Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving the Norwegian capital. It is also the main international airport serving Norway, with flights to a large number of European airports, and some flights to other continents. It is located at Gardermoen 48 km (30 miles) northeast of Oslo. When you arrive you notice that the airport is crisp, modern and efficient.
When planning your trip, however, you need to be careful because Sandefjord Airport, Torp also serves Oslo, primarily by low-cost European carriers and regional airlines, though Torp is located more than twice the distance from the city as Gardermoen. In early2008, a third airport, Moss Airport, Rygge began serving private airlines as well.
Built as a military airfield, Gardermoen was enlarged and reopened in 1998 as a commercial airport. Now it serves more than 19 million passengers each year. The airport has two parallel runways, and 34 passenger bridges. The airport functions as a national hub, with 25 domestic destinations.
The airport compound includes the Radisson SAS Airport Hotel, a 7-story building with over 500 rooms. The hotel is within walking distance of the terminal building, but there is also a shuttle. The hotel was completed shortly after the airport was inaugurated and expanded in 2006. Recently a couple of other hotels have been built just outside the airport.
We found transport to the city extremely efficient but quite expensive. The rail station is built into the airport terminal. The main service is the Airport Express Train that operates to Oslo S Station in 19 minutes, six times each hour. Three services continue onwards to Asker station. All inter-city and express trains on the Skien-Oslo-Lillehammer-Trondheim route also stop at the Airport station so you can quickly get up-country.
Taxis are readily available from the terminal. There is a taxi information desk in the Arrivals hall and the taxi rank is located outside Arrivals. Prices to central Oslo are horrific unless you are in a party of three or four. The SAS Airport Bus runs between the airport and Oslo Central (journey time: 40 minutes). There is also a night service to Oslo Bus Terminal.
There are ATMs and bureaux de change in both the Arrivals and Departures halls. Wireless Internet is available in all public areas of the terminal. Fax/photocopying is available at the information desk in the Arrivals hall. Various restaurants, cafés, snack bars, fast-food outlets and bars are located throughout the airport. Duty-free shopping is available in the International Departures hall; various other shops are located throughout the airport. Because Norway is not part of the European Union duty-free is huge.
There is a left-luggage and lost property office, located opposite the railway station and a porter service is available. There is a travel agency in the Departures hall (before security). The airport is located just off European route E6 and there are rental car facilities which we found very efficient when we returned our car here.