Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Business Badgers Abroad Blog
Hello! In this post I want to talk about one of the first things I noticed when arriving in Oslo – the public transportation. The public transportation system here is phenomenal! The subways (called T-banes) are very clean, fast and efficient and the same can be said for the buses. I have never experienced a better or cleaner system. It is a pretty easy to understand the system, and even if you do get lost, which trust me will happen, a new T-bane will come in 5 minutes to take you where you wanted to be. Most people here use the public transportation system to get around, for it goes all around the city (and even somewhat into the surrounding area I believe.) The half above ground/half underground system runs in a square with many convenient stops all around Oslo. See the map below.
For studying abroad purposes, the best deal is to get the monthly pass. It costs about $60 a month but is 100% worth it and the only way to get around. The T-bane takes you right across the street from the BI (the Nydalen station, on the top of the dark blue loop near Ringen), where all your classes will be, and it takes you to the city center (Jerbantorget, lower right in the loop) – shopping anyone? Or sightseeing? So the convenience factor is great. Also, the available housing is all within a ten minute walk (usually less) from the subway.
However, it is also important to know the other forms of transportation available. The T-bane stops running around 12:30am, which won’t help you out on the weekends when pubs are open until 3 am. Trafikan.no tells you the schedule of all buses, T-banes, and light rails in the city and can help you to plan your route. There are also cabs available, but these should only be used in dire situations, since they will be costly – if possible share a cab with others to greatly lower the cost. Oslo is a city that feels small, but in reality is huge. Walking will get you around downtown, but will not help you get to school or to downtown even. Public transportation is a must and the best, fastest and cheapest way to get around.