Europe · Northern EuropeUsable guideCountry in Northern Europe
Photo: Seppo Laine, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Sweden (Swedish: Sverige) is the largest of the Nordic countries by area and population. Visitors can experience deep forests and many lakes, the heritage from the Viking Age and the 17th-century Swedish Empire, the glamour of the Nobel Prize, and the country's successful pop music scene. Sweden has 270,000 islands with many open to visit through the right to roam.
Answers to what travellers most often look up about Sweden.
Cards and cash
Electronic payments with credit cards and debit cards (kontokort, bankkort) are very common, as is the Swedish payment app Swish.
Tipping
Tipping, known as dricks in Swedish, is not customary in Sweden, but sometimes a tip is left as a sign of appreciation for good service, usually by rounding up the bill but truly exceptional service may be rewarded with a tip of 5–10%.
Swedish
Swedish (svenska) is the national language of Sweden. It is closely related to Danish and Norwegian, and mutually intelligible with those languages to a certain degree — especially in written form.
Sweden has widespread 4G/LTE coverage on band 3 (1800 MHz) and 20 (800 MHz), even in rural areas, except in the central and northern interior parts of the country - there the partly state-owned Telia is your best bet and a phone supporting band 28 (700 MHz)…
Mobile networks
Tap water in Sweden is of great quality, and contains close to zero bacteria.
Certified pharmacies carry a green cross sign and the text Apotek. For small medical problems the pharmacy is sufficient. Major cities carry one pharmacy open at night.
Covered in the guide
I never said, "I want to be alone." I only said, "I want to be let alone!" There is all the difference
Attractions, food, stays and travel essentials, with ratings, reviews, opening hours and directions.
Stockholm is Sweden's capital and largest city, with nearly a million inhabitants in the city, and 2.4 million within Stockholm County (as of 2021). The inner city is made up of 14 islands across Lake Mälaren and three streams into the brackish Baltic Sea, with the Stockholm archipelago with some 24,000 islands, islets and skerries.
Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg) is Sweden's second largest city with 600,000 inhabitants, and about 1 million in the metropolitan area. The city lies on Sweden's West Coast, at the outlet of the Göta River.
Karlskrona, archaic spelling Carlskrona, is a city in Blekinge in southern Sweden. While the city has 37,000 inhabitants (2021), around 60,000 live in the municipality, Karlskrona kommun.
Linköping (pronounced "Lin-shœ-ping") is Sweden's fifth biggest municipality, and the seat of Östergötland county. It has about 167,000 inhabitants in the municipality (2023), including some countryside, and just under 100,000 in the city proper.
Lund is a university city in Scania, the southern part of Sweden. Lund is one of the oldest cities in Sweden and has also played an important part in Danish history.
Malmö is Sweden's third largest city with a population of about 352,000 (2021), and the capital of the province of Scania (Skåne) on the southern tip of the country. Malmö is a port city on the Öresund strait, facing Copenhagen on its other bank, with which it is connected by the Öresund bridge.
Umeå, called Ume by locals, is a city near the mouth of the Ume River. It is the capital of Västerbotten County in northern Sweden, and with about 110,000 citizens it is the largest city in Norrland.
Uppsala is a university city in Sweden. While Uppsala sometimes stands in the shade of Stockholm it maintains a sophisticated identity of its own.
Bergslagen is a vaguely defined area in Svealand in central Sweden. It is known as the historical heartland of Swedish mining, metallurgy and industry.
Ekerö [ˈeːkərˈøː] is a freshwater archipelago in lake Mälaren, which forms a municipality in Stockholm County. Ekerö is also the only Swedish municipality with two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Viking age settlement Birka, and Drottningholm Palace, which is the residence of the Royal family.
The High Coast (Swedish: Höga kusten) is a dramatic coastal area and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Västernorrland County, Sweden, famous for its traces from the last Ice Age, with rising land and glacial moraine. It is approximately bounded by the cities Härnösand in the south and Örnsköldsvik in the north, and also cover parts of the rural municipalities Kramfors and Sollefteå.
Kiruna (Sami: Giron) in Norrbotten County is Sweden's northernmost municipality, Kiruna kommun, with 23,000 inhabitants. The administrative centre and only urban settlement is Kiruna.
Laponia is a national park system of 9,400 km2 (3,600 sq mi) and a UNESCO World Heritage site in Norrbotten County, in the Lappland province in northern Sweden.
Siljansbygden is the region around lake Siljan in the Dalarna province in Sweden. The folk culture around the lake is known as an archetype of Swedishness, with many icons, such as the Midsummer pole, the Dala Horse, the Mora Knives, and hard bread.
The Stockholm archipelago, Stockholms skärgård or (locally) skärgården, is a group of thousands of islands in the Svealand region, extending east of Stockholm in the Baltic Sea. While many of the islands are relatively small, two large ones, Värmdö and Vaxholm, stand out as major destinations.
Åre is Sweden's busiest ski resort in Jämtland, 100 km west of the city of Östersund. In summer, visitors come for hiking, trail running, and mountain biking.
Places in Sweden on the World Heritage List.
Struve Geodetic Arc
Listed 2005
Drottningholm Palace
Listed 1991
Skogskyrkogården
Listed 1994
Engelsberg Ironworks
Listed 1993
Grimeton VLF transmitter
Listed 2004
Laponian National Park
Listed 1996
Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland
Listed 2012
Rock Carvings in Tanum
Listed 1994
Gammelstad Church Town
Listed 1996
Stora Sjöfallet National Park
Listed 1996
Southern Öland cultural landscape
Listed 2000
Drottningholm Palace Theatre
Listed 1991
List from Wikidata (CC0). Photos from Wikimedia Commons.
