I visited Sweden, in particular Stockholm on my way back from Croatia and I managed to get a flight back home with a 7 hour layover in the city. It was the perfect excuse to see another city and explore some more whilst getting a reasonably priced flight. I am desparate to get back to Sweden and visit it some more as I love the culture there and there is so much to see.
I love the relaxed culture in Sweden and everything is appreciated whether it’s big or small like having a warm drink with a friend and spending time in nature.
Intro & Culture
Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains. Its principal cities, eastern capital Stockholm and southwestern Gothenburg and Malmö, are all coastal. Stockholm is built on 14 islands. It has more than 50 bridges, as well as the medieval old town, Gamla Stan, royal palaces and museums such as open-air Skansen.
CURRENCY
In Sweden, they use the Swedish Krona. They do not accept Euros anymore as they refused to continue using the Euro and do not want to replace their currency any time soon, they are still part of the EU at the moment.
Download the app “Currency Plus” to get currency conversions on the go. It updates daily and when connected to WiFi or Network to give you the latest conversion and you can have multiple currencies shown in one go
Download here: Apple App Store // Google Play Store
LANGUAGE
They speak Swedish but everyone does speak very good English in Sweden so you won’t have any trouble asking them anything but do try to learn a few phrases before you go so you don’t seem rude.
TIMEZONE
Sweden are 1 hour ahead of the UK. Their time zone is Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT+2:00)
CUISINE
There is an array of different cuisines in Sweden and Stockholm especially as it’s a major city it caters for all different countries and what they like to eat. I would recommend grabbing a hot drink and a cinnamon bun (Swedish delicacy). There is also something called fikka which is popular in Sweden, it’s simply having a hot drink with a friend.
Budget Tips
Suggested Daily Budget – 50-60 EUR / 52-62 GBP (Note: This is a suggested budget assuming you’re staying in a hostel, eating out a little, cooking most of your meals, and using local transportation. Using the budget tips below, you can always lower this number. However, if you stay in fancier accommodation or eat out more often, expect this to be higher!) During my 6 hours in Stockholm, I spent £58.92 incuding public transport and food.
01. Book public transport – I only spent 6 hours in Stockholm as a taste to Sweden to get home after Croatia. I booked my way into the city using their airport transfer bus Flygbussarna which cost me £54.98 for 3 adult return tickets. This is the best way to get into the city from the airport without it costing you a fortune on trains.
02. Look for FREE excursions like art exhibitions and museums – If you are looking for something to do during your stay and if the weather is bad, make sure you check out the free museums and exhibitions for something to do. This will save your money whilst giving you something to see and do.
03. Have less sit down meals – Eating at restaurants will cost you more money than buying food from a supermarket and cooking it yourself. If you want so save some money, this is the best way to go do it.
04. Limit your alcohol intake – Alcohol can be expensive in some places especially if it’s imported from other countries. Your best bet is to reduce your alcohol intake or try the local brews and drinks to save some pennies.
Travel tips
VISAS
You do not need any Visa to visit Sweden.
Check if you need a Visa or other documentation here…
With iVisa, all of your travel document requirements are all in one place. They help give you that piece of mind when checking you have everything you need to enter a country without any hassle.
You can apply for everything from visas, tourist cards, invitation letters and health declaration forms for COVID-19 differently from their website. It’s very quick and easy to use and they are very fast at processing your applications, some things can even be FREE for whichever travel document you need. You can even pay for speedy processing and delivery if you are in a rush.
INJECTIONS
You do not need any injections to visit Sweden.
READ MORE: A Guide to Vaccinations And Visas Around The World
CAPITAL/CITY
The capital of Sweden is Stockholm. There are also quite a lot of cities in Sweden, two of the popular ones are Malmo and Gothenburg which have the biggest population after Stockholm.
ACCOMMODATION
There are so many hotels and accommodation across Sweden depending on where you are planning to stay and your budget. These can vary from major hotel chains, AirBnB’s, homestays or hostels. Make sure you check out AirBnB and also TripAdvisor for booking your hotel or hostel.
EXPLORE SWEDEN
DRIVING
You don’t really need to drive in Stockholm as there is plenty of public transport around or things are within walking distance and not to far from each other. You can grab the metro, taxi, tram or bus around Stockholm City which don’t cost much so you won’t really need to drive but you can get around the city on a budget. If you would like to venture out into Stockholm City from Stockholm Arlanda Airport, I would highly recommend getting the airport transfer bus Flygbussarna which their bus stop is located right outside of the airport once you leave the main exit.
Want some more information on how to get into Stockholm City from Arlanda on a layover? Check out my post How To Spend A 7 Hour Layover In Stockholm.
FLIGHTS
There are plenty of flights flying to and from all the major cities in the UK. Flights can be with Norwegian Air or easyJet and many other airlines. Flights are normally pretty cheap, not usually exceeding £100 at a good time to fly.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
You can grab the metro, taxi, tram or bus around Stockholm City which don’t cost much so you won’t really need to drive but you can get around the city on a budget. If you would like to venture out into Stockholm City from Stockholm Arlanda Airport, I would highly recommend getting the airport transfer bus Flygbussarna which their bus stop is located right outside of the airport once you leave the main exit.
Packing Tips
WHAT TO WEAR
More often than not Sweden is quite chilly so wear warm-ish clothes that you can take off in layers as it does have it’s sunny days with gorgeous sun beating down on the city so you will need your sunnies but also your beanie hat and gloves.
WEATHER
Weather can vary depending on what time you fly there. Most of the time it’s quite cold in Sweden so make sure you check the weather for when you are planning on visiting. They can have some warm days especially during the summer.
Activities
THINGS TO SEE & DO
There is lots to do in Stockholm, even if you have a 6 hour layover. Check out Gamla Stan, history museums, shopping centers and streets, grab a coffee and cinnamon bun (Fika) with a friend and enjoy the traditional Scandinavian and Swedish ways. I need to go back to both Stockholm and Sweden so I have so much more I would love to do.
HIGHLIGHTS OF SWEDEN
- • Gamla Stan, Stockholm
Small Budget / Solo Travel / 
Thanks for sharing this – This was useful!