Sweden Travel Guide
The Bare Bones: What you Need to Know
Population: 8.5 million
Area: 450,000km2
Currency: Swedish Krona
Religion: Mainly Protestant
Passports, Visas etc.
UK, EU and US citizens need only take a passport for stays less than three months. Passports can be used as ID but it is advisable to carry a photocopy and leave the real thing safely at your hotel.
Safety Advice
Sweden is a safe place to visit overall. The main concern is crowded tourist areas that attract small time pickpockets and bag snatchers. Certain parts of Stockholm can be dodgy late at night so listen to local advice. Use common sense and your stay in Sweden should be hassle free.
The Roads and Getting around
Roads are good quality and cover the country comprehensively. Beware of reindeer and elk meandering onto roads in the north. The legal limit for drinking and driving is no alcohol, penalties are severe and random breath testing commonplace. Don't do it. Stockholm is not particularly car friendly, if you visit in the summer, the best way to see the sights is by bicycle. If you do drive, make doubly sure you are parked legally, on the spot fines are huge.
Public transport is comprehensive and massively efficient. Nothing stops the trains and buses even in the depths of winter.
Stay Healthy
There are no more worries here than in any other European country, no inoculations are required and the water is clean. UK citizens carrying an E111 form can claim back the (high) cost of medical care. US citizens should ensure that they have ample insurance. Healthcare in Sweden is very expensive and its administration is not very straightforward. Make sure you always get a receipt for everything. On the plus side Swedish healthcare is very modern and many of its practitioners speak English.
Take sensible precautions against the effects of the sun. Mosquitoes can be a real nuisance, so take relevant precautions.
Insurance
Take out adequate insurance to cover health, accident, and theft of money and possessions. In the unlikely event that you are a victim of a crime involving theft of possessions, make sure you get a police report for your insurers.
Law and Order
Do not traffic or pedal drugs of any kind. Sweden may have the image of a free liberal country but expect to be treated harshly for drug offences of even the most trivial amount.
Cash and Plastic
Traveller's cheques are easily changed, credit cards are readily accepted and ATM machines are widely available.
Climate and When to Go
To avoid the crush in the short summers, tag onto the start or end of the season. In May and September the days are warm and the light means they are long. In July the whole country heads for the beaches or the vast expanses of unspoilt countryside. In the south the effect of the Gulf Stream is to bring a surprising degree of warmth in the summer. This sea current is of no help in the winter when temperatures drop to well below zero even in the south. Winters are long and in the north especially, they are bitterly cold and dark.
|
|
|
