Travel guide to Sweden

Sverige

Stockholm

450.000 square kilometres

Swedish. A minority in Lapland speaks samisk.

The Swedish Church (Evangelic Lutheran). The national church was separated from the state in January 2000.

8.9 millions

Constitutional monarchy, Kong Carl XVI since 1973.

Sweden borders on Norway towards the west and on Finland towards the northeast with a long coastline facing the Baltic Sea in the south and east. About half of Sweden is covered by forest and most of the around thousand lakes are to be found in the southern and central part of Sweden. The largest lake is Vänern, which covers over 5,400 square kilometres. Lapland in the northern part of the country has many mountains and stretches beyond the Arctic Circle.

You can go to Sweden all year. Cold winters (not too cold though) create the perfect weather for skiing and winter holidays. In summers it is beautiful everywhere with all the lakes and coasts. Stockholm is always interesting and has a cultural life all year.

Lonely Planet Sweden (2000 edition)
Rough Guide Sweden; Rough Guides

The metric system.

There are no problems in general photographing anything you want to - be respectful to locals though and ask their permission first.

Tapwater is safe everywhere. In the country and in the mountains it is normal to drink water from the streams, which is actually melt water from the mountains.

As in Denmark

the Scandinavian countries are very similar on this point and there are no particular rules of behaviour.

Banks are open from 9.30 to 15.00 (Monday - Friday). Banks in large cities are open to 18.00, but all banks are closed during the weekend.
Shop are generally open from 9.00 to 17.00 (Monday - Friday), and from 10.00 to 16.00 on Saturdays. Some are open Saturdays and Sundays, though.

A Swedish speciality is mashed potatoes (mos) with a sausage (korv) or - for example - shrimp salad. It is sold at hot-dog stands and the Swedish often eat it as a snack between meals or as lunch. Otherwise the Swedish have regional meals such as Jansons fristelser and the famous smorgås. And then there is the national food, Krebs (crayfish), which they eat at festive crayfish-parties in August. Wine and beer (ordinary and strong) are only sold in System Bolaget - controlled by the Swedish State. It is therefore expensive and the opening hours are few. Normally you bring your own wine and beer in Sweden.

Sweden is one of the best countries in the world for disabled travellers. The facilities are excellent and at many camping grounds such facilities are a standard part of the service.

New Year's Day, Epiphany (6 January), Easter Friday /Good Friday and Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, midsummer holiday (late in June, the date varies), All Saints, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Saint Stefan's Day) are all public holidays, where banks and most shops close.

Sweden has very good and developed forms of accommodation. It is almost always of very high standard, whether you choose a very cheap or a more luxurious form of accommodation. The prices are quite high because of these high standards, but this is also due to the high salaries in Sweden which push up prices. It is almost always possible to find a place to stay, including in the small towns. Campers or other outdoor people should remember that they have common property in Sweden. This means that you can put up your tent for a single night almost anywhere you wish, even on private property. The only condition is that it must be a good distance from the private house.
Book your Hotel in Sweden here

Family camping and family holidays are very popular in Sweden, and there is therefore a large variety of camping areas and sites, both organised and unorganised, on offer . Most camping grounds are situated in very beautiful landscapes, often around a lake or by the sea, and they have cheap or free bathing facilities close by.

Swedish hotels have a very high standard; most have a restaurant or cafeteria and a television room. There is no formal categorisation of hotels, but the best hotels are marked with an SHR-sign, which indicates that the Hotel is a member of the Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Association.

There are over 310 youth hostels in Sweden. They can be everything from old, rebuilt luxury flats to renovated sailing ships. They are closed during the daytime, but open from 8 to 9.30 and from 17 to 22.

Sweden has plenty of good hostels, inns or small mountain hotels. The facilities are usually well maintained and they offer good service.

Sweden has a fully expanded collective transport network, and roads are good almost everywhere. In the small towns, Sweden has maintained a system of gravel roads, which is a great advantage during winters, where roads can be quite icy.

SAS and Linjeflyg (LF) operate in over 30 local airports. Flights are relatively cheap and both companies have reduced prices on quite a few departures.

There are good bus connections between all cities in Sweden, and they are surprisingly efficient. Buses also have reduced prices, especially Friday/Saturday. Information can be obtained at the local tourist offices.

In large cities there is no longer a state-monopoly on taxi driving, which has been very good for any small and cheap companies. They can be recognised by their very small cars! You can pretty much get a taxi anywhere.

It is of course always possible to rent a car.

 • Götaland
 • Norrland
 • Skaane
 • Smaaland
 • Svealand

 • Gothenburg
 • Helsingborg
 • Jokkmokk
 • Malmö
 • Mora
 • Stockholm
 • Sundsvall
 • Umeå
 • Örebro