Norway’s main airport is located about 50 kilometers, or 30 miles, from central Oslo, which might make you think that getting into the city is difficult—or at least slow.
But the fastest trains can actually get you there in around 20 minutes.
The slightly confusing part is that two different train services leave from the same station at Oslo Airport. One costs about twice as much as the other, even though the time saving can be as little as four minutes.
Getting from Oslo Airport to the city center is actually quite easy once you understand the difference between the two train services. I’ll show you both, along with the other options for reaching central Oslo—or getting back to the airport—so you can choose the one that actually makes sense for your trip.
One important clarification before we go any further: this article is about Oslo Airport Gardermoen, airport code OSL. Torp, or TRF, is a completely different airport much farther from Oslo, so the information below does not apply there.
Prefer to Watch?
I also made a video showing the journey firsthand, including both the Vy train and Flytoget, what the station looks like, and what you can actually expect on board.
Finding the Trains at Oslo Airport
Once you have passed through customs at international arrivals, turn right and follow the signs for the trains.
Oslo Airport has only one passenger terminal, and the railway station is directly connected to it, so this part is refreshingly simple.
What you do need to pay attention to is the difference between Flytoget, the dedicated Airport Express Train, and Vy, the regular public train operator.
They leave from the same station, but their tickets are not interchangeable. A Flytoget ticket is not valid on Vy, and a Vy or Ruter ticket is not valid on Flytoget.
Flytoget’s orange signs and departure countdowns are hard to miss. This makes the express train look like the obvious choice when you first arrive, but before you buy anything, I think it is worth checking the regular Vy departures as well.
Option 1: The Vy Train
For most adults paying the full fare, the regular Vy train is the option I would check first when traveling from Oslo Airport to the city center.
At the time of my visit, a journey from Oslo Airport to Oslo Central Station cost 134 Norwegian kroner. The scheduled journey took 23 minutes, with just one intermediate stop—Lillestrøm—before reaching Oslo S.
One of its biggest advantages is that this airport journey is also covered by Ruter tickets.
If you buy a 24-hour or 7-day Ruter ticket covering all four zones between the airport and central Oslo, it includes this Vy journey as well as unlimited travel within those zones. That means you can continue using Oslo’s metro, trams, buses, and other Ruter services without buying another ticket.
There are several Vy departures every hour. You do not really need to memorize the line numbers, because services and labels can change. Simply check the departure board for a Vy train that stops at Oslo S, confirm the platform, and make sure you do not accidentally follow the Flytoget signs instead.
You can buy your ticket using the Ruter or Vy app, or from a ticket machine at the airport.
I would personally use the Ruter app if I were also planning to use public transportation in Oslo.
Make sure you have a valid ticket before boarding. Vy does sell tickets on board some trains, but you will normally pay an additional fee if you boarded at a station with a ticket machine, and tickets cannot be purchased in every carriage.
The simplest rule here is to buy your ticket before getting on the train.
There is also a particularly useful option for visitors buying an Oslo Pass. The Oslo Pass covers the Vy train between Gardermoen and Oslo, as well as public transportation throughout the included Ruter zones. It does not cover Flytoget or Flybussen.
If you were going to buy an Oslo Pass anyway, you can activate it at the airport and include this journey in the pass.
Vy Airport Train Personal Experience
For me, the Vy train was a nice surprise.
It arrived and departed on time and covered roughly 50 kilometers in just 23 minutes. That’s only four minutes longer than the fastest Flytoget service.
The trade-off is that Vy trains run less frequently than the dedicated airport express and can also be more crowded.
We found seats, but we were traveling in the middle of the day. During busier periods, you may not be as lucky.
On our train, the seats were arranged three plus two, meaning five seats across, which may also feel a little cramped to some passengers.
Option 2: Flytoget Airport Express Train
The second—and much more visible—option for getting from Oslo Airport to the city center is Flytoget, the Airport Express Train.
It normally departs every ten minutes for most of the day, and its fastest direct services reach Oslo Central Station in 19 minutes.
At the time of my visit, the full adult fare was 268 Norwegian kroner. That was exactly twice the standard Vy fare for a scheduled time saving of roughly four minutes.
Neither Ruter tickets—including 24-hour and 7-day tickets—nor the Oslo Pass are valid on Flytoget.
Put that way, it does not sound like a particularly difficult decision.
But the comparison is not quite as ridiculous as it first appears.
Flytoget runs more frequently, so if one is leaving immediately while the next Vy train is still 15 or 20 minutes away, the express train could save you considerably more time overall.
