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The Complete Stockholm Travel Guide

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Here are all the things you need to know before travelling to Stockholm, Sweden. Take a look at this travel guide and you’ll be ready to make your Stockholm trip an unforgettable success!

Stockholm is also called ‘Venice of the North’. It’s easy to see why because this beautiful city is spread across 14 islands and connected by 57 bridges. Despite being the largest city in Scandinavia, Stockholm still has a very peaceful atmosphere and laidback vibe. The city centre is made up of beautiful historic buildings, lots of green parks and scenic bridges. It’s an absolute joy to just stroll around the city centre and take in all the beauty that Stockholm has to offer.

The view on Gamla Stan (Old Town) from the garden of City Hall, Stockholm.

Language

Swedish is the national language of Sweden. If you’re from northern Europe you’ll probably notice that you’ll recognize quite a lot of words. With our knowledge of English, Dutch and German we found that we could actually figure out most of the short texts we saw. But don’t worry if you can’t speak Swedish, the majority of the people there actually speak English really well!

Colourful historical buildings in Gamla Stan (Old Town) in Stockholm.

Currency

The Swedish krona (SEK) is the official currency of Sweden. Despite being part of the European Union they do not use the euro. It’s also important to note that while cash may be king in some places, in Stockholm it’s card all the way. In fact, during our one week trip to Stockholm we haven’t even seen any cash! We still don’t know what Swedish money looks like. In Stockholm most people pay by card. We have also noticed that some places actually only take cards! They usually have a ‘card only’ or ‘no cash’ sticker outside their door. So be sure to bring an internationally usable payment card.

Tap Water Safety

In Stockholm, the tap water is perfectly safe to drink. Bring your water bottle and make sure you stay hydrated all day. Most restaurants will also offer you a complimentary glass or bottle of water when you sit down to eat.

Electric scooters are very popular to move around the city centre of Stockholm.

How to get around in Stockholm

On foot: Stockholm is spread across several islands, each with its own vibe and specific things to see and do. The city is very safe and very pedestrian-friendly. We walked everywhere! Walking really gives you the best impression of all the different areas. In our opinion, it’s also the best way to absorb all of the beauty that Stockholm has to offer. Most of the popular tourist spots are within a 30-minute walk from each other, making Stockholm a perfect city to explore on foot.

Electric scooter: Another popular option is using an electric scooter. We saw people swooshing around on these all day. They even have a phone holder on the steering wheel so you can have your google maps app open to point you the way. To use these scooters you have to download an app and connect it to your credit card.
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Public Transport: Stockholm has an amazing public transport network. There are buses, trains, trams, ferries and subways to take you everywhere you need to go. The subway deserves a special mention here because apparently each subway station has a different and beautiful design. We haven’t seen them in person, but there are plenty of examples online. A popular tourist activity is to just buy a subway ticket and hop around the different stations to admire the artwork.
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Taxi & Uber: Using a Taxi is definitely a more pricey option, but it can be a great way to get from point A to point B fast and without too much hassle. Uber is also available in Stockholm and is usually slightly cheaper. We have used Uber twice to get to and from the airport, which worked absolutely perfectly.

The view on Stockholm from the island of Södermalm.

Getting from Arlanda airport to Stockholm City centre

Depending on your budget and time restraints there are several options to get to and from the airport. The most popular airport near Stockholm is Arlanda Airport, which is about 40 kilometres away from the city centre.

By car: The easiest way to get from the airport to exactly where you need to be is by car. It will take approximately 45 minutes to get from the airport to the city centre or vice versa. Taxis and Ubers can pick you up right in front of the airport. We chose to use an Uber since it was slightly cheaper than a taxi. At the time the uber ride cost us about 570 SEK (€57 / $60 / £45).
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By train: The Arlanda Express train will take you to the city centre in 20 minutes. At the time of writing a one-way ticket from or to the airport costs 299 SEK (€29 / $32 / £24). Commuter trains take around 45 minutes but are the cheaper option.
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By bus: The Flygbussarna Airport Coaches take you from the airport to the city centre in around 35-45 minutes for the price of 119 SEK.

Side street in Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholm

Climate

Stockholm has a Baltic climate with cold winters and pleasantly warm summers. All four seasons have their own charm and beauty in Stockholm. On average the temperature can fluctuate quite a lot, so wearing layers or bringing a jacket is always a good idea.

Winter: In the winter months the average temperature drops below freezing. The exact temperature in winter can vary wildly depending on the weather conditions, they can be as cold as -20 °C (-4 °F) but also relatively mild with temperatures just above freezing.
Spring: In the springtime the weather in Stockholm is variable. It can still snow in April but early summer warmth can also be felt in May.
Summer: The summertime from June to August is a mild season with highs around 20/23 °C (68/73 °F). Due to global warming, the summers have been getting warmer and can occasionally reach around 30 °C (86 °F). Note that at night the temperatures can drop below 10 °C (50 °F).
Autumn: In the autumn months it gradually cools down until just above freezing. In November the first snow can already fall.

Fun Fact: The aurora borealis or northern lights can occasionally be observed in Stockholm!

Daylight

A special thing to note about Stockholm is the number of daylight hours. The length of daylight hours can vary greatly depending on the time of year. During the summer you can expect daylight to last more than 18 hours, whereas in the wintertime you get as little as 6 hours of light. In the winter the sun will set as early as 15.00 o’clock!

More Stockholm Travel Inspiration

Now that you know all the important Stockholm travel tips check out our Stockholm Island Guide for all the ins and outs of the most popular islands around the city centre!

Coming Soon

Stay tuned for more in-depth articles about what to do, see and eat in Stockholm. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter so you’re the first to know when new articles go up on the blog!