Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station via NSB Train

Oslo is the capital city of Norway and Trondheim is the third populous city in the country. There are several ways to go to Trondheim from Oslo or vice versa. You can travel by air, sea, land, and rail. Among the options, we already tried traveling by car, plane, and train. Most of the time we traveled by plane because it is the fastest way, travel time is less than 1 hour.

After our Oslo Trip, my husband needs to go back to the Philippines while my son and I will stay in my mom’s place in Ørland. As early as 5:45AM, we checked-out at Cochs Pensjonat and off we went to Oslo Central Station. We have 4 pieces of luggage so we took a taxi. Our train schedule is still 8:02AM so we waited for almost two hours for the train. My husband bought his train ticket on the day of our trip, Oslo Central Station to Oslo Lufthavn (Airport)

Oslo Station to Trondheim Station | 08.02 - 14.45 Travel time is 6 h 43 min 1 change Track 16 Region towards Trondheim 

Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station via NSB train 

The train arrived 30 minutes before the departure so off we went to the track. For the very first time, we rode the train from Oslo to Trondheim. A month before our trip, my mom bought our train ticket from Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station. Travel time is almost 7 hours compared to 55 minutes plane ride. 1197NOK for 2 adults and 1 kid. It is cheaper compared to 996NOK that I paid for Trondheim to Oslo via SAS for 1 adult and 1 kid.

Family Carriage

My mom bought a family ticket. There is a separate carriage for that so if you are traveling with kids in tow, it is better to choose a family ticket. There is a space for strollers, big comfort room, play area for kids and FREE entertainment kit. My son received a loot bag, it includes a coloring book, stickers and color pencil.

NSB Cafe

If you travel by train in Norway; food and drink are not a problem because there are vending machines where you can buy snacks and drinks. For long travel, there is the NSB Cafe. You can check the NSB menu online and there is also available menu inside the train so you have an idea on what to order before going to the cafe. The price is not cheap, one rice meal (169NOK) and one bottle of softdrink (42NOK) is already 211NOK or PHP1250+ for one person. Waah! They are using wooden utensils.

Tip: To save money, book your ticket in advance and bring your own food.

Dovre Railway

There is FREE wifi on the train but I’m still worried that I might get bored for our 7 hours train ride. But I was wrong, I enjoyed the scenic journey of Dovre Railway. I always look forward to seeing the different train station, it may be small but it has a unique charm. Hjerkinn Train Station is one of the stops if you will take Oslo to Trondheim train. This is the highest point of Dovre Railway at 1024 meters. The view is stunning and it makes me think that Norway is indeed a beautiful country.

I was happy that we rode the train instead of the plane. The train ride is already a travel experience because I’ve seen the Mjøsa Lake, Gudbrandsdalen valley, Dovrefjell mountain range, Norway’s national parks, mountains, and other breathtaking attractions. As of now, this is my most unforgettable train ride and I hope in the future I could also try the other railways like the Nordland Railway, Bergen Railway, Rauma Railway, Flåmsbana Railway, and Sørlandsbanen.

There are 13 stops from Oslo Central Station to Støren station. At the time of our travel, we need to get off at Støren station and ride a bus to Trondheim Central Station. It is not always like that but I think there was maintenance on the week of our travel so we had no choice. The bus was already waiting at the time of our arrival, you just need to be fast because it is FREE seating so first come first serve.

This was a long day for all us because my husband traveled back to the Philippines and we traveled to Ørland. We rode a taxi, train, bus, ferry boat and car just to reach my mom’s place. We’re on the road, rail, and sea for a total of 11 hours.

Oslo Central Train Station to Trondheim Central Train Station Video 
Read: Traveling Around Norway via NSB Train
Day Trip in Trondheim Norway

Lunch at Vinjefjordskroa Retaurant, Pub and Bryggeri

It was already lunch time when we finished crossing the Atlantic Road so on our way back to Ørland, we were looking for a restaurant. One challenge that I see in Norway is there are limited restaurants especially if you are traveling outside the city. So it is better to bring snacks and drinks so you won’t get hungry.

