Stockholm, Sweden, 2019

Trip

My first trip to Stockholm took place in June, 2019. On the way to Stockholm I flew with Lufthansa via Munich. Nothing really to add here about my experience with Lufthansa - decent service without going into extremes. Munich airport is a well organized place, smoking areas are available at the gates.

Arrived at the Arlanda airport in Stockholm in the evening and was able to very quickly reclaim my luggage. Although the airport is not a big one it is a very good one - no hassle trying to find your way around, passport control was seamless. One thing I noticed is they had laid wooden flooring and I mean real wood. Looks and feels really cozy, yet produces some squeaking noises when you walk.

It is really easy to grab a taxi from the airport to the city, which is located some 40 kilometers away. The ride will typically cost between 500 and 600 SEK, which is roughly equivalent to  50 - 60 EUR.

Accommodation

I stayed at the Scandic Ariadne hotel in Stockholm. It's none of those hotels I call "strictly business" type - offering no luxury and focusing entirely on what is important for a short business stay. Situated in the area near Vartaterminalen, where large ferryboats arrive and leave around every 30 minutes. In fact, the proximity of the terminal makes the hotel building tremble every time one of those powerful engine ships passes by.

Breakfast was really nice, offering a great variety of food and drinks. Restaurant is situated on the 3rd floor. Reception and bar, two-in-one, are on the same floor.

Rooms are clean and tidy, and although not offering any luxury, are perfectly fit for their purpose.

I presume there is however a cost optimization programme ongoing at this place though, as the staff, despite desperately trying to provide quality service, are obviously not sufficient in numbers. Upon my arrival I noticed there was no soap nor shampoo in the designated dispensers in my bathroom. I asked reception to take care of it as I needed to take a shower after the trip. Went out for dinner and a couple of drinks and when I came back to my room about an hour and a half later, soap and shampoo were still not there. Contacted reception again and they apologized, saying it was a single person doing the housekeeping (it was not during the weekend or a national holiday). It took them another half an hour to deliver the supplies, and the funny thing is that when the guy knocked on the door I was already in the shower. I popped my head out of the bathroom door just to advise him to come back later, yet he insisted on leaving those. Although I had locked the door to the room from the inside, he was able to override the mechanical lock and leave the soap and shampoo in the hallway. No drama, just felt a little funny.


Is water drinkable?

Yes, it is, and is really good. You can drink straight from the tap and this is what people typically do in Stockholm. The offices of the company I visited did not even have water dispensers - people were using tap water. Bottled water is of course available everywhere.


Weather

My trip took place in June, when it is summer in Sweden. Temperatures were between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius with occasional showers. A shirt was more than enough to keep me warm.

It is worth noting the "midnight sun" effect in Sweden. In June the sun sets for only a couple of hours in Stockholm, so effectively I was not able to experience any darkness at all. In January it would have been the opposite - only a few hours of sunlight with the sun setting mid afternoon.


Is it safe?

Without a shadow of a doubt - yes, it is.


Cash or CC?

I can hardly imagine a situation where you would need cash in Sweden. I was able to pay with a credit card everywhere. Did not withdraw any Swedish kronas at all.


Vaccines

No vaccines are required to visit Sweden. Of course - this must not be taken as a medical advice, I am just sharing my experience. By all means you should seek professional advice if you plan to travel to the country.


General impressions

My trip was unfortunately a short one, I only spent 4 days in Stockholm, and I was staying in an area offering no shops, cultural landmarks, nor even residential buildings. This, coupled with my working engagements throughout the whole day, deprived me of the opportunity to see more of the every day life in Stockholm. From what I saw and experienced though I can say it is a city with very good infrastructure and provides for a very good standard of living.

Bicycles are the preferred means of transportation for many, although not to the extend that you can see in Amsterdam for example. The bicycle alleys I saw were not separated from the sidewalks but marked with a painted line.

There are plenty of electric or hybrid vehicles although not as many as I was able to witness in Norway for example.

Electrical plugs

Type C:

Type F:

I hope the information would help you with planning for you stay in Stockholm!

Safe trip!