First some good news: When people say that Norway is expensive, they probably don’t mean accommodation. When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, it doesn’t cost more in Norway than many other places – average hotel prices are in line with the rest of western Europe. In August 2015, the average price for a double room was just under NOK 900 (Source: SSB – Statistics Norway).

Just like everywhere else in Scandinavia, accomodation in Norway is good value for money. If you are happy with just the most basic facilities, there are plenty of budget options like hostels, campsites and mountain huts.

From there you can choose practically any price level, depending on the location, the standard and services available.

There is also every possibility to find unusual accommodation options that go way beyond a bed in a regular hotel: from boutique hotels and glamping to lighthouses and rorbuer (traditional fishermen’s cabins).

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The change in attitude towards Norway’s food traditions has been formidable - from envying other nations to celebrating what is uniquely Norwegian in modern and untraditional ways.

When it comes to food and beverages in Norway, a culinary revolution has quietly taken place in the last few years. In particular, both restaurants and ordinary kitchens have seen a rise in local and organic food. This has a lot to do with the general increase in prosperity and willingness to spend money on high quality products, but also with a new-found pride in Norwegian food traditions and ingredients.

What really characterizes Norwegian cooking is to a large degree found in our rather unique agricultural customs: Sheep and goats that graze in outlying pastures along the coast and in the mountains. A cold and largely unpolluted climate ideal for growing fruit, berries and vegetables without extensive use of pesticides. Modest farms and small holdings that produce milk, cheese and beef in healthy environments, virtually disease-free and subjected to strict laws and regulations when it comes to animal welfare. And of course, the extensive coastline with long and rich seafood traditions.

Norway is amongst the world’s top three coffee consuming countries. It’s not so strange that we are constantly trying to brew the best coffees on the planet.

A variety of tastes and traditions can be experienced at one of the many local food festivals, such as Gladmat in Stavanger, Smak in Tromsø and Trøndersk matfestival in Trondheim.

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In Norway, Fashion takes the centre stage, and in the past couple of years, local clothing brands have attained international recognition. The probability of finding high-quality wool and knitwear is high, as the art of knitting has long traditions here.Souvenirs like trolls, jewellery, goat and reindeer skins, can be bought at most tourist destinations.

Interestingly, many local food specialities are suitable for bringing back home including sausages, cheese and local brews.

With more than 4,000 shops,Norwayoffers tourists the opportunity to shop and receive a refund on VAT (Value Added Tax) when leaving the country – with various refund points where you can receive your tax refund, such as airports, road borders, on board ferries and cruise ships.

Smooth rail networks, waterways, roads and a network of small airports;make it easy to travel to any part of the country.

Norwegian State Railways (NSB), operates most passenger train services in Norway, and has a well-developed railway networkstretching for more than 3,000 kilometres.

However, driving is perhaps one of the best ways to experiencethe country. Motorways and roads in Norway are relatively free of traffic by international standards, the main roads are the European highways (indicated with an ‘E’ in front of the number), which connects several cities, regions and countries.

To travel within a city or town, each city has a local bus service, and an extensive network of express coaches throughout the country.

Car ferries are a fact of life in Western and Northern Norway, where fjords cut deeply into the landscape and make it impossible.

Hurtigruten, Norwegian cruise, ferry and cargo operatorserves more than 30 ports along the Norwegian coast - a journey of relaxation where ships traffic the coastline from Bergen in the south-west tothe town of Kirkenes innorth.

In many towns and cities there are small passenger ferries, from tiny Beffen in Bergen and Sundbåten in Kristiansund to the ferries that connect Oslo to the islands in Oslofjord.

In the Lofoten Islands, various boat services keep the many islands connected and along the coast, express boat services also serve to bridge the gaps that the trains cannot cover.