Taking a taxi in Oslo is easy, but the price is not fixed by a city tariff the way many North American travellers expect. Norway opened its taxi market to more operators, and in large, densely populated municipalities such as Oslo, companies set their own prices within the rules. Airport operator Avinor tells travellers that prices vary and that drivers must give an upfront price before the trip starts.
For short trips across the centre, a taxi or an app ride is quick and simple. For the 52 km (33 mi) run from Oslo Airport Gardermoen (OSL), a family with luggage or a late winter arrival, compare three things before you choose: the Flytoget airport train at NOK 276 a head, the upfront taxi price, and a pre-booked Elly8.net car at a fixed fare from US$265 per vehicle.
How much is a taxi in Oslo, and how is the fare set?
There is no single Oslo taxi tariff. Companies set their own prices, drivers must give an upfront price before you set off, and taxis hailed or taken from a rank without pre-booking fall under a temporary maximum-price rule. From Gardermoen, the taxi booking machine outside arrivals shows prices to most addresses before you commit.
The detail comes from Norway's Competition Authority, Konkurransetilsynet, which sets the rules for how taxis may charge. Its maximum-price regulation applies as the main rule across the country, but it exempts trips in municipalities with at least 20,000 inhabitants and high population density, where taxis in principle set prices freely. In its frequently asked questions, the authority adds that since 15 January 2025 a separate, temporary maximum-price regulation has applied in those exempt areas to taxi journeys that are not pre-booked. Prices that are unreasonable remain illegal everywhere under Norway's price legislation.
In practice that gives a visitor three kinds of taxi price in Oslo:
- An upfront price quoted when you book through a company's app, by phone or at the airport booking machine.
- A metered fare combining a starting price, a time rate and a distance rate. The authority's own worked example is a 10 km trip lasting 15 minutes: start price plus 15 minutes at the time rate plus 10 km at the distance rate.
- A fixed price set in advance by the company for a given route.
Taxis at Oslo Airport Gardermoen
Avinor runs Gardermoen and is direct about taxis there. The taxi stand is right outside the international arrivals hall. Avinor recommends using the taxi booking machine outside the terminal at ground level, in the area where taxis pick up passengers, where you can book a car and see an overview of prices to most addresses in Eastern Norway. A taxi generally arrives within 3 to 5 minutes.
Avinor also says a taxi must be booked before departure, either on the machines or through the taxi companies' own booking apps, and it advises against getting into a taxi without a prior reservation or making an agreement directly with a driver inside or outside the terminal. Its guide adds that the drive from Oslo S to the airport takes about 40 minutes.
That is a well-organised system, and a single traveller who lands mid-afternoon and wants a car will usually be on the way within minutes. Where it gets harder is the same as at any airport: a cluster of long-haul arrivals, bad weather, late night, or a party of five with skis that needs a large vehicle.
Flytoget, taxi, app ride or a chauffeur from OSL
| Option | Price | Time to the centre | Wait | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flytoget airport express | NOK 276 per adult to Oslo S or Nationaltheatret | 19 min | Departures every 10 min | One or two travellers near the line |
| Taxi from the stand | Upfront price shown at the booking machine | About 47 min clear road | Usually 3-5 min, says Avinor | Short notice, one address |
| App ride | Price shown in the app, changes with demand | About 47 min clear road | Driver acceptance plus pickup | Off-peak, light bags |
| Elly8.net business sedan | From US$265 per vehicle, fixed | About 47 min, door to door | Chauffeur waiting in arrivals | Late flights, families, fixed budgets |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$690 per vehicle, fixed | About 47 min, door to door | Chauffeur waiting in arrivals | Groups of up to 12 with luggage |
Flytoget is the honest winner for most solo travellers: trains leave every 10 minutes, take 19 minutes to the centre, and an adult ticket to Oslo S or Nationaltheatret costs NOK 276, with NOK 218 to Lillestrøm for the trade fair at NOVA Spektrum. If your hotel is near either city station and your bags roll easily, take the train.
The car comes into its own once the numbers change. Four adults on Flytoget pay four fares and still need a ride from the station; a family with car seats, a group heading straight to a meeting, a hillside hotel at Holmenkollen, or a midnight arrival in January are all simpler door to door.
Getting around Oslo once you are in the city
Central Oslo is compact. Karl Johans gate runs from Oslo S to the Royal Palace, the Opera House and MUNCH sit on the Bjørvika waterfront, and Aker Brygge is a walk from City Hall. Trams, the metro and buses cover the rest, and many visitors barely need a car in the centre.
Taxis and app rides make sense for:
- Evenings when you would rather not walk back in the cold or rain.
- Holmenkollen, about 9.5 km (6 mi) and 20 minutes above the city, with the ski jump and museum.
- Bygdøy's museums, across the harbour, when you are short of time.
- Hotel to station with luggage, on the day you leave.
Rank or hail a taxi and you are under the temporary maximum-price rule; book by app or phone and you get an upfront price first. Either way, ask before you go if anything is unclear, and keep the receipt.
Waiting times: what to expect
There is no official waiting-time figure for city taxis, so this guide will not invent one. What can be said is when supply gets tight:
- Friday and Saturday nights, when bars and restaurants across the city close at the same time.
- Big events at Oslo Spektrum, where concerts and congresses end at the same time.
