Trondheim is one of Norway’s cities that has the most interesting history, having previously been the capital city of the country during the late viking ages. It’s still one of Norway’s biggest and most important cities, and are by many regarded as the tech capital of Norway.
You will find a youthful population in Trondheim, with lots of different options for entertainment and culture. The city is full of old, protected buildings, alongside modern startups and great shopping opportunities.
I recommend visiting Trondheim when you are in Norway, and the fact that it’s such as big city means that there are many good options for traveling between Oslo and Trondheim.
We’re going to be looking closer at how to get from Oslo to Trondheim in this article, and look at multiple different options to find the best option for your specific case.
Option 1) Get from Oslo to Trondheim by car (The most flexible option)
You can easily get from Oslo to Trondheim if you got a car (or want to rent one), and the drive is actually pretty fast and easy. Most of it takes part on a high-speed highway where you won’t need to worry about oncoming cars, wild animals, pedestrians or narrow roads.
The high-speed highways allow you to finish the almost 500 kilometer (300 mile) drive in just over 6 hours and 20 minutes, but it’s a pretty boring drive to be honest.
The driving directions between Oslo and Trondheim are also super easy:
Just drive north from Oslo on E6, then follow E6 until you are in Trondheim.
There will be signs towards Trondheim the entire way, but they’re not even really useful seeing as you won’t have to ever leave the E6 highway at all.
Driving is a great option if you want flexibility. You won’t really save a lot of time compared to riding the train (more on that option below), but it gives you a lot of freedom to stop wherever you want to explore beautiful Norway.
While E6 won’t offer the most amazing views, there are certain parts that are quite scenic and spectacular. Short detours will also allow you to see save churches, incredible nature and amazing mountains!
I recommend driving if you want to have the flexibility and freedom, and prefer to spend a bit longer to stop for the sights and attractions near the road.
Renting a car to drive from Oslo to Trondheim
Renting a car to make the drive from Oslo to Trondheim is likely going to be far more expensive than to buy train tickets or even airplane tickets, seeing as rental cars are expensive in Norway.
It’s generally possible to rent cars in Oslo, then deliver them in Trondheim later, so you won’t necessarily need to return to Oslo to deliver the rental car.
So it’s definitely an option, but an expensive option.
Option 2) Get from Oslo to Trondheim by train (Cheapest and easiest method)
There are frequent trains between Oslo and Trondheim, and it’s easy to get between these two cities by train. The railway goes the entire way between Oslo and Trondheim, so you can just hop on a train in Oslo, then sit back and enjoy until you are in Trondheim. There’s no need to change trains underway!
There are typically 6 to 8 train departures from Oslo to Trondheim on a given day, so they depart every few hours. The line is called F6, and goes from Oslo S to Trondheim in between 7 and 8 hours.
The prices range from as low as 400 NOK per adult to over 1,500 NOK per adult, depending on many factors. The train prices in Norway are based on demand (like airplane tickets usually are), so book a ticket for a less frequented train departure or well in advance to save money.
I find that riding the train from Oslo to Trondheim is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to get between these two cities, and the train ride itself is generally comfortable. There are also some incredible natural sights along the railway, so make sure to book a seat by the window!
As an example, you will be passing over Dovrefjell where you can often see musk oxen from the train windows!
Option 3) Get from Oslo to Trondheim by bus (A convoluted option)
It’s possible to get from Oslo to Trondheim (or the other way around) in a bus, but it’s not really recommended since you will need to change buses along the way. It’s generally also more expensive and takes longer than the train.
But if you really want to ride the bus from Oslo to Trondheim, get on NW130 (Trysilekspressen) in Oslo, then depart at Terningen Arena. Change to local bus line 100 to Gjøvik, then change to local bus line 102 between Gjøvik and Lillehammer.
When you’re in Lillehammer, get on bus VY710 all the way to Trondheim. You can buy tickets at entur.no.
This option is a possibility, but you will have to change buses 4 times, wait a long time between different buses, and be at the grace of no buses being late (so you won’t miss your connecting bus).
I generally do not recommend riding the bus if you want to get from Oslo to Trondheim.
I would also like to point out that there used to be a direct bus route between Oslo and Trondheim, but this is no longer in operation. So don’t be fooled if you read about this bus line on another website, because it’s certainly not operational as of 2023.
Option 4) Get from Oslo to Trondheim airplane (The fastest option)
The quickest way to get from Oslo to Trondheim is to book a seat on an airplane. There are daily domestic flights between Oslo and Trondheim, with several different airplane companies like Flyr, SAS and Widerøe that offers flights.
The flights from Værnes just outside Trondheim to Gardermoen outside Oslo takes about 55 minutes. However, you need to add about half an hour of travel from Trondheim to Værnes, then another 45 minutes from Gardermoen to Oslo.
So you will probably have to leave Trondheim 3 to 4 hours before you are in Oslo city in total when you factor in things like check-in, luggage claims, and transportation to and from the airports.
This means that you will save some time, but surprisingly not that many hours compared to when riding the train.
The price for a flight between Oslo and Trondheim is usually in the 1,500 NOK to 4,000 NOK range per adult. However, certain departures will have higher prices (based on high demand), especially on Fridays and Sundays.
Option 5) Get from Oslo to Trondheim by ferry (The exotic option)
Want to get from Oslo to Trondheim by sea? It’s possible, but again, not an easy accomplishment.
It’s possible to ride Hurtigruten from Oslo to Trondheim at selected dates. This is a type of cruise ship, so be prepared to spend several thousand NOK for a single ticket. The prices are typically at least 6,000 NOK per adult per day, but includes a cabin for you to sleep in.
That said, it’s probably the most scenic way to get from Oslo to Bergen, and a cool option if you’re after an incredible experience rather than just a method of transportation.
