There were no connections from Helsinki that would arrive in time for the Swiss flight to Mumbai on the same day. Consequently, I flew from Helsinki to Oslo on SAS, connecting to Swiss for Zurich, where I planned to stay overnight at the airport. Since my flight to Mumbai was the following morning, I wasn’t in any rush to get to Zurich, so I chose a long layover in Oslo.
I reached Helsinki to check in for my flight to Oslo. There was a SAS strike that weekend, and most, if not all, long-haul flights from their hubs were cancelled. Luckily for me, I was only flying SAS as far as Oslo and then connecting to Swiss to Zurich, so I was allowed to travel. Most others who were flying onward with SAS were held back in Helsinki. I made a quick trip to the SAS Gold Lounge before my flight. Boarding was on time, the flight time was about an hour and a half, and soon we were landing in Oslo.
I reached Oslo a little after 8:00 AM and had an 11-hour layover. My bags were checked through to Zurich, so I exited the airport and headed to the Oslo Airport Gardermoen station.
I bought a return ticket to Oslo and boarded the train from Oslo Airport to Oslo Central Station. Upon arrival, I walked out to “The Tiger” sculpture and joined the Free Tour Oslo City 🔗 at 10:00 AM, following which I went to see The Royal Palace.
After spending some time there, I took a leisurely walk through Sentrum back to Oslo Central Station to catch the train to Oslo Airport for my 7:40 PM flight to Zurich.
There was chaos at Oslo Airport with many stranded passengers and news reporters. As a result of the numerous cancellations, the security check was quick, and I made my way to the SAS Lounge, which was surprisingly uncrowded. There were good options for food and drink, and I enjoyed a nice evening meal there.
Boarding was at a remote gate, and we were taken there by bus. The flight was operated by Helvetic Airways on behalf of Swiss.
After takeoff, we were served a small snack. The flight was brief, and we soon landed in Zurich.
I collected my bags and headed to the Radisson Blu Hotel Zurich Airport for the night; my flight to Mumbai was scheduled for the next morning.
🚆 Oslo Airport to Oslo Central Station
👣 Free Tour Oslo City
🔗
🛏️ Radisson Blu Hotel Zurich Airport