Sweden Travel Tips
With over nine million locals, Sweden is a small but lovely country. From the frozen lands up north to the islands in Stockholm, Sweden is full of history and culture. The best time to go is in the summer when it’s actually warm or in the fall as the leaves from the trees change color and the air is a little crisp. The country isn’t cheap but the people are really nice and the country’s natural beauty is equally matched the with beauty of their residents. The land of the vikings is one of the most visually beautiful natural places in the world.
Typical Costs in Sweden
- Accommodation: Accommodation, like everything else in Sweden, is not cheap. Hostels will cost around 240 SEK per night. Hotels will cost 600 SEK or more per night. Hostels in Sweden also add a surcharge for bed linen.
- Food: Cook when you can, or go into a café which often will only set you back $5-10 for a snack or light entrée. Restaurants are pricey and I found eating out the most expensive part of my time in Sweden with even a simple dinner costing $25.
- Transportation Costs: Train and bus are the cheapest ways to go. There are many choices and the destinations are endless, but a typical hour long ride will cost you 45 SEK.
- Activities: Most museums and attractions cost about 20- 50 SEK to get into.
Money Saving Tips for Sweden
- Take Walking Tours. From Stockholm to their many islands to the villages in between, you can spend countless hours walking the area and learning on your own. It’s much cheaper than the expensive guided tours that often cost several hundred dollars.
- Cook Your Food. Eating out in Sweden was more expensive than drinking. While you should taste the local cuisine, try to minimize how often you eat out and you’ll save a lot of money.
- Drink Beer. Alcohol isn’t cheap in Sweden as it is heavily taxes. However, beer is quite cheap. If you stick to beer, you can save yourself a lot of money when you go to the bars.
- Buy a Rail Pass. If you plan to do a lot of traveling around, buy a rail pass before you get into the country. You’ll end up saving a few hundred dollars off the high cost of travel in Sweden.
Top Things to See in Sweden
- See the Vasa Museum. As one of Sweden’s Wonders of the World, it showcases an amazingly preserved 17th Century ship, complete with all six levels for your viewing. This battle ship was to show case how great Sweden was and instead it sank upon launch.
- Island-Hop. It’s worth spending a little money to take a boat from Stockholm to the different islands and experience just what they’re about. In particular, make sure to check out Archipelago. Gotland is also a very big summer holiday destination.
- Stroll along Haga in Gothenburg. It’s worth a day’s trip just to walk along its cobblestone streets and window shops. They also have some wonderful quaint restaurants, so stop at one of the many when you get hungry for lunch.
- See Stockholm. There is so much history in Stockholm that if you stay less than three days here, you’ll leave feeling like you missed out. From their museums to nightlife, there’s no time to get bored. It’s one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. The Swedes knew how to build long before IKEA came around.
- Lapland. Located to the far north is the tundra-like landscape in Sweden known as the Lapland. This is where an indigenous people continues to make their home in the snowy cold, and also happens to be one of the last true wildernesses left on earth. Getting there is easier than most travelers think, from Stockholm.
- Stay in the Ice Hotel. Located up north, the Ice Hotel is a hotel built during the winter months out of (you guessed it) ice. You stay in an essentially giant igloo. There’s an ice bar, ice dining room, and an ice bed (with big fur blankets!).
- Visby. This medieval walled city is a popular destination for Swedes on holiday. However, it is also a wonderful place to see Sweden’s historic past.
- Catch the Mid-Summer. Swede’s celebrate the summer solstice with a giant party and celebration. It’s not warm and light often here and they make the most of it with dancing, eating, drinking, and enjoy nature. You can’t understand Sweden without understanding this holiday.
- Bohuslän Coast. This beautiful coast has been smoothed and carved out by glaciers. There is World Heritage rock-carving site over in Tanumshede making the coast a great place to fully see the natural beauty of Sweden.
Destination Guides for Sweden
Gothenburg
Stockholm
