Located at almost 70 degrees North, visitors may wish to fly here from Oslo, about a 1 hr 45 min flight (daily non-stop jet service by SAS Braathens, and Norwegian Air Shuttle). The local airport, Langnes (IATA designator "TOS") is the largest airport in Norhtern Norway and a hub for regional flights North, as well as the gateway (and only airport servicing) the Spitsbergen (or "Svalbard") islands.

There are only few scheduled international flights to Tromsø such as from/to London Stansted (Norwegian), Murmansk (Aeroflot) and Stockholm (SAS, only during summer) as well as charter from/to Frankfurt (Trolltours, only during summer). Furthermore some tour operators offer charter flights to/from some vacation destinations in the Mediterranean.

By boat: "Hurtigruta" (the Coastal Steamer, www.hurtigruten.com), the passenger ship and ferry that sails along the entire West Coast of Norway, makes daily stops here year round. The Southbound ship arrives just before midnight, offering passengers a chance to see the city and even make a midnight excursion to the Mountain Cable Car before departing at 01:30. The Northbound ship arrives at 2:30 pm, and stays for 4 hours before continuing North at 6:30 pm.

High-speed, water-jet powered express boats ("Hurtigbåten") link Tromsø several times daily to the 2 nearest neighbor cities, Finsnes and Harstad. Their convenient downtown-to-downtown service and short direct travel path make them faster than driving and even flying!

Cruiseships also make stops in Tromsø in summer, usually as they're headed for the North Cape.

By Car: About 1600 km (1000 statute miles) north of Oslo, following European route E-6 for the most direct trip. For a more scenic drive, consider taking coastal routes wherever possible, and be sure to include such scenic highlights as the Lofoten, Vesteralen and Senja islands. An extensive bridge and tunnel construction boom has improved access to most parts of this region, although some sounds and fjords still have to be crossed by ferryboat. Tromsø is also a natural stop on the way for visitors headed for the North Cape, the northernmost point in Europe. In winter, some mountain roads may be closed intermittently due to heavy snows and/or avalanches.

Railroad: There is no railroad in Tromsø. The Norwegian State Railroad (www.nsb.no) network terminates in Bodø, some 500 km to the South. Although an extenstion to the railroad network has been discussed for decades, at present there are no such plans. The Norwegian city of Narvik, located only 240 km to the south, does have a railroad connection to the Swedish State Railroad's network. A bus connection between Tromsø and Narvik on "TIRB" (Troms Innland Rutebil") fills the gap between Tromsø and the railroad.