In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Ruter runs Oslo’s public transport, and the whole municipality is one fare area, Zone 1. One ticket covers the metro (T-bane), trams, city buses and the island ferries. An adult single costs NOK 46 and lasts 60 minutes with unlimited transfers; 24-hour and 7-day passes are sold in the app. Download the free Ruter app and buy your ticket with Apple Pay or a card before boarding. The Oslo Pass covers all Zone 1 transit. Or book a tour: a 24- or 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticketad from NOK 343 runs by Gray Line past the main landmarks.
⚠️ Buy your ticket before you board. Trams and buses have no turnstiles, but inspectors board constantly. A digital ticket bought after an inspector gets on is rejected by their scanners, and the fine is NOK 1,150 on the spot.
Zone 1 fares and ticketing options
Almost every sight a visitor needs, including the city centre, Vigeland Park, Grünerløkka, Bygdøy, Holmenkollen and the inner Oslofjord islands, is in Zone 1.
| Mode | Coverage |
|---|---|
| T-bane (metro) | 5 lines sharing a central tunnel through the city centre |
| Trikk (trams) | 6 lines across the streets |
| Buss (buses) | Radial routes, including line 30 to Bygdøy |
| Båt (ferries) | Public lines B1 and B2 from Aker Brygge to the Oslofjord islands |
| Ticket Category | Adult (Ages 18–66) | Child (Ages 6–17) / Senior (67+) | Validity Duration | Transfer Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Ticket | NOK 46 | NOK 23 | 60 minutes | Unlimited transfers between metro, trams, buses, and ferries in Zone 1 |
| Onboard Single (Cash) | NOK 66 | NOK 33 | 60 minutes | Includes NOK 20 surcharge; available on buses/boats only (exact cash) |
- Children under 6: Free when accompanied by a fare-paying passenger.
- Weekend family concession: On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, an adult with any valid Ruter adult ticket (single, 24-hour or 7-day) can bring up to four children under 18 free in all zones.
- Airport: Oslo Airport Gardermoen is in Zone 4N. A four-zone ticket is valid for 150 minutes, covering the Vy train into Oslo and the tram or bus to your hotel; see Gardermoen Airport to Oslo.
How to buy tickets
Tickets are almost all digital. There are three ways to buy:
1. The Ruter smartphone app (recommended)
- Download the Ruter app (iOS and Android).
- Choose a ticket (single, 24-hour or 7-day) and pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or an international card.
- The ticket activates at once or at a time you choose, and shows a live countdown and an animated QR code.
2. Physical reusable travelcard (Reisekort)
If you have no smartphone or prefer not to use mobile data:
- Buy a reusable plastic card at Narvesen, 7-Eleven or Mix kiosks, or at the Ruter Customer Centre outside Oslo Central Station (Jernbanetorget 1).
- Load it with credit or period passes, and touch it to the yellow reader pads on station platforms before boarding.
3. Contactless bank cards
Ruter is rolling out contactless bank-card tap-in (tæpping) on tram and bus readers. Where it is available, tapping a Visa or Mastercard charges an adult Zone 1 single (NOK 46).
The T-bane (Metro)
The T-bane has five numbered lines (1 to 5) and 85 stations.
All five lines share the two-track “Common Tunnel” (Fellestunnelen) under the city centre, through Majorstuen, Nationaltheatret, Stortinget, Jernbanetorget (Oslo S), Grønland and Tøyen, with departures every 2 to 3 minutes between Majorstuen and Tøyen.
Key metro routes for visitors
- Line 1 (Frognerseteren): Climbs out of the central tunnel and winds into the pine forests above Holmenkollen, with views across the fjord.
- Get off at Holmenkollen (25 minutes from the centre) for the ski jump and museum.
- Get off at Frognerseteren (terminus, 35 minutes) for the timber restaurant lodge, forest trails and the Korketrekkeren toboggan track.
- Lines 4 and 5 (the Ring Line): Loop through the northern residential districts to Nydalen and the Blindern student campus.
- Line 5 (Sognsvann): Ends at Sognsvann station, steps from Lake Sognsvann, used for swimming in summer and cross-country skiing in winter.
The blue trams (Trikken)
Oslo’s blue trams run on six lines (11, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19), using low-floor CAF Urbos trains with level boarding, air conditioning and digital stop screens.
Essential tram routes
- Tram 12 (Majorstuen to Kjelsås): The usual visitor route. It passes the gates of Vigeland Park, goes through Frogner, stops at Aker Brygge (harbour restaurants and ferries), passes City Hall and Jernbanetorget, and continues through Grünerløkka.
