OSLO AIRPORT review : 28 May 2008 : by David Croft

Customer Rating : 5/5

Efficient, beautiful airport with high standards and easy to navigate. Only 20 minutes by train to Oslo and features a Radisson located right outside the main entrance. Really enjoyed the steel/glass/wood-designs, very bright and airy. A bit pricey Duty Free but it's Norway; what did you expect. Amongst my favourite airports in Europe.

OSLO AIRPORT review : 30 April 2008 : by Peter Cullen

Customer Rating : 5/5

I agree with the positive comments below, a modern, spacious, easy-to-use airport with good, but expensive, facilities. The famous Duty Free shop may be cheap to Norwegian travellers, but not to anyone else. As stated elsewhere, the rail connection to the city is excellent with the state railway being about half the price of the private one - but not as frequent and a little slower. The express (private) line keeps going until about 01.00 which is great if you arrive at midnight as I did.

Oslo Airport review by Erlend Serendahl

28 March 2008   Customer Rating : n/a

The public transportation to and from the city centre is quite expensive, just like everything else in Norway. The airport express train takes either 19 or 22 minutes (depending on if it goes directly to Oslo Central Station or if it stops in Lillestrøm), and costs 160 NOK one-way. That is about $32. The train travels at 210 km/h. What some travellers don't know, is that the regional or local train line, run by the partly state-run train company NSB, costs exactly half of what the airport express train does. This train takes 26 or 37 minutes (depending on if it is the regional line or the local). Both the regional and local line costs the same. The airport express train generally departs every ten minutes, while the NSB trains run every 20 - 30 minutes. Keep in mind, if you are below the age of 21, the price is the same for both the airport express and the NSB trains, and you'll be better of with the airport express. Another option is the SAS flybussen (the SAS airport bus). This bus costs about $25, but it takes 45 minutes to the city centre. The last resort is to take a cab, which costs a fortune. To the centre of town, the fixed rate is about $130. I will strongly recommend you use the NSB trains, as this is the cheapest and next fastest option.

Oslo Airport review by Sasun Vartanyan

14 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Another great european airport. Clean, spacious, efficient in every way, fast moving, and very user friendly.

Oslo Airport review by Kevin Tunnicliffe

17 February 2008   Customer Rating :

What a cracking airport. Efficient, friendly, well laid out and simple to navigate. We transited this airport en-route to Tromso and I wish we had longer there to enjoy it.

Oslo Airport review by Wiktor Karpowicz

30 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Very passenger-friendly airport, pristine clean and modern, easily accessible from the Oslo Area. Everything is marked clearly. Layout is simple and functional - domestic flights on the left pier, international on the right one, arrivals on level 1, departures - level 2 with the main hall in the middle. Well-marked meeting points and check-in stalls. It's almost impossible to get lost. The staff is helpful. Shops in duty-free area are quite cheap. Just under the airport there is a railway station. The quickest journey to Oslo S takes about 20 min by Flytoget, but costs 170 NOK. It's better to take a RegionTog train (from the same platform direction Oslo S/Skien, arriving every-hour from Lillehammer) - journey is only 5 minutes longer, and the price is 85 NOK to Oslo S and 166 NOK to Drammen.

Oslo Airport review by David Lally

28 September 2006   Customer Rating : n/a

Norway is not part of the EU. It is an EEC member country and as such, they are considered international flights. Oslo airport - clean, quite spread out, and good array of amenities. Transport excellent, and not really expensive when you look at the likes of London.

Oslo Airport review by Grigorios Makeralos

14 July 2006

Oslo Gardemoen is a modern and clean airport that meets the European standards. Only two bad comments can be added here. Firstly the Norwegian immigration officers are quite unpolite, and they even check all the passengers coming from Schengen zone countries, something unusual in the EU airports. Secondly, the location of the airport is far away from the city, 45km and expensive to access.

Oslo Airport review by Chris Seal

11 July 2006

A single terminal building. It took us all of 6 minutes to get from the train to the BA lounge (via both check-in and security). Downside is that from the lounge you still have to go through one check to let you into the international area and then passport control and we seemed to board at the furthest gate. There are two trains you can get to the centre run by different companies so make sure you get the right one. The airport express is fast, regular and only stops at Olso central station. The other is slower but considerably cheaper and also continues part the central station which may be handier for your hotel.

Oslo Airport review by Lars Hansen

13 May 2006

Overall, a very nice & clean airport. The downside is especially the transportation to Oslo. Nice looking, clean, easy to get to public transportation - but, location far out of Oslo, very expensive ride to the Central station and long walks compared to the rather small size of the airport.

Oslo Airport review by Andrew Hammer

7 February 2006

A well-designed, clean, and pleasant airport which has the appreciated advantage of being smoke-free, unlike other major European airports (CPH, FRA). The one thing that would be a welcome and useful improvement would be a cheap, simple travelers' hotel like the one at CPH, especially since a fair number of flights seem to come in to Oslo after 22.00. With the airport being an hour away from the city, unless your final destination is Oslo transit passengers are forced to take more of a lodging than they might like at an unnecessary price. I had friends take me home with them, but I would have hoped to have found an in-house option like that in CPH from a new airport in Scandinavia. All in all a very warm and user-friendly structure as airports go.

