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8 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Stockholm

Stockholm Insider Guides Budget Travel
by Alice Latham Feb 5, 2018

1. Alcohol is expensive and you can’t buy it in supermarkets.

A beer or glass of wine will usually cost you between $6 and $10 in a bar or restaurant. There are always happy hour deals to be found — so keep an eye out for good deals.

If you want to buy liquor or wine you’ll have to head to Systembolaget, which closes at 6 PM and doesn’t open on Sundays. Supermarkets only sell beer.

2. Get on the Subway.

A weekly Subway/Metro pass which works on the T-Bana (subway), over-ground train, and buses, costs around $45.

Stockholm’s T-Baun is said to be the longest art gallery in the world at 110km. 90 out of the 100 stations have art, so pretty much every stop you get on and off at will have something interesting to check out.

T-Centralen is a good spot to kick off a tour if you want to see a few in one go.

3. The Subway won’t get you to/from the airport (Arlanda).

You’ll need to get a taxi ($60- expensive), the Arlanda Express ($40 – still expensive), or Flygbussarna ($14 – your cheapest option) which leaves/arrives at T-Centralen and is very comfortable and only takes around 40 minutes. You can get a slightly cheaper ticket if you buy in advance here.

4. Go for fika.

Which means coffee and cake/bread (cinnamon buns FTW!). You can’t go wrong with any cafe or bakery in Stockholm but Cafe Pascal was at the top of most lists when I searched.

5. Walk!

Yes, the metro is wonderful — thumbs up for Swedish public transport — but one of the best things about Stockholm is walking around (there are plenty of things to see above ground, too). You can walk from island to island.

Make sure you walk around Stortorget, the old town and the heart of Stockholm, where you’ll find the Royal Palace and Nobel Museum, as well as beautiful cobbled stone narrow streets.

6. There are museums for every budget and taste.

If you’re on a budget check out this list of free admissions museums or if you don’t mind paying admission, here are a couple of suggestions:

  • Vasa Museum
    The only almost-fully-intact 17th-century ship that has ever been salvaged — it sunk after 30 minutes on its maiden voyage.
  • Fotografiska
    A brilliant photography center, Fotografiska has 4 different exhibitions that change every 3 months. Get the metro to Slussen and walk along the river to get here.

7. It’s a vegetarian and vegan-friendly city.

There are plenty of options but a real highlight is Hermans, an all-you-can-eat vegan buffet behind Fotografiska. It’s got a great view of the city and communal tables so get ready to cozy up to a stranger.

Oh, and they sell the McDonald's McVegan here too.

8. Don’t forget your bank card/credit card.

Stockholm is almost a cashless city. According to the BBC, “barely 1% of the value of all payments made using coins or notes [in 2016]”. A lot of places already don’t accept cash — certain restaurants and museums, for example.


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