- Trams 11, 12 and 18: Go east from the centre across the Akerselva to Schous plass and Olaf Ryes plass, the café and boutique centre of Grünerløkka.
- Trams 13 and 19 (Ljabru line): Climb the hillside above Bjørvika and stop at the entrance to the Ekebergparken sculpture park.
City buses
Red buses cover the suburbs and peninsulas the tram tracks do not reach.
- Bus 30 (Bygdøy): Every 10 minutes from Jernbanetorget, Nationaltheatret and Solli plass to the Bygdøy museums, stopping outside Norsk Folkemuseum, the Fram Museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum. Standard Zone 1 tickets apply.
- Buses 34 and 54: Connect Central Station to Vulkan and Mathallen (get off at Møllerveien).
- Night buses (Nattbuss): On Friday and Saturday nights, between 01:00 and 04:30 when regular services have stopped, night buses with an ‘N’ prefix, such as 31N, run along the main routes on standard Ruter tickets with no night surcharge.
Island and harbour passenger ferries
Boats are part of Oslo’s transport network:
| Boat | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ruter line B1 | Year-round island loop (Hovedøya, Lindøya, Gressholmen), standard Zone 1 fare |
| Ruter line B2 | Summer swimming line to Langøyene, standard Zone 1 fare |
| Line 91 | Seasonal Bygdøy ferry from City Hall pier 3 to Fram, run by a separate operator, free with the Oslo Pass |
- Ruter Line B1 (inner island loop): Leaves from City Hall Pier 4 (Rådhusbrygge 4) at Aker Brygge all year for Hovedøya, Bleikøya, Gressholmen, Lindøya and Nakholmen. Standard Zone 1 tickets (single NOK 46) are valid. No tickets are sold on the islands, so buy in the Ruter app before boarding. For the islands, see Oslofjord cruises and island hopping.
- Bygdøy ferry (Line 91): Runs seasonally, from mid-April to late September, between City Hall Pier 3 and Bygdøynes. It is a private service with separate fares and does not accept Ruter tickets, but it is free with the Oslo Pass.
Ticket inspections and penalty fines
There are no ticket barriers at most stops, but inspection teams check constantly:
- Handheld scanners: Inspectors scan your app QR code or tap your card. The scanner reads the time of purchase, so a ticket bought after an inspector boards is rejected.
- Fines: Travelling without a valid ticket is NOK 1,150 if you pay on the spot by card, or NOK 1,470 if invoiced. Under-18s pay NOK 1,150.
- Phone battery: You are responsible for keeping your phone charged enough to show your ticket throughout the journey.
Public transport summary for visitors
- Best pass: A 24-hour or 7-day pass from the Ruter app covers all metro lines, trams, buses and island ferries.
- Airport: Take the Vy regional train from Tracks 4 and 5, not Flytoget, which costs NOK 276.
- Next steps: 1 or 2 days in Oslo, 3 days in Oslo, where to stay in Oslo and Is the Oslo Pass worth it?.
Common questions
How much is a single public transport ticket in Oslo?
A Zone 1 adult single, which covers the whole of Oslo, costs NOK 46. Children aged 6 to 17 and seniors aged 67 and over pay NOK 23, and children under 6 travel free. The ticket is valid for 60 minutes with unlimited transfers between metro, trams, buses and local ferries.
Can I buy a 24-hour or 7-day transit pass in Oslo?
Yes. Ruter sells 24-hour and 7-day passes in its app. A Zone 1 single costs NOK 46 and lasts 60 minutes.
Can I purchase a ticket on board a tram or metro train in Oslo?
No. You cannot buy tickets from tram drivers or on T-bane carriages. Activate a digital ticket in the Ruter app, or hold a validated travel card, before you board. On city buses and ferries you can pay cash on board, with a surcharge of NOK 20 (NOK 10 for concessions).
Do regular Ruter transit tickets cover the Oslofjord ferries?
For the public island ferries, yes. Line B1 (Hovedøya, Lindøya, Gressholmen, Bleikøya and Nakholmen) takes standard Zone 1 tickets and 24-hour passes. The seasonal Bygdøy museum ferry (line 91 from City Hall Pier 3) is run by a private company: Ruter tickets are not valid, but it is free with the Oslo Pass.
What is the penalty fine for travelling without a ticket in Oslo?
NOK 1,150 if you pay the inspector on the spot by card, or NOK 1,470 if it is sent as an invoice. Uniformed and plainclothes inspectors check trams, buses, metro platforms and ferries often.
