t have a specific destination in mind) and we just happened to find really cheap flights to Oslo. So we bought our flights, reserved an AirBnb, and we were set!
Pinterest is my favorite app for trip-planning because it helps me stay super organized. I just search “Things to do in [insert city here]” and all sorts of great articles come up. Most of the things my friends and I did in Oslo were recommendations that I found on Pinterest. Here are some of my favorites:
- The Oslo Pass
Before I mention specific places in Oslo, I have to talk about the Oslo Pass. The Oslo Pass was one of the first European city passes and I’d say it is still one of the best. You can get a 24, 48, or 72 hour pass AND they have a great student discount. The Oslo Pass includes free public transportation (subway, bus, ferry, and trolley), admission to over 30 museums, and discounts at several tourist attractions, shops, and restaurants. We did not have to pay admission for anything we did in Oslo the whole weekend, and we definitely got our money’s worth.
We bought our Oslo Passes at the Visitor Center at Central Station as soon as we got off the train from the airport. You can also purchase the Oslo Pass on the Visit Oslo app, but if you want the student discount, you have to buy it in person. The woman working in the Visitor Center was super nice and gave us tons of recommendations!
2. The Munch Museum
Even if you don’t know much about art, chances are you’ve seen “The Scream” by Edvard Munch. Munch was a Norwegian painter who, upon his death, bequeathed his works to the City of Oslo. The Munch Museum holds the largest collection of his works in the world. Unfortunately, since we were there during the off-season, “The Scream” was not on display. Instead, we were able to see “Madonna,” Munch’s other famous painting. The museum itself has a fascinating history, including a robbery in 2004 (“The Scream” and “Madonna” were both stolen from the museum and weren’t recovered until 2006).
3. The Opera House
Maybe I just haven’t been to enough opera houses, but this is the only one I’ve ever been to that lets the public walk up onto the roof. The Oslo Opera House has a huge slanting roof and anyone is allowed to walk right on up to the top – free of charge! It’s situated right on the water, so the view from the top is phenomenal. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to actually see an opera while we were there, but we did get to go inside and the lobby is almost as beautiful as the view from the top.
4. Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Museum
This was definitely one of the best things we did in Oslo, and we almost didn’t go! The Holmenkollen Ski Jump is actually kind of far from the city center (it took us about 45 minutes on the subway to get there), but it was so exciting to see the outskirts of the city. Plus, we discovered that almost everyone in Oslo goes skiing on the weekend. We rode up to Holmenkollen on the subway with what felt like half the city, and everyone was buzzing with excitement for the weekend! Because it was such a hike, though, we thought about skipping it. I’m so glad we didn’t, because it ended up being a favorite.
The Ski Museum, which is underneath the Ski Jump, is the oldest ski museum in the world and documents over 4,000 years of skiing history. From inside the museum, you can take an elevator up to the observation deck at the top of the ski jump (more than 1,000ft above sea level) and look out at the entire city of Oslo. It was extremely foggy the day we went, so we couldn’t see much. But in some ways, it was almost better because it felt like we were the only people for miles around (a major perk of traveling in February, when there are few tourists).
5. The Viking Ship Museum
Something about the Vikings is so fascinating to kids – I vividly remember learning about the Vikings in grade school. We grow up reading stories and watching movies about Viking warriors sailing in massive ships, but nothing prepared me for when I finally got to see the real thing. The picture doesn’t even do it justice. The Viking Ship Museum has three huge Viking ships (and some other great artifacts) and reading about the history as you walk the length of the ships is spectacular. I can’t believe that at one point in time, these ships were sailing across the ocean – how cool is that?!
6. The Taste of Norway at Rorbua
If you asked me two months ago if I thought I would ever eat whale or reindeer heart, I would have laughed. But then I went to Norway, and I obviously had to try some of the local cuisine. Rorbua, a restaurant in Aker Brygge, serves “The Taste of Norway,” a sampling of different local meats on a skewer. This includes whale, beef, reindeer, and elk. I was terrified, but I made a promise to myself to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things. I still think whale is gross, but the rest of the dish was incredible and it was so much fun sharing this experience with my friends. We’ll definitely never forget it!
These are only some of the highlights of our trip. We did so much more that I didn’t even mention! I am definitely the type of traveler that likes to pack as much sight-seeing in as possible, and the best way to do that is to plan ahead. Make sure you know how long it takes to get to and from places, the operating hours of museums and restaurants, and make a list of the “must-dos,” in case you’re strapped for time and need to narrow down your list.
It’s true what they say: once you catch the travel bug, you’ll never want to stop. Studying abroad has definitely instilled in me a love of travel – I’m excited to continue experiencing different cultures, but I also can’t wait to explore my own backyard when I get home. Being outside of the United States has really made me realize how much I take for granted. It’s easy to get stuck in your normal routine, and sometimes I feel like I know London better than I know Philadelphia. Traveling has helped broaden my world perspective, but it has also reminded me to cherish the places I’m from.
Eve's Semester in London 