Part 2 of Vacation 2014: Sweden

We had one day in Stockholm and two full days in Göteborg / Gothenburg where we celebrated Midsommar / Midsummer on June 20. Yes, I did dance around the maypole with my Swedish friend.

Ready to dance!

Stockholm can be done in one day, but I wish we had more time there. From the ferry, we went straight to the central train station by metro – just make sure to follow the signs while you are still on the metro platforms as there are no signs telling you where to go once you get back up to street level. There are plenty of luggage lockers to store your stuff (machines only take coins or chip cards though, sorry Americans). We bought an SL Access 24 hour card for an astounding 115 SEK (plus 20 SEK for the card) and headed to the old town and Royal Palace. We also hopped on the ferry to Djurgården.

Colourful Stockholm

The train from Stockholm to Gothenburg was very nice, and express so it didn’t stop at all between the two cities. Since I booked three months in advance, it was nearly the same price to buy first class tickets as it was for second class tickets. In first class, you get free coffee/tea, snacks and wifi. You can also print your tickets so there’s no need to pick them up at the train station.

Gothenburg Opera House

Gothenburg is Sweden’s second largest city, but many people say it has a different vibe compared to Stockholm. We bought the Gothenburg City Card for 355 SEK and went to Universeum, Liseberg, and hopped on the cute little tourist train the next morning before the card expired. I recommend staying at the Clarion Collection Hotel Odin near the train station since they provide free buffet breakfast AND dinner. Considering how expensive everything is in Sweden, this a great deal, and the food is quite good.

Feskekôrka (Fiskkyrkan, or Fish Church – actually a market)

After Gothenburg, we headed off to Norway. The train from Gothenburg to Oslo is an NSB rather than SJ train, so you can’t print tickets or even pick them up at the station in Gothenburg. You just print out your ticket confirmation and they’ll come around to give you your ticket (which is actually a receipt). This train is a slower regional train so there are many stops, but you still have footrests and plugs at every seat, and a drinks/snacks cart that comes through the carriage every hour or so since there is no dining carriage.

Still to come… Swedish realia and Part 3: Norway!