Sweden

The hip and vibrant city of Stockholm makes a great jumping off point to visit this nation of numerous lakes, glaciers, mountains, vast forests, serene villages and large areas of countryside. Go north and you’ll find the spectacular northern lights as well as the original Ice Hotel – ok, not the quite original one because it melts and is re-built each year.

Nestled in the rugged and diverse geography of Northern Europe, Sweden is the largest of the Scandinavian countries. Its neighbours are Norway to the west, Finland to the northeast, and it’s connected to Denmark to the southwest via the impressive bridge of Öresund (unless you’re interested in swimming).

Regions of Sweden

The country is grouped into three major regions:

Norrland, as the name suggests, is northern Sweden. Norrland is full of lakes, glaciers, mountains, and is a mecca for those into the outdoors. Here you’ll find the village of Jukkasjärvi, home of the Ice Hotel, how cool is that?

Svealand includes Stockholm and is the south-central portion of the nation.

Last there’s Gotaland, the southern half of the country and includes the cities of Gothenburg and Malmö.

Swedish Cities and Sights

For starters, there is the pulsating city of Stockholm. The city is ornately spread out over fourteen islands between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. As the largest city in the Nordic Region it’s full of history, culture, and is known for a hip nightlife.

Gothenburg is the second largest city and is located on the west coast. Liseberg, the largest amusement park in Scandinavia is located here. Not only is Liseberg hip, but it’s also the top attraction in Sweden.

Check out the magnificent castles in the Gothenburg area. In neighbouring Mölndal is Gunnebo Castle and to the south of Gothenburg is the Tjolöholm Castle. Near Gothenburg is the The Dalsland Canal. The Dalsland Canal can be navigated and connects a 240-kilometer system of picturesque lakes.

In the south there is the city of Malmö, which has good connections to Copenhagen, Denmark. In the city itself, visit the Big and Little Squares and be sure to check out Malmöhus Castle (built in 1437).

Currency in Sweden

The currency here is the Swedish Krona (SEK). You may easily obtain Swedish Krona using your ATM card. Many merchants will accept major credit cards with identification.

Getting to Sweden

Aside from the trip itself, the next best part for some is doing the planning.

To fly into Sweden, there are two major international airports for entry. The first is Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), which provides service to most major carriers including Air France, Continental, KLM, Malaysia, and SAS, amongst others. The Arlanda Express train provides service to downtown Stockholm.

The second major airport is Copenhagen Kastrup (CPH) and provides service to the major international carriers. Both Denmark and Sweden are part of the open-border Schengen agreement. The airport is located on an island between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden. There are train services to both Copenhagen and Malmö from the Copenhagen Airport.

Gothenburg provides service to the larger European Airlines and it’s approximately 20 minutes to the city centre.

It is important to note discount carriers such as Ryanair provide service to small secondary airports which are usually well outside of the intended destination.

By Train: There is international train service into Sweden.

By Ferry: There is international ferry service into Sweden.

Getting around Sweden

Sweden has an extensive rail network and public transportation in the major cities is good. Most major rail lines are operated by SJ. The national public transport authority is called Rikstrafiken. If you are planning on travelling up north, Connex provides rail transportation.