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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Sweden

International Airports Stockholm (STO) (Arlanda) (website: www.lfv.se/site/airports/arlanda) is 42km (26 miles) north of the city. There are frequent bus services operating between the airport and the city from 0625-2305 (travel time – 40 minutes). Arlanda Express trains leave for the city every 15 minutes between 0600-2359 (travel time – 20 minutes). Taxi services are also available. Airport facilities include outgoing duty-free shop, car hire (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz), banks/bureaux de change, cash dispenser, restaurant/bar, coffee shop and tourist information. There is a good selection of hotels within 10km of the airport. Gothenburg (GOT) (Landvetter) (website: www.lfv.se/site/airports/landvetter) is 24km (15 miles) east of the city (travel time – 25 minutes). Coach services are frequent between the airport and the Central Station. Buses and taxis are available to the city. Airport facilities include full outgoing duty-free shop, car hire (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz), bank/bureau de change, restaurant/bar and coffee shop. Malm Sturup (MMX) (website: www.sturup.com) is 31km (20 miles) east of the city (travel time – 35 minutes). Bus and taxi services go to the city. Airport facilities include a bureau de change and a duty-free shop. Malm City Hovercraft (HMA), 200m (650ft) from the Central Station, is now the city’s main terminal for international air passengers using the hovercraft service operated by SAS which connects with flights at Copenhagen Airport. The terminal has its own duty-free facilities. Taxi services are available. For more information on airports, contact LFV (website: www.lfv.se). Back to Top Air Travel SAS serves over 30 local airports. Travel by air is relatively cheap and efficient and there are a number of reduced fares offered by SAS; contact the airline for further details. The national airline is SAS Scandinavian Airlines System (SK) (website: www.sas.se). Other airlines serving Sweden include Air Canada, Air France, Aeroflot, British Airways, Finnair, Lufthansa and Ryanair. Approximate flight times: From Stockholm to London is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. From Gothenburg to London is 1 hour 45 minutes. From Stockholm to Los Angeles is 14 hours 10 minutes; to New York is 7 hours 45 minutes. Back to Top Travel By Water Unlike Norway and Finland, there are few domestic ferry services in Sweden. The various archipelagos on the southeast coast are served by small ferries, the most comprehensive network being within the Stockholm archipelago, for which you can buy an island-hopping boat pass. The other major link is between the Baltic island of Gotland and the mainland at Nynshamn and Oskarshamn, which are very popular routes in summer; booking ahead is strongly recommended. There are frequent coastal sailings to all ports and on the hundreds of lakes throughout the country, especially in the north. For details contact local authorities. Canal: A canal (served by vintage steamer; website: www.gotakanal.se) connects Gothenburg and Stockholm. DFDS Seaways ferries (website: www.dfdsseaways.co.uk) sail all year round from Newcastle to Gothenburg (travel time – 24 hours). There are also ferry connections from Swedish ports to other destinations including Copenhagen, Gdansk, Helsingr, Kiel, Klaipeda, Oslo, Riga, St Petersburg and Tallinn. Back to Top |Rail The excellent and extensive rail system is run by Swedish State Railways (SJ), SE-105 50 Stockholm (tel: 04982 03380; fax: 04982 03391; website: www.sj.se). The network is more concentrated in the populated south where hourly services run between the main cities, but routes extend to the forested and sparsely populated lake area of the north, which is a scenic and popular holiday destination. Restaurant cars and sleepers are provided on many trains. Reservations are essential for most express services. Motorail car-sleeper services are operated during the summer on the long-distance routes from Malm, Gothenburg and Vsters to Kiruna and Lule. For tickets and booking information, see online (e-mail: info@swedenbooking.com; website: www.swedenbooking.com). Discount tickets: There are reductions for families and regular passengers, as well as a link-up with other Scandinavian countries via the Scanrail Pass, which provides unlimited travel in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden for 21 consecutive days. It also gives free travel on the ferries between Helsingr and Helsingborg. Children aged between 4 and 11 travel at half the fare or reduced fare. Young people aged 12 to 25 obtain a discount of 25 per cent, and for passengers aged over 60 fares are discounted by 10 per cent. All passengers may be eligible for discounted tickets, under a scheme known as raslyst. This card is valid for two people for one calendar year and entitles travellers to up to 70 per cent