Oslo Airport review by Martyn Wildman

27 January 2006

First experience with OSL was very favourable. On arrival, first impression of the terminal building was warm and welcoming, although it was mid-winter and the outside temperature was sub-zero. Immigration staff were friendly and efficient. Although the distance to baggage reclaim was fairly long, it was along a clean and attractive corridor with wooden structure reflecting Norwegian ambience. Baggage appeared almost immediately after a brief visit to the immaculately kept toilets. The check-in hall was airy and clearly signed. Check-in, security clearance and immigration check were all swift and friendly. There is a good selection of shops and catering facilities at fair prices beyond passport control. In summary, we found OSL to be a joy to use and would not hesitate to recommend it !

Oslo Airport review by K Solem

13 January 2006

A lot of walking here, which can be a bit of a hassle, particularly on arrival with a lot of hand baggage. There is now duty free on arrival, with a fairly decent selection of goods. Something nice to do while you wait for your luggage!

Oslo Airport review by Scott Wilson

25 October 2005

Perfectly nice airport in terms of aesthetics and layout, but I do have one gripe- the SAS lounge (for international flights) was overheated and had virtually no food on a Sunday evening. Now I know it was quiet, but pasta salad that looked like it had been lying out for hours and a couple of pieces of fruit is absolutely pathetic. I have been in Star Alliance airline lounges in many cities in Europe, USA, Asia and Australasia, and while the lounge had pleasant amenities, what is wrong with providing some decent food? Take a leaf from Air New Zealand's domestic koru club lounges- a selection of fruit, fresh salads, meat, cake and even hot food - all for passengers flying no longer than say 1.5 hours or so. The Heathrow London Lounge has more food as well. This lounge was for international flights including long haul, although I was only on a flight to London (which barring business class requires one to pay for a sandwich).

Oslo Airport review by R Rasmussen

1 September 2005

Oslo airport is a torture for smokers. They have not designated any smoking area inside (there are no law against it) and the passengers have to go outside or use the lavatories. This is one of the reasons why many passengers from other places in Norway prefer CPH as the foreign hub for connections to outside Scandinavia. Especially if you have a long wait for connecting flights.

Oslo Airport review by Martin Brown

22 August 2005

To be honest, they could have laid out the airport a little better. Checkin desks were at the other end of the airport from the railway station from which most people arrive and no seperate desks for Club Europe on BA. This is a no smoking airport, so if you want one you have to go back out through security. I agree that the BA Terraces are a little hard to find, but WOW that's what I call relaxing with a fountain in the middle and help yourself to a large selection of drinks - again no smoking in here. Aside from that, nothing really to set it apart from the rest, it can just be a pain to get around sometimes - especially if your gate is right at the other end of the airport and you have to go through immigration, it will take at least 15 minutes.

Oslo Airport review by Simon Cheung

8 August 2005

While it is aesthetically quite agreeable, Oslo Gardermoen isn't exactly the most user-friendlyairport I've used. Situated some 45 km out of town you can either use the SAS Flybussen (14 euros o/w) or train (20euros o/w), neither of which are cheap. I found it a bit odd that BA check-in desks were a bit of a free-for-all and that there was no seperate Club Europe desk. However if you've hand luggage only there are several self check-inmachines but you need to have the credit card used for the ticket purchase. A modest but comfortable BA Terraces lounge is available after security check but I guarantee you will go round in circles looking for it. Located on the domestic departures side it is very poorly signposted, as the lounge attendant has probably been told 100s of times. Take the spiral staircase on your left after security and continue to the end of the corridor. DO NOT go to international departures after security as you won't be allowed to step back into domestic, even though there's no barrier between the two. Instead you will have to exit at gate 42, go thru customs and back into the departures hall - really annoying. Overall, by no means unpleasant but not a patch on it's neighbour in Copenhagen.

Oslo Airport review by Marybeth Richards

4 June 2005

OSL Gardermoen is a pretty, efficient airport that reminded me of Vantaa in Helsinki. The biggest disappointment (and one that seems to be shared with other travellers) is that it is a long, long walk from one part to another - arriving from LHR required a walk of nearly a kilometre to arrivals, with no moving sidewalks. Return to LHR also was from the far end of the airport - could this be because of Schengen? - but trollies are available in the departures area, which was a nice plus. Getting from OSL to Oslo city centre couldn't be easier, via the SAS Flybus just outside the arrivals hall. In all, OSL is just another example of how things can be run well in a Scandinavian country, with the understanding that everyone will meet the same high expectations.

