The most popular months to visit Sweden are July and August, when temperatures average 20˚C (68˚F) in the south and 16˚C (61˚F) in the north. Travelers who arrive in May and early June can take advantage of low-season prices and enjoy the spring flowers, but some attractions don’t open until late June. The 24 hours of daylight known as the midnight sun are best experienced between early June and mid-July. In winter, keep an eye out for the Northern Lights and bring heavy cold-weather gear; temperatures hover around -5˚C (23˚F).
Embassies And Consulates. Foreign embassies to Sweden are in Stockholm . Swedish embassies and consulates abroad include: Australia, 5 Turrana St., Yarralumla, Canberra, ACT, 2600 (☎2 62 70 27 00; www.swedenabroad.com/canberra); Canada, 377 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, ON, K1N 9N8 (☎613-244-8200; www.swedenabroad.com/ottawa); Ireland, 3rd Fl., Block E, Iveagh Court, Harcourt Rd., Dublin 2 (☎1 474 44 00; www.swedenabroad.com/dublin); New Zealand, Level 7, Molesworth House, 101 Molesworth St., Thorndon, Wellington 6011 (☎4 499 9895; www.swedenabroad.com/canberra); UK, 11 Montagu Pl., London, W1H 2AL (☎020 79 17 64 00; www.swedenabroad.com/london); US, 2900 K St., NW, Washington, D.C., 20007 (☎202-467-2600; www.swedenabroad.com/washington).
Visa And Entry Information. EU citizens do not need a visa. Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days, beginning upon entry into any of the countries in the EU’s freedom-of-movement zone. For more info, see. For stays longer than 90 days, all non-EU citizens need visas (around US$90), available at Swedish consulates or online at www.swedenabroad.com. For US citizens, visas are usually issued a few weeks after application submission.
Tourist Offices. There are two types of tourist offices in Sweden: those marked with a yellow and blue “i” have both local and national information, while those marked with a green “i” have information only on the town they serve. The Swedish Tourist Board can be found online at www.visitsweden.com.
Money. Swedish voters rejected the adoption of the euro as the country’s currency in September 2003. The Swedish unit of currency remains the krona (kr), plural kronor. One krona is equal to 100 öre, with standard denominations of 50 öre, 1kr, 5kr, and 10kr in coins, and 20kr, 50kr, 100kr, 500kr, and 1000kr in notes. Many ATMs do not accept non-Swedish debit cards. Banks and post offices exchange currency; expect a 20-35kr commission for cash and 5-15kr for traveler’s checks. Forex generally offers the best exchange rates and has ATMs that accept foreign debit cards. Note that many Swedish ATMs do not accept PINs longer than four digits; if your PIN is longer than this, entering the first four digits of your PIN should work. Although a service charge is usually added to the bill at restaurants, tipping is becoming more common and a 7-10% tip is now considered standard. For more info on money in Europe, see.
Sweden has a whopping 25% value added tax (VAT), a sales tax applied to most goods and services. The prices given in Let’s Go include VAT. In the airport upon exiting the EU, non-EU citizens can claim a refund on the tax paid for goods purchased at participating stores. Some stores may have minimum expenditure requirements for refunds; make sure to ask for a refund form when you pay. For more info on qualifying for a VAT refund, see.
By Plane. Most international flights land at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm ( ARN; ☎797 6000; www.arlanda.com). Budget airlines, like Ryanair, fly out of Västerås Airport ( VST; ☎21 805 600; www.stockholmvasteras.se) and Skavsta Airport (see for more info), each located 1hr. from Stockholm. Other destinations in Sweden include Gothenburg Airport (GSE) and Malmö-Sturup Airport (MMX). The main carrier in Sweden, SAS (☎08 797 4000, UK 4420 8990 7159, US 800-221-2350; www.scandinavian.net), offers youth fares for those under 26 on some regional flights. For more info on traveling by plane in Europe, see.
By Train. Statens Järnväger (SJ), the state railway company, runs trains throughout southern Sweden, and offers a discount up to 30% for travelers under 26 (☎0771 75 75 75; www.sj.se/english). Seat reservations (28-55kr) are required on InterCity and high-speed X2000 trains; they are included in the ticket price but not in rail passes. On other routes, check to see how full the train is; don’t bother with reservations on empty trains. In northern Sweden, Connex runs trains from Stockholm through Umeå and Kiruna to Narvik, NOR (☎0771 26 00 00; https://bokning.connex.se/connexp/index_en.html). The 35min. trip over Öresund Bridge connecting Malmö to Copenhagen, DEN (70kr) is the fastest way to travel from continental Europe; reserve ahead. Timetables for all SJ and Connex trains are at www.resplus.se. Eurail Passes are valid on all of these trains. In the south, purple Pågatågen trains service local traffic between Helsingborg, Lund, Malmö, and Ystad; Eurail Passes are valid. For more info on traveling by train around Europe, see.
