Stavanger Airport Mini Guide
Why Should I Visit Stavanger?
Stavanger is an attractive city on the west coast of Norway. Until very recently it was a small town dependent on fishing and was once the centre of Christianity in Norway with Stavanger Domkirke being the oldest cathedral in the country. Today Stavanger is a thriving city and the heart of Norway’s petroleum industry. The wealth created by the oil has brought thousands of foreign workers to the city giving it an eclectic and multicultural feel as well as allowing it to spend money on facilities to improve the lives of its inhabitants. Thankfully, it retains much of its old charm, especially around the harbour, and in places you wouldn’t recognise any changes if you had lived there a century earlier.
How do I get to Stavanger?
Seven miles south west of the city you’ll find Norway’s third busiest airport, Stavanger International. Much of the traffic is based on the needs of the oil industry but there are still numerous flights from destinations around Europe contributing to passenger numbers exceeding four million last year. Several airlines fly routes from domestic airports in the
UK and once you arrive at Stavanger, transport into the city is easy with an airport shuttle bus, public bus and taxis all available from outside the terminal.
What is the Airport Like?
The airport has two terminals, one handling aeroplanes and the other handling helicopters. The aeroplane terminal was completed in 1987 and is a modern, well lit and efficiently organised one.
What Should I Expect When I Arrive in Stavanger?
The airport was the first in Norway to incorporate air bridges and so passengers can enter the terminal without having to brave the winter freeze! Inside the terminal, you’ll need to go through passport checks and then on to claim your baggage. In the arrivals hall there’s an information desk that can answer your questions about the airport facilities as well as tell you what you can do whilst in Stavanger. The car hire companies are represented at the kiosks in the arrivals hall and over a hundred cars are available for passengers to rent. There’s a bank in the arrivals hall as well as several cash machines should you urgently need money.
What are the Facilities Like When I Leave for Home?
If you’re hungry when you arrive at the airport, check in your bags and look at the menus of the variety of cafes, bars and restaurants there. Most of the food is of the hot and cold snack variety but the pizzas are delicious. After filling up, you can spend some time in the airport duty free shop or the Ark bookstore before stocking up with travel essentials at the 7-Eleven store. For those last few minutes at the airport, log on to the free Wi-Fi and check emails or messages from friends.
Stavanger Airport (SVG) or Stavanger Airport Sola is both a commercial airport and a base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. They operate search and rescue missions from the airport into the North Sea as Stavanger Airport is close to North Sea oil refineries.
However most of the car hire Stavanger Airport custom is provided by the 4.1 million annual passengers. The most popular route is to the Norwegian capital
Oslo which is served by around 25 daily flights. That is just one of nine domestic routes offered by five airlines and there is also service to 37 foreign destinations.