We just got home from another great family trip (despite overcast and cold weather), and it reminded me of something I think we sometimes forget in the points-and-miles world. Points and miles aren’t about flying in business class every time or staying in the fanciest hotel. They’re about making family trips possible. In this case, there were eight of us.

For ten days, our family of eight explored Norway. We spent two days in Oslo before heading to the Lofoten Islands for eight days. Let me remind you—I love blue skies and warm weather. While Jess loves to travel to cooler places since she lives in Houston, I don’t.  Despite the weather not being to my liking in the Lofoten Islands, I loved the cute fishing villages, gorgeous mountains, and beautiful beaches. It was among the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen.

 

    

Flights to Norway

We flew SAS from LHR to Oslo both ways. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is not a transfer partner for any flexible currencies, so we paid for our flights in cash at $348 each round trip. I could have booked through Chase Travel℠, but I would have only gotten one cent per point, so I opted to just pay cash and earn points.

 

Staying in an Airbnb

We used points and miles to book our flights to Europe (before we got to London), saving thousands of dollars. But when it came to where we stayed, we did something a little different: we booked Airbnbs. As much as we love a great Hyatt or Marriott, this just wasn’t a hotel trip, and the only hotels we could have used points for anyway were Preferred Hotels in Oslo. 

With eight people in our family group, we wanted to be together. We wanted a kitchen where we could make breakfast before heading out each morning. We wanted a living room where everyone could gather after a long day of exploring. We wanted to do laundry. We wanted space. The Airbnbs gave us exactly that. I don’t think the trip would have felt the same if we’d been split up into several hotel rooms.

One of my favorite parts of the trip wasn’t something we planned. It was sitting around the table every evening, talking about the day’s adventures, laughing about a funny comment, and figuring out what we wanted to do the next day. It was also my husband giving an impromptu yoga class. Those are the moments I’ll remember most. Here is our first Airbnb in Oslo.  All these Airbnbs fit 8 to 12 people and were expensive, so sharing the bill definitely made them more doable.

 

 

Here’s the thing: because we used points for our flights, we didn’t feel guilty paying cash for Airbnbs that worked so much better for our family. The flights were the biggest expense, and points covered that.

I think sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves to use points for every part of a trip. This vacation reminded me that the best strategy is simply to use your points where they save you the most money and spend cash where it gives you the best experience.

 

48 Hours in Oslo: Our Family’s Highlights

When we started planning our trip to Norway, Oslo was really our jumping-off point before heading to the Lofoten Islands. We gave ourselves two days to explore, and we’re glad we did.

Oslo is an easy city to visit. It’s clean and walkable, and public transportation makes it easy to get around if you don’t want to walk everywhere. It was a great place to ease into our trip before heading north. One cautionary tale: don’t hail a taxi—we were totally ripped off to the tune of $80 for a short five-mile trip.

Activities

One of our favorite stops was the Opera House. You can actually walk up onto the roof, and it gives you a great view of the harbor and the city. It’s free to visit and definitely worth adding to your list.

 

 

We also enjoyed spending time along the waterfront at Aker Brygge. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, and places to sit and enjoy the views. It was a fun area to wander around in without feeling like we had to stick to a schedule.

 

 

The stop that really stood out was the Nobel Peace Center. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, but we left impressed. The exhibits tell the stories of Nobel Peace Prize winners and the impact they’ve had worldwide. It wasn’t just a history museum. It was thought-provoking and a good reminder of how individuals can make a difference. If you have a few hours in Oslo, we’d definitely recommend adding it to your itinerary. We spent about $10 per person to go in it, but students and children were free.

 

 

Would we recommend spending a week in Oslo? Probably not. But if you’re heading to Norway, we think two days is just about right. It gave us enough time to see the highlights, enjoy the city, and adjust to the time change before continuing on to one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

Points Talk Squad Tip: If you’re planning to visit the Lofoten Islands, don’t try to fly there the same day you arrive in Norway. Spending a couple of days in Oslo helps with jet lag, gives you time to explore the city, and provides a buffer in case your international flight is delayed. We found it made the rest of our trip much more enjoyable.

