Why fly from Oslo?
Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) is Scandinavia's third-busiest airport and a surprisingly strong starting point for budget weekend trips. Norwegian Air Shuttle was born here, and their legacy means fierce competition on popular routes — good news for your wallet. SAS, Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet all operate from OSL, covering over 150 direct destinations.The airport sits 47km north of the city centre. The Flytoget express train gets you there in 19 minutes (NOK 220), or the slower NSB train does it for about NOK 115 in 23 minutes. Pro tip: if you're catching a Friday evening flight, skip rush hour traffic entirely and take the train — departures every 10 minutes.
Norwegians tend to fly south for sun, which means routes to Spain, Greece, and Italy are heavily competed and often dirt cheap, especially outside July. But the hidden gems are eastbound — Kraków, Budapest, and Prague can cost under €50 return in shoulder season.
Best weekend routes from Oslo
Barcelona, Nice, Split, Athens — Norwegian and Ryanair compete on these routes, often under 800 NOK return
London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen — multiple daily departures, under 3 hours
Kraków, Budapest, Warsaw, Gdańsk — Wizz Air runs insanely cheap routes from OSL
Thursday evening departures are often cheapest. Sunday returns beat Monday mornings on price
When to fly from Oslo
Summer (Jun–Aug): Peak season. Prices to Mediterranean destinations spike. Book 6–8 weeks ahead or go off-peak (midweek). Southern Spain and Greece flights can hit 3000 NOK return.
Autumn (Sep–Nov): The sweet spot. Everyone's back from summer holidays, flights drop 30–50%. Still warm in southern Europe. September Barcelona weekends are unbeatable.
Winter (Dec–Feb): Cheapest time to fly to European cities. London, Paris, Amsterdam weekends under 600 NOK return are common. Christmas/New Year excluded.
Spring (Mar–May): Prices climb as sun-seekers book early. Easter inflates everything. Late May is golden — warm destinations, pre-summer prices.
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Airport insider tip
OSL has excellent free WiFi and a compact terminal. If you have time, the duty-free prices on Norwegian chocolate and brunost are actually competitive — grab gifts on the way out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest destination from Oslo right now?
It shifts weekly, but Kraków, Gdańsk, and Budapest consistently rank cheapest from OSL. Wizz Air and Ryanair compete aggressively on these routes. Use Weekendstop's month view to scan every weekend in a month — you'll often find return flights under 500 NOK.
Which terminal do budget airlines use at Oslo?
OSL has one terminal, so you don't need to worry about which one. All airlines — Norwegian, SAS, Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet — operate from the same building. It's efficient and hard to get lost.
How early should I arrive at Oslo airport?
For European flights, 90 minutes is plenty. Security is fast thanks to automated gates. If you're flying Ryanair or Wizz Air without checked bags, you can push it to 60 minutes on a quiet day — but don't blame us if you have to sprint.
Are there direct flights from Oslo to every destination?
Not every one, but OSL has direct routes to 150+ cities. Weekendstop shows you both direct and connecting flights — toggle "Direct only" to filter. Sometimes a 1-stop flight via Copenhagen is half the price of a direct one.