Welcome To Stockholm! This is the perfect guide for people who are first time in Stockholm, we will guide you through all the necessities!
The Arrival To Stockholm And Transportations
I guess most people will arrive by plane to Arlanda Airport, about 24 miles (39 kilometers) from Stockholm City. There are a few options for you to get to the city center. You can take the Arlanda Express train, a taxi, the Airport Bus and even the commuter train. Read this if this is your first time in Stockholm.
Arlanda Express
The fastest way to get in to Stockholm is with the express train, Arlanda Express. The train departs 4-5 times every hour. The trip is just under 20 minutes and you will arrive at the central station.
From here you can take a taxi, the subway, local buses and commuter trains to continue your journey.
Tickets are quite pricy, one way is about $30. BUT you will save money if you buy “group” tickets and you can do that for 2-4 people. Sometimes they also have Summer Special Prices.
You need to get your ticket from the vending machines at the elevators or down at the platform.
Taxis
In Stockholm you can use Uber App for a taxi and there is also Bolt taxis. They can often be a bit cheaper to use than a “regular” taxi.
One way is just about $65 (695 SEK).
Here are some things you need to know regarding taxis
In the back window of the taxi is a tariff indicator. All taxis in Sweden run on taxameters. But the price per mile can vary a lot. And I mean A LOT! So please check that price first. Some tourists ends up paying $300 for the same ride. And all this is legal as they did state the price per mile.
My recommendation is to use these companies only:
– Taxi Stockholm
– Taxi Kurir
– Sverigetaxi
They are all more “serious” and have same prices
Airport Buses & Commuter Train
The most cost effective way is to take the commuter train. The ticket price is about $15 per person and it gives you access to travel with the commuter trains for 120 minutes. That is very good if you need to change trains in Stockholm. You can buy ticket from Sky City where the Service Station is or from any vending machine in that area.
The trains arrive at Stockholm City and you can connect to subway and local buses.
First time in Stockholm, maybe the bus/coach can be your thing? Travel south through the landscape. It is a bit more slower than a taxi but the route is pretty nice.
Price for one is $12 and you can get discount for three or more. The bus has it final stop at The City Terminal, next to subway, local buses and commuter trains.
Money Exchange – Not to bother with
Cash Is Not King
Most people get surprised to learn that Cash is Not King in Sweden. These days it is pretty hard to find places that accept cash. And your dollar or euro is no good to pay with. Maybe in some hotels. In Sweden your debit or credit card is the KING.
Where ever you go you are good if you bring your card. It doesn’t matter if you will take the subway or bus or get a burger at McDonalds. Even street vendors and small food trucks ONLY accept cards. Supermarkets and I would say Systembolaget (where you can buy alcohol) are a few places to pay with cash.
EMERGENCY NUMBER: 112
Should you need to get in touch with an ambulance, fire department or the police, emergency number is 112.
This is the number to use in any case of danger.
Public Transportation – Your best friend!
Stockholm is a great city to use the public transportations. On one ticket you have access to all buses, subways, boats, commuter trains and trams. Download the SL app, it has a great travel planer and will tell you precisely how to travel to get to your destination.
Just tap your card
If you are just going to take one or two trips a day you wouldn’t need to bother buying a travel card. A single trip is $4. The good thing is that you don’t have to go to a booth or kiosk to get your ticket. Just tap your credit or debit card and you are good to go. Randomly there might be ticket inspections and you just present the card you entered the station with.
The ticket is valid for a good 75 minutes and that will give you the option to travel a longer distance. For the first time in Stockholm this is pretty nice.
Download the SL app
If you plan on doing a lot of travel with public transportation I recommend you to get SL app. Then you can plan your trips and get exact details on how to get to your destination. You will get exact times, if there are irregularities on your route and when and where to change transportations.
Other ways to get around the city
Walk
Stockholm is very walkable! I would say walk as much as you can as you will discover so much. There are side walks and paths all over the city and some are very picturesque. The walk along Strandvägen is beautiful. It will take you to Djurgården and Vasa Museum, ABBA Museum and more. You’ll pass luxury yachts and boats and a handfull of bars and restaurants.