off when the booking is made at least 7 days in advance. Only a limited number of these tickets are available, so it is advisable to book as far in advance as possible. See online for more details (website: www.scanrail.com). One UK–Sweden route is from London (Victoria and Liverpool Street) to Hook of Holland or Ostend, and onwards via Copenhagen (travel time – 22-25 hours). There are connections by ferry from Denmark and through rail routes from Norway (Oslo, Narvik and Trondheim). However, the quickest route is to take the Eurostar train to Brussels, and then to catch a connection to Hamburg and on to Stockholm. Back to Top Travel By Road Traffic drives on the right. Sweden’s roads are well-maintained and relatively uncrowded, but watch out for animals crossing the road in remote areas. Credit and debit cards are becoming more acceptable as a means of payment at petrol stations. Most petrol stations have 24-hour automatic petrol pumps; they accept SKr100 and 20 notes. Bus: Express coach services and local buses are run by Linjebuss (website: www.linjebuss.com) and Swebus (website: www.swebus.se). Cheap and efficient links are available to all towns. Many coach operators do special offers on tickets on weekends (Friday to Sunday). Information is available in Sweden from local tourist offices. The Gothenburg, Malm and Stockholm Cards offer free public transport in those areas as well as free admission to selected museums and tourist attractions. Cards can be purchased from tourist information centres, camping sites or youth hostels. Taxi: Available in all towns and at airports. Intercity taxis are also available. Car hire: Available in most towns and cities. All international agencies are represented. Regulations: Speed limits outside built-up areas are 110, 90 or 70kph (68, 56 or 43mph) depending on road width and traffic density. In built-up areas the limit is 50kph (31mph) or 30kph (19mph) in school areas. Severe fines and sometimes prison sentences are imposed on drivers over the alcohol limit (0.02 per cent). There are on-the-spot fines for traffic offences. The use of dipped headlights is compulsory in the daytime for cars and motorcycles. Crash helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists. Children under 7 may not travel in a car if it is not equipped with a special child restraint or a normal seat belt adapted for the child’s use. Emergency warning triangles are obligatory. Studded tyres are only permitted from 1 November to the first Monday after the Easter holiday. Documentation: National driving licence is sufficient, but it must include a photo or it will not be recognised. The minimum age for car drivers is 18; for motorcyclists it is 17. The car’s log book and written permission must be carried if driving someone else’s car. A Green Card is not required by Swedish authorities, but it tops up the cover provided by a domestic policy. It is advisable to check the validity of insurance policies prior to departure. URBAN: Public transport is efficient, comprehensive and well-integrated. Stockholm has bus, trams, metro (T-banan) and local rail services. Pre-purchase multi-tickets and passes are sold, though single tickets can also be obtained on the bus. There are trams in Gothenburg and Norrkping. Taxis are widely available; large taxi companies are cheaper than independents. Several of the main cities, particularly Stockholm, have boat excursions and services; see Resorts & Excursions section for further information. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Stockholm to other major cities/towns in Sweden. Air Road Rail Gothenburg 0.50 6.00 4.30 Malm 1.05 8.00 6.45 stersund 0.55 8.00 6.30 Karlstad 0.40 5.00 3.30 Lule 1.15 20.00 15.00 Mora 1.00 6.00 4.30 From the UK visitors can either drive to Sweden through Europe via Denmark or Germany, or catch a car ferry from Harwich (all year) to Gothenburg on the southwest coast (sailing time – 24 hours). The resund Fixed Link, spanning 15.3km of waterway, joins the cities of Malm (Sweden) and Copenhagen (Denmark). The link comprises a suspension bridge (7.8km/4.9 miles) and an underwater tunnel (3.5km/2.2 miles), joined in the middle by an artificial island. It was designed to provide better connections between the Scandinavian peninsula and the European continent. Coach: There are services from London (Victoria), Dover and Folkstone to a number of Swedish cities throughout the year, taking approximately 30 hours (restricted service in winter). Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in Sweden. For further information, contact Eurolines, 4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire L41 1PP, UK (tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; website: www.eurolines.com or www.nationalexpress.com). Contact the Swedish Travel & Tourism Council for a list of other operators. Back to Top

Car Hire Sweden

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout the Sweeden.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Sweden