Francesco Negri had been travelling for three years when he arrived at North Cape in 1664. You can make the journey in just three hours from most places in Europe.
Most people traveling to Northern Norway come by air, and most of them via Oslo Gardermoen (OSL), Trondheim Vernes (TRD) and Bergen Flesland (BGO).
Are there any direct international flights to Northern Norway?
Oh yes, especially in the wintertime. A number of flag carriers as well as low cost airlines flies to Northern Norway from international destinations. The bonus is quicker flights and often good prices and lower climate emissions. Click on the images for an overview, updated lists and more information (PS. You get the best deal directly on the websites of the Airline companies):
Flying through Oslo is the normal option
Norway’s premier airport Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) has a wide range of international connections, both low cost airlines and the flag carriers.
Flying through Bergen is excellent from some destinations
From Norway’s second city Bergen, Flesland (BGO), Widerøe flies from a number of Northern European cities. The airline Widerøe flies directly from Bergen to Trondheim, Bodø and Tromsø. This is a quick and easy connection, with the added bonus of combining Fjord Northern and Northern Norway.
Flying through Trondheim is perfect when going to the Arctic Circle destinations
If your are heading for destinations around the Arctic Circle, like the Helgeland and Salten regions, it is a good option to fly to Trondheim Vernes (TRD). From there you can fly to Brønnøysund (BNN), Sandnessjøen (SSJ), Mosjøen (MJF), Mo i Rana (MQN) and Bodø (BOO).
SAS flies in from the whole planet
SAS flies direct from Oslo Airport Gardermoen (OSL) to Bodø (BOO), Harstad/Narvik (EVE), Bardufoss (BDU), Tromsø (TOS), Alta (ALF), Kirkenes (KKN) and Longyearbyen (LYR) on Svalbard, the latter both directly and through Tromsø. Parts of the year, there are also direct flights from Stockholm (STO) to Tromsø. Through tickets are available from all over the world via the Star Alliance.
Norwegian is the low-cost alternative
The low-cost airline Norwegian flies from Oslo Airport Gardermoen (OSL) to Bodø (BOO), Harstad/Narvik (EVE), Bardufoss (BDU), Tromsø (TOS), Alta (ALF) and Kirkenes (KKN). From London Gatwick (LGW) there are flights to Tromsø. In the summer, there are also direct flights from Oslo to Andenes (ANX), Lakselv (LKL) and Longyearbyen/Svalbard (LYR). The airline also offers through tickets from a number of European cities.
Widerøe flies around the north
Widerøe flies from Trondheim (TRD) to Brønnøysund (BNN), Sandnessjøen (SSJ), Mosjøen (MJF) and Mo i Rana (MQN) They also fly directly from Oslo (OSL) to Brønnøysund (BNN). Widerøe also flies abroad, to various destinations in Northern Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Let’s face it: At the moment there are very few alternatives to flying to Northern Norway. There is one alternative to flying that is considerable less damaging to the climate, the train. Train travel to Bodø and Narvik can be an excellent choice for some.
If you are travelling to Northern Norway from abroad you will almost always have to change plane in Oslo. However, there are some 250 flights a week from Oslo to Northern Norway, and some 100 international airports have direct flights to Oslo. This should ensure a seamless and quick connection to Northern Norway.
Booking a ticket early is always a good idea. Avoid national holidays and school holidays (see below), and travel when the business people don’t travel (see below).
– Christmas (the beginning and end of the Christmas week)
– Easter (Palm sunday week-end and Easter Sunday/Monday)
– Long week-ends in May/Early June: May Day, the 17th of May, Ascension Day and Whitsun/Pentecost
– The start and end of the Summer school holiday (late June/Mid August)
– Friday afternoon and Sunday evening
Business travellers, paying expensive tickets, are a priority for the airlines. They primarily take the first flight in the morning, and return after 4pm in the afternoon. If you can fly mid day or late in the evening, you can often get better deals. This is less true in late June to early August, when business travellers don’t go. Then the early morning flights can be the cheapest.
No! Airlines start up and close down flights all the time, much quicker than we can keep up with! To see which airline flies to which airport, go to the company running all the airports, Avinor and use the “Choose airport” button. Our information is a mere guideline.
Beware of the little writing
Nothing changes as quickly as aviation. New flights open and old ones close down. We can never guarantee that this information is 100% correct at any given point. The most updated source of information is the website of Avinor, the company running all the airports in Northern Norway.