Suggestions for a cheap 1 week trip at the end of March

End of March is not a good time for seeing the Northern Lights, and whilst ski passes ect. are quite cheap in Norway everything else is expensive so not somewhere I would choose for a cheap week. Also there are many places to ski in Norway, Oslo would not be my first choice, Geilo is good it has a mix of skiing, cross country skiing and some winter walking and snowshoeing. I am not sure anywhere north of Oslo though would be great for hiking at this time of the year there has been a lot of snow this winter.

Places like Austria and Switzerland are far better set up for winter hiking, although Switzerland is another destination I would call cheap.

Allow me to reccomend my home county Telemark. Exellent skiing (cross country and slalom) in the mountains at the end of march, weather permitting of course. http://www.telemarksuperski.com gives access to eight different areas. You must search now to find accomodation at one or a few. Most can be reached by bus- you research the timetables. The coast usually sees the very first signs of spring around then- visit Kragerø and the island Jomfruland.

Another vote for Geilo - usually hired a cabin at Geilo Camping on the outskirts of the town when I've stayed over there.

I've always gone to Geilo from Bergen, but it's on the main Oslo - Bergen rail line and this is a rather stunning journey in itself (have done it in the winter and the summer...).

If memory serves me right, the last week of March (commencing 29th March) is the week before Easter...

Can anyone enlighten OP as to what usual booking situation and transport situation is like in and around Easter - it's a while since I've been across to Norway at that time of year (last couple of trips have either been in July or September.

I'm still trying to persuade my GF to think about going across in the winter months - have told her what it's like at Geilo, Trysil, Beitostolen and in the Lillehammer area at that time of year. She's never skied before, but isn't a fan of cold climates!

One of my former work colleagues is currently in Trondheim until June and the pics on her blog brought back some great memories of grand days out over there.

GF and self will be over there one day...

End of March is not a good time for seeing the Northern Lights

The real problem is that you are at the wrong latitude for trying to see the northern lights. There is still a plausible amount of darkness for seeing them at the end of March, if you are 2 hours flight north at the other end of Norway.

iviehoff is right there. Pricing tends overall to be a bit on the steep side, but you might find reasonable booking and skiing packages in Narvik (do a image search for some of their more insane slopes) and just over the border in Sweden, Riksgränsen. (and images from here will make you want to go now). These are both so far north that you'll have a decent chance of spotting northern lights at night.

As for boking: from friday 27/3 until tuesday 7/4 schools have easter holiday, which means massive migration to the mountains and jacked up pricing at hotels and suchlike. Trains and buses usually run a reduced service, specially on the holiest days (29/3, 2/4, 3/4, 5/4, 6/4). Stores will be closed on these days.

Hi all, thanks very much for your replies. I'm comparing the prices for a 3-4 day ski pass, skis + poles for 3/4 days, 4/5 nights at a hotel, flights and transport to/from airports and ski resorts in Oslo vs Geilo.

So far the prices actually seem to be similar. However, I can't work out the best ways to get from the airport to hotels at each of the ski resorts. Any suggestions?

Hi Kim, thanks for that. I'll be going just before the half term, from 23rd until 27/28th I think.

Get to Geilo: It's a stop on the Bergen train line. Most hills are in walking distance from the train station. In Oslo there's several slopes and crosscountry tracks avalable from tram, local bus and local train.