Not sure if I should carry coins for public transport in Norway or if card payments are common. Advice?
The only issue I ran into was when my phone died in Trondheim - no app, no ticket, and the bus driver wouldn’t accept cash. I had to scramble to a 7-Eleven to buy a paper ticket with card. It was fine in the end, but you’re in trouble if you rely only on your phone and it runs out of battery. Norway is great for cashless, but always have a backup.
Honestly, Norway was a dream for contactless travel. I bought my Skyss ticket in Bergen straight from the app with my Mastercard, and in Oslo, the Ruter system worked perfectly. Even the airport train Flytoget accepted contactless cards directly at the gates. ATMs from Nordea were around, but I never needed cash. It felt modern, seamless, and very tourist-friendly.
I stayed at a hostel near Karl Johans gate in Oslo and used the metro every day. The Ruter app let me buy 24-hour passes directly with my Revolut Visa, no problems at all. On the tram to Frogner, nobody used cash - everyone scanned their QR tickets. I only used cash once in Bergen for a tiny coffee shop. ATMs from DNB were easy to find near Oslo S, but I didn’t withdraw a single krone for transport.
Norway is almost cashless when it comes to public transport. In Oslo, you use the Ruter app or buy tickets from kiosks with debit/credit cards. Bergen has Skyss, and Trondheim has AtB - both rely heavily on mobile apps and card payments. Buses, trams, and the metro don’t accept cash anymore. ATMs from DNB and Nordea are available, but you’ll rarely need them. Carrying a card or setting up the Ruter/Skyss apps is the easiest way.