Month: March 2019

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Norway

Norway

BUDGET

Stay in an AirBnB

As Norway is quite pricey in general, one needs to use every opportunity there is to save money. Staying with a local is one of them and we found some excellent deals on AirBnB for our stay.

Buy your groceries and cook

You can expect €20-30 for a main dish in a restaurant or around €10 for street food. So if your accommodation has a kitchen you can use – go for it. You might end up saving some.

Kiwi

This is a budget supermarket chain. Look for their own-brand products with the "First Price" label a well as special discounts close to the closing time for groceries that have to be sold on the same day. Bear in mind that you might not find everything you need this way, though, like bread. A bucket of potato salad saved the day for us one evening. 😀

Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages

Alcoholic drinks - even beer and wine - are ridiculously expensive. Most of them can't be bought in regular grocery stores either. Our advice - just stay away from alcohol while in Norway and drink water instead.

DIY Norway in a Nutshell tour

This is a great tour but also a quite expensive one. However, you can save some if you decide to do the planning by yourself. Just don't miss the train back to Oslo as we did!

Buy train tickets well in advance

To give you a concrete example, the train tickets from Voss to Oslo that we bought in advance cost us 300 and 400 NOK per person. The ones we had to buy at the station (because we unfortunately missed our train) cost us 700 NOK per person.

INDULGENT

Explore Oslo

Either on foot or using the efficient public transportation network, take some time to get to know the Norwegian capital. I wouldn’t miss the Frogner Park and the Akershus Fortress. You might also stumble upon a fierce lion as you walk around the train station.

Photoshooting on Oslo's Opera

Yes, it’s possible to climb on the roof of the Opera. Go there at sunset to get some fancy photos.

Find out more about Vikings

A visit to the Viking Ship Museum is an excellent choice if you fancy launching yourself back in time and come face to face with genuine Viking ships and other treasures.

Cruise through some fjords

It’s difficult to imagine a visit to Norway that doesn’t involve a fjord or two. Head to the west coast in order to enjoy a hike or a boat ride between steep cliffs.

Norway in a Nutshell tour

The name says it all. You’ll experience bits and pieces of this majestic country – all packed in a few days. You can hop on the train in Oslo or Bergen and enjoy all kinds of marvels along the way.

Cod and Salmon in Flåm

How about lunch with a view on a beautiful fjord? We had some extra time in Flåm before catching a boat to the next stop on the route so we nibbled on some salmon and cod not far from the port and definitely recommend it. Don’t forget you’re paying for the view as well, though!

Camp in Gudvangen's cute huts

Definitely stay in Gudvangen for a night. There is a charming camp dotted with red huts scattered at the foot of rugged mountainous scenery.

Eat berries along the path of a fjord

Use the morning in Gudvangen to explore the town and the fjord on foot. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to stumble upon sweet berries on your way.

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Ireland

Ireland

BUDGET

Hire a bike

Soak up the scenery on two wheels. We chose this option for the Gap of Dunloe. We tweaked the route a bit and saved both on money and time.

Stay in a hostel

Accommodation can be quite expensive in Ireland. We opted for hostels which proved to be the most budget-friendly option at the time we were there.

Buy your groceries and cook

Some of the hostels have a kitchen that travellers can use. I regret not exploiting this opportunity more often during our stay because groceries in Ireland are very affordable. You can buy oven-ready meals in a supermarket and finish them in your hostel.

Use Groupon

We found some great deals on the Irish Groupon page. Using their coupons we saved 50% on our Kinnity castle stay and had a tasty lunch in Dublin.

Hitchhike

If you are willing to sacrifice a bit more time in order to save money or if you cannot rely on public transport, maybe you should try hitchhiking. Ireland is an excellent place if it's your first time - after a day of driving around with locals, we got a deeper perspective on the country and its people.

Take a free walking tour of Dublin

We like to do these kinds of tours on the first or second day of our stay to get a basic idea of what the place has to offer and to find our way around more easily.

See the cliffs - on Howth

You don't have to travel all the way to the west coast if you are staying in Dublin and want to see some cliffs. Feast your eyes by taking a short train ride to Howth peninsula and hike around it.

INDULGENT

Explore nature

One of the first things that come to my mind when I think about Ireland is its breathtaking scenery. We planned our stay around visits to several beautiful places: Gap of Dunloe, Killarney NP, Dingle Peninsula and Howth.

Spend a night in a castle

A week in a country dotted with castles cannot be imagined without seeing a few of them. How about staying in one of them for a night? We definitely recommend it!

Indulge in the food

Don't leave Ireland without ordering at least one portion of fish and chips and one of the beef steak. Fresh cod and high-quality beef result in yummy dishes.

Visit cute small towns

Catch the vibe of colourful little towns scattered around the island. Dingle, Killarney, Birr and Howth are all worth checking out.

Taste Jameson

Generally speaking, whiskey is not our thing. But we did like Jameson! For an informative guided tasting experience head to the old Jameson Distillery. You will leave cheerful, I guarantee.

Get lost in the streets of Dublin

Explore Dublin in and out and discover its secrets - be it about the famous buildings or monuments, a tour around Dublin will be both funny and educational.

Drink beer while listening to live Irish music

Follow the tunes of fiddles into a pub full of smiling faces, cheerful music and positive atmosphere. In Dublin, we chanced upon The Celt and had a great time there.

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