The 13 most incredible experiences in Norway

A new restaurant in the middle of the Hardangerfjord in Norway is wowing — and scaring — TikTok. 

Enter the Jarlsberg “Perfect Pairing” sweepstakes by September 12, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a four-night trip for two people to Oslo, Norway, including air and hotel.

If you haven’t heard about the U.K.’s heated debate on cutting ties with the European Union—dubbed a “Brexit”—you certainly will this week. Britons headed to the ballot box on Thursday and made the historic decision to leave the European Union.

You probably saw (or experienced) the airport protests and delays this weekend following President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban nationals traveling to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority nations. But what do the American people think of the new travel measure?

Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air will introduce new direct service from Boston’s Logan International Airport to Copenhagen, Oslo, and London (Gatwick) this May, making it Boston’s largest international airline. Norwegian joins other low-cost carriers like WOW Air in targeting Boston as its gateway to Europe.

The market for Europe travel has softened, undermined by Brexit and terrorism concerns, among other factors. And what market there is is served by a growing contingent of cut-rate carriers like WOW and Norwegian Air.

These days, budget air deals aren’t hard to come by. There are plenty of flash sales and discount carriers to choose from, but not all of them are created equal. It’s become easy to find reasonable flights between big air hubs, but dreamy, far-off islands will almost always cost you more.

Almost all recent action in startup airlines has come from outside the U.S. We already see WOW and Norwegian, with a handful of other European lines gearing up and even one line from Asia (Malaysia’s AirAsia X). Prospects for home-based startup lines are pretty dim, but they’re not quite zero. Two are worth watching; a third new airline is pretty ephemeral so far.

Ever wish you could buy a rail pass for the skies? This summer, Norwegian regional airline Wideroe is once again offering a seasonal fly-all-you-want Norway air pass covering all of its routes. The airline flies a relatively dense route system throughout Norway, plus flights to/from Aberdeen, Goteborg, and Kobenhavn.

Looking for a more exciting family vacation than staying local this February break, but not sure you’d be able to afford the airfare? Try Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden: If you’re traveling with kids, one airline is offering up basically free plane tickets to Scandinavia when you book before December 10, 2018.

For the sixth year in a row, Finland has claimed the top spot in the World Happiness Report. The annual report, compiled by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, surveys residents in over 150 countries to determine which nations are the happiest.

If you were going to design a child- or family-friendly destination for travelers, it would look something like Norway. Norway has famously family-friendly working and pay conditions and this commitment to inclusivity extends to travel.