Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Oslo


If you're traveling from the US to Europe and you're on a budget, chances are that flying into Oslo, Norway via Norwegian Airlines will be your cheapest option. From there get a connecting flight to your final destination. I use Google Flights to estimate travel, but then I signup to be a member of the airlines I use and gather points. After traveling a lot in April I have already earned enough points for a free flight with Norwegian!

Our destination this past April was to Norway, and I am so thankful for the six days we spent there. For me, Norway has been my most breathtaking travel experience to date and it's forever going my list of return destinations.

I brought my mother along for the journey. We were waiting to book our flight from JFK to Oslo. Note that if you want to save even more, flights from Boston International tend to be even cheaper. You can book a ticket on Megabus direct to Boston if you have the time to spare.

When we landed in Oslo I had trouble connecting my phone to the free wifi. Near the Car Rental pickup is a service booth that sells sim cards. I spent $30 for 5GB of data and ended up using it all during my stay in Norway and Ireland. Consider buying one on Amazon.

Save A LOT of money on a GPS or Portable MiFi unit and download Google Maps Offline. Check out my article on how to use Google Maps Offline.

We picked up our rental car without much trouble. I had preregistered an automatic since I don't drive manual. We were expecting a Volkswagen Golf, but were surprised with a BMW Hybrid!

The drive to the hotel was smooth. (It was an adjustment getting used to the lack of stop signs though!)

The Grand Hotel, Oslo is in the heart of Oslo and is only feet away from the Royal Palace.
While we love the location and the staff, the hotel was going under construction while we visited and the drilling was a bit of a disturbance when we first arrived. It stopped in the evening though and sleep was spectacular. I would suggest making sure construction is complete before booking.
Address: Karl Johans gate 31, 0159 Oslo, Norway
Phone:+47 23 21 20 00


Once we settled into the room and made sure family and loved ones knew we survived the flight, we set out to explore the city. I looked up places to eat nearby and we found Fiskeriet Youngstorget. It's a seafood restaurant, bar and fresh seafood shop where you can buy and take away as well. The food was delicious and it was a great first meal in Norway.

Fiskeriet Youngstorget 
Youngstorget 2B, 0181 Oslo
phone: 22 42 45 40
youngstorget@fiskeriet.com
While the places I found on Trip Advisor were great, we found a beautiful set of bars and shops tucked away in a narrow alleyway not far from Fiskeriet. It was my favorite find in the city, and was full of local people enjoying drinks. Feeling brave,  I asked a few people for suggestions and everyone gave great advice for where to visit and explore during our short time in Oslo and Norway. I giggled over drinks at Angst Bar, which isn't as anxiety ridden as its name suggests.


Some chocolate ice cream while sitting on the harbor steps ended our adventure for the night. Even if it's cold, you'll be able to sit outside. We found that nearly every restaurant offered many warm blankets and/or outside heaters to encourage you to enjoy the beauty outside, regardless of the chilly evening air.

Once more, if you have the option to stay a few nights in Norway, I highly suggest it. Loved my time there and look forward to returning.




Monday, May 9, 2016

Google Maps Offline & Save


I learned the hard way that renting a GPS for a road trip is expensive. We had two rental cars while filming a documentary in France and Belgium and ended up spending $50 a day for both cars to have a GPS for 8 days! We could have put $400 toward production or post production if we had only known to use Google Maps Offline.

Here is how you can save money on your road trip.


STEP 1:

  • Open the app while connected to Wifi.
    • (You can do this over data too...but why would you want to do that?)


STEP 2:

  • Click the Menu Settings.
    • (The lines on the upper left.)
  • Login to Google Account.
    • (Make one if you don't have an account already.)












STEP 3:

  • Click Offline Areas.



STEP 4:

  • Click the + to Add Area.











STEP 5:

  • Choose the section of map you'll need.
    • Example: Philadelphia
      • Do you need to download ALL of Philadelphia, or just a portion?
      • Save space and download what you need as you need it.










STEP 6:

  • Name your map.
  • Click Save & ENJOY!

SOME HELPFUL TIPS

I've run into the issue where I didn't download the proper section. It will tell you that it's unable to direct you to your final destination.

Prep the night before and save yourself the stress in the morning. JFK airport does not have free wifi so if you're flying to Europe out of JFK I would advise you download your map to your first Airbnb or Hotel before you fly out.

Powered by Blogger.

Flickr Images

Created with flickr badge.