New for Norway This Winter: Extra Flights, More UK Skiers Forecast + PlanetSKI is Coming to Stay
23rd October 2026
Interest continues to grow from British skiers as they see a genuine alternative to the Alps. So, what does skiing in Norway have to offer? NEW
There are now more ways to fly to Norway to enjoy all that the country has to offer in the winter.
Crystal Ski is introducing a new charter flight from Birmingham to Oslo for next winter.
The new route will be served by TUI Airways, with the first departure scheduled for Sunday 13th December 2026, and the last outbound departure on 14th February 2027.
The weekly flight will complement the existing TUI routes from London Gatwick to Oslo, and Manchester to Oslo.
PlanetSKI was on the inaugural Gatwick to Oslo flight for the 2023/24 season.
Crystal charter to Oslo. Image © PlanetSKI
We reported on the new flight from Birmingham last February:
There is also a new campaign partnership between Norway Home of Skiing, Alpinco, Avinor and Norwegian Air Shuttle with support from UK ski operators including Ski Safari, Ski Solutions and Crystal Ski.
“Norway has snow-sure slopes that are uncrowded, there is fabulous hospitality, plus breathtaking scenery,” said Andy Hemingway from Ski Safari as he spoke to people at the London Snow Show in Olympia last weekend.
Ski Safari on the Norway stand at the London Snow Show. Image © PlanetSKI
“You can ski with views of fjords one way and and beautiful mountains the other, there is nowhere in the world that offers what Norway does.”
It had the biggest and busiest stand at the London Snow Show.
Norway stand at the London Snow Show. Image © PlanetSKI
Norway stand at the London Snow Show. Image © PlanetSKI
The new campaign will showcase Norway as an alternative to the Alps, with reliable snow, uncrowded slopes and a unique Scandinavian experience.
Norwegian Air Shuttle is increasing capacity to Oslo, with an increase in direct flights from London and Edinburgh compared to last winter and increasing service from Manchester from two to five weekly departures.
Introducing Sunday departure with British ski travellers solely in mind.
The campaign will combine digital marketing, consumer activations and operator activity across the UK, promoting Norway with reliable snow conditions, high-quality and less crowded alternative to the Alps.
See here for our report earlier this month:
The renewed interest in Norway continues to grow and this winter PlanetSKI will be based in Norway next March for a month or so to find out why
We are going to be based in Voss with a second resort of Myrkdalen on our doorstep.
It is the perfect base to explore the other resorts that Norway has to offer.
We were last in that part of Norway in 2023 on a rail trip and enjoyed its attractions:
“Norway is a wonderful alternative to the ski resorts in the Alps,” said PlanetSKI editor, James Cove.
“It doesn’t have the steep vertical and extensive terrain of some of the huge mega resorts of the Alps, but that is exactly its charm.
“It is on a smaller and more manageable scale and its differences to the Alps are exactly its attractions.”
James in Narvik, Norway. Image © PlanetSKI
Norway has a population of five million people who live in a country a third larger than the UK, so you can understand why the ski slopes are rarely crowded and how the dramatic natural landscape is largely untouched.
The views are often of snow-covered inland wilderness and there are some stunning sights on the fjord coastlines with their towering mountains as a backdrop.
Norway is the birthplace of skiing and it offers a rich heritage in the sport – it has more winter Olympic medals than any other nation.
At the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics it won 41 medals – 18 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze.
That took the total to 447 medals, including 166 golds.
Cortina, 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Image © David Pearce/Team GB
In February 2029 the resort of Narvik will old the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships:
The ski resorts of Norway are more than 1,000 miles north of those in the Alps, so they are generally colder and the snow stays longer across the winter months.
It doesn’t tend to have such sharp fluctuations in the temperature.
Last season wasn’t a bumper one for snow, but there was enough and the cold temperatures preserved things.
Overall the resorts are much smaller but there is still a great variety of terrain, with some (Geilo, Beitostolen) specialising in family offerings, while others (Myrkdalen,Voss) specialising in powder and steeper terrain.
Myrkdalen, Norway. Image © PlanetSKI
The skiing is generally regarded as being mainly for beginners, intermediates and families.
It is.
Each resort does have more advanced terrain, but it is often of limited size.
If you are after extensive steep and deep terrain, then head somewhere else (up into the Arctic Circle in Norway perhaps), but there is enough to keep advanced skiers happy if you pick the right resort.
Otherwise much of the skiing is generally on blues and reds, with good beginner areas.
And all in fabulous scenery.
Norefjell, Norway. Image © PlanetSKI
Norefjell, Norway. Image © PlanetSKI
Most of the resorts in The Alps offer a host of alternative activities off the slopes, but somehow they can all feel a bit ‘touristy’.
In Norway they are the real deal and should be experienced:
- Skiing under the Northern Lights
- Taking a rib tour across a frozen Fjord
- A night in an Ice Hotel
- Cross country skiing
- Mushing on a Husky Safari
Husky safari in Beitostolen. Image © PlanetSKI
Here at PlanetSKI we have done them all.
Even this:
Indoor sky diving simulator at Voss. Image © PlanetSKI
Norway – Home of Skiing, represents a number of resorts in Norway and has relationships with all the main UK ski companies.
See which resort might be best for you:
Last winter PlanetSKI’s Simon Wilson reported from Gausta:
Gausta. Image c/o Norway – Home of Skiing
Gausta. Image c/o Norway-Home of Skiing.
Related PlanetSKI Articles:
- Skiing in Scandinavia surges
- Skiing in Norway: PlanetSKI reports from Narvik
- Skiing in Norway takes off
Narvik, Norway. Image © PlanetSKI
More about Norway – Home of Skiing:
It is Norway’s largest group of ski resorts, offering an easy selection in one place to variety of ski products to suit all abilities.
From beginners to adrenaline seeking off-piste skiers to cross-country, we truly have something for everyone interested in skiing in Norway.
For an all-round winter ski experience, you can’t beat skiing in Norway.
We are the home to more gold medals at the Winter Olympics than any other nation, so it’s no surprise that skiing is in the DNA of our nation.
Hafjell, Norway. Image c/o Scott Hammond
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