Sweden Travel Tips

beautiful swedenWith 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.

City Guides for Sweden
Gothenburg
Stockholm

Sweden Travel Resources
Buying a Travel Backpack
Finding Cheap Accommodation
How to Find a Cheap Flight
Buying Travel Insurance
Best Hostels in Europe
Riding the Trains in Europe
Is Eurail Worth the Cost?

Typical Costs in Sweden

  • Accommodation: Accommodation, like everything else in Sweden, is not cheap. Hostels will around 220 SEK per night for a dorm room and start at 500 SEK for a private room. Hotels will cost 600 SEK or more per night. Hostels in Sweden also add a 40 SEK surcharge for bed linen. (I know. It’s ridiculous.)
  • Food: Food is expensive in Sweden. You can get cheap food from outdoor street vendors starting at 40 SEK. You can get hotdogs starting at 15 SEK. Pizza begins around 80 SEK. Most restaurant meals begin at 150 SEK. Cooking your food for a week will be around 200 SEK. Beer is 60 SEK.
  • Transportation Costs: Ferry’s to Gotland are 230 SEK each way. Most trains within cities are 40 SEK per for a single trip. If you are traveling around the country, train tickets vary wildly. Stockholm to Gothenburg are 300 SEK, to . Flights around the country are usually 400 SEK or more.
  • Activities: Most museums and attractions cost about 60-100 SEK.

Money Saving Tips for Sweden

  • Drink Beer. Alcohol isn’t cheap in Sweden as it is heavily taxed. However, beer is quite cheap. If you stick to beer, you can save yourself a lot of money when you go to the bars.
  • Book in Advance. My trip to the Stockholm train station taught me that travel around Sweden is expensive, especially if you are booking only a day or two before hand. Prices can vary wildly, even if it is just the difference of a day. Booking trains or buses 3-4 weeks in advance can get you around 40-50% off.
  • Buy a Rail Pass. If you plan to do a lot of traveling around, buy a rail pass before you get to the country. You’ll end up saving a few hundred dollars off the high cost of travel. This can be a good alternative to booking in advance if you are like me and plan everything last minute.
  • Purchase a City Tourism Card. These tourist passes gives you access to a city’s public transportation system and free entrance into 99% of the museums and attractions It’s well worth the money and will definitely save you a lot more than it costs you. All the major destinations in Sweden have them.
  • Skip the Restaurants. Eating out in Sweden is very expensive, especially if you are going to a sit down restaurant. If you want to eat out, stick to the outside food vendors you see on the street. You can find a decent variety (I found a Thai one once) and they are only about 50 SEK per meal. You can also get cheap hotdogs and sausages for about 25 SEK.
  • Avoid Clubs. Most clubs have a 200 SEK cover. Don’t waste your money.
  • Get a Metro Card. If you don’t plan to get the Stockholm card, make sure you get a week’s metro pass. At 220 SEK for a week’s worth of train ride, it is a better deal than the 40 SEK it costs for a single ticket.
  • Refill Your Water. Water is about 20 SEK ($3.50 USD) per bottle. Buy one and just reuse the bottle. Plus, you help save the environment too!
  • Avoid Taxis. With the subway open all night long, don’t take cabs. A typical ride is 200 SEK or more and not worth the price. Unless you are far from the train and it’s snowing out, the price is hard to justify.

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.
  • Visit the Archipelago. 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 the Sami, Sweden’s indigenous people, continues to make their home in the snowy cold, and where you can see reindeer, do some great skiing, and experience the great Arctic north.
  • 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!).
  • Gotland. This island is a popular place to visit in the summer and where most Swedes spend their summer. Week 29 is the most popular and crowded week. The main town, Visby, is a medieval walled city that is incredibly beautiful. It’s like walking through the 1400s.
  • Catch the Mid-Summer. Swede’s celebrate the summer solstice with a giant party. It’s not warm and light often here and they make the most of it with dancing around a pole, eating, drinking alcohol, and enjoying nature.
  • Bohuslän Coast. This beautiful coast has been smoothed and carved out by glaciers. Taking a boat trip here is a great way to see Scandinavian fjords without having to visit Sweden’s expensive neighbor, Norway. There is also a UNESCO rock-carving site over in Tanumshede too.