Archive for COUNTRIES
Car Hire Guide at Stockholm Airport
The Stockholm Airport, which long name is Stockholm Arlanda Airport, can be found at the municipality of Sigtuna in the city capital of Stockholm. It is quite near the towns of Marsta and Uppsala. It is the biggest airport in Sweden and ranks third against other Nordic countries.
The airport has four terminals. It is a complete amenity airport with easy transportation access to any point in town. You can get in and out of Stockholm Airport via rail, bus, taxi, or a rented car. The train called the Arlanda Express proposes the fastest way to get in and out of the airport.
As for the bus, it could take you to the Stockholm City Centre, the Central Station, and many locations to the northern part of the Stockholm County. But then again, a taxi would beat them in their number of destinations. The taxis in Stockholm charge a fixed price. But it is okay to request the meter to run if you prefer that.
Needless to say, a rented car is your best choice while here. Hertz, Avis, and Europcar can handle your car hire requests. There is a car hire area at the airport, and you can always go there to book the car of your choice. However, you would have to use a shuttle bus service from the terminal to get there. It is going to be a long walk so don’t attempt to do so.
Travelling with Kids to Stockholm
With its maritime bent and cosmopolitan flavour, Stockholm is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful national capitals in the world. This lovely, lively city, is ideally situated on the coast with the 24,000 islands of the skärgård (archipelago) protecting the urban islands from the open seas.
What surprises most first time visitors to Stockholm is the water; there’s as much of it here as there is in Amsterdam and Venice. The city is also captivating because each neighborhood has its own unique ‘character’ so a short stroll often turns into a long walking tour; and ambling around the city’s waterways and parks is simply a glorious way to spend a morning or afternoon.
You can cover the entire city centre on foot in a couple of hours. In the same amount of time, you can shop till you drop at an impressive number of designer establishments all within a stone’s throw of one another. In the evening, you can choose to visit the theatre or the opera; there are outdoor stages, beautiful movie houses, musicals to see and sports arenas that frequently host concerts. When your stomach begins to rumble, you’ve only got to decide what you feel like eating - the world’s cuisines are very well represented here.
This is partly due to the fact that of the two million people that live in Stockholm, over 15% of them are immigrants, so as you stroll through the city’s quaint streets you’ll hear anything, from Polish and Japanese to Arabic and can savour everything from sushi to shwaramas.
Stockholm and children
High chairs in restaurants, children’s menus, ramps for prams in the Stockholm underground and dedicated rooms for eating packed lunches in museums and many more such child-friendly facilities are taken for granted in Stockholm; the city and its surrounding areas will spoil you with their attention to children’s needs and are both fun and convenient to visit with little ones in tow.
With its broad pavements, pedestrian areas, green parks and location right on the water, Stockholm is a great place for running, jumping and discovering. You can leave the car at home, as virtually all of Stockholm’s attractions can be reached via the underground and buses.
StorStockholmsLokaltrafik (SL for brevity’s sake) is in charge of local public transport and operates underground trains, buses and commuter trains covering the entire County of Stockholm. Children under seven always ride free when accompanied by and adult and on weekends, from 12 noon Friday through to Sunday, a single paying adult can bring along up to six children under twelve at no extra cost.
When to visit
I would be lying if I said it would be Ok to visit Sweden in the winter months - when the truth is that those travelling from Gulf countries would find the cold especially bitter and this could have a negative effect on what would have otherwise been a wonderful holiday.
So although to visit during snowy months would be magical, give much consideration to a winter trip to Sweden before making that decision. Remember also that changing nappies when 3 or 4 layers of clothes and snowsuits have to be removed each time soon wears thin!
Most of Sweden has a cool temperate climate, and it rains in all seasons, but the southern part of the country has a warmer temperate climate. Stockholm has an average of about nine hours of sunshine daily from May to July so summer is definitively the best time to visit the city and it fits in well with the Northern hemisphere school holidays too.
What to see and do
Here’s a selection of attractions and activities that you can enjoy on your visit to Stockholm:-
A Guide to Stockholm on a Budget
By P. Scottyn
Stockholm is a unique city comprising of 14 islands, with around two-thirds of the capital covered in water or green spaces. A country proud of its culture and arts, Sweden can boast to having more museums than any other European capital. Traveling around the city could not be easier when using the sophisticated transport system, and although it does not have a reputation for being cheap, it is possible to backpack around Stockholm on a budget.
Sights
The wealth of history contained within Stockholm’s medieval street layout is visible from every corner of the city. The Gamla Stan, or Old Town, was constructed between the 14th and 16th centuries, and a stroll through the area is a free lesson in traditional Swedish architecture. Backpackers can marvel at the splendor of Storkyrkan Cathedral, the Tyska kyrkan German Castle and the 13th century Riddarholmen Church, which is the oldest building in the city.
Many architectural eras are visible within the city, such as 1930’s modernism, Art Nouveau (as exemplified by the Stockholm City Hall), and the baroque-style Stockholm Palace. A range of UNESCO world heritage sites, including the Ekero Municipality’s Royal Palace Drottningholm, the Woodland Cemetery or Skogskyrkogarden, make for beautiful places to visit in the city. The exterior of the 19th century Royal Swedish Opera building is a stunning sight that can also be admired for free.
Museums and Galleries
A visit to Stockholm would not be complete without a visit to one of the many museums and art galleries that are housed within the city, with many charging little or no fee to enter. The Skansen open air museum and zoo is worth a trip to the island of Djurgarden, while history enthusiasts will enjoy the Nordic Museum. The Vasa Museum has discounted admission prices on Wednesday evenings, while the Stockholm City Museum is free all year round.