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309
DIREC TORY
Directory
PRACTICALITIES
CONTENTS
Accommodation
Business Hours
Children
Climate Charts
Customs
Dangers & Annoyances
Disabled Travellers
Discount Cards
Embassies & Consulates
Festivals & Events
Food
Gay & Lesbian Travellers
Holidays
Insurance
Internet Access
Legal Matters
Maps
Money
Photography & Video
Post
Shopping
Solo Travellers
Telephone & Fax
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Visas
Work
309
311
312
312
313
313
313
314
314
315
316
316
316
317
317
317
317
318
318
318
319
320
320
321
321
321
321
322
Use the metric system for weights and
measures.
Watch out for the Swedish word
mil,
which Swedes may translate into Eng-
lish as ‘mile’ – a Swedish
mil
is actually
10km!
Some shops quote prices followed by
‘/hg’, which means per 100g.
Use the PAL system for video recorders
and players.
Plug appliances into the round,
continental-style two-pin sockets for
(220V, 50Hz AC) power supply.
Domestic newspapers (including the
Göteborg and Stockholm dailies and
evening tabloids) are Swedish-only. A
good selection of English-language im-
ports is sold (for a price) at major trans-
port terminals, Press Stop, Pressbyrån
and tobacconists – even in small towns.
On the Internet, Sweden Globe
(www.swedentimes.com) has English-
language articles about Sweden.
Radio Sweden International (www
.sr.se/rs) broadcasts programmes nation-
ally and to Europe on 1179kHz (89.6FM
in Stockholm): check the website for a
full list of frequencies and schedules.
Try National Swedish Radio (Sveriges
Radio) on channel P2 (96.2FM in Stock-
holm) for classical music and opera, and
channel P3 (99.3FM in Stockholm but
variable around the country) for pop
and rock.
National TV channels TV1 and TV2
broadcast mainly about local issues, in
Swedish only. TV3, TV4 and TV5 have
lots of shows and films in English.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation in Sweden is generally of a
high standard; you’d have to be very unlucky
to stay in a dump! Our Sleeping entries are
categorised by price and then listed by prefer-
ence, with favourites appearing first. ‘Budget’
options cost Skr500 or under, ‘Midrange’
options range from Skr500 to Skr1100, and
‘Top End’ places come in at over Skr1100.
Cabins & Chalets
Swedes are all for the outdoors, and cabins
and chalets
(stugor)
are everywhere, either
on campsites or scattered liberally through
the countryside. Most contain four beds, with
two- and six-person cabins sometimes on
offer too. They’re particularly good value for
small groups and families, costing between
Skr300 and Skr800 per night. In peak sum-
mer season, many are rented out by the week
(generally for between Skr800 and Skr5000).
The cheapest cabins are simple, with
bunk beds and little else (you share the
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D I R E C T O R Y • • A c c o m m o d a t i o n
DIREC TORY
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bathroom and kitchen facilities with camp-
ers or other cabin users). Chalets are gener-
ally fully equipped with their own kitchen,
bathroom and even living room with TV.
Bring your own linen and clean up yourself
to save cleaning fees of around Skr500.
Pick up the brochure
Campsites & Cot-
tages in Sweden: Greater Freedom
from any
tourist office, or check out the website www
.stuga.nu.
Camping
Camping is wildly popular in Sweden, and
there are hundreds of grounds all over
the country. Most open between May and
August only. The majority are extremely
busy family holiday spots with fantastic fa-
cilities, like shops, restaurants, pools, play-
grounds, canoe or bike rentals, minigolf,
kitchens and laundry facilities. Lots of them
also have cabins or chalets.
Camping prices vary (according to the
season and facilities) from Skr90 for a small
site at a basic ground, to Skr240 for a large
site at a multistarred ground. Slightly cheaper
rates may be available if you’re a solo hiker
or cyclist. If you’re on the move, look out
for grounds offering a Quick Stop reduction:
where you get a discount if you arrive after
9pm and leave by 9am the following day.
You must have a Camping Card Scandi-
navia to stay at Swedish campsites. Apply
for one at least a month before your jour-
ney by writing to
Sveriges Camping & Stugföre-
tagares Riksorganisation
(fax 0522-64 24 30; info@scr
.se; Box 255, SE-45117 Uddevalla)
or fill in the form
on the website www.camping.se; otherwise
pick up a temporary card at any Swedish
campsite. The card itself is free, but the an-
nual validation sticker costs Skr100 and is
stuck on your card at the first campsite you
visit. One card covers the whole family.
Primus and Sievert supply propane gas for
camping stoves, and containers are available
at petrol stations.
T-sprit Röd
(methylated
spirit; denatured alcohol) for Trangia stoves
can be bought at petrol stations and
Fotogen
(paraffin; kerosene) is sold at paint shops
such as Fargtema and Spektrum.
See p54 for information on free camping
in Sweden.
side major cities, hostels aren’t backpacker
hangouts but are used as holiday accommo-
dation by Swedish families, couples or re-
tired people. A related oddity is the frequent
absence of dormitories, meaning you often
have to rent out a room rather than a bed.
