Helpful hints when visiting Stockholm

This page is a work in progress; we will be adding more hints and tips. If you think of something that you feel would be helpful, please let us know and we will add it to the page. You can reach us at roger@stockholmstories.com. For more specific questions, visit our Frequent Questions page. Enjoy your visit to Stockholm!

Local transportation

SL (Stockholms Lokaltrafik) is the company that runs the public transportation in Stockholm, offering services by bus, tram, subway, local trains and commuter trains. It's a safe, clean and fast way to get around town. There are three subway lines - green, red and blue - with a total of 100 stations which all meet at T-Centralen (central station). When using the subway look for the white sign with a blue "T" (T = tunnelbana). There are two commuter train lines running from Bålsta and Märsta (north of the city) to Södertälje and Nynäshamn (south of the city). Stockholm is also served by many bus lines. However, bus tickets must be pre-paid and can not be purchased onboard the buses.

For further inquiries, go to www.sl.se or call SL Information at +46 8 600 1000.

Taxi services

There is reliable taxi service available all over the city. You telephone the company and order a cab to your location, or you can grab one from one of the taxi stands located in the busier parts of town, or you can even flag one down on the street (if the white light on the top of the car is lit, that means the cab is available for hire).

Registered taxis have a yellow license plate with a small "T" at the end. The largest company is Taxi Stockholm. This is the company we use the most and their service has always been good for us. Other registered companies are Taxi Kurir, Taxi 020 and Top Cab. Be aware that there are so called "black" or "gypsy" cabs out there, and as you might guess they can kind of make up their own rules. We recommend that you stick to the major companies.

Tipping is up to you of course and is usually about 10% of the fare. The major companies listed all take major credit cards.

Taxi Stockholm, Tel: +46 8 15 00 00
Taxi Kurir, Tel: +46 8 30 00 00
Top Cab, Tel: +46 8 33 33 33
Taxi 020, Tel: +46 20 20 20 20

Limousine services

The major limousine service company in Stockholm is Freys. Their fleet consist of a wide range of vehicles that take up to 8 people.

Freys, Tel: +46 8 30 91 00
Mail: info@freys.se

Airports

Stockholm has three airports that handle both international and domestic traffic. The main one is Arlanda Airport, located along the E4 highway 42 km to the north of the city. The one closest to the city is Bromma Airport, only 8 km away. Skavsta Airport is 100 km to the south. For more information on arrivals and departures, go to www.lfv.se, the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority (Luftfartsverket), or call +46 8 797 61 00.

Traveling to and from the airports

By express bus
Flygbussarna, the airport coaches, leave from Cityterminalen across the street from the Central Station. Coaches for Arlanda leave every 5-10 minutes and coaches for Bromma and Skavsta are accommodated to the airport's flight schedules. The trip takes 40 minutes to Arlanda, 20 minutes to Bromma and 80 minutes to Skavsta. For more information and timetables, go to www.flygbussarna.se or call +46 8 600 10 00.

By taxi
For trips between Stockholm and Arlanda Airport most taxi companies offer a fixed price and it should be clearly posted in the window of the cab. When entering the taxi, always tell the driver your destination and ask for the price in advance. There are several taxi stands around the city, or you can hail a cab from the curb. When calling, taxis can also be pre-booked (see phone numbers above). The trip takes about 30-45 minutes depending on your destination.

By express train
Arlanda Express, the airport express train, runs between the Central Station and Arlanda every 15 minutes. The trip takes 20 minutes, and is by far the quickest way to get downtown. Up to date price information is available here. For more information call +46 8 588 890 00.

Port Information

Stockholm has three harbors - Skeppsbron, Stadsgården and Frihamnen - which are all located inside the city. There is also a fourth harbor at the small city of Nynäshamn, about 1 hour to the south of Stockholm. For current information on the cruise line traffic, visit www.stoports.com and look under "Cruise liner traffic" in the menu to the left.

Cash machines (ATM)

Cash machines are located all over town and accept all the regular credit and debit cards. Look for light blue signs with the word “Bankomat” (Bank automat).

Mail and postal services

The blue boxes are for local mail and the yellow boxes are for national and international mail.

Pharmacies

In Sweden there are no super market type stores that sell food as well as over the counter drugs (pain relievers etc). To buy anything from aspirin to prescribed drugs you need to go to the pharmacy - Apoteket. Look for a green sign with the symbol of a white snake and bowl. Three conveniently located pharmacies are Apoteket Scheele at Klarabergsviadukten (close to the Central Station) which is also open 24 hours a day, Apoteket Korpen at the corner of Västerlånggatan and Storkyrkobrinken in the Old Town and Apoteket Lejonet on Hamngatan, right across the street from NK's department store.

Tipping

Restaurants and taxis include gratuity in their prices. If you wish to show your appreciation, rounding up the bill or adding about 10% will be most welcomed.