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The Wonder Luster

For Those Of Us Whose Dreams Won't Die Between 17 and 65.

Life is wondrous! Feed your lust for life with the tools & inspiration to help make it a great one.

Quick Tips To Do Norway On A Budget With Kids

Uncategorized | May 16, 2022

Now that the world has opened up for travel, it seems like it’s more expensive than ever. Some of us also are dusting off our passports with a new little one that didn’t exist before and needing to stretch our travel savings. 

We ventured to the land of Vikings in March of 2022. While we weren’t super budget conscious, we did want to save as much as we could and do Norway on a budget. So, if you want to visit the land of Northern Lights, vikings and friendly people but need to mind your line items, read on.

First, Consider Flying In During Off-Season

Going to an arctic country in the midst of winter can be intimidating, especially if you’re in the southern latitudes. Traveling in shoulder season (meaning, whenever tourists are less likely to visit) can yield you up to 23% cheaper rates.  Shoulder season is the key to doing Norway on a budget- so this means, winter travel.

While it may not be your first choice, Norway is gorgeous in winter. Plus, you will get to take advantage of the peak time to see the Northern Lights. If the Aurora Borealis is on your bucket list, going between September and April is only time they’re visible.

You can avoid the coldest temperatures and still catch the lights by flying out on the shoulder of shoulder season. Namely, September, October, March or April.

Overall, tourists flock to major cities during the spring and summer months, but there are amazing attractions in winter.  I’ve had some of my best trips in winter- Traverse City, Michigan, Paris and Barcelona.  For Norway, you can still hit up amazing museums, historical sites and of course, enjoy some dog sledding! Be advised, that some attractions in Norway may be limited or closed during off season. So, plan accordingly if there’s something you absolutely can’t miss.

Pack Light & Save On Baggage Fees

Norway is a big country, and I say that as someone coming from Texas! We flew into Oslo, but had to get to Tromso to see the lights, with sightseeing, in under a week. The drive alone would have taken 22 hours, yikes! We had to get from city to city as quickly as possible, so we decided to skip on a car rental. We opted for budget airline, Norweigan Air, to bop between Oslo, Alesund and Tromso.

The great thing about budget airlines in Europe is that you can usually get a flight between cities or even countries for $50-$80 USD. Amazing right? Problem is, if you are a heavy packer, you’ll blow through any savings with their baggage fees.  If you’re spending 1-2 weeks abroad, you may have large suitcases that were free to fly across the Atlantic, but will cost you about $50 USD per suitcase on a budget Euro airline like Norwegian.

We had 3 flights between cities and would have easily paid an additional $150 in baggage fees alone. We skirted this by forgoing our fashion sense to pack only layerable basics and we did laundry twice on our trip.

Travel Light With Baby & Plan For Mobility

We travelled as a family to Norway when our baby was 8 months old and I was about 4 months pregnant with our second. While strollers and carseats do not typically count towards your baggage allowance on most airlines, I would forgo the carseat & bulky travel systems.  We saved on our trip to Norway by having our baby in our lap for the main flight from the U.S. and rented an in-flight bassinet. We also decided against renting a car as it was cheaper to fly, so it eliminated the need for a car seat that clips into our bulky travel system stroller.

You’ll save a lot of money by focusing on mobility and reducing bulk. Pack one light umbrella stroller if your child is under 3, and a fabric carrier or wrap.  We found the fastest and easiest two to use on crowded buses and airports was a Jeep PowerGlyde Stroller and Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier.

Both items were easy to collapse and stow, or hand off between parents. If you’re looking to save on airfare and transport, you’ll see that space is at a premium.  Being functional in limited space and fast change overs will save you sanity and cash.

If your baby is young enough to be concerned about safe sleep, be sure to ask if your hotel offers a free crib. Not all hotels in Norway include a complimentary crib. Some do charge around $10 NOK a night, so be sure to double check before you book!

Book Hotels With Free Breakfast

Do not knock the free hotel breakfast in Norway, y’all. If I had one takeaway from this country, it’s that the hotel food is LEGIT. We stayed 3 different hotels during our stay and the breakfasts, even for mid-range hotels was next level.  In the states, hotel breakfasts are usually lackluster with runny carton eggs and overcooked bacon in heating trays.

In Norway, we didn’t have a single disappointing free breakfast. We noshed on prosciutto, espresso, fresh juices and smoked salmon- all included with the breakfast buffets. If you’re used to American free breakfasts, don’t sleep on a free breakfast in Norway! You’ll likely just have a tea kettle and instant coffee in your room, but you may just luck out and get a Nespresso in your room.  Either way, while we found food was more expensive in Norway, you can save a bunch by starting your day with a free meal.