Skeppsbron, connecting the City to Old Town and Södermalm is another beautiful walk to make. You’ll have the Royal Palace and the leaning houses of Old town on your right hand side. The 1700-century buildings are gorgeous to watch and on your left hand side is the water and views over Skeppsholmen and you’ll get a glimpse of Gröna Lund (the amusement park). There are a few good bars and restaurants on the water side as well as on the Old Town side.
Scooters
As in most major cities around the world Stockholm has a lot of scooters to rent to make your travels faster. Voi, Bolt and Lime are the most common scooters to use. Download the matching app, register an account and your are ready to explore. Voi has the most scooters and are more likely to be free. Just be aware of that you cannot park the scooters anywhere, check the maps in the app for the right spots. Get a FREE Ride with Voi, click here >
Tipping
Tipping is something you do in restaurants and bars and sometimes if you take a longer taxi drive. As in most countries today when you pay by card the machine will ask if you want to tip and the modern machines are pre-programmed with different percentages. A rule of thumb is to tip about 10-15% in a restaurant. In bars I normally round up to an even amount and if I have to buy a beer from a counter I don’t tip at all. It is also a nice gesture to tip the housekeeper at your hotel.
Typical foods
There are several restaurants is Stockholm serving classic and traditional Swedish foods. As a matter of facts for the last years it has been very trendy to serv that kind of foods. In Swedish it is called “husmanskost” -peoples food. Here are som good restaurants to visit if you want to try some:
- Pelikan, an establishment from 1650’s. (one of my fave, it gets very busy so come early). I love this place, great food, good staff. The only downside is the loudness of the restaurant. When it is very busy it is super loud.
- Kvarnen, also an old establishment with classic food. Their brunches are popular too.
- Ulla Winbladh, a high-end restaurant with Swedish classics. Their shrimp toast is excellent (very Swedish starter or main, dilled creamy cold water shrimp served on a butter fried bread and topped off with exclusive roe)
- Tranan, Another classy restaurant for the typical Swedish dishes
What to eat then…
Here are some dishes you need to try when visiting for the firs time in Stockholm
Starters
- Toast Skagen – maybe the most popular dish in Sweden. Creamy dilled shrimps served on a toast with dill, lemon and roe
- Västerbottensostpaj – Cheese pie. A tasty cheese pie made with Västerbotten cheese (just made in a small village in the northern part of Sweden). A classic for any celebrations. Often served with red onion, sour creame and roe. (Very good)
- Herring and cheese – Classis pickled Swedish herrings.
- Grav Lax – this dish has become popular in the US. Our Lox (lax in swedish) is cured for some days and sliced thinly. Served with a mustard dressing on the side. You can also get it as a main course served with creamy dilled new potatoes.
Mains
There are so many good classic foods to choose from. Here are some classics you might now or not.
- Swedish Meatballs – served with gravy (cream sauce), mashed or boiled potatoes, pickled cucumbers and lingonberry sause (like cranberries)
- Pytt-i-panna – Another classic. Like a hash with meats, potatoes and onions. Served with pickled beetroot and fried egg. This dish can also be served as a creamy stew.
- Biff and onion and gravy – This can be a sirloin or a beef patty fried and served with fried onions, gravy and potatoes
- Lax – Salmon, we eat a lot of salmon here and you’ll find it both cured and pickled and smoked. We often bake it in the oven and served with a white wine sauce
- Wallenbergare – veal minced meat as a patty, breaded and pan fried. This is a delicious classic dish, luxurious and popular. Served with melted butter, peas and mash.
- Biff Rydberg – If you want to go big this is it. Diced fillet of beef, diced potatoes and onions. Pan fried and served on a plate with a mustard cream and a yolk.
Desserts
Don’t miss these yummy treats
- Pies – when in season try the Rhubarb pie, it is really a treat. But we have the classics to as apple and blueberry
- Swedish cheesecake – this is not the same cheesecake as you’ll get in the US. The swedish one is baked in the oven and has a taste of almonds. Served warm or luke warm with whipped cream and cloudberry jam
- Truffles – we love chocolate and a truffle or two is enough many times.
- Swedish pancakes – Thin like crêpes and often served with whipped cream and jams
