Solo in Oslo: My thoughts and hotel recommendation

Last month I went on my first proper solo trip to Oslo, Norway. I can’t say that it was at the top of my list of places to visit; however, when I found flights for £5 each way over bank holiday, there was no way that I could let that opportunity fly by (no pun intended).

First thoughts

The first thing I noticed once arriving in Oslo (might I add in here that I was desperately hungry) was a burger for 360kr – £32 (accurate at the time of writing with an exchange rate of £1 : 11.03kr)

I mean, yeah I had heard that Oslo was extremely expensive but boy, I was not prepared for that at all. Although, my initial shock soon dissolved once I had left the airport, & came across more affordable prices. Surprisingly, I only spent a total £160 over the 5 days (yes, you guessed it – blog post/cost breakdown soon).

In addition to this, the cleanliness of the city also stood out & not just in terms of a visual standpoint; honestly, there is a noticeable difference in air quality from the moment you step off the plane. So it comes as no surprise to know that the EU have named Oslo as a European green capital, which is basically an award that acknowledges cities for their efforts in achieving high environmental standards.

Hotel: Comfort Xpress Youngstorget

Following the theme of environmentally friendly. The hotel I stayed in; ‘comfort xpress youngstorget‘ was (to my surprise) an eco friendly one, some of their initiatives include:

• Not providing any plastic utensils: e.g Toothbrush holders, cups etc (they provide glass instead)
• Cleaning your room every 4 days (unless requested otherwise)
• Drinkable tap water (I don’t drink tap water, but I’ve understood that this is super important to the majority of travellers! If anyone knows of any sustainable water packaging companies please let me know so I can help save the planet too)
• Recycling bins
• Bikes to hire
• No packaged toiletries (Shower gel is in bulk which reduces packaging)

Price: £290 for 5 nights

Majority of these initiatives are also cost effective, which means that it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to stay there! It’s good to note that the above price of £290 per night would be the same if you were traveling in a pair 🙂

The hotel itself had somewhat of a hostel vibe, or what I would imagine a hostel to be like anyway 😂. Upon entering, you are greeted by a couple of IPad’s that allow you to check yourself in, which in turn are overlooked by the main desk that doubles up as a ‘food checkout’ – situated next to the deli corner.

Deli Area

The rooms themselves were pretty small and basic, however I was upgraded (at no extra price) to a much bigger room once the staff became aware of how many nights I was staying for. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures as I kid you not, every time I stepped into that room I fell asleep.

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  Standard Double room

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  Standard double room

Closing thoughts

This hotel is perfect for solo travellers as there are a number of places to meet new people & socialise. The upstairs lounge is effectively a co-working space, that has quite a number of people visiting each day. Downstairs, the ‘Grandma’s lounge’ has more of a chilled atmosphere; it comes equipped with a laundry area, a communal fridge and table tennis. I didn’t use any of these features, but I did grab a book and read for a couple of hours just to have a change of environment.

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  Grandma’s lounge

• 

  Grandma’s lounge

My all time favourite feature of the hotel would definitely have to be the rooftop area, which I annoyingly discovered on my last day. The views are absolutely mind blowing; paired with hammocks and various outdoor seating areas, it’s bound to be super busy in the summer.

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  Bike on the rooftop

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  Views from the rooftop