Michi Photostory

Norwegian Forest Museum is another tourist spot in Elverum Norway, it is 20 minutes walk from Glomdal Museum via the Suspension Hanging bridge. It is best to avail the joint ticket so you can visit two museums in one day. This museum is also one of the largest museums in Norway and every year, they receive more than 100,000 visitors. 

Seven months had passed since the last time I posted about our Scandinavian trip. My Facebook memories reminded me that it’s been two years already since our trip and we’re supposed to go back to Norway this year but we can’t because of the travel ban.  

We’re back in Norway last month and we stayed in my sister’s house in Elverum for the first few days. Oslo Norway is more or less two hours away from Elverum via car, bus or train. My sister was supposed to pick us up but there was an emergency so she could not make it. My mom informed me that she will just meet us at Elverum Station.


This was the first time that we are going to travel in Norway without my mom so I was a little bit worried because

1. We don’t know where is the train station.
2. We are not sure if the Ticket Counter is already open by the time that we arrived.
3. We are not sure if we can make it on time, 8:59AM is the first trip and the next one is 14:59.
4. We don’t know if our credit card or debit card will work in Europe.


Fast forward to our trip, after getting our luggage, we immediately look for the train station. I was thankful that we did not have a hard time looking for the train station. We just followed the sign to Train Station. We did not see any ticket counter so we bought our ticket at Automated Ticket Machine. There is English translation so just follow the steps.


Our dilemma began when the machine was rejecting our credit card, we tried it twice but payment cannot go through. We used our debit card and at last, we were able to purchase our train ticket. 650 NOK for two adults and 1 Kid.

Oslo Lufthavn to Elverum Station via NSB Train (Oslo Airport to Elverum Station) 

It was past 8AM but we just stayed at the train station even we were freezing because we don’t want to miss our train. Travel time is 1 hour and 36 minutes, after 3 stops, we need to transfer train at Hamar Station. There is no assigned seat number so we just sit anywhere, the conductor will check your ticket.


There is a small screen where you can look for your train destination. There is an announcement few minutes before the train stop but don’t expect for English Translation. Good thing I took note the different stops and time just to make sure that we will not get lost. I saw a vending machine inside the train so you can buy drinks or snacks. I'm thankful for free wifi on the train.

08.59 Track 1 R10
Line R10 towards Lillehammer List of stops: 3 stops Duration (51min)
Eidsvoll
Tangen
Stange
Arrival at Hamar Track 1


We got off at Hamar Station and we transferred to Track 2. There is already a train at the Hamar Station but we don’t know if that is our train. Good thing that we saw the conductor so we asked if that train is going to Elverum and he said yes. I realized that it is not easy to travel by train in Norway because most of the trains are elevated so we have to lift our luggage just to get in. It is not easy since we have three luggage. We just followed the seat number that was printed on our ticket. The conductor will check your ticket.

Departing from Hamar Track 2
Line Region towards Røros List of stops: 2 stop Duration (24min)
Ilseng
Løten
Arrival Elverum at 10.35


Finally, we arrived at Elverum after two stops. We were waiting for the door to open, then one passenger pointed us the button that we need to press. Keep in mind that there are trains that you need to press the button to open the door. lol


Read: Day Trip in Elverum 
Oslo Airport to Elverum Train Station Video

Most of the time we choose to travel by plane to visit other towns, cities, or countries. It is the fastest way to travel from point A to point B. But if you are going to visit Europe, sometimes it is better to travel by train because it is more than just transportation. It is a journey through mountains, forests, fields, wilderness, lakes, coastal, fjords, and other beautiful gems along the railway.


During our Scandinavian trip, we travel by train to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Among our train rides, my favorite is Norges Statsbaner or Norwegian State Railways. NSB is the National Railway Company that offers train services in Norway. As of April 24, 2019, it is now called Vy after they united NSB and Nettbus.

Buying Tickets 

Traveling around Norway is expensive whether you choose bus, boat, train or airplane. With regard to train tickets, the best thing that you can do is to book in advance so you can get a cheaper fare. You can buy a ticket 90 days prior to your trip.


