Travel Guide

Orebro Castle in the autumn sunny day, Sweden

Sweden is located in Northern . is the capital city of the country. Sweden shares its borders with , , and the . Swedish is the official language of Sweden. The country is divided into twenty- one counties. Along with Swedish, English is also widely spoken in Sweden. Sweden is a member of the European Union since 1995. Sweden can be visited during both the summer and winter months. Remember to pack some good winter clothes, if you are going to Sweden during winter. The standard of living in the country is high and Sweden is an expensive country to visit. Sweden is a major exporter of articles like timber, copper, iron, etc. Some of the important international airports of Sweden are: Stockholm Arlanda, Göteborg Landvetter, and Kastrup. If you are in any of the neighboring countries like , Norway, Germany, or , then you can reach Sweden by train. You can also reach Sweden by boat. Though Sweden is a big country, traveling by plane is an expensive affair, and it is better to travel by train or bus. Some of the tourist attractions in Sweden: wilderness Gripsholm Castle Skokloster Slott Castle Sareks National Park The Swedish Museum of Natural History The Kingdom of Crystal The Nordic Museum Getting In The different modes of transportation for reaching Sweden include plane, train, bus and boat. Plane Airways is perhaps the most comfortable way of reaching the country. The major international airport of Sweden is the Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport. The other important airports of Sweden include the Goteborg Landvetter and the Copenhagen Kastrup. Some less important airports in Sweden include the Stockholm Skavsta Airport, the Stockholm Vasteras Airport, the Goteborg City Airport, and the Malmo-Sturup Airport. The national of Sweden, the , operate flights to Sweden from international locations in Asia, Europe and North America. The same would prove helpful while traveling within the country. Other foreign airlines which would help you in getting to Sweden are: Air Berlin, British Airways, , Aeroflot-Russian airlines, Air China, Air France, Austrian Airlines, Blue1, Czech Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Thai International airways, etc. Train Reaching Sweden by train is also possible, provided you are located in any of the three following countries Denmark, Norway, and Germany. From Copenhagen in Denmark to Malmo in Sweden, you can reach by train in less than half an hour. Trains are also available from Copenhagen to Stockholm. From Norway, you could enjoy a train ride from to Stockholm or . From Germany, trains run from Berlin to Malmo in Sweden. Bus Eurolines or Safflebussen are the options of buses that you have for getting to Sweden. These buses would take you to Sweden via Copenhagen. Boat It is also possible to reach Sweden by boat. From Denmark and Germany, the and Scandlines would take you to Sweden. The DFDS operates boats from Belgium, Russia, and the to Sweden. The countries from where you can reach Sweden by boat are listed below: Belgium Denmark Finland Germany Norway Russia United Kingdom Transport You may choose to get around Sweden using any of the modes. Planes The national airlines of Sweden, Scandinavian Airlines, operate both domestic, as well as, international flights in the country. Other domestic airlines of Sweden include , , FlyNordic, Malmo Aviation, and Gotlandsflyg. The domestic flights in Sweden connect most parts of the country. The Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport is the major international airport of Sweden. Car Some of the places where you can try out this mode of transportation in Sweden include Svealand, Gotaland, and . But, it is advisable to go by air or by train, if the distance is too long. You should also be wary of wild animals, while driving at night in Sweden. Some of the animals you should look out for are moose, deer, etc. Bus There are excellent bus services in the country. The bus journeys would be cheaper than the one made by train. Some of the popular bus services which ply in Sweden include Swebus Express, Y-buss, and Harjedalingen. The Swebus Express would take you from Gotaland to Svealand. The other two buses would take you from Stockholm to Norrland. Train The railway company SJ is owned by the Swedish government. The SJ operates trains to major locations in the country, through an excellent railway network, which exists in Sweden. It would be advisable to book your tickets early; the tickets are a lot cheaper that way. Other trains are Skanetrafiken and Connex. Tourists can also avail of a Swedish Rail Pass. The train timetables are also displayed in English. Thus, the tourists would not find it difficult to find their trains. Tips The best time of the year for visiting Sweden is during the summer months. It is during this time that most of the tourists are seen in the country. Most of the museums in Sweden open their doors to the visitors at this time of the year. The winter season in Sweden, the off season, is best avoided. It could become difficult for the tourists to find accommodation in Sweden during the peak season. Thus, you should make your hotel bookings, early. You need to be careful, if you are driving in Sweden. You could find your car crashing into one wild animal or the other. The wild animals which you need to look out for include moose, deer, etc. The moose is perhaps the most dangerous, as it could crash right through the window of the car while you drive. The moose warning signs on the roads would, no doubt, make you aware of how serious the problem is. Be extra careful when you drive at night. The deer could be equally troublesome. Say thank you at every opportune moment in the country. The people of Sweden would appreciate your saying 'tack', which is Swedish for thank you. It is quite all right if you over do it, but not doing it at all could be insulting for the people you meet in Sweden. The are known to be very honest and upright people and they would expect the same qualities from you. Always, is to be punctual. The Swedes dislike people who do not live up to their words. So, if you have an appointment with someone, then make it a point to be on time. This should be beneficial for you, since you can expect them to be punctual too. You must also remember to take off your shoes when you enter the house of any of the Swedes. Some of the places in Sweden which the tourists must visit: The Royal Djurgarden The Royal Palace The City Hall The Museum of National Antiquities The Stockholm Archipelago The Gothenburg Botanical Gardens The Liseberg Amusement Park The Elfsborg Fortress The Gota Canal The Gothenburg Archipelago mapsofworld.com provides Interesting Information about Tourist Destinations from across the world. Visit : http://www.mapsofworld.com