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Getting Around - Internal Travel |
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Air
SAS serves over 30 local airports, and travel by air is relatively
efficient and cheap.
There are a number of reduced fares offered by SAS, please contact
the airline for further details.
Sea
& Lake
Unlike Finland and Norway, there are few domestic ferry
services in Sweden.
The various archipelagos on the south east coast are served by small
ferries, however the most comprehensive network is the Stockholm
archipelago, for which you can buy an island hopping boat
pass.
The other major link is between the Baltic island of Gotland and
the mainland at Oskarshamn and ,Nynäshamn which are very popular
routes in the summer (booking ahead is strongly recommended).
There are frequent coastal sailings to all ports
and on the 100's of lakes throughout Sweden, especially in the north.
For more details please contact the local authorities.
A canal (served by vintage
steamer) connects Stockholm and Gothenburg.
Rail
The extensive and excellent rail system is run
by:
Swedish State Railways (SJ)
Address: SE-105 50 Stockholm
Telephone: 04982 03380
Facsimile: 04982 03391
Email address: info@swedenbooking.com
Website address: www.sj.se
The network is mostly concentrated in the populated
south where hourly services run between the main
cities, but routes extend to the forested and lightly populated
lake area of the north, which is a scenic and popular holiday destination.
Restaurant cars and sleepers are supplied on many trains. Reservations
are necessary for most express services. Motorail car sleeper services
are operated during the summer on the long distance routes from
Malmö, Västerås and Gothenburg to Kiruna and Luleå.
Road
Traffic in Sweden drives on the right.
The country's roads are well maintained and relatively peaceful,
but watch out for animals crossing the road in remote areas.
Debit and credit cards are becoming more acceptable as a means of
payment at petrol stations. Many petrol stations
have 24 hour automatic petrol pumps, they accept SKr 100 and 20
notes.
Taxi:Car hire: Regulations: Documentation:
Regulations
Speed limits outside built up areas are
110, 90 or 70 kilometres per hour (68, 56 or 43 miles per hour)
depending on road width and traffic density.
In built up areas the limit is 50 kilometres per hour (31 miles
per hour) or 30 kilometres per hour (19 miles per hour) in school
areas.
Severe fines and sometimes prison sentences are imposed on drivers
over the alcohol limit (which is 0.02 %).
There are on the spot fines for traffic offences.
The use of dipped headlights is essential in the daytime for all
cars and motorcycles. Crash helmets are vital for motorcyclists.
Children under 7 may not travel in a car if it is not equipped with
a special child restraint or a normal seat belt adapted
for the child’s use.
Emergency warning triangles are compulsory and studded tyres are
only permitted from 1 November to the 1st Monday after the Easter
holiday.
Bus
Express coach services and local buses are run by Connex
and Swebus.
Efficient and cheap links are available to
all towns and many coach operators do special offers on tickets
from Friday to Sunday. Information is available from local tourist
offices in Sweden.
The Malmö, Gothenburg and Stockholm Cards offer free
public transport in those areas as well as free admission
to selected tourist attractions and museums. Cards can be purchased
from camp sites, tourist information centres or youth hostels.
Taxi
Taxis are available in all towns and at airports. Intercity taxis
are also easily accessible.
Car
hire
Car hire is available in most towns and cities, and all international
agencies are represented.
Documentation
A national driving licence is sufficient, but it
must include a photo or it will not be recognised.
The minimum age for car drivers is 18,
and 17 for motorcyclists. The car’s log book and written permission
must be carried if driving someone else’s car.
A Green Card is not required by Swedish authorities, however it
tops up the cover provided by a domestic policy.
It is strongly advisable to check the validity of insurance policies
prior to departure.
Urban
Public transport is comprehensive, efficient and well integrated.
Stockholm has buses, trams, metro (T-banan) and local rail services.
Pre purchase multi tickets and passes are sold, though single tickets
can also be obtained on the bus. There are trams in Norrköping
and Gothenburg.
Taxis are widely available, large taxi companies are cheaper than
independents.
Many of the main cities, particularly Stockholm, have boat excursions
and services.
Travel times
The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and
minutes) from Stockholm to other major towns and cities in Sweden:
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Air |
Road |
Rail |
Mora |
1
hour |
6
hours |
4
hours 30 minutes |
Karlstad |
40
minutes |
5
hours |
3
hours 30 minutes |
Gothenburg |
50
minutes |
6
hours |
4
hours 30 minutes |
Luleå |
1
hour 15 minutes |
20
hours |
15
hours |
Malmö |
1
hour 5 minutes |
8
hours |
6
hours 45 minutes |
Östersund |
55
minutes |
8
hours |
6
hours 30 minutes |
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Travel
Passes
There are reductions for families and regular
rail passengers, as well as a link up with other Scandinavian countries
via the Scanrail Pass, which provides unlimited travel in Norway,
Denmark, Finland and Sweden for 21 consecutive days. It also gives
free travel on the ferries between Helsingborg
and Helsingør.
Children aged between
4 and 11 travel at half the fare or reduced fare. Young
people aged 12 to 25 can obtain a discount of 25 %, and
for passengers aged over 60 fares are discounted
by 10 %.
It is possible for all passengers to be entitled
to discounted tickets under a scheme known as raslyst. This card
is valid for 2 people for 1 calendar year and entitles travellers
to up to 70 % off when the booking is made at least 7 days in advance.
A limited number of these tickets are available, so it is advisable
to book as far in advance as possible. See online
for more details. |
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