Stockholm
I Arrived in Stockholm in Sweden from Oslo in Norway by plane for 36 euros. It took 1 hour flight time in total.
Sweden is a Scandinavian nation of thousands of coastal islands, inland lakes, forests, and mountains.
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and has 14 islands of the vast Stockholm archipelago on the Baltic Sea. The cobblestone streets and ochre- coloured buildings of medieval Gamla Stan, the old town, are home to a 13th- century cathedral, the royal palace of Kungliga Slottet and its underground armoury, cafes, and restaurants. Ferries and sightseeing boats shuttle passengers between islands, beneath more than 50 bridges.
Stockholm is a city full of architectural buildings, sculptures, and small pretty parks to relax and is made up of many islands which are accessible via ferries and bridges.
I wouldn’t say Stockholm is a budget place and I found hotels to be quite expensive as was the price of food and drink compared to the rest of Europe.
Stockholm is a city packed with things to do from exciting museums to great nightlife and streets packed full of cafe’s, bars and restaurants to sit back and relax.
The food is expensive in comparison to other European countries and you should expect to find lots of meat dishes, especially meatballs, Fruit soups with high viscosity, like rose hip soup and blueberry soup (blåbärssoppa) served hot or cold, are typical of Swedish cuisine.
Stockholm certainly has enough to keep you entertained for a few days and you should allow at least 5 days to see the best of Stockholm.
Although Stockholm is an expensive place you can make this a budget holiday by seeking all the free stuff it has to offer. Stockholm has enough free museums and tours to keep you entertained for a couple of days.
Getting from Stockholm airport to city centre of Stockholm
Arlanda International Airport is approximately 40 km north of the city centre.
Flygbussarna Airport Coaches depart from Arlanda Airport and the City Terminal, located next to the Central Station, departs every 15 minutes and takes 40 minutes and costs 100 sek (£8).
Arlanda express train takes you from Arlanda Airport to the city centre. The platform is easily accessible, underneath the arrival terminals and costs. 280 sek (£23) for a single ticket or return (valid for 1 month) is 540 sek (£45) this is the easiest service which departs every 15 minutes and takes 20 minutes.
Public trains depart twice per hour and you will have to make a change of trains to get to the centre. This takes 50 minutes and can be done using your travel card with a supplement of 90 sek (£8) (see below for travel card).
Travelling Around Stockholm, Sweden
For travel within the city, I would suggest to just walk as there is so much to see around every corner.
However. there are trams, buses, underground lines and boat’s which can all be used on a travel card.
24 hours 115 sek (£10)
72 hours 230 sek (£20
7 days 300 sek(£25)
You must buy an S.L card for 20 sek (£2)
Do not forget to activate your travel card on the first journey or face a big fine.
Stockholm Pass
The Stockholm pass is a great way to save in this expensive city.
The Stockholm Pass gives you free entry to over 60 top attractions, including sightseeing tours, museums and monuments. Although quite expensive if you plan on doing a few top attractions it is worth getting, but remember there is still plenty of things to do for free in Stockholm to keep you entertained.
1 Day Adult Pass 595.00 sek (£50) with travel 710 sek (£59)
2 Day Adult Pass 795.00 sek (£67) with travel 1025 sek (£86)
3 Day Adult Pass 995.00 (£84) with travel 1225 sek (£103)
My perfect hostel in Stockholm, Sweden.
Click, image for link.
Highly recommended, within a few minutes walk to the centre.
Accommodation, Eating and Drinking in Stockholm, Sweden
Hostels in a good location close enough to walk to the centre are priced around 275 sek (£23) you could find a little cheaper but you will be much further out from the centre, and hostels closer to the centre you’re starting to look at around 458 sek (£38)
If you are a couple you would be better off looking at a hotel, as hotels can be found for around 600 sek (£50) including breakfast for a double room and 2 sharing.
Or of course, if you would rather you could find a 5- star hotel for 1775 sek (£150)
Restaurants are all over Stockholm and down every alley and compared to other European countries are quite expensive.
If you’re looking for a 3- course meal in a mid- range restaurant you could expect to pay 425 sek (£35) and a beer for 70 sek (£6)
If you were to look for a single course meal in an inexpensive restaurant you would look at paying 150 sek (£12)
For nightlife in Stockholm, there is plenty of choices, from strip clubs to bars to nightclubs, Stockholm has it all. If you are after a pub crawl I can recommend heading to a hostel called City Hostel and joining their pub crawl.
Museums worth a visit in Stockholm, Sweden
A lot of museums are free with the Stockholm pass, so if you plan to see a lot of museums and sights it’s worth getting the Stockholm pass.
Vasa Museum is a maritime museum in Stockholm, Located on the island of Djurgården, the museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th- century ship that has ever been salvaged,
Nobel Museum is a museum devoted to circulate information on the Nobel Prize, Nobel laureates from 1901 to present, and the life of the founder of the prize, Alfred Nobel.
Museum of Photography, Fotografiska is a centre for contemporary photography in Stockholm.
Swedish History Museum is a museum located in Stockholm, that covers Swedish archaeology and cultural history from the Mesolithic period to present day.
National museum is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum exhibits an impressive art collection due to its benefactors, King Gustav III and Carl Gustaf Tessin.
Things to do and must see in Stockholm, Sweden
Gamla stan the old town of Stockholm.
Kungliga Djurgården is an island in central Stockholm. Djurgården is home to historical buildings, monuments, museums and galleries.
Stockholm City Hall is the building of the Municipal Council for the City of Stockholm in Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden’s northern shore and facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Södermalm. Do the tour.
Stockholm Palace or The Royal Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen, in Gamla stan in the capital, Stockholm.
The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. Built on the island Lovön, it is one of Sweden’s Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century.
The Parliament House is the seat of the parliament of Sweden, the Riksdag. It is located on nearly half of Helgeandsholmen, in the Gamla stan district of central Stockholm.
Sankt Nikolai kyrka, most commonly known as Storkyrkan and Stockholms domkyrka, is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic.
Also plenty of churches and cathedrals to pop in but a few have an admission fee.
Free things to do in Stockholm, Sweden
Take a free walking tour, yes, It’s free (tips excepted but not expected).
The Changing of the Guard, Head to the Royal Palace, the seat of Sweden’s monarchy, to watch the daily Changing of the Guard, an enjoyable ceremonious display.
Wander across Djurgarden, The city is made up of a number of islands, linked by bridges, including Djurgarden (once the royal game park), covered in parkland and forest.
Tour the Riksdag, For an insight to European policy- making, take a free hour- long tour of the Riksdag, the Swedish version of the Houses of Parliament.
The Maritime Museum – Sjohistorika museet – provides free daily admission to explore Sweden’s nautical past and present as well as its history in shipbuilding and maritime archaeology.
Explore the world’s longest art museum – Stockholm’s subway system – with a free guided art tour.
Medeltidsmuseet, Medieval and Viking history.
Love collecting coins? You might find The Royal Coin Cabinet fascinating. It is the national museum of economy with over 2,500 years’ worth of history on coinage. Check it out for free.
Levande Historia, this living history museum provides a haunting look at crimes against humanity (the Holocaust for example) that aims to remind people of the past in order to avoid such events in the future.
Livrustkammaren (Royal Armoury)
National museum
Armemuseum (Army museum)
Världskulturmuseet (Museum of World Culture) do not miss the Egyptian part.
These are a just few of the free things I managed to find after my expensive time in Norway.
