Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
usually stops at one or two of them for passengers
to take a quick dip), and offers a chance to see real
off-the-beaten-track Sweden. For more informa-
tion, see p.291. The length of the operating season
varies from year to year; check the website for the
latest details.
By car
As far as road conditions go,
driving
in Sweden is a
dream. Tra
c jams are rare (in fact in the north of the
country yours will often be the only car on the road),
roads are well maintained and motorways, where
they exist, are toll-free. The only real
hazards
are
reindeer (in the north), elk and deer, which wander
onto the road without warning. It's di
cult enough
to see them at dusk, and when it's completely dark
all you'll see is two red eyes as the animal leaps out in
front of your car. If you hit an elk or deer, not only will
you know about it (they're as big as a horse), you're
bound by law to report it to the police.
To drive in Sweden you'll need your own full
licence; an international driving licence isn't
required. In general,
speed limits
are 110kph on
motorways, 90kph or 100kph on main roads, 50kph
in built-up areas, and 70kph elsewhere if unsigned;
for cars towing caravans, the limit is 80kph. Fines for
speeding are levied on the spot. You must drive
with your headlights on 24 hours a day. Studded
tyres for driving on snow and ice are allowed
between October 1 and April 30, longer if there's
still snow on the ground; when in use they must be
fitted to all wheels.
Be attentive when it comes to
parking
. Under
Swedish law you can't park within 10m of a road
junction, be it a tiny residential cul-de-sac or a major
intersection. Parking is also prohibited within 10m of
a pedestrian crossing, and in bus lanes and loading
zones. In city centres, parking isn't permitted on one
night each week to allow for cleaning (see the rectan-
gular yellow signs with days and times in Swedish,
below the “no stopping” sign on every street). In
winter the same applies to allow for snow clearance.
Swedish
drink-driving laws
are among the
strictest in Europe, and random breath tests are
commonplace. Basically, you can't have even one
beer and still be under the limit; the blood alcohol
level is 0.2 percent. If you're found to be over the
limit you'll lose the right to drive in Sweden, face a
fine (often) and a prison sentence (not infrequently).
The cost of
petrol
(
bensin
) is in line with the
European average (about 15kr per litre). At filling
stations, you either pay at the pump with a credit
card or inside at the till - choose the pumps marked
“Kassa” for this.
By bus
Although bus travel is a little less expensive than
going by train,
long-distance buses
are generally
less frequent, and so much slower that they aren't a
good choice for long journeys. Most long-distance
buses are operated by one of two companies,
Swebus (
T
0771 218 218,
W
swebus.se) and
GoByBus (
T
0771 15 15 15,
W
gobybus.se). Depar-
tures on Friday and Sunday cost more than on
other days; a standard single ticket from Stockholm
to Gothenburg, for example, costs from 349kr.
Regional buses
are particularly important in the
north, where they carry mail to isolated areas.
Several companies operate daily services, and their
fares are broadly similar to one another's (usually
250-350kr for a 1-2hr journey). Major routes are
listed in the “Destinations” sections within each
chapter, and you can pick up a comprehensive
timetable at any bus terminal.
By plane
The main players on the Swedish
domestic airline
market are: SAS (
W
sas.se), Skyways (
W
skyways.se),
Norwegian (
W
norwegian.se) and Nextjet
(
W
nextjet.se). When booked well in advance,
one-way fares on most routes begin around 450kr.
By ferries and boats
In a country with such an extensive coastline and
many lakes, it's only natural that domestic ferry
services in Sweden are many and varied. The main
route is between Visby, on the Baltic island of
Gotland, and Nynäshamn, on the mainland near
Stockholm and Oskarshamn. High-speed catama-
rans as well as regular ferries operate on both
routes. Departures are very popular in summer and
you should try to book ahead.
Many of the various archipelagos off the coast -
particularly the Stockholm archipelago with its
24,000 islands - have ferry services which link up
the main islands in the group; see p.84
for more
details. There's also an extensive archipelago off
Luleå which is worth visiting; for details on boat
services see p.277.
CAR RENTAL AGENCIES
Avis
W
avis.com
Europcar
W
europcar.com
Hertz
W
hertz.com
SIXT
W
sixt.com
