Car hire Stavanger

Introduction

Stavanger is the oil capital of Norway. Does this make it a boring working city? No, Stavanger has a cozy, historic center with many shops, restaurants and cafes. Part of the old town consists of wooden houses from the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Furthermore, there are interesting museums (of course, there is a museum dedicated to the oil industry, but also an archaeological museum and an old fish processing plant, which has been converted into the Canning museum). Stavanger is located in the province of rogaland in a very diverse landscape: mountains, rocks, fjords, lakes and islands.

Population

The city officially has a population of 120,000. Large quarters are part of other municipalities, but actually belong to Stavanger. In this urban area live more than 200,000 people. In this city live many foreigners who work in the oil industry of for NATO.

Location

Stavanger is located on the southwest coast of Norway. There are beautiful lakes in and around the city: the Breiavatnet Lake in the heart of the city and two other lakes (Mosvatnet and Stokkavatnet) on the outskirts. The latter is populated by thousands of ice skaters in winter.

Economy

Stavanger once was a major fishing port. It still is, but nowadays the oil industry is of more importance economically. Furthermore, there is a large military base, which is used both by the Norwegian army and NATO.

Airports

The airport is located eleven kilometers southwest of the city center. Stavanger Airport in Sola is easily accessible by rental car via highway E39. The exit to the airport is clearly indicated.

Public Transport

The city has excellent public bus transport. You can pay per ride, but if you take the bus regularly, a day ticket, 3-day ticket or week ticket is much cheaper.

There are car ferries to Bergen, Kristiansand and Danish Hirtshals.

Traffic and Parking

Stavanger is a compact and reasonably busy city. Yet, it is not difficult to drive here and find your way in your rental car during off-peak hours. Part of the old town of Stavanger is a pedestrian zone. Furthermore, the city is divided into parking zones, where different rules apply (some zones are reserved for residents. You can park on the street, but a better alternative is to park your car in one of the parking garages.

Hotels

Stavanger has a good range of accommodations, from simple backpackers' accommodations to luxury hotels. Many hotels are tailored to the needs of the many businessmen who visit the town. We recommend you to book your accommodation well in advance, especially if you would like to visit this Norwegian city in summer.

External Sources

For more information about Stavanger we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Stavanger
• Official website Stavanger (Norwegian, English)
• Tourist Information Stavanger (multilingual)