How to Book Train Travel From Oslo to Lillehammer

Lillehammer, site of the 1994 Winter Olympics, is a beautiful mountain town that is home to some of the world's finest cross-country skiing. It is a short and very scenic train ride north from Oslo.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. To book accommodations, contact Norwegian State Railways at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources, below). Enter Oslo as your departure city and Lillehammer as your destination city. You will then need to select your travel preferences (date, time, number and type of tickets, et cetera).

2. Choose which class of ticket you prefer (economy or first-class) if the trip you wish to book offers a choice of seats. Not all of the trains will offer first-class accommodations--it depends on the train's final destination beyond Lillehammer. The economy seats are quite comfortable, although they have a bit less leg room (and smaller luggage stories areas) than do the first-class ones.

3. Supply your name, address and phone number, then select which credit card you'd like to use (the choices are Mastercard, Visa, Diners Club and American Express). The price for your ticket(s) will be shown in Norwegian Kroner (NOK), and you may wish to convert this to your local currency so you'll know what you're paying before your credit card bill arrives.

4. Pick up your ticket at the train station in Oslo. Be sure to arrive ahead of your scheduled departure time so you will have time to get your ticket and be in line early for the train, as the earlier you board the less your chances of getting poked in the leg with a ski pole.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to look out for some of the unique 'stavkirken' (19th-century wooden churches built to look somewhat like Viking ships) dotting the Norwegian countryside.

• Although the majority of people travel to Lillehammer to ski, if you're not a sporty type, perhaps you'd prefer a visit to Lillehammer's most famous tourist attraction, Maihaugen--an open-air museum showcasing an authentically-preserved or rebuilt collection of buildings from the past 300 years of Norway's history. If you haven't spotted any stavkirken from the train windows, you will see a really gorgeous one at Maihaugen.

• Watch out for skis and ski poles in the train aisles and overhead racks! Lillehammer is a ski mecca at any time of year, and that makes for some pretty crowded trains packed with both skiers and ski equipment. Worrying about being hit with a falling ski or ski pole may sound silly, but it is actually quite a painful experience, and one you will definitely want to miss.