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Voykit pocket guide · Norway
Drammen
Go as a day trip from Oslo (40 min by train) or one night: the river walk, Bragernes Torg and Spiralen fill a day; skip it as a base.
Drammen is a compact river city 40 km southwest of Oslo, where the Drammenselva meets the Drammensfjord. Once an industrial timber and paper town, it has cleaned up its waterfront and now works as an easy half-day or one-night stop on the Oslo–Bergen and Oslo–Stavanger rail lines. The centre splits into Bragernes north of the river and Strømsø south, joined by the Y-shaped Ypsilon pedestrian bridge.
- Country
- Norway
- Best months
- May–Sep for the river walk and outdoor seating; Feb–Mar for skiing at Drammen Skisenter
- Avoid
- Nov–Jan (dark, wet, few outdoor draws)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NOK
- Money
- Currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK, kr); the euro is not used. About 11.5 NOK to €1 — check.
- Daily spend
- Budget kr 700–1,100 excl. bed · Mid kr 1,100–1,900 excl. bed · High kr 1,900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EEA roaming applies: EU and EEA SIMs work at home prices.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Ambulance 113 · Fire 110
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Included; round up or add 5–10% for good service.; Café and bar: Nothing expected.; Taxi: Round up.; Guides: Optional.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent; streams in the mountains are usually drinkable, but avoid water below farms and grazing.
- Toilets
- Free or card-paid (NOK 10–20) in towns; trailheads often have pit toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | kr 40–60 |
| Lunch main (café or gastropub) | kr 150–250 |
| Dinner main course | kr 250–400 |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l in a bar | kr 90–130 |
| Museum entry | kr 80–150 |
| Drammen Skisenter day pass, adult | kr 295 |
| Local bus single ticket | kr 45 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | kr 200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- OSL · Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
- Direct trains to Drammen: airport express about 1 h, or InterCity/regional about 1 h 15 min
- TRF · Sandefjord Airport, Torp
- About 1 h by road; bus and rail connections via Drammen
Typical fares
- Oslo–Drammen train
- about kr 180, 40 min
- OSL airport–Drammen train
- about kr 180–250, 1–1.25 h
- Taxi, station to Bragernes Torg
- kr 150–250
Get around
The centre is walkable: Bragernes Torg to Drammen station is about 10–12 min over the old bridge or the Ypsilon footbridge. Local buses cover the hills and Spiralen; taxis run from the station and Bragernes Torg. Trains from Drammen station reach Oslo in about 40 min and serve the Oslo–Bergen, Oslo–Skien and Oslo–Stavanger lines.
See and do
Known for
- Bragernes Torg, one of Norway's largest squares
- Ypsilon pedestrian bridge
- Spiralen corkscrew tunnel and viewpoint
- Aass, Norway's oldest brewery
- Union Brygge riverside district
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Oslo | Train from Drammen station, about 40 min | About 50 min |
| Kongsberg | Train on the Oslo–Kristiansand/Stavanger line, about 40 min | About 50 min |
| Vikersund | Train toward Bergen/Hønefoss, then local bus | About 1–1.5 h |
| Haugastøl | Train on the Oslo–Bergen line, about 2 h 30 min | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Bragernes (north of the river)
- Around Bragernes Torg: pubs, restaurants, the theatre and Scandic Park; best for an evening out.
- Strømsø (south of the river)
- Around the station and Strømsø Torg: fastest for trains, with Scandic Ambassadeur and Peppes Pizza next door.
- Union Brygge
- Regenerated riverside district by the old paper mill; quiet at night, 10 min walk to Bragernes Torg.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Heihay |
| Thank you | Takktahk |
| Excuse me | UnnskyldUN-shyld |
| How much is it? | Hvor mye koster det?vor MEE-uh KOS-ter deh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan jeg betale med kort?kan yai beh-TAH-leh meh kort |
| Where is the station? | Hvor er stasjonen?vor air sta-SHOH-nen |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names; avoid: Small talk that is too personal
- Nature: Greet other hikers, close gates, carry litter out; avoid: Loud music on trails
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring flowers or chocolates; 'takk for maten' after the meal; avoid: Arriving late
- Conversation: Modest, factual, humorous; avoid: Showing off wealth — Norwegians are rich but understated
- 17 May: Dress up, join the crowds, wave a flag; avoid: Treating the parades as a tourist show
- Queues: Take a number; avoid: Pushing in
Scams and watch-outs
- Walking inside the Spiralen road tunnel is banned; take the bus or drive, or hike up instead.
- Norway is card-first: keep a card or phone wallet for buses, trains and most cafés.
- Winter pavements ice over; wear shoes with grip in Dec–Mar.
- Alcohol is sold in shops only until 18:00 on weekdays and 15:00 on Saturdays; bars and restaurants are the fallback.
Drammen is a calm, low-crime city and safe to walk at night in the centre. The real risks are winter ice on pavements and riverbanks, dark unlit paths along the water after midnight, and weekend drinking crowds around Bragernes Torg.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Drammen yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Bragernes Torg, one of Norway's largest squares
- Ypsilon pedestrian bridge
- Spiralen corkscrew tunnel and viewpoint
- Aass, Norway's oldest brewery
- Union Brygge riverside district
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Drammen municipality: www.drammen.kommune.no/
- Visit Norway: www.visitnorway.com/
- Entur (national rail and bus planner): entur.no/
- Avinor — Oslo Airport: www.avinor.no/en/airport/oslo
- Wikivoyage: Drammen, revision 5322748 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5322748
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Drammen
Til denne adressen, takk
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Drammen; embassies are in Oslo (about 40 min by train). Consular help for most nationalities is handled from Oslo.
English is spoken almost everywhere; tipping is included, round up or add 5–10% for table service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/drammen). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.