Sweden - Stockholm!!!

Lima · 2 Sep 2011 at 01:14

I'm planning on going on a 2 or 3 night city break to Stockholm at the end of this month with a couple of mates. Not really sure what to expect from the place, so was wondering if anyone here had any recommendations of where to go, what to see and where to party?

We're 3 guys in our mid 20s looking to do a bit of sight seeing stuff in the day and going mad in the evening/morning.

HangTime · 2 Sep 2011 at 01:27

I've been to Stockholm a couple of times and would recommend:

-Bus tour with audio, good to get to know the area
-Old town "Gamla Stan" for a bit of eating and drinking (expensive mind)
-Vasa Museum
-Strolling around by the water
-Skansen

Sthlm is a bit of a weird place in that while I quite like it, there isn't really anything outstanding that I can put my finger on and say YOU MUST DO THIS!

Rameses · 2 Sep 2011 at 01:43

I went there on a stag doo, by far the best city I've been too if you want to see pretty ladies, they were just......everywhere.

Went to Cafe Opera I think, and Ambassadeur.

try this link of clubs in stockholm.

http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...en&sa=X&biw=1274&bih=964&tbm=plcs&prmd=ivnscm

Docaroo · 2 Sep 2011 at 04:48

I was in Stockholm for a week just two weeks ago visiting my girlfriend who was at home for summer, it's such a lovely city!

I recommend going to the Vampyr Lounge for some epic cocktails although Monday is the best day for this when it's like almost half price ....

Alcohol is very expensive in Sweden, especially out at bars so prepare for that!

HangTime said:
I've been to Stockholm a couple of times and would recommend:

-Bus tour with audio, good to get to know the area
-Old town "Gamla Stan" for a bit of eating and drinking (expensive mind)
-Vasa Museum
-Strolling around by the water
-Skansen

Sthlm is a bit of a weird place in that while I quite like it, there isn't really anything outstanding that I can put my finger on and say YOU MUST DO THIS!

My girlfriend works at Skansen over summer

Although in the Aquarium part where all the animals are!

Agree on Gamla Stan, that's a must ... also, walk around some of the nice shopping streets: Kungsgatan down to Stureplan and then down Biblioteksgatan... pretty nice!

Then there is Strandvägen (the most expensive property street in Sweden) which takes you towards Djurgården (where Skansen and Vasa Museum is...)

The Stockholm Opera House is amazing too if you are into that (I am!)

Drottninggatan is another shopping street and there are loads of really great restaurants in Stockholm (some around Stureplan) ... just worth wandering around finding places really!

Transport wise, you can buy day or weeks pass cards that let you use any busses/trains/underground or trams in the city (you can get them at "post offices" or at stations... kinda like London oyster cards but you don't put money on them. I got a week pass for around £20!!

tlrBeta · 2 Sep 2011 at 08:25

If you want to drink...take a lot of money

If you want to eat well...take a lot of money

IceBus · 2 Sep 2011 at 09:01

All alcohol is VERY expensive.

PMKeates · 2 Sep 2011 at 09:07

Alcohol doesn't seem that expensive? What's 'VERY' expensive?

Vonhelmet · 2 Sep 2011 at 09:13

HangTime said:
I've been to Stockholm a couple of times and would recommend:

-Bus tour with audio, good to get to know the area
-Old town "Gamla Stan" for a bit of eating and drinking (expensive mind)
-Vasa Museum
-Strolling around by the water
-Skansen

Sthlm is a bit of a weird place in that while I quite like it, there isn't really anything outstanding that I can put my finger on and say YOU MUST DO THIS!

Can echo all of these things but the bus tour!

IceBus · 2 Sep 2011 at 09:49

PMKeates said:
Alcohol doesn't seem that expensive? What's 'VERY' expensive?

I heard tell of €12 for a gin and tonic in Stockholm.

Vonhelmet · 2 Sep 2011 at 09:50

IceBus said:
I heard tell of €12 for a gin and tonic in Stockholm.

You could pay £12 for a gin and tonic in any city in the UK if you wanted to.

Or you could pay much less.

skookum · 2 Sep 2011 at 10:01

Eye up all the beautiful women, now that's free.

Davepen · 2 Sep 2011 at 10:08

Dude.

I envy you.