We experienced this after our trip in Atlantic Road, we could not find a restaurant. We stopped by in one restaurant and it was closed, the only day that they are closed is Saturday and we arrived on Saturday. The next restaurant that we saw was still closed, they will resume on May 17. We were really hungry and eating bread is not enough, naglolokohan na kami na baka sa Melissa na kami kakain. It is a restaurant in Ørland Sentrum.

Unlike in the Philippines that you can see a lot of drive-thru in the expressway. After few hours of driving, we finally saw Vinjefjordskroa Restaurant, Pub, and Bryggeri. Finally, the search is over. Vinjefjorskroa serves food and local beer from Fjord Brewery. They serve middag or dinner at 2PM. You can choose a buffet or a la carte.

The menu was written in the chalkboard and there is no English version of that. I did not bother my mom to translate the menu, I just chose the Fisk og Chips 150NOK and Nuggets and Chips because I can read and understand it. I forgot the exact price of the kid’s meal but it is less than 100NOK.

This restaurant has a nice view but we did not sit outside because it was so cold. I just enjoy the view while waiting for our food. My fish and chips were served on a paper, it is an advantage if I want to take out my food.

When in Europe, expect that Kid’s meal is just like a regular serving in Asia so sometimes I want to order in Kid’s menu too kasi nahihirapan ako ubusin yung adult meal. Hehehe! Food, place and service are good.

Vinjefjordskroa Retaurant, Pub and Bryggeri 
Vinjefjordsveien 229, 7203
Vinje, Sør-Trøndelag

Dinner at Bella Napoli Restaurant in Kristiansund

Two weeks ago we had a quick getaway in Kristiansund, travel time is more or less 5 hours from Ørland to Scandic Kristiansund. Travel time is so long so after check-in, we immediately looked for a restaurant so we can eat dinner.

Kristiansund is a city so there are a lot of restaurants that you can choose from. We’re supposed to eat at Sushi Bar which is a popular restaurant in Kristiansund and other parts of Norway but when we got there, the restaurant is already fully booked. When my mom learned that we need to pay 495NOK per person, nagdalawang isip bigla. I’m not sure if it is a buffet price or not. My son and I don’t eat sushi or sashimi so she doesn’t think na worth it magbayad, if hindi naman namin makain lahat.

So we ended up with Bella Napoli Restaurant, an Italian Restaurant just in front of the Sushi Bar. The restaurant is not that big, I think it can only accommodate more or less 30 persons. There are tables for one person, couples, family and a big group.

Upon seated, we checked the menu on the table and I’m happy that there is an English version of their menu and they have a menu for kids too. The restaurant offers pasta, pizza, kebab, salad, and dessert. We ordered Pepper Beef 249NOk, Napoli Special 249 NOK, Kid’s Pizza 90NOK, Softdrinks 39NOK.

My Pepper Beef includes salad and fries, as usual I did not eat the salad. My son enjoyed his pizza but it is too big for kids, kung alam ko lang malaki yung kid’s pizza dapat nagshare na lang kami. Kaso hindi uso sharing at take-out ng food dito. Sayang! I don’t have a photo of the Napoli but my mom loved it too.

Food and service are good so if you are looking for a restaurant in Kristiansund, you can visit this place. It is walking distance from Scandic Kristiansund.

Bella Napoli Opening Hours 
Monday to Thursday - 13:00 - 22:00
Friday to Saturday - 12:00 - 00:00
Sunday - 13:00 - 22:00

Fishing Adventure in Trøndelag Norway

Fishing is one thing that we always look forward to every time we visit Norway. We’ve been praying and hoping for nice weather so we can experience it again before we go back to the Philippines. Fishing in Norway is just a normal thing, you can fish all year round but the best time to fish is from March to October. But it doesn’t mean that you can catch fish every day because you have to consider the weather.

I mentioned before that since April 30, it’s been snowing, and raining and if the sun is out, it is still not good for fishing because it is windy. After three weeks of waiting we finally had our chance, thank God for giving us good weather. So after my mom’s work, we prepared for our fishing adventure.

I remember two years ago, it was so cold and we were wearing overall dress, scarf, bonnet, and gloves. But now, the weather is fine, it is neither cold nor hot so my son and I enjoy fishing. We started sailing at 5PM in Trondheim Fjord which is part of Trøndelag. Trøndelag is situated in the middle part of Norway and it is popular for fishing because they have a lot of lakes, streams, and rivers. You can do both saltwater and freshwater fishing.

