Stockholm snapshot

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Travel planning

Sweden's capital city of Stockholm is spread over many islets and is one third waterways, one third parks and one third city.

Set on the country's south east coast, its epicentre is a medieval old town packed with hotels, bars, restaurants and shops while modern quarters are showcases for the innovative architectural design for which Sweden is world famous.

Stockholm began life in the 13th century and emerged as a key trading centre for the Baltics. Today, most of Stockholm’s wealth is from light industry and computing, with world leading companies established in the city centre.

Key attractions are the Vasa Museum with a preserved 17th century warship and the Staduset City Hall, voted by Swedes as the country's finest building.

Easy exploration

The Kungliga Slottet royal palace sits on its own island in the centre of the city and is one of the largest surviving palaces in Europe. Museums of note include the Historical Museum, the Strinberg Museum and the Open Air Museum and Zoological Park.

Stockholm is easy to explore as the centre is flat and good for walking. It also has an excellent public transport system with a metro, buses, trams and ferries servicing the city and surrounding towns. The metro is at the heart of the transport system and known as the ‘world’s longest art exhibition’, famous for its subway art.

Swedish State Railways has international rail links to Copenhagen and the rest of Europe. Trains also run to Oslo in Norway and to Gothenburg.

Links to Europe

Stockholm is integrated within the European motorway network but Oslo is the only other European capital within striking distance on the E18. The E20 and E6 lead to Oslo via Gothenburg and E4 heads south to Malmö for the bridge to Copenhagen.

The City Terminal next to Stockholm Central is the terminus for international coach connections with links to major European cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris and Rome. It also serves most destinations within Sweden.

Easy access to the sea makes Stockholm ideal for boat travellers. There are frequent ferry services to other Baltic ports and a car ferry service from Newcastle to Gothenburg on Sweden's west coast.

Stockholm-Arlanda airport is 45km north of Stockholm and is Europe’s sixth largest airport, used by 57 international airlines and handling 18 million passengers annually. Arlanda Express trains run daily to Stockholm Central every 15min.

Bromma Airport is 8km west of Stockholm and a hub for domestic flights while Skavsta Airport, 100km south is the terminus for some budget flights as well as being a major cargo airport.

Make sure you include Booked.net if searching for hotels in Stockholm. They list a good number of quality hotels, available at competitive prices. Also, you don't have to pay any extra fees for booking, administration or cancellation.