If you’re traveling with kids to Norway, it can get really pricey between airfare, transport and food- so these were the biggest money saving hacks we had for visiting the country.  We advocate that you’ll get more bang for your buck spending your cash on attractions you’re excited about and avoiding some of the most annoying fees.  Namely, baggage and crib fees!  

Happy travels!

Life is wondrous! Feed your lust for life with the tools & inspiration to help make it a great one.

« Flying With A Baby: Tips For Traveling With An Infant
When’s The Best Time To Fly While Pregnant? »

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Some people just make the world a more vibrant pla Some people just make the world a more vibrant place, simply by being in it.  I can say that about these people- who make life more colorful, brighter and true just by being themselves. 

Grateful we could slow down to capture a little snippet in time for our family before we grow again. ❤️
IYKYK, bath time edition. 🛁. #bathtime #travelb IYKYK, bath time edition. 🛁. #bathtime #travelblogger #travel #familytravel #travellust
3 years since this photo was taken and my former k 3 years since this photo was taken and my former kidney became this guy's kidney. ❤️

I can say, I've grown to appreciate this moment a lot more as time has gone on.  It hasn't been an easy road for my recipient, he and his family have had a few health scares and ups and down, but I'm so grateful we are in each other's lives.

Chances are, you may know of someone in need of a kidney. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S., over 80 million people, are at risk for kidney disease.  While not every diagnosis leads to kidney failure, there are millions of people in this scary limbo hoping for good news.

I didn't know my recipient before this process started, but when I found I could live healthfully with one, I knew I had to try.  Donation is low-risk, my costs were generously covered by my recipient (both through insurance and the kindness of others) and I was back at work in 4 weeks.  Needless to say, it was easier than birthing a baby.

Candidates for kidney donation are thoroughly vetted to ensure the surgery, and life with one kidney are a good fit.  Trust me, your team will not ask you to donate if you have any risk factor of being in need of a transplant yourself down the road.  Testing took months and was incredibly thorough.  Your remaining kidney can do the job of two, and my kidney levels are normal and healthy 3 years later.

Even if you don't personally know someone who needs a kidney, please consider living kidney donation.  You can anonymously donate, be paired through a registry or find someone on social media who is in need, like I did.  There are literally thousands of people using Instagram and Facebook to try and someone who is even willing to get the basic tests.  You could be their person.  Have questions? I’m here for you! 

Being a living kidney donor absolutely enriched my life beyond imagination and has blessed my little family with a beautiful extended family to celebrate with.  Grateful for this day.
Life’s moments are made better with our pets. ❤️

Joey had been with us for nearly 4 years, made possible by the kind folks of South Texas Boston Terrier Rescue. I picked him up, intending on fostering him for a few weeks and ended up falling in love with his sweet spirit, exuberance for anything food related and his lovable derpiness.

Previously, he was kept in a small cage with two other terriers, all day every day and used as a stud. When he was no longer profitable, he, like plenty of others, was surrendered to rescue.  He was blind in one eye, needed teeth extracted and had skin lesions from life in a cage. 

Life hadn’t been easy for him, but I’m glad a rescue was there to give him a second chance, and they trusted me to give in his second chapter.  He was a well travelled dog and he was the Best Pup on our wedding day in Marfa.  Last night we said goodbye. Hubs and I will miss him dearly, but savor the moments and adventures with our little tank. 

Adopt, don’t shop.  Support your local rescues and give your fur kids an extra squeeze for Joey tonight.
“Is this enough for you?” My husband has asked “Is this enough for you?” My husband has asked me this before. To which, I answer- life is full, wonderful, and I am grateful. 

I believe he asks because before kids, I had a very different lifestyle. I traveled to Europe by myself, started businesses, donated a kidney, ran half marathons, got my master’s degree.  I lived a full life, then too. I was fiercely independent because I had to be.

I’m still that person, but fortunately I have more people to share it with. I also have to be more vulnerable than ever.

I had years to find myself and don’t plan on losing that woman I forged. Being a mom has also helped me heal some of the hard parts of the experience I had with my own mom. (I didn’t see that last part coming.)

Being a mom can make you lose yourself.  For me, it’s helped me discover myself once more. Grateful for this day and so many days - I’m just happy to be here. 

Happy Mother’s Day everyone. I hope you discover yourself, heal what you need and feel the love today and everyday.

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