You can buy the ticket on their website, NSB.no now Vy.no. They have a mobile app too for Android or IOS, download Vy app (formerly NSB app). There are Automated Ticket Machines and Customer Service Counter at the train station too. Among the options, we tried buying a ticket using their website and Automated Ticket Machine.

The price varies depending on the date and season that you are going to travel. There are discounts for Senior Citizen, Person with Disability, Children, Students, and Military Members.

Passengers Seats 

About the seats, it depends on the ticket that you will buy, first class or second class. It also depends on the train that you will ride and how short or long your travel time is. We only purchased a second-class ticket and legroom space is good.


Some are FREE seating so you can choose whatever seats you like, it is on a first-come-first-serve basis. Some have assigned seats, you can check your seat number printed on your train ticket. Sometimes you need to pay extra so you can choose your preferred seat. Family-friendly carriages are available in some destinations such as Oslo to Trondheim, Oslo to Stavanger, Oslo to Bergen, and Trondheim to Bodø.

Foods and Drinks 


Food and drinks are not a problem if you travel by train in Norway because there is a vending machine or cafe. You can check the Cafe Menu online and pre-order your food. There is a printed menu on the train which is similar to the menu online. We just bought our food on the day of our travel. If you want to save money, you can bring your own food and drinks except for alcoholic drinks.

Traveling Around Norway via NSB Train 

Sharing our train experience via NSB train.

Trondheim Central Station to Røros Station 

Two years ago, we went to Røros, Norway and we rode the train from Trondheim Central Station to Røros Station. Røros Railway was built in stages from 1862 to 1877 and it is Norway’s oldest trunk line.


It was my first train ride in Europe and I enjoyed the Norwegian wilderness journey to the mining town. I did not mind the two hours and thirty minutes of travel time with 18 Train Station Stops.

Read: Trip to Røros Norway 
Trondheim Central Station to Røros Train Station Video 
Weekend Getaway at Røros Norway Post and Video 

Oslo Lufthavn to Elverum Train Station (Oslo Airport to Elverum Train Station) 


Elverum is just two hours away from Oslo, you can travel by car, bus, or train. If you land in Oslo Airport Gardermoen, riding a train is the easiest way to reach Elverum because there is already a train station just outside the arrival area. You can buy your ticket at the Automated Ticket Machine or Customer Service Counter. Travel time is 1 hour and 33 minutes with one transfer at Hamar Station.

Read: Day Trip in Elverum
Oslo Airport to Elverum Station via NSB Train
Oslo Airport to Elverum Train Station Video

Oslo S to Oslo Lufthavn (Oslo Central Station to Oslo Airport) 


After our Oslo trip, my husband needs to go back to the Philippines so we separate our ways. He took the train from Oslo Central Station to Oslo Airport. You can take a bus, Flytoget Airport Express train, or NSB train. My husband chose the latter because it is cheaper. He bought the ticket at the Automated Ticket Machine using his debit card. 105 NOK for one person. Travel time is 23 minutes with one stop at Lilistrøm Station.

Read: Glimpse of Oslo Airport

Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station 

Whenever we go to Norway, we always book a Manila to Trondheim flight but this year, we only booked up to Oslo, Norway because we planned to have a side trip in Denmark and Sweden. It is cheaper to ride the train and boat than to fly to Copenhagen and Stockholm.

Read: Trip to Norway

I thought that I would be bored during our 7 hours train ride but I was wrong because I enjoyed every minute of our train ride. I have no idea that Dovre Railway is one of those scenic railways in Norway. You will enjoy the different landscapes and waterscapes along the tracks of Oslo to Trondheim.


Dovre Line passes Mjosa Lake which is Norway’s largest lake, the town of Lillehammer where the 1994 Olympic Winter Games were held, Gudbrandsdalslaagen River which is one of the largest rivers in Norway and Gudbrandsdal Valley and we also reached the highest point at Hjerkinn Train Station.


