Norway: Torp airport to Oslo Central

[M28361M]

Hi all,

I've booked a trip to Oslo with Ryanair. This being Ryanair, of course they don't fly to Oslo's main airport, or even the secondary airport, but to Torp Sandefjord Airport, which appears to be a two-hour train ride away from Oslo!

According to the airport's website there is a shuttle bus to Torp station from where I can get an NSB train to Oslo Central.

Does anyone have any experience of this journey? Is it a reasonably good, reliable service?

My other question is about train tickets. According to nsb.no, Torp station is an unstaffed halt, but there is a ticket machine and validator at the airport itself.

If I booked a ticket through NSB's website, would I be able to pick it up from the machine at the airport? I'd prefer to have my tickets sorted out before I reach the airport if possible.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Not too sure about a rail service, but i think there is a coach service which may be more convenient.

 

[Groningen]

From Google Streetview i see that there is a station (just south of the station) with busconnection to the airport. The sign on the station says Torp Sandefjord Lufthavn.

According to the website of VisitOslo: NSB's trains to Oslo stop at Torp Sandefjord Airport station, and a free shuttle bus is available between the train station and the airport. The bus leaves from Torp airport 8 minutes before the scheduled train departure time.

 

[radamfi]

I have used this connection several years ago, but only from Oslo, so the ticket buying was obviously more likely to be easy. I got the direct coach from the airport and the train back. The train was heavily delayed due to a line side fire but the bus waited for the train and I just made the plane.

 

[zuriblue]

It looks like you can print at home and present the ticket as a PDF or download the ticket from the TVM with a pickup code.

https://www.nsb.no/en/our-tickets/buying-your-nsb-ticket

https://www.nsb.no/en/9051/how-to-travel-with-a-pdf-ticket

 

[M28361M]

Thanks all. The NSB website is a bit vague on what ID is acceptable for a PDF ticket. Is it a credit card (as with DB) or passport?

 

[dutchflyer]

Most likely an official ID (or passport). Which you have to have on you anyway while travelling abroad. Scandinivians are not much privacy conscious-even tax returns are open to anyone to look at online.
Cr card is accepted by DB ONLY if you have chosen that one-it is just 1 personal card-due to Germanies very strict privacy rules and still preventing fraud by multiple use. You can in fact change the card any time you make a booking, but it must be something with nrs only. Most germans thus use their Bahncard.

 

[M28361M]

Thanks again everyone for replies. I ended up booking train tickets on NSB's website and getting a code for collection, which I was able to use in the NSB ticket machine at Torp airport.

Train journey was OK, but on the way home I was travelling in the middle of the rush hour so ended up sitting on a tip-up seat near the doors for most of the journey. Oh well.

 

[radamfi]

Thanks again everyone for replies. I ended up booking train tickets on NSB's website and getting a code for collection, which I was able to use in the NSB ticket machine at Torp airport.

Train journey was OK, but on the way home I was travelling in the middle of the rush hour so ended up sitting on a tip-up seat near the doors for most of the journey. Oh well.

Did the guard check for your ID?

Was the bus connection to the airport waiting for you on arrival at the airport station?

 

[M28361M]

My ID wasn't checked. I had a proper NSB ticket collected from the machine at Torp (not a self-print PDF ticket or mobile phone ticket) so I assume it wasn't necessary.

I made a slight mistake with the shuttle bus at the airport; I boarded the bus which connected with the southbound train (to Skien) rather than the Oslo service. I therefore had to wait around half an hour at Torp station for the Oslo train.

Coming back from Oslo, the bus was waiting for us at Torp station. As soon as everyone from the train had transferred to the bus, off we went.

Torp station itself is very basic - a single track and platform with a "bus shelter". But it was a lovely day so waiting there wasn't really too bad. Wouldn't fancy it in bad weather though!

 

[185]

The little station at Torp was a Godsent when it opened. Previously, Torpekspressen Bus had a monopoly on travel into Oslo, and the bus was often three times the price of a flight you'd just got off. For ages people campaigned for a halt to be built at Torp, was seriously late in coming.