A sparsely populated area spanning more than half of Sweden. Lots of wilderness, with forests, lakes, great rivers, enormous marshes and tall mountains along the border to Norway. Great for outdoor life and winter sport.
Norrbotten County, Västerbotten County, Västernorrland County, Jämtland County, Gävleborg County
The central part of the country and homeland of the Swedes, with cities such as Stockholm, Uppsala and Örebro, and a heritage of mining and metallurgy.
Dalarna, Närke, Södermanland, Örebro County, Värmland, Stockholm County, Uppsala County, Västmanland
Homeland of the Geats and probable place of origin of the Goths. Many cultural and historical sights from Medieval cities and cathedrals to amusement parks, and Sweden's largest lakes, Vänern and Vättern.
Scania, Blekinge, Småland, Öland, Gotland, Östergötland, Halland, Västergötland, Bohuslän, Dalsland
Public transport and paid services in Sweden.
By train
Sweden has an extensive railway network. Most long-range lines are operated by the government-owned company SJ.
By bus
Flixbus and Nettbuss runs a number of bus lines in the southern third of the country, Götaland and Svealand.
By ferry
Road ferries (ferries that constitute part of public roads) are yellow, run by Färjerederiet.
By plane
Domestic flights are mainly for travellers with more money than time, and for the vast distances of Norrland. There are low-price tickets, but they must be bought well in advance.
By car
Svealand and Götaland can be crossed by car within a day, but distances in Norrland tend to be larger, and settlements can be tens of kilometres apart.
By taxi
Taxis are generally comfortable and, in the larger cities, easy to find. Check the price info on the rear window before entering, and do use the seat belt.
Apps for booking a taxi or a ride in Sweden.
Finding apps for Sweden…
Other ways to travel:By thumbBy bicycleOn foot
Operators checked against their official websites in October 2026; services that have stopped running are not listed. Logos and Wikipedia links: Wikidata (CC0)
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Stockholm · International · ARN
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Calculated from climate averages: mild daytime highs and lower rainfall. It does not account for festivals, crowds or prices.
Average conditions in Stockholm
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. high | -1° | 0° | 3° | 9° | 15° | 19° | 23° | 22° | 17° | 10° | 4° | 1° |
| Avg. low | -5° | -5° | -3° | 1° | 6° | 11° | 14° | 13° | 9° | 4° | 1° | -3° |
| Rainfall (mm) | 47 | 40 | 39 | 37 | 50 | 78 | 70 | 72 | 55 | 63 | 61 | 54 |
| Humidity | 96% | 95% | 89% | 81% | 77% | 74% | 73% | 76% | 82% | 89% | 95% | 97% |
Choose your passport and destination to see whether you need a visa.
Budget
$85
Per person, per day
Mid-range
$240
Per person, per day
Luxury
$605
Per person, per day
| Budget | Mid-range | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | $40 | $130 | $350 |
| Food and drink | $25 | $55 | $125 |
| Local transport | $10 | $25 | $55 |
| Activities | $10 | $30 | $75 |
Estimate from World Bank price levels (2025). Actual costs vary by city and season. World Bank
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We do not label countries as safe or unsafe. Below is the official advice from two governments, with the date it was last updated. Always read the full advice before you travel.
US Department of State
Level 2 of 4Exercise increased caution
Exercise increased cautionin Sweden due to terrorism. There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Sweden. Visit the U.S. Department of State's country reports on terrorism to learn more. Terrorists may attack without warning and target: Tourist locations Transportation hubs (airports) Markets and shopping malls Local government facilities Hotels, clubs, and restaurants Places of worship and religious sites Parks Major sporting and cultural events Educational institutions Other public areas Review our travel guidance for Sweden to learn how to prepare for a safe trip.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
No advice against travel. Read the full advice before you go.
Before you travel No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to: see general advice for women travellers read our guide on disability and travel abroad see general advice for LGBT+ travellers read about safety for solo and independent travel see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad Travel insurance If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency. About FCDO travel advice The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice. Get travel advice updates Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. Follow FCDO: travel advice on X travel advice on Facebook Travel Aware on Instagram
Stories, itineraries and practical advice for travelling in Sweden.
Nature & adventureWhere to see the northern lights in 2026 and 2027 during Solar Cycle 25, comparing weather in Tromsø, Abisko, Fairbanks and Iceland.
7 min read
Culture & historyThe Swedish Empire was at its greatest extent in the 17th and early 18th centuries. The only Nordic country to have been considered a "great power", at points in history Sweden has controlled most of the shores of the…
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsSweden has an extensive railway network. Long-distance lines are operated by the government-owned company SJ AB, or by private enterprises.
Wikivoyage
Nature & adventureWhile Sweden has long, dark winters, cycling is a national pastime when weather allows (around summer), and a good method to get around many cities and islands.
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsDenmark, Norway and Sweden are constitutional monarchies.
Wikivoyage
ItinerariesEuropean route E6 stretches from Trelleborg in Sweden to Kirkenes in Norway, 3,120 km in total. The leg through Norway is 2,628 km – the longest road within a single country in Europe except Russia.
Wikivoyage
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