- Winter weather, when snow and ice push walkers and cyclists into cars.
- The week around 10 December, when the Nobel Peace Prize is presented at Oslo City Hall and delegations, guests and media fill a small capital.
At those times, booking ahead is the cure, whether you use a taxi company's advance booking, an app's scheduled ride or a chauffeur.
Tolls: a cost you will see either way
Oslo charges a road toll each time a vehicle passes a toll station on the ring roads and main routes. Fjellinjen, the toll company for Greater Oslo, sets the price by fuel type and time of day; outside rush hour a petrol car or plug-in hybrid pays NOK 38 per passage, a diesel NOK 42 and an electric car NOK 21, with higher prices in rush hour, which Fjellinjen defines as crossings between 06:30 and 09:00 and between 15:00 and 17:00. On an Elly8.net booking, tolls and parking are billed at cost on top of the fixed fare, and electric partner vehicles, which are common in Norway, keep that line small.
Leaving Oslo: the run back to Gardermoen
Departures are where planning pays. Avinor puts the drive from Oslo S to the airport at about 40 minutes, but a weekday afternoon in the toll rush window or a snowy morning can stretch it. With a taxi, book the night before through the company's app or by phone and ask for the upfront price. With Flytoget, check that the trains are running normally before you leave the hotel. With Elly8.net, the fixed fare to the airport is the same as from it, and the chauffeur is assigned and confirmed in advance, so an early check-in for a transatlantic flight does not depend on finding a car at 05:00.
When a pre-booked car is the better choice
A taxi or an app ride is the right tool for spontaneous trips around town. A chauffeur booked in advance is the better one when:
- You land at night, in winter or after a long-haul flight. The chauffeur tracks the flight from the number you give us and waits in the international arrivals hall with a name board. Waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary.
- You are travelling as a group. A Business SUV or Van takes six passengers and six large bags; an Executive Sprinter twelve and twelve. One vehicle, one meeting point, one price per vehicle.
- You need child seats. They are fitted before pickup when you give the ages.
- You are on a schedule. Meetings, embassy appointments and roadshows run on time with a car that waits. See corporate car service and roadshow chauffeur.
- You want the cost settled. Fixed, all-in fares in US$, paid when you book, simplify expense reports. A corporate account adds monthly invoicing.
For a wider view, see chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft. If you plan to use apps, our guide to Uber in Oslo covers how the app works there.
What a pre-booked Oslo car costs
Every Elly8.net fare is per vehicle and all-in: chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet. Tolls and parking are billed at cost.
- Gardermoen to the city centre: from US$265 in a business sedan, US$345 in a business SUV, US$425 in a First Class SUV and US$465 in a First Class Sedan to US$690 in an Executive Sprinter. The same fixed fare applies from the city to the airport.
- Round trip booked together: from US$505 to US$1,315.
- By the hour: US$95 an hour in a business sedan to US$190 in a Sprinter, 3-hour minimum. See hourly chauffeur.
- Evening out and event night: from US$475 to US$950, useful in Nobel week. See event transportation.
As arithmetic for comparison only: four adults on Flytoget pay NOK 1,104 in train fares before any onward taxi, while one Business SUV from the terminal to the hotel door is US$345 for the vehicle. Whether that difference is worth it depends on your bags, your hotel and the hour.
How booking works
Rides in Oslo are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk.
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter OSL with your flight number, or any Oslo address.
- Vehicle. Choose the class by passengers and bags, and add child seats or skis.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now on the Oslo fares and pay by card in US$, or use the web booker for any other address. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less; 50% at 48 hours or less; 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show; refunds go to the original card. See the cancellation policy, airport transfers and the Oslo chauffeur service. Planning a day out of the city? See Oslo day tours with a private driver.
Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
Are Oslo taxis expensive?
Prices vary by company because Oslo is outside Norway's main maximum-price regulation. Drivers must give an upfront price, and taxis taken without pre-booking fall under a temporary maximum-price rule. At Gardermoen, the booking machine outside arrivals shows prices to most addresses before you commit.
How do I get a taxi at Oslo Airport?
Avinor recommends the taxi booking machine outside the terminal at ground level, where taxis pick up passengers, or the taxi companies' apps. Book before you get in; Avinor advises against agreeing a price directly with a driver. A taxi usually arrives within 3 to 5 minutes.
Is Flytoget better than a taxi?
For one or two travellers near Oslo S or Nationaltheatret, yes: 19 minutes, every 10 minutes, NOK 276 per adult. For groups, heavy luggage, child seats or addresses away from the line, a taxi or a pre-booked car is simpler door to door.
How much is a pre-booked car from Gardermoen to Oslo?
An Elly8.net transfer from OSL to the city centre costs from US$265 in a business sedan to US$690 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. It includes the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet; tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Can I hail a taxi on the street in Oslo?
You can take taxis from ranks and hail them, and those trips fall under the temporary maximum price for journeys that are not pre-booked. Booking by app or phone gets you an upfront price first, which is the easier way to compare.
Where does the chauffeur meet me at Gardermoen?
In the international arrivals hall, after passport control and baggage reclaim, with a name board. The chauffeur tracks your flight, and waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary. If a connection is missed, message the 24/7 desk and the pickup moves.
