blog > Brussels to Oslo by train/ferry/bus
I've been to Norway many times by now, and always by plane. But for this year's trip, I wanted to try doing it not by plane. Mostly for ecological reasons, as I've heard that planes are bad for the environment.
The reason it took 2 days is because a) there was construction work on the DB rail network so Brussels-Köln took around 3h instead of 1h50m, b) the first trains (on Thursday) didn't leave that early to have enough ease of mind that I will catch all connections and arrive on time at the ferry, c) I postponed too much so the first trains of the day (Thursday) were fully booked already.
Dep. | Arr. | By | From | To | Km[1] | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12:31 | 13:29 | Train (NMBS) | Brugge | Bruxelles-Midi | 90Km | €16 |
14:25 | 17:13[2] | Train (ICE 17) | Bruxelles Midi | Köln-Ehrenfeld[3] | 180Km | €79.70 |
17:24 | 17:30 | Train (S 12) | Köln-Ehrenfeld | Köln Hbf | ||
(one night in Köln) | ||||||
8:21 | 10:22 | Train (RE 7) | Köln Hbf | Münster(Westf) Hbf | 125Km | €59.70 |
11:05 | 13:26 (13:54) | Train (WBF RE15) | Münster(Westf) Hbf | Emden Außenhafen | 160Km | |
17:00[4] | 10:45 | Ferry (HNL) | Emden | Kristiansand | 540Km | €190 |
12:00 | 16:05 | Bus (NOR-WAY) | Kristiansand | Oslo | 250Km | €42.63[5] |
Departure Tue 18th July 2023, arrival Wed 19th July 2023.
Dep. | Arr. | By | From | To | Km[1] | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 | 18:05 | Bus (NOR-WAY) | Oslo | Kristiansand | 250Km | €42.63[2] |
(I spent two nights in Kristiansand) | ||||||
17:00 | 10:15 | Ferry (HNL) | Kristiansand | Emden | 540Km | €190 |
(4km walk to Emden Hbf because there was no timely connection at Emden Außenhafen) | ||||||
12:34 | 16:16 (17:22)[3] | Train (IC 2203) | Emden Hbf | Köln Hbf | 275Km | €61.90 |
17:18 | 20:35 | Train (Thalys 9484) | Köln Hbf | Bruxelles-Midi | 180Km | €0[4] |
19:41 | 22:35 (22:52) | Train (ICE 10) | Köln Hbf | Bruxelles-Midi | 180Km | €135.30[5] |
23:08 | 00:07 | Train (NMBS) | Bruxelles-Midi | Brugge | 90Km | €16 |
I've always taken Scandinavian Airlines when going Brussels-Oslo. Based on those experiences and a quick check, I'd guess the journey would've costed around €110 outwards and €90 return (both including 1 piece of checked-in luggage). Way cheaper than €372 and €429. And it goes directly from Brussels to Oslo, no need for trains or busses. In less than 2 hours (flying time).
The ferry was a really exciting experience though, it was the first time I've been on a boat in open waters.
See visitnorway.com: getting here by ferry . All other ferries are from Denmark/Sweden. I've taken trains to the middle of Denmark before and that's also a long journey, so I was glad to see there was a ferry from Germany (originally The Netherlands), even if that meant I needed additional transport to get to Oslo.
I have no idea. This calculation requires a plethora of factors. I'm just gonna assume that it was.
Bahn boasts that the ICE runs on 100% green electricity. The ferry I took was the M/S Romantika (operated by Holland Norway Lines), which was launched in 2001 (to give you an idea about engine efficiency I guess).