What should I avoid in Oslo?

The stretch of Karl Johans gate between Oslo Sentralstasjon and the Royal Palace is lined with restaurants that have English menus propped on the sidewalk and waitstaff waving you in from the door. That's your signal to keep walking. A basic pasta plate at these spots runs 250-320 NOK ($26-34), and the food tends to taste like it sat under a heat lamp in a kitchen feeding 400 tourists a day. The same pattern holds at Aker Brygge, where the waterfront views are real but a fish soup that costs 95 NOK at Mathallen food hall in Vulkan sells for 190 NOK with the same recipe and a thinner bowl. Head to Grünerløkka instead. The pølse stands on Thorvald Meyers gate sell reindeer sausages for about 75 NOK ($8) with more personality than most sit-down meals on the tourist strip. For proper Norwegian husmanskost, Olympen on Grønlandsleiret has been open since 1892, and a plate of kjøttkaker with mashed rutabaga and lingonberry still runs around 225 NOK ($24).

Skip the Flytoget airport express from Oslo Gardermoen. It costs 220 NOK ($23) and the marketing makes it sound like the only train option, but the Vy regional train covers the same 47-kilometer route for about 115 NOK ($12) in 23 minutes instead of 19. Four minutes for double the fare. Taxis from Gardermoen to the city center run 800-1,000 NOK ($84-105), and there is no reason to take one. The Vy train drops you at Oslo Sentralstasjon, right where the tram and metro lines fan out, and you can tap a Ruter travel card to get anywhere in zone 1 for 40 NOK ($4.20) per ride. Mind you, Uber exists in Oslo but fares still run high, often 300-400 NOK for a 15-minute ride across town. The T-bane metro closes around 1am on weekends, so budget one late-night taxi if you're out past midnight in Grünerløkka or Youngstorget.

Oslo is currently one of the most expensive cities in Northern Europe for drinking out. A single beer at a bar along Karl Johans gate or on Aker Brygge runs 100-120 NOK ($10-13). That's not a craft pour. That's a standard Ringnes pilsner. Vinmonopolet, the state liquor monopoly, sells wine from around 130 NOK ($14) a bottle and beer for 30-45 NOK a can, but stores close at 6pm on weekdays and 3pm on Saturdays. Closed Sundays entirely. Plan your shopping before noon on Saturday, or you'll pay bar markup all weekend. The Oslo Pass looks like a deal at 535 NOK ($56) for 24 hours. It only pays for itself if you hit 3 or more paid museums in a single day. If you're spending your time walking through Frogner Park to see the Vigeland installation (free), climbing the Oslo Opera House roof (free), or sitting by the water at Sørenga (free), the pass loses money. Do the math for your actual itinerary before buying.

Even in mid-June, Oslo weather can turn cold and wet with little warning. Today it's 17°C and clear, but a sharp drop to 11°C with sideways rain is normal within the same week. Pack a light shell jacket. You'll see locals in Frogner Park wearing t-shirts at 15°C, but if you come from a warmer climate, the wind off the Oslofjord has a damp bite that cuts through cotton faster than you'd expect. Winter visitors face a different problem. Daylight drops to about 6 hours by late December, and the sidewalks between Majorstuen and Grønland ice over fast after dark. The city sands them, but not always before the morning commute. Slip-on ice grips called brodder cost about 150 NOK ($16) at any Jernia hardware store and will save you a bruised tailbone on Bogstadveien.