I swear in Sweden they kill anyone showing signs of ugly at a young age.

So.... many... fitties....

Lima · 2 Sep 2011 at 13:29

Thanks for the replies, seems like some good ideas mentioned.

Aside from the 12euro G&T how expensive are we really talking here?? Surely it can't be that bad. I was skiing in Ischgl in Austria last year and the average beer was 5euro and the average mixer was 9euro.

Done a bit of Googling though and I'm constantly seeing pretty shocking things about the price and quality of booze over there! :/

HangTime · 2 Sep 2011 at 14:21

It's certainly not cheap, when I went in 2003 it was about 50SEK a pint and the exchange rate has got worse since then (used to be about 13SEK to the £, was 11.5 last time I looked).. I went again in 2008 and it was around 59-69SEK and maybe 300SEK for a bottle of wine I think.

So basically I would work to the assumption that you will be paying at least £5 a drink but potentially a lot more if you are in some posh bar or restaurant.

Food isn't cheap either you are probably talking around 200SEK for a main course in a 'normal' restaurant although it could be that we went to touristy areas and thus paid above the odds.

Jedeye · 2 Sep 2011 at 14:44

It is really expensive here. At least incomparison to London, which should tell you all you really need to know.

Beer will be at least £5, and thats not even a pint, its somewhere inbetween a half and a pint. Crazy metric systems!

In SEK its usually at least 60 for a beer, and if you want to do shots, then you can be looking at anywhere in between 70 and 120 SEK. For 1 tequila.

They really do seem to ethnically cleanse the ugly out of the place though. I mean REALLY.

Go clubbing, you will be suprised at how many Swedish women think your English accent is "exotic"....

Skidder · 2 Sep 2011 at 14:47

Last time I went to Stockholm I bought a collection of tea towels just because the girls selling them was smoking hot. My wife didn't know what to make of the 'gift'.

regulus · 2 Sep 2011 at 15:29

My girlfriend (Swedish - Rawr!!) has an apartment in Gamla Stan. There's a wonderful restaurant on the harbor front called Pontus-by-the-Sea, or just Pontus. Well worth visiting for viewing the local female wildlife. Just be ready for spend ****ing tons of money. Also check out the Tivoli for a good laugh and the Opera house and castle for sightseeing. The thing with Stockholm is that while it's a really pleasant city and well worth visiting, there's no reason to really go there. It's like any other European capital but without any major attractions.

I much prefer Karlstad or Umea (in the far north)

Ceryndrion · 2 Sep 2011 at 15:32

Whatever you do, if someone asks you if you would like to try some Surströmming.. SAY NO!!

regulus · 2 Sep 2011 at 15:49

Ceryndrion said:
Whatever you do, if someone asks you if you would like to try some Surströmming.. SAY NO!!

Haha, Ah, Surstromming. I had it in Ulvon (spelling?) just off the coast of Ornskjoldvik. It was actually presented to me by a Swedish celebrity, the same guy that appear with Jamie Oliver on one of his shows when Jamie was trying it. Very funny and knowledgeable guy. He has his own line of Surstromming called Erik the Red. A whole restaurant of Swedes was watching me in anticipation when I took a bite. Really, I literally had 50 people staring at me as this Englishman tried it. I think I threw up a little bit in my mouth but managed to get enough down to please everyone that I gave it a real good bash.

Actually, it's now the season for Surstromming too.

Edit.

Here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5CUW4bXFH8

That same guy that presented it to Jamie prepared it for me too.

Docaroo · 2 Sep 2011 at 18:46

PMKeates said:
Alcohol doesn't seem that expensive? What's 'VERY' expensive?

Minimum will be £6 for a beer .... spirits £8, and just up from there.

If you want to get properly drunk, drink in your hotel before going out. Look for a shop called "Systembolaget" ... this is the Swedish equivalent of Victoria Wine or Oddbins if it were government run

They shut early (like 5-6pm) so go early, stock up on Vodka or whatever and drink! They have brilliant wines in Systembolaget (Sweden imports a large amount of quality wine - they don't accept rubbish!).

regulus said:
My girlfriend (Swedish - Rawr!!) ...

Yay for us - in the "Swedish Girlfriend Club" ... essentially it means we win at life

My GF is from Taby (just N of Sthlm...). WINRAR!