Read: Fishing Adventures in Norway 
Watch the video here

After a few minutes of sailing, we stopped and started fishing. I was surprised when my fishing rod became heavy. Yey, I caught my first fish but unfortunately, we let it go because it is still small. But I guess, it was our lucky day because in just one hour my son and I caught 13 fish. I caught 7 Haddock fish and my son caught 6 fish.

My son was happy because he caught the two big fish which are Cod and Pollock. Two years ago, he was so sad because he did not catch any fish but now he is so proud of all the fish that he caught. We caught Haddock, Cod, and Pollock fishes and we’re going to eat the codfish later.

Haddock - It is a bottom-feeder fish that is commonly found in the North Atlantic Ocean or Northern Europe. It is usually found at 40-300 meters deep. It has a large black spot under the pectoral fin. We caught 12 Haddock fish.

Norwegian Pollock - This fish is common on the Trøndelag coast and it can weigh up to 10 kilos. My son caught around 5-6 kgs of Pollack fish. It is so big and heavy na nahirapan kami iangat.

Cod - Atlantic cod is the most common saltwater fish that lives in colder water and deeper sea so it is not surprising that we always catch this fish every fishing experience. It is popular as a food, you can grill, bake or fry this fish.

We stopped fishing after an hour because it is time for dinner. Seagulls are very happy, they are eating the internal organs of the fish. We left the seaport at 7PM after cleaning the fish, boat, and other fishing stuff.

Watch the video here.

17th of May Celebration in Norway 2019

Spring Season in Norway is unpredictable so now I understand why they really go out if the sun is out. Last April, the temperature already hit 20C but starting April 30, the weather is not good. It’s been two weeks of snow, rain and cloudy weather. And because of that, we’re lazy to go out because it is so cold. So I was really happy that we had good weather last Friday.

It was the 17th of May here in Norway and it is a big event for Norwegians, so rain or shine they really celebrate their National Day. This is my third time celebrating the 17th of May in Norway and fortunately, it is always good weather. We were watching the National Day celebration on TV and it is nice to see how they celebrate the 17th of May in and out of Norway. I already blogged about that two years ago, you can check it here.

This year, we watched the Children's Parade at the Sentrum. There are children's parades everywhere and the largest is in Oslo, 60,000 people will parade. The parade in Ørland lasted for 15 minutes only.

My mom prepared turkey, salad and pavlova for our middag (dinner). When we visited my aunt last Easter Monday, they prepared a turkey and it was so big that I can’t even finish the turkey wings. But last Friday, my mom cooked turkey fillet. So nakakabili naman pala ng hindi buong turkey, parang 1/4 lang ito and kasing laki ng 1 whole chicken. But still, we were not able to finish it kahit 4 na kami kumain.

Of course, the meal won’t be complete without Pavlova. It is a combination of meringue, vanilla cream, and fresh fruits. You need to bake the meringue in advance kasi hindi pwedeng mainit pag nilagay ang cream kasi magmelt. I love this cake, simple but yummy.

Read: Pavlova for 17th of May
Pavlova video 

Bruholmen

After dinner, we just rest for a while, and off we went to Bruholmen. We are taking advantage of the good weather at minsan lang yan. It is one of the recreation areas here in Ørland Norway and a few minute's walk from my mom’s place. This is also the view of our window room. It is so near so it is impossible not to visit every vacation namin sa Norway. I already blogged about this place, here and here. You can also read the different places that you can visit in Ørland Kommune for free.

Read: 12 Places to Visit in Ørland Norway for Free

Day 1 in Copenhagen Denmark

I prepared an itinerary for our Copenhagen Trip because I want to maximize our 4 Days in Denmark but we did not follow it. Everything changed by the time we arrived in Copenhagen Denmark. In my mind, everything will be easy since we already have a guide to follow but I was wrong. We don’t have an internet connection so we’re kinda lost.

We had a slight problem when we arrived at Copenhagen DFDS Terminal because we don’t know how to go to the train station. There are taxis, buses, and DFDS Shuttle buses outside the terminal but we can’t find the way to the train station. We tried asking but they are also tourists so they also have no idea. 

