POLLEN18 Practical Information

Venue and Location

Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) is located in the city centre of Oslo, in Pilestredet. The closest tram stops are Frydenlund and Holbergs plass (Lines 11 and 17 stop at both locations), and the closest subway stop is Nationaltheatret. From Nationaltheatret it takes approximately 10 minutes to walk to OsloMet.

Arriving at Oslo Airport Gardermoen

For those of you visiting Norway for the first time, there are two main commercial airports serving the Oslo region: Gardermoen (OSL) and Torp-Sandefjord (TRF).

Gardermoen is the primary international airport, whereas Torp-Sandefjord is frequently used by budget airlines or for smaller domestic and European flights. We recommend that you arrive at Gardermoen, as it enjoys better access to the city centre. On public transit, it can take between 2-3 hours to travel from Torp-Sandefjord to downtown Oslo.

Since taxis are extremely costly in Norway, it is recommended that you use either train or bus connections to transfer from the airport to downtown. From the Gardermoen airport, take either the Airport Express train (Flytoget – www.flytoget.no) or a local train (Norwegian State Railways, NSB – www.nsb.no). The latter is the cheaper alternative. Both services offer student discounts with a valid student ID and stop at Nationaltheatret (the closest stop to the conference venue, OsloMet) and Oslo Central Station (Oslo S). Although Flytoget is slightly faster, both trains take only about 20-30 minutes to reach Oslo city centre.

NOR-WAY Bussekspress (https://www.nor-way.no/en-US#/) also runs a bus service from Gardermoen Airport to the Oslo Bus Station and various other drop-off points in the city, but this is likewise relatively expensive compared to the public train option.

Train

There are also several ways of making your travel to Oslo more sustainable. All trains to Oslo arrive at Oslo Central Station, directly in the city centre. NSB is the national Norwegian railway company, and you will find train tickets and information about schedules, prices and services on their website nsb.no

Approximate travel times by train: Stockholm–Oslo (4.5–5 hours), Gothenburg–Oslo
(4 hours)

There is also a ‘train tour’ to the conference being organized from Brussels via Copenhagen! Read more about it here: https://www.ugent.be/ps/conflict-ontwikkeling/crg/en/news-events/news/political-ecology-train-tour.htm


Bus

It is easy to travel to Oslo by bus from Sweden and Denmark. Visit Norway’s website has information about the bus companies that take you to Oslo. Nettbuss Express and Swebus are examples.https://www.visitoslo.com/en/transport/to-oslo/bus/

Oslo’s main bus terminal for long-distance and regional bus routes is located in the city centre, next to Oslo Central Station.

 

Ferry
For a memorable trip, one can also arrive by ferry in Oslo from Copenhagen or Frederikshavn in Denmark or Kiel in Germany.

Daily departures from Copenhagen are with DFDS, from Frederikshavn with Stena Line, and from Kiel with Color Line.

Using subway/trams/buses/ferries in the city centre

You can buy a public transport ticket at almost all subway and train stations in Oslo. Several kiosks, such as “Narvesen” also sell tickets. The easiest way to buy a ticket, however, is to download the mobile phone app called “RuterBillett”. Once you have downloaded the app you can buy tickets online, including “period tickets” for 24 hours or more.

A single ticket for Oslo City Centre Zone costs 35 NOK, a 24-hour ticket costs 105 NOK, and a weekly ticket costs 249 NOK. If you get caught in a control you risk having to pay 1200 NOK penalty fee, and we therefore strongly advise that you have a valid ticket while using the public transport during POLLEN18. Please visit the following webpage to get an overview over the public transport offer in Oslo: https://ruter.no/en/journey/route-maps/.

Meals and Drinks

We are pleased to provide coffee, beverages, and lunch to all registered participants on each day of the conference.

In addition, there will be a welcoming ceremony and drinks reception at the Oslo City Hall on the evening of Tuesday, 19 June (more details here). Please note that you must register in advance to attend the reception. You can do so at the following link: https://nettskjema.uio.no/answer/95877.html

The conference dinner will be held at Kulturhuset on the evening of Wednesday, 20 June. Tickets for the dinner are unfortunately now sold out.

A special plenary session and drinks reception sponsored by the journal Political Geography will also be held on the evening of Thursday, 21 June. More information is available here. This will take place from 18.30-19.30 at the conference venue (Oslo Metropolitan University, Pilestredet 32).

The conference after-party will be held on the evening of Friday, 22 June. The venue is still TBD – please check back soon for more information.

Hotels

There are a range of accommodation options near the conference venue. We encourage all participants to make reservations well in advance, as demand for accommodation can be high in the busy summer tourist season.

  1. Hotels that are within walking distance to the conference venue (OsloMet):

2. Budget accommodation options:


Weather

In June, the average temperature in Oslo is around 16-17°C. During the day, however, the temperature can rise as high as 30°C. As the nights tend to be slightly cool we recommend that you bring a light jacket and a scarf to keep warm during POLLEN18. We also strongly advise you to bring good shoes, as there are several beautiful areas to go hiking in and around Oslo.

Emergency Numbers

  • Fire, accidents and serious pollution: Tel 110
  • Police – immediate assistance: Tel 112
  • Ambulance and Medical assistance: Tel 113

Things to do in Oslo

Oslo is a wonderful city full of activities and sights to explore during the day-time and night-time. Some places of interest:

Oslo City Hall (venue where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded)

Nobel Peace Center

Grünerløkka (trendy neighbourhood with lots of cafés and bars)

Munch Museum (contains more than half of Edvard Munch’s paintings)

The Kon-Tiki Museum (houses materials from Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki expedition)

Aker Brygge (waterfront shopping and dining area)

Norwegian National Opera and Ballet (iconic building on the waterfront)

Sognsvann Lake (hiking and recreation area, accessible on public transit)

Holmenkollen (Ski jump, ski museum, and hiking area, accessible on public transit)

Islands in the Oslofjord (accessible by public ferries, nice for swimming and picnics in June)

SALT (public sauna and bar on the waterfront, nice views of the Opera House)

Blitz (controversial anarchist, communist, and socialist community near the conference venue)

Hausmania (Wikipedia: “self-governed cultural house in Oslo, Norway. It is run by a group of underground artists based on collectivist ideology”)

Vigeland Sculpture Park (free entry, pleasant in summer)

Akershus Fortress (near the waterfront, dates to the 13th century)

Norwegian National Museum (houses Edvard Munch’s famous 1893 painting, ‘The Scream’)

Viking Ship Museum – Museum of Cultural History

Please visit visitoslo.com (https://www.visitoslo.com/en/) in order to find more detailed information about the different activities and sights you can enjoy during your stay.