How many days are enough for Stockholm?+
Two days cover Gamla Stan, the Vasa Museum, the Royal Palace and City Hall, but the city is split by water and moving between islands takes time. Three days are comfortable and leave room for one trip by boat into the archipelago or out to Drottningholm. Anyone who wants to properly see the archipelago needs four to five days; the city centre alone will be exhausted by then.
Do I need cash in Stockholm at all?+
Barely. Sweden is the most cashless country in Europe, and plenty of shops, museums and all public transport refuse cash outright — in the metro or on a bus you can't even pay with it. A contactless card or phone is all you need. Exchanging Swedish kronor in advance makes no sense; always choose to be charged in Swedish kronor at the terminal, not your home currency.
Is the Go City or Stockholm Pass worth it?+
It's worth it for anyone who can manage three paid attractions in a day — admission alone runs 150 to 330 kronor, and the Vasa Museum plus Skansen together come to almost five hundred. The card doesn't cover city transport, which has to be paid separately. Anyone mainly interested in walking Gamla Stan, taking in the view from Monteliusvägen and riding the metro will lose money on the card — plenty of the best spots are free anyway.
How do I get cheaply from Arlanda into the centre?+
The Arlanda Express is fastest (eighteen minutes) but costs 320 kronor. The Pendeltåg commuter train takes thirty minutes and, with the airport surcharge, comes to 165; the Flygbussarna coach takes forty-five minutes and costs 129. For two or more people, the bus is the cheapest option. Watch out for Skavsta airport, which is a hundred kilometres from Stockholm, with a ninety-minute bus into town.
When can you see the midnight sun in Stockholm?+
Not in Stockholm — true midnight sun requires crossing the Arctic Circle, meaning Kiruna or Abisko, a thousand kilometres north. Around the summer solstice, Stockholm has so-called white nights: the sun sets around ten in the evening and it never fully gets dark, so midnight looks like dusk. That's plenty for photography and evening walks.
Is Stockholm safe?+
Yes. The violent crime you read about back home is concentrated in a handful of suburbs a tourist has no reason to visit; the centre, Södermalm and Djurgården are calm even at night. The real risk is pickpockets in the metro, at the central station and in the queue outside the Vasa Museum. In winter, the most common mishap is a fall on ice — sturdy-soled shoes matter more than a warm jacket.
Where do I buy wine or spirits in Stockholm?+
Only at the state-run Systembolaget shops, which are open until six on weekdays, until three on Saturdays, and not at all on Sundays. Supermarkets only sell beer up to 3.5 percent. Weekend bottles need to be bought by Saturday morning at the latest — it's the most common surprise for visitors. Restaurants and bars pour normally, just expensively.
Is a boat trip into the archipelago worth it?+
Yes, it's the reason people come to Stockholm in the first place, and without it you've only seen the city. The shortest option is Fjäderholmarna, twenty-five minutes away; the classic is Vaxholm, an hour; and with a full day you can reach Sandhamn or Grinda, two to three hours out. Waxholmsbolaget boats run their own fare system outside the regular SL tickets, and in high season a multi-day boat pass pays off.
