Modes of transportation.  Definitely something you want to know how to talk about when you are preparing to travel to another country.  In Norway, you’ll want to know about biler (cars), busser (busses), tog (trains), trikken (the trolley), tbanen (the subway), ferger (ferries), og mer (and more).   You will want to know how to get to the nearest bus stop, what time the train leaves, when the ferry arrives, how much it costs to take a taxi, etc. 

Fortunately, Norway has a stellar public transportation system (which I have described in an earlier post).  I remember the first time I was in Norway, my father and I took a train from Oslo to Bergen, then took the Hurtigrute (the big cruise ship-also described in an earlier post) up to Ålesund, where we were on a mission to find long lost relatives.  We took a bus to get to our hotel, from where the lady working at the hotel (which actually had a grass roof that goats would enjoy “mowing”) offered to drive us to our relatives’ farm (because she knew them, and everyone else in the area).  So, we got exactly where we wanted to go using a handful transportmidler.  Needless to say, it was pretty cool.

And now, some phrases that you will for sure want to learn (and keep in mind I have not translated them all literally, but rather they way you would really say them):

Hvor lang tid tar det å kjøre fra Oslo til Lillehammer (and of course replace the place names with whichever ones you are dealing with)?  — How long does it take to drive from Oslo to Lillehammer?

Hvilken tbanestasjon skal jeg stige av?  Which tbane-station should I get off at?

Hvor mye koster det å ta en drosje til Oslo sentralstasjonen?  How much does it cost to take a taxi to Oslo central station?

I hvilken retning kjører denne bussen?  Which direction does this bus go?

Når drar fergen?  When does the ferry leave?

Hvilken rute skal jeg ta?  Which route should I take?

Er det fortere å kjøre bil eller ta bussen?  Is it faster to drive a car or take the bus?

Hvor sent om natten kjører drosjen?  How late in the night does the taxi go?

Hvor mye koster billetten?  How much does a ticket cost?

Har du et tbanekort?  Do you have a tbane card?

Hvilken stasjonen skal jeg stige på?  Which station should I get on?

Er det mye plass på toget?  Is there a lot of room on the train?

Tar denne fergen biler over fjorden?  Does this ferry take cars across the fjord?

Stopper tbanen på Nasjonalteateret?  Does the tbane stop at the National Theater?

These are just a few phrases that you may want to get comfortable with before you travel to Norway.  You can get what you want in English the majority of the time, but it’s more fun to practice your norsk!