Read: Day Trip in Trondheim Norway
Oslo Central Train Station to Trondheim Central Train Station via NSB train
Oslo Central Train Station to Trondheim Central Tran Station Video

My sister lives in Elverum which is 2 hours away from Oslo, the capital of Norway. So when we planned to revisit Norway, I did not book Manila to Trondheim anymore because we could stay in my sister's house before we started our Copenhagen - Stockholm - Oslo Trip. Elverum is a city and municipality in Hedmark County. It is named after the old Norse “Alfarheimr” which means river and farm. The population is less than 15,000.

I don’t have any itinerary for Elverum Trip because, in my mind, we are there to visit and to recover from jetlag. But since we were already there, my mom decided to visit some tourist spots. If ever you are planning to visit Elverum, you can visit the Norwegian Forest Museum, Glomdal Museum, Elverum Church, Elverum Park, and Glomma River.


Among the list, we were able to visit 3 tourist spots. Anyway, we started our tour after breakfast. We left the house at 9:30AM and we just walked all the way to the Glomma River, more or less 20 minutes walk.

Glomma River 

Glomma River is the longest river in Norway. The total length is 621 kilometers from Aursund to Oslofjord. It used to be the log-floating river but now they already transport those logs through trucks. The river is really long, and we saw four bridges during our walking tour. I even saw some love locks in one of the bridges. There is also a bridge that connects the Glomdal Museum and the Norwegian Forest Museum. Some parts of the river are still frozen.

Glomdal Museum 



From Glomma River, we went straight to Glomdal Museum. If you want to save money, avail the joint ticket for Glomdal Museum and Forest Museum which we did. Glomdal Museum is one of the largest open-air museums in Norway. I think this is our first open-air museum, most of the time kasi nasa isang building lang yung museum na napupuntahan namin. But this museum is so huge where they display different buildings and living traditions in Østerladen and Solør. You can see the different houses, cottage, farmhouse, or establishments that was used in the past four centuries.

Several years ago, I dreamed of going back to Norway with my family and my dream became a reality two years ago. I never thought that my son would love and enjoy Norway. So I was really surprised when he said: “See you after 2 or 3 years”. What!?! Ganun kabilis? Parang ang mura ng pamasahe? We told him that airfare is expensive so it will take time before we can visit Norway again.

Since then, we have been saving again for our Norway trip. The last quarter of the year was a bit challenging so we’re not sure if we can push our trip, dami kasi expenses related to health. But one thing I realized, “Life is short, we don’t know kung hanggang kelan kami healthy na pwede pa magtravel so let us enjoy the present”

Start of the year 2019, I became busy preparing for our Schengen Visa Application. We need to apply for our visa before my husband leaves for his USA Trip. Good thing that we got our Schengen visa after a few days of application and we bought our plane ticket at Philippine Travel Tour Expo before my husband’s flight.

We wanted to save money for our airfare so we booked Clark to Oslo to Clark ticket. Yes, even we add the gasoline, toll fees, and kahit pa yung effort. Mas malaki tipid if we will fly in Clark Airport, in addition, mas mura Park N Fly fee sa Clark.

Read: 9 Ways to Score Cheap Airline Ticket 

Fast forward to our trip, we left past 10AM for our 6:30AM flight. From our house, we traveled more or less 4 hours because of the EDSA traffic. By the time we arrived, Qatar Airways counter was already open for check-in. We filled out a form + departure card while waiting for our turn then off we went to our Boarding Gate.


Terminal Fee 

I was surprised when we needed to pay for the Terminal Fee, I had no idea na hindi pa siya included sa airfare, nasanay ko sa NAIA. Travel Tax lang pala yung kasama sa ticket. So at Clark International Airport, you need to pay the terminal fee whether domestic or international flight at the airport.