 

Lofoten Islands

Located above the Arctic Circle in northern Norway, Lofoten is made up of small fishing villages, mountains, beaches, and some of the most memorable scenery we’ve seen. It’s one of those destinations where the drive is just as much a part of the experience as the stops along the way.

We spent eight days exploring the islands, and not once did we feel like we had to rush. We hiked, wandered through small towns, stopped whenever a view caught our attention, and enjoyed the extra daylight that comes with visiting during the summer. Want to fish at 10:00 pm? No problem here! Thank heavens for blackout curtains so we could sleep!

 

Upon Arrival

We rented a large van from SIXT at the airport and drove nearly three hours to Svolvær, which was about 15 minutes from our rental. There were a lot of stores here, so we did some grocery shopping and rented fishing equipment there, too. Food is expensive in Norway, but not more expensive than a grocery trip in Hawaii, and cooking a good portion of our food saved us a ton of money.

We stayed in two different Airbnbs in this location. The first one was this one in Lyngvær, and the second was this one in Ramberg, Norway.

 

 

 

 

Activities in Lofoten

Lofoten isn’t a destination where you race from one attraction to the next. Some of our favorite moments happened because we pulled over for a viewpoint, spent a little longer in a fishing village, or took a walk without any real plan.

Here are some of the activities we did in the Lofoten Islands:

• Stayed in Lygenvær and also visited Svolvær. Svolvær was where we did our shopping and rented fishing equipment. Cute city and one of the largest we were in.
• Visited Henningsvær fishing village. Stunning, with tiny stores to go in and out of, great fish and chips, and some traditional Norwegian pastries. I honestly thought it was worth the trip just to see this village.
• Rented fishing poles for fishing. No luck with the fish, though. 😂
• Haukland Beach, where a few brave ones braved a very cold plunge. The Sea Café had the best sandwiches, waffles, cookies, and muffins, too! I would have liked to have gone there again!
• Walked from Haukland Beach to the rugged, boulder-strewn shores of Uttakleiv Beach. This was a very easy hike for all family members, and was about 2.5 miles one way.
• Visited Nusfjord, which looked adorable. It’s a cute fishing village, but they charge $15 a person to go into the village. We were cheap and didn’t want to pay $120 for all 8 of us to go, so we passed on it.
• Lofotr Viking Museum. The actual museum was underwhelming, but the longhouse was very interesting. Additionally, you can pay to ride in a Viking boat, but that was too cold for us. It’s not an expensive ride though ($10 adults, $5 children 6 to 15).
• Ramberg. We loved our stay here. Our views were picturesque, and we had a shed with a sauna directly across from our cottage and spectacular views of the water and cute houses.
• Watched a lot of tennis (Wimbledon) and World Cup soccer games.
• Went to Reine and Å (the world’s shortest named city). They looked stunning (through the drizzle).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flights to and From Lofoten

If you’re thinking about visiting Norway, don’t stop with Oslo or the fjords. Add several days in the Lofoten Islands if you can. The extra travel is worth it, and the slower pace makes it easy to settle in and enjoy everything the islands have to offer. We flew Norwegian Airlines for $94 each, but we could have traveled more cheaply if the times had worked for us. We flew from Oslo to Harstad/Narvik (EVE) on a 1 1/2 hour flight.

 

 

Bottom Line

While I normally don’t like destinations that require me to bundle up, I loved our trip to Norway and, particularly, the Lofoten Islands. Gorgeous scenery, cute fishing villages, and being with family are worth a little bit of cold.

The Lofoten Islands are every bit as beautiful as you’ve seen in the photos. But after spending most of our trip bundled up in jackets, walking through drizzle, and wondering if we’d ever see the sun, I can honestly say it’s probably a one-and-done destination for me. I know people get lucky with beautiful weather, but even in the middle of summer, it’s far from guaranteed. There are just too many amazing places in the world where I can enjoy the scenery without being cold and wet the entire time. Lofoten was stunning, but once was enough for me. But if the weather had been better, I’d be returning for sure!

 

Related Posts

Family Trip Back to Greece on Points and Miles

Positioning Flights for International Travel

You Do You with Points and Miles