Read: Cruise to Copenhagen: DFDS Crown Seaways Experience 

After several minutes, we finally reach Nordhavn St, it was a long walk from the DFDS Terminal, about 700 meters away. We went inside the 7-11 to buy Copenhagen Card but they are out of stock so we have no choice but to buy a single-entry train ticket. 24DKK for adults and 12DKK for children. You can just enter the train station without tapping anything because we only have a paper ticket. 

We got off at Copenhagen Central Station (København H) after 3 train stops. We bought 72 hours Copenhagen Pass at 7-11, 739DKK for adults, and 369DKK for kids. Going to Urban House Copenhagen by Meininger is not a problem because they provided a map on the website, it is just 200 meters away from the train station so you won't be lost. 

Check-in time is still 3PM so we just took a rest at their lounge. We’re contemplating if we will wait for 3PM or we will store our luggage at Storage Locker (5DKK per hour per luggage). Pero sayang ang oras so we went to Coin Exchange Vending Machine so we can use the locker. 

Read: Urban House Copenhagen by Meininger Review  

We had lunch first at Poonchai Thai Restaurant, which is a few meters away from the hostel. While waiting for our food, we checked the nearest tourist spots that we can visit because we only have a few hours left before the 4PM closing time of the tourist spots. That is one thing that I dislike in Scandinavian countries, late sila magbukas and ang aga din magsara. 

Read: Food Trip in Copenhagen Denmark 

Day 1 in Copenhagen Denmark 

So we did not follow my Day 1 itinerary and we just went to City Hall Tower, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and H.C. Andersen Fairy Tale House. These attractions are FREE using our Copenhagen Card. We walked from Poonchai Thai to City Hall Tower using the map that we got. 

Copenhagen City Hall Tower 

Copenhagen City Hall Tower was built in 1892-1905 and was designed by Martin Nyrop. The architect got his inspiration from Siena City Hall so the Copenhagen City Hall has a National Romantic Style. The City Hall Tower is one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen Denmark, it is 105.6 meters in height. This is a nice place if you want to see Copenhagen from a bird’s eye view. 

You can visit the City Hall Tower during the opening hours but if you want to climb the tower, check the schedule for the guided tour. Monday to Friday at 11AM and 2PM, Saturday at 12NN. Good thing that we made it on time, buzzer-beater at 2PM scheduled tour. 

I thought that we will just explore the City Hall Tower but I had no idea that we will climb 300 steps just to reach the viewpoint. I’m afraid of heights so it is really a challenge to go up but I have to conquer my fear just to see the view. This City Hall Tower allows you to see the inner Copenhagen City. 

Some of the popular buildings, attractions or church that you can see on top are København Hovedbanegård, Tivoli, Mariakirken, Kristkirken, Sankt Matthæus Kirke, Axelborg, SAS Hotel Royal, Bryghuset, Carlsberg Bryggerierne and many more. 

City Hall Tower 
Rådhuspladsen 1 
1599 København 

Ripley’s Believe It or Not 

This is the only Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Scandinavia so if you want to see the collection of Robert Ripley then visit this place. It is within walking distance of the City Hall Tower. You will see different exhibits, artifacts, and collections about sports, art, music, nature, science, and illusions from all over the world. There are also interactive displays that you can do inside. 

Ripley’s Believe It or Not 
Rådhuspladsen 57 
1550 København V 

H.C. Andersen Fairy Tale House

Hans Christian Andersen is a famous Danish author and he is popular because of his fairy tales. H.C. Andersen Fairy Tale House is just beside Ripley’s so you can visit two attractions in one location. This museum will teach you about the life of H.C. Andersen from childhood to adult life. You will also enjoy his famous fairy tales like Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Little Match Girl. You can choose from three languages, Danish, English, and German. 

H.C. Andersen Fairy Tale House 
Rådhuspladsen 57 
1550 København V 

After visiting the 3 attractions, we went back to Urban House to get our luggage and room check-in. Our initial plan is, will just transfer our luggage and visit Tivoli Garden but when we arrived in our room, the bed is calling us. We decided to call it a day, we had early dinner and sleep. Day 2 will be a long day for us.

Read: Day 2 in Copenhagen
Day 3 in Copenhagen
Day 4 in Copenhagen