Terminal Fee P600 x 3
Total PHP1800

Clark International Airport Boarding Gate


I thought they had no airport lounges at the CIA but we saw two airport lounges at the boarding gate. A few months ago, we did not see any airport lounge when we went to Batanes, baka sa Domestic Flight ng Clark, walang lounge. Anyway, we just stayed in the boarding area since we did not bring a credit card (with airport lounge access). Staying at the boarding gate is not a problem because it is not crowded so we have enough space. There are food stalls and souvenir shops where you can buy your last-minute pasalubong.

Qatar Airways 


We’re happy that the flight was on time because I was worried that we might miss our connecting flight if there were flight delays. This was our first time flying with Qatar Airways and so far we have no regrets.

Read: Qatar Airways Flight Experience

Clark for Doha 10 hrs and 5 min 
Layover 1h and 55 min 
Doha to Oslo 6h and 45 min 

Oslo Airport 

After 19 hours of traveling from Clark Airport, we finally reached Oslo Airport. This was my third visit to Norway, but this was also the first time that the Immigration Officer asked for my invitation letter and return ticket. So ang dami check ng documents and type-type sa computer niya. It was past 7:30AM and I was worried because we needed to catch our 8:59AM train. I felt relieved when the IO already stamped our passport.

Oslo Airport Train Station 

Then we went straight to the Baggage Claim Area to get our luggage and off we went to Oslo Airport Train Station. Oslo Airport is always my layover whenever we visit my mom but this was the first time na nakalabas talaga ko ng airport. This time no more connecting flights to Trondheim because we’re going to stay in Elverum.

My sister was supposed to fetch us at the airport but because of an unexpected event, she could not make it so our adventure began. We can buy a train ticket online, a train ticket counter, and a ticket machine. But we did not pre-book our train ticket because we were not sure if we could make it on time. The ticket counter was still closed by the time we arrived at the airport so our only option was the ticket machine.


We tried buying the ticket using the machine but our credit card failed us. Nagcacancel and decline yung transactions. I was so disappointed because my husband already informed the credit card company that we would be using the card abroad pero hindi gumana. Thank God that our ATM card worked. Finally, we were able to buy our train ticket. Total is 650NOK for 2 adults and 1 kid.


Then we went to the train station which is just outside the airport so we did not have a problem looking for it. I was thankful na nabutan namin yung first trip because the next trip is 3PM pa. The bus is another option but my mom told me na baka mahirapan pa kami makita yung bababaan. We’re freezing while waiting for our train ride and we can’t go inside the airport para magpainit kasi nga first-time namin and we don’t want to miss our train. We patiently waited at the train station kahit malamig. Our body is still adjusting sa lamig ng Norway, summer sa Pilipinas pero may snow pa sa Norway.

Good thing that I already took note of the details because we don’t have internet access at the train station and there is no English translation too so we need to check each stop at baka mamali kami ng babaan. We need to change train din kasi so medyo nakakaba.

Oslo Airport Station to Elverum Station via NSB 

08.59 to 10:35  Travel time is 1 h 36 min 1 change Track 1 R10 
Line R10 towards Lillehammer List of stops: 3 stops Duration (51min) 
Eidsvoll 09.09
Tangen 09.29
Stange 09.39
Arrival at Hamar 09.50 Track 1 
Walk to Hamar Station (4min): Transfer time 18min 
Departing from Hamar at 10.11 Track 2
Line Region towards Røros List of stops: 2 stop Duration (24min) 
Ilseng 10.16 Embarking and disembarking on signal only
Løten 10.23 Embarking and disembarking on signal only
Arrival Elverum at 10.35 Track 4: You have reached your destination 

There was already FREE wifi on the train so I was able to inform my mom that we made it on the first trip. Hindi naman kami nabored sa train ride because of the beautiful view.


My mom went to Elverum Train Station to fetch us. Yey, after 30 hours of traveling, we finally reach Elverum and we’re thankful for safe and smooth travel.

Read: Oslo Airport to Elverum Station via NSB Train
Oslo Airport to Elverum Station Video


From the train station, we just walked to reach my sister’s house. This is it! Our summer vacation begins.