Some hostels also have singles and doubles
with en suite bathrooms that are almost of
hotel quality, for very reasonable rates. About
50% of hostels open year-round; many others
open from May to September, while some
open only from mid-June to mid-August.
Be warned, Swedish hostels are virtually
impossible to enter outside reception open-
ing times, and these hours are frustratingly
short (except in Stockholm and Göteborg):
generally between 5pm and 7pm, occasion-
ally also between 8am and 10am. The secret
is to prebook by telephone – reservations are
highly recommended in any case, as hostels
fill up fast.
Sleeping bags are usually allowed if you
have a sheet and pillowcase; bring your own,
or hire them (Skr50 to Skr65). Breakfast is
sometimes available (Skr45 to Skr65). Be-
fore leaving, you must clean up after your-
self; cleaning materials are provided. Most
hostels are affiliated with either the STF or
SVIF (see below), but there are other non
affiliated hostels also with high standards of
accommodation.
STF
Some 315 hostels are affiliated with
Svenska
Turistföreningen
(STF;
%
08-463 21 00; www.svenskatur
istforeningen.se)
, part of Hostelling International
(HI). STF produces a free detailed guide to
its hostels, but the text is in Swedish only (the
symbols are easy to understand). All hostel
details on its website are in English.
Holders of HI cards can stay at any STF
hostels for between Skr28 and Skr100; chil-
dren under 16 pay about half price. Non-
members can pay Skr45 extra, or join up
at hostels (see p314 for membership costs).
In this book we quote prices at STF hostels
for members.
All STF hostels have kitchens.
SVIF
Hostels
Sweden has well over 450 hostels
(vandrar-
hem),
usually with excellent facilities. Out-
Around 191 hostels belong to STF’s ‘rival’,
Sveriges Vandrarhem i Förening
(SVIF;
%
0413-55 34
50; www.svif.se)
. No membership is required and
rates are similar to those of STF hostels. Most
SVIF hostels have kitchens, but you some-
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D I R E C T O R Y • • B u s i n e s s H o u r s
311
DIREC TORY
times need your own utensils. Pick up the
free guide at tourist offices or SVIF hostels.
Hotels
Private, family-owned hotels with individu-
ality are few and far between as the big hotel
chains (with comfortable but often rather
bland rooms) monopolise hotel accommo-
dation options.
Sweden is unusual in that hotel prices
tend to
fall
at weekends and in summer (ex-
cept in touristy coastal towns), sometimes
by as much as 40% or 50%. Rates usually
include a breakfast buffet. Ask at tourist of-
fices for the free booklet
Hotels in Sweden
or
visit the website www.hotelsinsweden.net.
Travellers on a budget should investigate
the two cheapest hotel chains, both with flat
rates for rooms.
Formule 1
(www.hotelformule1
.com)
has four hotels, in Göteborg, Jönköping,
Malmö and Stockholm; the small but func-
tional rooms (Skr330) have shared facilities
and can sleep up to three people.
Ibis
(www
.ibishotel.com)
hotels offer simple rooms (Skr600
to Skr700) with private facilities. Breakfast is
additional at both chains.
The following hotels are the most com-
mon midrange and top-end chains:
Best Western
(www.bestwestern.se in Swedish)
Choice
(www.choicehotels.se)
Countryside
(www.countrysidehotels.se)
Ditt Hotell
(www.ditthotell.se)
Elite
(www.elite.se)
First
(www.firsthotels.com)
Radisson SAS
(www.radisson.com)
Scandic
(www.scandic-hotels.com)
Sweden Hotels
(www.swedenhotels.se in Swedish)
Radisson SAS and Elite are the most luxuri-
ous. The top-end Countryside Hotels chain
has the most characterful rooms, in castles,
mansions, monasteries and spas.
Bring your own sleeping bag. Huts are staffed
during March and April and also from late
June to early or mid-September. You can’t
book a bed in advance, but no-one is ever
turned away (although in the peak of sum-
mer this may mean you sleep on a mattress
on the floor). Charges for STF or HI mem-
bers vary depending on the season, and range
from Skr190 to Skr275 (children Skr75), with
the highest charges on northern Kungsleden.
Nonmembers pay Skr100 extra. You can
also pitch a tent in the mountains, but if you
camp near STF huts you are requested to
pay a service charge (Skr60/80 for members/
nonmembers), which gives you access to any
services the hut may offer (such as kitchen
and bathroom facilities).
At the excellent STF mountain lodges,
accommodation standards range from hos-
tel (with cooking facilities) to hotel (with
full- or half-board options), and overnight
prices range from Skr200 to around Skr800.
There are often guided activities on offer for
guests, plus they usually have a restaurant
and shop.
Private Rooms, B&Bs & Farmhouse
Accommodation
Many tourist offices have lists of rooms in
private houses, which is a great way of find-
ing well-priced accommodation and getting
to meet Swedish people. Singles doubles av-
erage Skr200/300.
