Top Tips for Arrival in Bergen

By Charlotte Hussey, University of Bergen, Norway

Travelling to a new city, in a new country will always be hectic, moving there even more so – meeting new people, experiencing the different culture, learning the language and more! It is fun and exciting, but can also be tiring and there may be things you wish you knew before arriving. Here I will talk about my top tips to make moving and settling into Bergen and Norway easier.

1. Weather

Bergen is a rainy city – the rainiest in Europe in fact! Although I knew this before arriving, I thought I would be prepared considering how rainy the UK is. I was not, in fact, prepared! That is to say, make sure you bring a good raincoat, and be prepared to drop everything to go outside the minute the sun shines. I recommend the ‘YR’ app, which tends to have more accurate predictions than the standard weather app.

The rain is not all bad – I have never seen as many rainbows as I do in Bergen!

2. Packing

These are things I think are essential for Bergen, including things I had to get my Mum to post to me!

• Good raincoat (repeating for extra emphasis)
• Some kind of waterproof shoes – suede will likely get ruined!
• Surprisingly, clothes for warm weather – Norway is not always freezing contrary to popular belief!
• Also perhaps surprisingly, swimwear – even in the cold water it is common to go for a dip
• Umbrella
• Any medication you need – things like paracetamol and Ibuprofen are much cheaper in the UK
• Hiking shoes – even if you are not ‘outdoorsy’, you will almost certainly go on a hike at some point
  • This goes along with other hiking gear, e.g. walking or waterproof trousers

3. Transport

Transport in Bergen is fairly simple. You can buy passes for different zones and periods of times. There are two main apps to be aware of: Skyss Reise (timetables and routes) and Skyss Billett (to buy the tickets). The passes give you access to trains, trams, busses and even some boats! Top tip – if you’re under 21, the Youth pass is better to buy than the student pass as it allows you to travel further on the pass. The trams, i.e. the main public transport mode, run from early morning to late at night, and later on Friday and Saturdays.

Although there are Ubers here, I wouldn’t recommend taking them – they are very expensive! Other options include public transport, walking (although expect many hills), or even the electric scooters dotted all around the city.

4. Shopping

Norway is very expensive! It helps then to know where the best places to shop are. There are several options for supermarkets in Bergen, ranging from the more expensive ‘Meny’, which offers many similar products to those sold in the UK, to the cheaper ‘Rema1000’ and ‘Kiwi’. Some tips:

• Look out for the ‘First Price’ products – much cheaper than any alternatives
• If shopping for toiletries, the shop ‘Normal’ is your best bet for choice and price
• Be aware of the ‘PANT’ system – keep your plastic bottles and cans to return to the supermarkets in exchange for a bit of money back to spend in the shop
• Shops are shut on Sundays. There are a few that remain open but they tend to be more expensive, and only provide the basic necessities
• If buying alcohol, keep in mind that there are strict alcohol laws in Norway, with supermarkets only stocking up to 4.7% alcohol – anything stronger is sold from ‘Vinmonopolet’. Alcohol is also not sold in shops after certain times – it can be easy to be caught out!
• I recommend getting a Monzo, Revolut, or Sterling card – so you don’t have to pay extra fees for the exchange rate
• Parcel delivery is different; shipping takes much longer in Norway than in the UK and parcels will most likely be delivered to your nearest supermarket to be picked up rather than the reception of your accommodation