Oslo Airport review by T Mikelsen

15 February 2005

Oslo airport, though a clean one, is unfunctional and an unpleasant experience. It is built in one long line meaning that one has to walk a very long distance from one flight to another or to exit the airport. In addition, the security system is a bit strange - the laptop computers need to be taken out of their bags in the security control, the security gates with metal alarm are so sensitive that everybody who has shoes with even smallest parts of metal, have to take the shoes off and walk in socks through the sensor gate. After such a control one would expect that the restaurants in the transit area are not allowed to use metal knives and forks, but this is not the case.

Oslo Airport review by D Bergheim

21 November 2004

To avoid the very expensive prices on the airport express train, take the local train to Oslo, which will cost less than half the price, but takes some more minutes to its destination. These trains run every hour, ask at the NSB ticket counter.

Oslo Airport review by Jisca Sandradewi

7 June 2004

Lost my backpack when I was re-checking in my bag at the transfer counter at the arrival hall (right hand side after coming out from customs). I was the only customer at the counter at that time. A few meters behind me was the busy arrival hall. The backpack was on the trolley next to me. When I removed my single bag to the weighing belt, the backpack was still there. A few seconds later, with my boarding pass at hand, I turned back and the backpack was gone! The counter lady didn't see anything (although she was facing me most of the time) and the people around also had no clue. Wallet, ATM cards, student ID, important keys, camera, etc. were gone! Fortunately, the airport police and the staff at the Lost & Found counter were very polite & helpful. This provided some relief to my stressed hours. Thank you to these people! Learning: I thought I had travelled abroad many times and knew how to take care of my belongings. But a few seconds of letting down my guard did cause me a handful of stress. One cannot be too careful when it comes to the safety of his/her belongings.

Oslo Airport review by J Molin

26 February 2004

The architecture is really nice and the airport is very functional. However it is located too far from the city centre and it is expensive. Oslo Gardemoen airport opened (well opened as the main airport of Oslo) when Fornebu was closed in the late 90's. Fornebu was too small and there were no opportunities to enlarge it, but it was only 8 km from the city centre which was excellent. When winds came from the west one could see the entire city centre on approach to the airport. The new airport is like 45 km north of the city centre. Going there is very pricey, the express train is ridiculously expensive, the bus not much cheaper, and we shouldn't even think about the cost of taking a cab. Otherwise the airport is enjoyable to use,

Oslo Airport review by Charanjeet Singh

12 February 2004

I liked the Gardermoen Olso Airport. Its quite small but it has good technology the is very clean. The check-in staff are also good. Good parking facilities. Its the Second best airport I've been to after Heathrow.

Oslo Airport review by Eric Tam

28 July 2003

I've used the Oslo airport once in 2003. My impression of this airport is that it is really big for a small city like Oslo. I walked a long way for my connection, although both of my flights are within Schengen countries. And that day, the airport is practically almost empty.

Oslo Airport review by R Sherry

20 November 2002

Oslo Airport is very nice to look at but impractical to use, because it is built in one long straight line. Transfers from domestic to international flights all take place near one end. They can involve a very long walk, and it is an irritation that the moving walkways from the transfer area go in one direction only - the wrong one. One trick, if arriving domestically, is to ignore the transfer signs. Instead, go through the baggage claim area and out to the main arrivals area, then upstairs; then go through security (which you would have to do in the transfer area anyway) and on to your international gate. You will probably have saved yourself 10 minutes and a long walk. Other irritants: the ladies' toilets are too small - getting a trolley into them is impossible and getting a wheeled carry-on bag in is difficult enough. There is a lift (elevator) in the transfer area but it is rarely available for use. And it's hard to find a drink of water anywhere.

Oslo Airport review by K Lake

19 November 2002

I have only one negative comment about Oslo airport and that is the total lack of small baggage trolleys for use between the aircraft arrival point and the baggage carousels. The walk from aircraft to baggage collection can be a considerable distance which makes it difficult for passengers with children and elderly passengers carrying hand baggage.

Oslo Airport review by D Wong

31 October 2002

Bright, open architecture, sleek design and proximity to ground transportation (including train to the center of town) and hotels makes this airport one of my favorites. My major beef is in the way transfers are organized. I've had a couple of tight connections, and unless you're a long-distance olympic runner, it is NOT fun to sprint from one end of the terminal where the domestic arrival transfer points are to the other end where international flights depart.

Oslo Airport review by M Subramaniam

28 September 2002

Probably the best airport I have used. Right from the airport layout, the architecture, transport connections (arguably the best airport express), cleanliness, cheerful and friendly staff, this comes ahead of any airport in the world. 

Oslo Airport review by J O'Brien

13 August 2002

OSL is possibily the best airport I have been in. The place is very well organised. One major fault with OSL is the lack of quality restaraunts or cafes. They only appear to sell Hot Dogs or Slices of not very nice pizza. The check ins are very fast - except for those belonging to SAS where you will have to stand in line for a long time. But Oslo does operate a clever self service check in that will tag your bags all the way to your final destination. Connecting flights are a dream at Oslo - pity Heathrow or Gatwick were not like them. Arriving at the airport your can quickly get to the baggage areas from the gate and the train to the city centre is only 2 minuets from the baggage belt.

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