Along the motorways (primarily in the
south), you may see
‘Rum’
or
‘Rum & frukost’
signs, indicating inexpensive informal ac-
commodation (frukost means that breakfast
is included) from around Skr200 to Skr300
per person. Kitchen facilities are often avail-
able and those who bring their own sheets or
sleeping bags may get a discount.
The organisation
Bo på Lantgård
(
%
035-
12 78 70; www.bopalantgard.org)
publishes a free
annual booklet on farmhouse accommo-
dation (B&B and self-catering), available
from any tourist office. B&B prices average
about Skr275 per person in a double room.
Prices for self-catering range from Skr400
to Skr850 per night, depending on the time
of year, facilities and number of beds.
Mountain Huts & Lodges
Most mountain huts
(fjällstugor)
and lodges
(fjällstationer)
in Sweden are owned by STF.
There are about 45 huts and nine mountain
lodges, usually spaced at 15km to 25km in-
tervals, primarily in the Lappland region. Re-
ception hours are quite long as staff members
are always on site. Basic provisions are sold at
many huts and all lodges, and many lodges
have hiking equipment for hire.
STF huts have cooking and toilet facilities
(none have showers, but some offer saunas).
BUSINESS HOURS
General opening hours are listed below, but
there are variations (particularly in the largest
cities where opening hours may be longer).
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D I R E C T O R Y • • C h i l d re n
DIREC TORY
www.lonelyplanet.com
Banks
Open 9.30am to 3pm; some city branches open
9am to 5pm or 6pm once a week.
Department stores
Open 10am to 7pm Monday to
Saturday (sometimes later), noon to 4pm Sunday.
Government offices
Open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Museums
Generally museums have short opening hours,
even in July and August; see individual destinations for
more details.
Restaurants
Open for lunch from 11.30am to 2pm, and
dinner between 6pm and 10pm; often closed on Sundays
and/or Mondays.
Shops
Open 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm
Saturday.
Supermarkets
Open 8am or 9am to 7pm or 9pm.
Systembolaget
(state-owned alcohol stores) Open 10am
to 6pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm Saturday, some-
times with extended hours on Thursday and Friday evenings.
Tourist offices
Usually open daily Midsummer to
mid-August, 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday mid-August
to Midsummer; however, see individual destinations for
specific hours.
Sights & Activities
Swedes treat children very well, and do-
mestic tourism is largely organised around
children’s interests. Many museums have
a kids section with toys, hands-on displays
and activities, and there are numerous public
parks for kids, plus theme parks, water parks
and so on. Most attractions allow free admis-
sion for young children – up to about seven
years of age – and half-price (or substantially
discounted) admission for those up to about
16. Family tickets are often available.
Liseberg amusement park (p204) in
Göteborg is Sweden’s largest; other major
places for kids include Junibacken, Skansen
and Gröna Lund Tivoli (p76) in Stockholm;
Göteborg’s Universeum (p204) and Astrid
Lindgrens Värld (p132) in Vimmerby.
CLIMATE CHARTS
Sweden has a mostly cool temperate climate,
but the southern quarter of the country is
GÖTEBORG
°C
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
Average
Max/Min
in
8
CHILDREN
If you’ve got kids, you’re guaranteed an easy
ride in Sweden as it’s very family-centric. In
general, get the kids involved in your travel
plans: if they’ve helped to work out where
you’re going, chances are they’ll still be in-
terested when you arrive! Remember, don’t
try to cram too much in. Lonely Planet’s
Travel with Children,
by Cathy Lanigan, is
a useful source of information.
41m (135ft)
°F
86
68
50
4
32
14
-4
2
0
Temp
Rainfall
mm
200
6
150
100
50
0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
J F MAM J J A S O N D
Practicalities
Hotels and other accommodation options
often have ‘family rooms’ that sleep up
to two adults and two children for little
more than the price of a regular double.
Campsites have excellent facilities and are
overrun with ecstatic, energetic children.
They get very busy in summer, so book tent
sites or cabins well in advance.
Highchairs and cots (cribs) are standard in
most restaurants and hotels. Swedish super-
markets offer a relatively wide choice of
baby food, infant formulas, soy and cow’s
milk, disposable nappies (diapers) etc. There
are nappy-changing facilities in most toilets
(men’s and women’s) and breast-feeding in
public is not an issue.
Car rental firms hire out children’s safety
seats at a nominal cost, but it’s essential that
you book them in advance. Long-distance
ferries and trains, hotels and some restau-
rants may even have play areas for children.
KIRUNA
°C
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
456m (1496ft)
°F
86
68
50
4
32
14
-4
2
0
in
8
Average
Max/Min
Temp
Rainfall
mm
200
6
150
100
50
0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
J F MAM J J A S O N D
MALMÖ
°C
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
106m (348ft)
°F
86
68
50
4
32
14
-4
2
0
in
8
Average
Max/Min
Temp
Rainfall
mm
200
6
150
100
50
0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
J F MAM J J A S O N D

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