Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
CANOEING IN STOCKHOLM
One of the most fun ways to see Stockholm is from the water.
The best place in town to
rent
boats
is
Djurgårdsbrons Sjöcafé
, at Galärvarvsvägen 2 (
T
08 660 57 57), by the bridge across to
Djurgården. It costs 400kr to rent a canoe for 24 hours, or 125kr/hr; kayaks cost 110kr/hr or
400kr/24hr. For canoes in the archipelago, try Skärgårdens Kanotcenter at Vegabacken 22 on
Vaxholm (
T
08 541 377 90,
W
kanotcenter.com); take bus #670 from Tekniska Högskolan in
Stockholm. Alternatively, ask locally on the other islands - corner shops often have a couple of
canoes or boats for rent.
Boats
on Lake Mälaren to Birka and Mariefred leave from
outside Stadshuset on Kungsholmen.
BUSES
Buses
are often less direct than the metro because of the
city's layout - route maps are available from the SL-Center
(see opposite). Stockholm's buses are pushchair- and
pram-friendly; a special area halfway down the bus is set
aside for these. You can no longer buy tickets from the
driver; get a travelcard instead (see opposite).
Night buses
Replace the T-bana after midnight, except on
Friday and Saturday (and the night before a public holiday),
when it runs all night.
BIKES, TAXIS AND CARS
Bike rental
Djurgårdsbrons Sjöcafé
at Galärvarvsvägen 2
(
T
08 660 57 57), just over the bridge that leads to
Djurgården, or from Servicedepån-Cykelstallet at
Scheelegatan 15 on Kungsholmen (
T
08 651 00 66,
W
cykelstallet.se); reckon on paying 250kr/day.
Taxi ranks
Several around the city (including one outside
Central Station); you can also ring one of the three main
operators: Taxi Stockholm (
T
08 15 00 00,
W
taxistockholm
.se), Taxi Kurir (
T
08 30 00 00,
W
taxikurir.se) or Taxi 020
(
T
020 20 20 20,
W
taxi020.se). The meter will show
around 45kr when you get in and will then race upwards at
an alarming speed: 84kr for every 10km during the day
(124kr per 10km on Fri & Sat nights and public holidays). A
trip across the city centre will cost 100-200kr.
By car
Be extremely careful when parking: see p.28. For
car rental, see p.28 and be aware of the congestion charge
in central Stockholm (see p.63).
FERRIES AND BOATS
Ferries
provide access to the sprawling archipelago, and
sail from outside the
Grand Hotel
on Strömkajen (see p.66).
They also link some of the central islands: Södermalm and
Djurgården are connected with Nybroplan in Norrmalm (a
small square behind the
Grand
) via the Vasa museum and
Gröna Lund (June-Aug only); Djurgården is linked with
Skeppsbron in Gamla Stan (year-round). For details of
services to the archipelago, see p.84; for Birka see p.87; for
Mariefred see p.88.
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
Stockholm's tourist office (
turistbyrå
) is at
Vasagatan 14, opposite Central Station (Mon-Fri 9am-7pm,
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm;
T
08 508 285 08,
W
visitstockholm.com), which hands out fistfuls of free
brochures, and carries the useful
What's On
(see below). You'll
also be able to buy the Stockholm Card (see opposite), which
can be invaluable if you're planning to visit several museums.
Listings information
What's On
, free from the tourist
office, is particularly good for all kinds of listings. It contains
day-by-day information about a whole range of events
- gigs, theatre, festivals, dance - sponsored by the city, lots
of which are free and based in Stockholm's many parks.
There's also a free Saturday supplement to the
DN
newspaper,
På stan
- get someone to translate if your Swedish isn't up to
it - that details all manner of entertainments, from the latest
films to club listings; it's also available in bars and restaurants.
Gay information
A useful resource is RFSL (National
Association for Sexual Equality), Sveavägen 59
T
08 501
629 00,
W
rfsl.se. The free newspaper,
QX
(
W
qx.se),
available at gay bars and clubs, is handy for listings.
ACCOMMODATION
Stockholm has plenty of accommodation to suit every taste and pocket, from elegant upmarket hotels with waterfront
views to youth hostels in unusual places - two are on boats and another is in a former prison. From mid-June to mid-
August it is always a good idea to book your accommodation in advance, either directly with the hotel or hostel or through
W
visitstockholm.com.
little as 495kr. The cheapest choices on the whole are found
to the north of Cityterminalen in the streets to the west of
Adolf Fredriks kyrka. Don't rule out the more expensive
HOTELS AND PENSIONS
Summer in Stockholm means a buyer's market for hotel
rooms as business travel declines; double rooms can cost as