It is also a dedicated airport service, with good luggage space, Wi-Fi, power outlets, and a very simple payment system. You can easily select your trip at one of the machines along the route and board without downloading another app.
The discounts can change the calculation as well.
Children under 16 travel free when accompanied by a passenger over 16. Travelers aged 16 to 20, students, and passengers aged 67 or older currently pay half fare.
For someone who qualifies—or for certain families—Flytoget may therefore be much more competitive than the headline adult price suggests.
At Oslo Airport, Flytoget trains toward Oslo normally leave from Track 3, although you should always confirm this on the departure board.
All of them stop at Oslo S, while some continue to Nationaltheatret, Skøyen, Lysaker, and stations farther west.
If your accommodation is closer to one of those stations, check the final destination before boarding rather than automatically getting off at Oslo S.
Flytoget Personal Experience
We took Flytoget back to the airport so that I could make a firsthand comparison.
And I can say that the difference in actual travel time was almost unnoticeable—but I really liked the express train.
It felt considerably more comfortable, with two-plus-two seating and plenty of room for luggage.
I particularly liked the real-time information on board about departing flights from Oslo Airport. And although both trains looked modern, Flytoget felt more refined and noticeably quieter.
So if you value a little extra comfort or every minute really matters, I would definitely recommend Flytoget.
You are paying a considerable premium, but you do get something for it.
If, on the other hand, you are traveling through Norway on a budget, waiting an additional 15 or 20 minutes to save a couple hundred kroner per adult on a round trip can be a very worthwhile trade.
Option 3: Flybussen
There are also airport buses, most notably Flybussen, connecting Oslo Airport with central Oslo and several neighborhoods around the city.
For a straightforward journey from Oslo Airport to the city center, however, it would not normally be my first choice.
Compared with Flytoget and Vy, Flybussen is generally more expensive, takes considerably longer, and is also vulnerable to traffic.
The bus can make much more sense if it stops close to your hotel, apartment, or another destination outside central Oslo.
A slower direct journey may still be more convenient than taking the train to Oslo S and then transferring across the city with your luggage.
Several other local buses, airport coaches, long-distance services, and hotel shuttles also stop at Oslo Airport. They are mainly useful for specific destinations around Oslo or elsewhere in Norway rather than for a standard journey into the city center.
If you are not staying centrally, enter your exact destination in Entur and compare the complete journey rather than automatically assuming that Oslo S is the best place to go.
Option 4: Taxi, Uber, or Bolt
You can of course take a taxi.
Without serious traffic, the drive between Oslo S and the airport takes roughly 40 minutes, but prices can vary considerably between operators.
Oslo Airport specifically recommends booking before departure.
Just outside the terminal at ground level, in the taxi pickup area, you will find a booking machine where you can enter your destination and compare available prices.
The airport advises against simply getting into a taxi without a reservation or making an informal agreement with a driver. The price should be provided before the journey begins.
Uber and Bolt also operate at OSL.
Their pickup locations can change, so follow the directions displayed in the app rather than assuming they use the ordinary taxi rank.
Both apps show the price before you confirm the ride.
Option 5: Rental Car
Finally, Oslo Airport has conventional rental-car companies as well as Hyre, an app-based rental service.
Follow the signs for car rental and parking area P10.
If Oslo itself is your destination, I would not rent a car just to reach the city center.
The trains are usually faster, central parking can be expensive, and road tolls add another cost.
A rental car makes sense if Oslo Airport is only the beginning of a road trip and you plan to continue into the Norwegian countryside.
So Which Option Would I Choose?
So which option would I choose for getting from Oslo Airport to the city center? For a normal full-fare adult, I would start by checking the next Vy departure.
If it leaves soon, take it. The journey is only a few minutes slower than Flytoget and, at the time of my visit, cost exactly half as much.
If the wait for Vy is long but a Flytoget train is ready to leave—or if you qualify for one of its discounts or the free-child policy—check the actual total for your group. The express train may then be well worth the extra cost.
And if you simply want the quieter, more comfortable, and more refined experience, Flytoget is clearly the nicer train.
I would choose a bus only if it stops particularly close to my accommodation or another specific destination.
Take a taxi or app-based ride when door-to-door convenience matters more than price, and rent a car only if you are continuing beyond Oslo.
The most important thing is not to assume that the first airport-train sign you see represents your only train option.
Check the departure board, compare Vy and Flytoget, and make your decision based on the next actual departure—not merely the advertised journey time.
