I don't know, but I've always had a great desire to go to Sweden. Scandanavia has always been so appealing...so different and interesting! And my wish came true back in April when i finally got on the plane with 3 of my friends, heading for Sweden!
It was cold leaving London...rainy and completely miserable! And leaving to go to a famously known cold country....we expected bitterly cold weather. So we packed loads of winter clothes, only to find that when we got there, it was about 25 degrees...such beautiful warm weather, and that's how it stayed pretty much for the 4 days we were there for.
When we landed, we'd already fallen in love with Sweden even though it was the first time any of us had ever been there. There was forest everywhere and no carrier bags flyinf about or anything! Sweden is probably one of the cleanest...if...THE cleanest countries in the world! Honestly and no
joke, i did not see an ounce of dirt anywhere for the first 2 days apart from a single cigerette butt which had probably been accidently thrown there. When we walked towards the local village, okay we did see a bit of graffiti but not much...and this might sound weird but it was 'clean' graffiti, hidden under a tunnel that you'd never go through unless you're on a boat!!!
Travel is average in price, but excellent in service. If you are under 20, for a 3 day travel card, it costs 120 SEK (approx £12) whereas for an adult is about 210 SEK (£21) but that includes bus and train travel which is very good. Bicycles are also another way of getting around, and points to hire and park them are pretty much everywhere
For the first two nights, we stayed with some friends outside Stockholm, so accomadation was already sorted. But for the final two nights I booked a lovely little villa i found. It was a really good deal considering Stockholm is quite an expensive city. We paid 900 SEK a night (1800 for the 2 nights) which worked out to something like £20 for the 4 of us per person per night. It is a little studio apar tment quite a way up above ground level. It's in a really lovely neighbourhood. The area is beautiful -we had a lovely walk around and discovered a lake where we watched the sun set. It was gorgeous!! The couple who rent it out live literally down and next door, so it's convienient in case you need something or need to ask them anything. The villa is very near to the bus stop and is only about a 10 minute drive from the train station, and then a further 10 minutes into Stockholm city. (see this website for apartment photos and more information http://martenson.nu)
Flights only cost 2p RETURN that's including all taxes...with Ryanair! But i used my card, which cost me a pound each way, meaning it came to a grand total of £2.02! Please....definately worth it! And even though it is a low cost airline and a little strict, they are punctual and ALWAYS on time (well in my experience anyway :) But i can't promise flights will be that cheap all the time, but if you don't mind flying with Ryanair, then definately check it regularly because practically everyday they have new deals and offers.
The Swedish currency is the Swedish Kronor (SEK) 1 GBP = 11.89 SEK (at present) Sweden is a very expensive country and what's worse is they pay 25% tax, so unless you live outside of the EU, you will be able to claim tax back, but for us who do live within the EU, no tax rebates for us unfortunately!
That came as a bit of a shocker, as I didn't realise just HOW expensive Sweden actually was. I mean i knew it was expensive but that much. So flying out there and arriving with a bundle of jumpers and 2 sets of warm boots wasn't ideal as Sweden seemed to be having some sort of unusual heat wave. So that was a good excuse to shop! Just looking around we noticed that things are a lot more pricy than in London. For a basic singlet top was about £15!! But as we walked further, we spotted a tourists shopping heaven...a clothes factouy outlet called titt-ins!!! I bought 3 summer top for a total of £15! and they were really lovely as well!
When we arrived in Stockholm for the last couple of days, we did have to budget and went to a local supermarket and bought what was necessary for our stay.
Sweden is a beautiful and genuine place. When I say that, it is such a scenic country. There's forest everywhere and lakes too. Family's seem take out the time and spend time together as a family. And the people seem so content.
Me and my friends, had only been there for four days, but we were already planning our next trip there and even talked about living there for a while...so you can probably guess that I think Sweden is great and would give it 10 out of 10...recommending it to anyone who wants to go! (just be loaded!)
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I have yet to visit Sweden but would love to. Maureen x x
marymoose99 02.06.2008 11:16
Hubby and I went for a long weekend in Stockholm and had an amazing time. We went primarily so I could visit Skansen and see a moose - it was the best day of my life. And Swedish food was fantastic!
fizzytom 02.06.2008 11:04
Some intersting and useful points here but I think you need to go back nad proofread - Sweden is a country - and you refer to it as a city and later on you say that EU residents can claim tax back, then you change your mind and in the same sentence say they can't.
There is a lot of stuff that refers to the small details of your trip but for this category you really need to say a bit more about Sweden in general tourist terms, giving an overview of waht there is to see and do. Fiona
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Advantages: Beautiful, inexpensive to get there via Plane (£159 return for me from Manchester) Disadvantages: Expensive once you get there, slightly offset by strength of the pound though
Del_Boy 25.08.2001 ·
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Review of General: Sweden
Advantages: Excellent day out assured during the Swedish holiday festivals Disadvantages: Can be a bit of a disappointment if there are no special events.
Alan_Smith 15.08.2005 (15.08.2005)
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Review of Skansen
Jun 1st, 2008
(Aug 19th, 2009)
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