The European Country Rick Steves' Protégé Says Is 'Well Coordinated' To Make Travel More Rewarding

There's no getting around it. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland — the Nordic countries of Northern Europe — are among the coldest and most expensive places for visitors. Yet, they consistently rank among the happiest countries in the world. What magic formula do these low-temperature but high-cost countries know that others could learn from?

Cameron Hewitt, travel writer for Rick Steves' Europe, thinks it may have something to do with a public transportation system that can efficiently zip residents and visitors across the country, especially in Norway. "This country is an exemplar of how an efficient roads-and-transport network makes life easier and travel more rewarding." he wrote in his Facebook post, "When you spend time in a place with such impeccable infrastructure as Norway's, you come to recognize public works projects for what they are: the way that a healthy society creates a better, easier, happier world for all of its citizens (and visitors) to live in."

He traveled seamlessly under mountains and across the country's famous fjords by car and ferry. Travel that could also have been completed by rail and, in some cases, by bicycle. Curious to try it out? Book a flight to Oslo's Gardermoen Airport, the international gateway to Norway. The Flytoget Airport Express train departs every 10 minutes and will zip you into the city center in under 20 minutes. That's less than half an hour from the airport terminal to downtown Oslo. Your Norwegian public transportation adventure has already begun.

For the nation's capital, Oslo is relatively compact. The city center is easily walkable from the harbor promenade to the imposing Akershus Castle, a site so iconic it was the inspiration for a wildly popular Disney film, "Frozen." For sights outside the city center, like the popular Vigeland Sculpture Park, visitors can ride Oslo's T-bane, one of the best metro systems in Europe. The best part is that Oslo provides commuters with a single ticket for all its public transportation, including buses, trams, subways, and ferries.

As for Norway's stunning fjords, visitors can get there by ferry, train, or bus, with no need to rent a car. Sognefjord is the deepest and longest fjord in Norway, stretching an incredible 127 miles (205 kilometers) with countless branches along the way. This "King of the Fjords" is the must-see destination recommended by Rick Steves.

One popular route is to take a train from Oslo Central Station to Bergen via Flåm, a village tucked into the fjord that's also home to one of the world's steepest railways. On the ride up, visitors will pass through majestic snow-capped mountains. As the train approaches the mountain village of Myrdal, visitors have the option to cycle about 12 miles (20 kilometers) down to Flåm along an old railway road. It's a gentle and scenic downhill path that takes about two hours, passing waterfalls and traditional Norwegian farmhouses along the way. The bicycles rented in Myrdal are returned in Flåm by the train station, a seamless one-way ride. From Flåm, a two-hour ferry brings passengers to Bergen, cruising along the awe-inspiring Sognefjord.

The only downside to this is the budget. Public transportation can add up, especially if traveling in large groups. The train from Oslo to Flåm can cost nearly $150 one-way, for example. It's worth investigating different travel options. The Entur app, from Norway's public transportation company, allows travelers to compare bus and rail journeys across the country.

Food and lodging in Norway are also notoriously expensive. Simple budget accommodation can cost more than $100 a night. Depending on what you're eating, travelers report that a basic fast-food meal can cost as much as $15 a person, while high-end dining can reach as much as $250. Eating light on the road and saving the big meal for cooking at home is one way to budget. Fortunately, accommodation options with kitchens are popular in Norway. The Cochs Pensjonat in Oslo, for example, has simple budget rooms furnished with hotplates for cooking.

Another way to save is to camp in Norway's great outdoors, especially during the summer. The country has more than 1,000 campsites to enjoy, many of which offer basic cabins with cooking facilities. Norway is also proud of its "allemannsretten" tradition, or "right to roam." That means camping for a night is allowed in any wild and uncultivated areas as long as visitors stay at least 492 feet (150 meters) away from the nearest inhabited building. Just remember to clean up after your campsite. For a true Nordic adventure, consider Hardangervidda, Norway's largest national park, a paradise of snowy peaks, waterfalls, and lakes.