Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Rail -- Halden is a stopover on the main rail links between Oslo and Gothenburg, Sweden, on that country's western coast. Depending on the time of day, trains depart Oslo once every hour or once every 2 hours. The trip takes 1 3/4 hours, a one-way ticket costing NOK219 ($44/£22). Call tel. 81-50-08-88 or visit www.nsb.no for rail schedules. The train is quicker and much preferred over the bus.

By Bus -- Nor-Way Buss Ekspress (tel. 81-54-44-44; www.nor-way.no) in Oslo runs buses every 3 hours during the day to the town of Svinedsun. Once in Svinedsun, you must take a local bus for the final approach to Halden.

By Car -- Motorists from Oslo can follow E6 south to reach Halden. Driving time is about 1 1/2 hours.

By Ferry -- From the middle of May until the middle of August, you can enjoy a day's adventure by taking a ferry, MS Sagasund (tel. 90-99-81-00), departing from Halden and sailing over to Strömstad on the west coast of Sweden. Strömstad used to belong to Norway until 1658. Today it's a colorful seaside resort and an embarkation point for the remote Kloster Islands, Sweden's most westerly isles, where cars are prohibited. The warming waters of the Gulf Stream give these islands their luxuriant vegetation. The ferry runs on Wednesday only at 11am and takes 45 minutes; a round-trip fare costs NOK240 ($48/£24). Call the tourist office for more details.

Visitor Information

The tourist office at Torgat 2 (tel. 69-19-09-80) is open June to August 9am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday. From September to May, it's open Monday to Friday 9am to 3:30pm.