The Opera House in Oslo
I always thought that countries such as Norway were out of my budget. That's until I visited Oslo, Norway's capital, determined to see this city on a budget. Flights from the UK only take 2.5 hours and at only £55 for a one-way flight its appeal was too tempting. Wanting to also return here in the winter to experience the Northern Lights, I decided to just book a trip to Oslo.
In my five days here I walked everywhere, took the train from the airport and only ate lunch out, choosing to cook for myself in the evenings. And I came in under budget! For a capital city, it's not actually that big so I was able to walk around, saving money on transportation and also getting exercise in the process.
Don't get me wrong, Norway is expensive if you take a taxi from the airport, stay in 5 star accommodation, and eat in nice restaurants but for a budget Girl about the Globe, it is definitely doable.
Akershus Fortress
So what are my tips for cheap travel to expensive destinations?
1. Choose Airbnb instead of a hotel. Even hostels are expensive here but I had my own room for a great price and got to stay with a local who showed me around.
2. Do a walking tour or better still… do a self-guided one. I walked around the city myself with an offline map and just Googled the nearby attractions. If you want to meet people take a walking tour where you make a donation for the tour at the end.
3. Look for parks (which are usually free). The Vigeland Museum was £10 but the Sculpture Park was free and was so impressive that I didn't feel the need to go to the museum.
4. Look for free things to do. Many museums are free nowadays or have certain free days where you don't have to pay for entry. The Opera House in Oslo is also stunning and free to enter inside.
5. Browse markets. They are always free to window shop and you get to see the local produce.
6. Look for public transport to and from the airport. If there's an express train look for a local one. This saved me 50% and only added an extra 7 minutes onto my journey.
7. Eat lunch out and cook dinner at home. Delis are a good place for lunch and sometimes have meal deals. A coffee and a wrap cost me the equivalent of £10 and I found a supermarket with fresh produce to cook vegetables for dinner. I also took my porridge oats with me and just bought yoghurt to add to it for my breakfast.
See, it is possible to go to expensive destinations and do them cheap. I hope that this has inspired you to visit a destination that you may have thought was out of reach. I have even seen the Galapagos Islands on a budget 🙂
Where else have I been this month?
This month I also visited Belarus, Poland and Barcelona where I'm writing this from. Belarus was the host country for the 2019 European Games which ended today on 30th June. It was really exciting watching Minsk, the capital city set up for the games. This country really surprised me. The streets are wide, the buildings are colourful and it's incredibly clean. I definitely recommend this European capital for a weekend break.
I also visited SOS Children's Project during my stay to find out more about their work with vulnerable girls affected by the Chernobyl Disaster. I'll be blogging about this very soon.
Minsk in Belarus
Poland was also amazing. Krakow is a beautiful city and there is so much to see and learn about here. I did a walking ghost tour, took a tour of the old city and visited a Salt Mine and saw the most magical chapel. You can take tours from Krakow to Auschwitz to learn more about the concentration camp.
Having previous visited Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Germany, I had had the feeling that I shouldn't really be there and during my visit to Poland, it didn't feel like the right time for me to go.
Krakow
What's happening with Girl about the Globe this month? This month I'm continuing Solo Summer with our biggest product. I'm so excited about this one and have been working behind the scenes for months to make it happen.
If you haven't joined our email list or Facebook community then I recommend doing it now so you can be the first to find out when we're releasing the product! (join the email list at the top of this page). I hope you had a great month too.
I'd love to know where you have been in June or where you're planning for your next trip. Comment below 🙂
Admiring a salt version of the Last Supper at Wieliczka Salt Mine
