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kristin5683
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Suggestions for things to do and see in Sweden
Hi! I'm considering a trip to Sweden in the next couple of weeks. Are there any festivals or events that I should try and go to? And what are some suggestions for sights to see, where to fly into (from London) and anything else that might be helpful for a first time visitor!
Thanks!
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Erica Johansson
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Strawberry Picking in Sweden
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Newly picked and fresh strawberries. Can you eat anything better in the summer? I doubt it. The best Swedish strawberries are usually eaten in June or beginning of July. Even if you live in a city it’s often not far to the countryside and big strawberry beds where you can pick your own strawberries. We picked a few liters last summer, they were just enough ripe and really sweet. Don’t miss strawberry picking if you ever visit Sweden between June and July, or at least buy some fresh strawberries in the supermarket.
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catipoo
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Scandinavia on a Budget (tip 4)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Buy a ScanRail pass which will allow unlimited travel throughout Scandinavia (including some bus journeys) for a period of a month. This is probably the best value interrail pass you can get because buying tickets for separate journeys would accumulate to the amount of the railpass in a couple of journeys.
If you know you are going to use a particular transport system for more than a few journeys then invest in travel cards at all opportunity. Transport can be really pricey especially in the big cities such as Stockholm and Oslo so try and plan ahead daily activities to avoid unnecessary journeys. I found a lot of my money went on transport costs because I was generally a bit more spontaneous than I could afford to be.
There is so much beautiful scenery in Scandinavia and so many ways of doing things on a lower budget if you are well prepared. So don’t let yourself be put off by high cigarette and alcohol prices, because there are means and ways!
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catipoo
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Scandinavia on a budget (tip 3)
Having a travel companion or two is advisable in Scandinavia as splitting the cost of things such as camping, groceries, and alcohol is obviously going to help your finances further.
I travelled all over Scandinavia with a friend and we met quite a few independent travellers who were cutting their Scandinavia adventures short and heading towards the East because they were finding it too pricey. Some had resorted to using Couch Surfers (which isn't suited to everyone) to cut the costs because they hadn't thought to bring a tent.
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catipoo
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Scandinavia on a budget (tip 2)
Invest in a camping stove, which are extremely cheap and simple to use and some cheap camping utensils and cook all your own meals because aside from being more healthy it will drastically save you money. In addition buy your own alcohol from the supermarkets and avoid drinking out very often. Many Scandinavian natives only tend to go out drinking once a month because it’s so expensive. Also if you are a smoker try and bring tobacco with you into Scandinavia because it can cost anything upto 15 euros for a packet of cigarettes and additionally they don’t have some of the familiar brands so you could end up finding yourself having to settle for some Swedish snus.
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catipoo
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Scandinavia on a budget (tip 1)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Scandinavia is one of the most expensive places to visit in the world but given the correct preparation it doesn’t have to be like that.
If you are prepared to make a few allowances you can see and do everything you desire without completely rinsing your life savings.
Firstly be prepared to visit in the summer time so you can stay on any of the numerous campsites located all over Scandinavia as these will be significantly cheaper than any hostels or hotels. Going at this time won’t completely affect your experience because if you venture as far as Northern Norway it is still cold and dark in the summer and you can still see the Northern lights clearly. Also visiting in summer means a lot of free outdoor entertainment, for example you can watch the Oslo rock festival for free from the bridge at the bottom of the main campsite.
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johngreek
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When is the best time to visit?
I am really interested in visiting Sweden. As I mentioned in a previous post, Gothenburg is ones of the towns of Sweden that I'm very fond of exploring! There are many places that I am interested to visit there as well but I would like to know when is the best time of the year to go in Sweden. I prefer summer months in general for my travels but what about in a cold country as Sweden? (comparing to Greece)
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annatravel
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Midsummerfest
Midsummerfest is not the best time to visit big Swedish cities for sightseeing. Almost every business is shut down and people tend to move to the country side to celebrate the middle of summer.
We came on Friday and were sure that something will be opened as far as that's the week day. But after 3pm we couldn't find even a restaurant which could serve a dinner. Luckily we had a friend Upsala who told us to come over for the party. The whole city (which is very much a student place) looked like one big party and by midnight all the people were totally drunk. It was quite fun to join the "orgy" but I wouldn't recommend it to people over 30, who are looking for more classy entertainment.
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annatravel
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Systembolaget - alcohol monopoly
When I just arrived to Sweden it was hard for me at the beginning to get used to high alcohol prices and the fact that if i needed to shop for a party I had to go not only to supermarket for food but also to a special shop to by wine and other strong drinks.
Systembolaget neon yellow sign though became a good friend to all foreign students later, as it is the only official distributor of alcohol.
They are very responsible there, that's why they often check IDs for the age.
I find service of Systembolaget really great. If you don't find a drink you are looking for (though the choice is very broad), you can order whatever you want and it will be delivered soon.
Opening times are not the best, but we got used to that:
10-18.00 on week days
10-13.00 on Saturday
In some places they are opened longer.
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Erica Johansson
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Train Travel in Sweden
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
SJ, which stands for Sweden’s Railways, has different trains – X2000, Regional and Intercity which makes more stops along the way. Just like Switzerland and France, Sweden is a great country for train travel. Normally I buy a second class ticket because it's cheaper. Sometimes if there are barely any seats left in second class, the ticket-collectors let me sit in first class even thought I haven’t booked a first class ticket.
My favourite train trip so far was the one I made from Linköping to Stockholm with X2000 about three years ago. The route from Linköping to Norrköping is very quick and convenient as well, saving you 30 minutes if you take the train instead of the car.
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annatravel
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People in Sweden
When you go to Sweden, you can totally relax. Everyone can speak English there (at least in the cities and towns). When they notice you are a foreigner, they immediately switch to English and are always happy to assist. If you have any problem, you are lost or whatever else, you can always ask somebody around and people will be willing to help. They are always nice and friendly. Once I had a problem with a vending machine at the bus stop and two random women took there time trying to fix it, then another one just gave me a ticket for free. Another time the bar security was nice to notice that I am about to light up the wrong end of the cigarette.
In the evening in bars and nightclubs people are quite communicative and easygoing. It makes a nice atmosphere for a stay in Sweden and a pleasant smooth trip.
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Erica Johansson
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Sightseeing in Halmstad
Halmstad is especially popular during the summer. As a tourist coming to Halmstad there are a few musts. Najaden is one of the world’s smallest fullriggers that is anchored in front of Halmstad’s castle, the governor’s residence. I always see Najaden when I cycle over the bridge Slottsbron. The central point in the city is the main square Stora Torg where we use to buy fruit or ice-cream from the kiosk. One of my favourite cafés in Halmstad is Tre Hjärtan which is located in an old cross-timbered building by the main square. Don’t miss their waffles with cream, the best thing on the menu. If the weather is nice, I can recommend spending the evening at one of the open-air restaurants at the square Lilla Torg.
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