By Bus. In the north, buses may be a better option than trains. Swebus (☎08 546 300 00; www.swebus.se) is the main carrier nationwide. Swebus Express (☎7712 182 18; www.swebusexpress.se) serves the region around Stockholm and Gothenburg. Biljettservice , inside Stockholm’s Cityterminalen, will reserve tickets for longer routes. Students and travelers under 26 get a 20% discount on express buses. Bicycles are not allowed on board.
By Ferry. Ferries run from Stockholm to the Åland Islands, Gotland, Finland, and the Baltic states. Ystad sends several ferries a day to Bornholm, DEN. Ferries from Gothenburg serve Frederikshavn, DEN and Kiel, GER. Popular lines include Tallinksilja (☎08 20 21 40, international 358 60 01 57 00; www.tallinksilja.com/en), and the Viking Line (☎08 452 40 00, US 800-843-0602; www.vikingline.fi). On Tallinksilja, Eurail Pass holders ride for free or at reduced rates. On Viking ferries, a Eurail Pass plus a train ticket entitles holders to a free passenger fare. (Mention this discount when booking.) Additionally, Viking offers “early bird” discounts of 15-50% for those who book at least 30 days in advance within Finland or Sweden.
By Car. Sweden honors foreign drivers’ licenses for up to one year for visitors over 18. Speed limits are 110kph on expressways, 50kph in densely populated areas, and 70-90kph elsewhere. Headlights must be used at all times. Swedish roads are uncrowded and in good condition, but take extra care in winter weather and beware of reindeer or elk in the road. Many gas stations are open until 10pm; after hours, look for cash-operated pumps marked sedel automat. For more info on car rental and driving in Europe, see.
By Bike And Thumb. Bicycling is popular in Sweden. Paths are common, and both the Sverigeleden (National Route) and Cykelspåret (Bike Path) traverse the country. Hitchhiking is uncommon. Let’s Go does not recommend hitchhiking.
Email And The Internet. There are a limited number of cybercafes in Stockholm and other big cities. Expect to pay about 20kr per hr. In smaller towns, Internet is available for free at most tourist offices marked with the yellow and blue “i” , as well as for a small fee at most public libraries.
Telephone. Pay phones take credit cards and often accept phone cards (Telefonkort); buy them at newsstands or other shops (60kr and 100kr). Whenever possible, use a calling card for international phone calls, as long-distance rates for national phone services are often very high. Mobile phones are an increasingly popular and economical option. Major mobile carriers include Telia, Tele2, Vodafone, and 3. International access codes for calling out of Sweden include: AT&T Direct (☎020 79 91 11); Canada Direct (☎020 79 90 15); MCI (☎0 200 895 438); Sprint (☎020 79 90 11); Telecom New Zealand (☎020 799 064). For more info on calling home from Europe, see.
Mail. From Sweden, it costs approximately 5kr to send a postcard or letter domestically, 10kr within Europe, and 10.20kr to the rest of the world. For more info, visit www.posten.se. To receive mail in Sweden, have mail delivered Poste Restante. Mail will go to the main post office unless you specify a subsidiary by street address. Address mail to be held according to the following example: First name, Last Name, Poste Restante, Postal Code, City, SWEDEN. Bring a passport to pick up your mail; there may also be a small fee.
Language. Although Sweden has no official language, Swedish is universally spoken. The region around Kiruna is home to a minority of Finnish speakers, as well as 7000 speakers of the Sámi languages. Most Swedes speak English fluently. For basic Swedish words and phrases, see Phrasebook : Swedish, .
Youth hostels (vandrarhem) cost 120-200kr per night. The hostels run by the Svenska Turistföreningen (STF) and affiliated with HI are uniformly top-notch. Nonmembers should expect to pay 200-240kr per night; HI members receive a 45kr discount (☎08 463 21 00; www.svenskaturistforeningen.se). STF also manages mountain huts in the northern wilds (150-350kr). Many campgrounds (tent sites 80-110kr; www.camping.se) offer cottages (stugor) for 100-300kr per person. International Camping Cards aren’t valid in Sweden; Swedish Camping Cards, available at all SCR campgrounds, are mandatory (one-year pass 90kr). The Swedish right of public access (allemansrätten) means travelers can camp for free in the countryside, as long as they are roughly 150m away from private homes. Tents may be pitched in one location usually for one or two days. Guidelines vary depending on the community. Visit www.allemansratten.se for more info.
Restaurant fare is usually expensive in Sweden, but food halls (saluhallen) , open-air markets, and hot dog stands (varmkorv) make budget eating easy enough. Many restaurants offer affordable daily lunch specials (dagens rätt) for 60-75kr. The Swedish palate has long been attuned to hearty meat-and-potatoes fare, but immigrant communities in Malmö and Stockholm have spiced things up for budget travelers. A league of five-star chefs in Gothenburg are tossing off increasingly imaginative riffs on herring and salmon. The Swedish love drip coffee (as opposed to espresso) and have institutionalized coffee breaks as a near-sacred rite of the workday. Aside from light beer containing less than 3.5% alcohol, alcohol can be purchased only at state-run Systembolaget liquor stores and in licensed bars and restaurants. You can buy light beer at 18, but otherwise it’s 20+. Some classier bars and clubs have age restrictions as high as 25.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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