Country #20 : A Winter City Guide to Sweden
Last Trip of 2019: 5 Days in Sweden
72 Hours in Gothenburg, Sweden + 48 Hours in Stockholm, Sweden
Country #20 was a last minute, spur of the moment decision that turned into one of my favorite adventures. My Bff and I, Darby, bought a 25 euro flight to Gothenburg 12 hours in advance. We didn’t even book our accommodations until we arrived in sweden. There is a first time for everything, right? Below are all the details of our spontaneous trip to Sweden!
Gothenburg, Sweden
How to get there?
Price: 25 euros (about 28 USD) roundtrip flight from Dublin to Gothenburg on Ryanair. Ryanair has cheap flights to Gothenburg from a lot of airports in Europe.
Travel Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes (nonstop flight)
Travel Tip: Don’t forget to pack light (only a backpack) to save money!
Getting to the city from the airport: Even though the Gothenburg Landvetter Airport is about 30 minutes outside of the city, it is very easy to get into the city. If you buy a roundtrip ticket online you will save a few dollars (21 USD) compared to (23 USD) if you buy your ticket at the airport.
Where to stay?
Airbnb: For me, location is everything. Since we had a super early train ticket to Stockholm one of the mornings, we wanted to stay near the train station. Our airbnb was in the perfect spot; about a 3-5 minute walk to the central train station. This was my first time staying with an airbnb “host” and I was originally a bit nervous, however, this couple could not have been kinder. Their apartment was adorable, clean, comfortable and they made us feel right at home. If you're looking for a way to save money definitely check out their home. (picture of one of their sitting areas).
Hotel: We would have stayed at the airbnb again, however it was booked for our second night in the city. We opted for a chic, close-to-everything hotel with a fabulous breakfast buffet. The location was central as well. If you want to check in early they will charge you a $20 USD fee and although we enjoy our stay, I will say it was a bit odd that the bathrooms didn’t have outlets. This made trying to do my hair a bit difficult. LOL
What to do?
Want to go to the largest amusement park in the Scandinavian region AND visit the largest Christmas market in all of Scandinavia? This place was a true winter wonderDREAM and a can’t miss if you are traveling to Gothenburg during the holiday season!
located in an old church this is a fresh fish market that we enjoyed walking through. It is not large so you won’t need to spend a lot of time here.
Where to eat?
Take a 'Fika break' in Haga, a fun neighborhood, and enjoy the famous giant cinnamon bun at Café Husaren (located on Haga Nygata).
This was our first stop right when we made it to Gothenburg because we desperately needed wifi. The special that day was Salmon and it was DELICIOUS. If you like seafood, I highly recommend ordering it while in Sweden.
Espresso House is like a Sweden Starbucks. Go try their Chai Latte and thank me later!
We just stumbled upon this restaurant our last night and they do say the best things are unplanned. This is an app based, tapas focus and circus themed restaurant that was just SO MUCH FUN. Everything is done via the app and of course there is free wifi to download the app. It was such a fun concept and the food was yummy!
Stockholm, Sweden:
How to get there?
Price: 47 euro round trip ticket from Gothenburg to Stockholm
Travel time: 3 hours
Travel Tip: 9 times out of 10 the earliest train ticket is the most inexpensive. We left on the 5:55am train each morning. The time tables do change but make sure you check out the earliest train.
Pictured: the front of Stockholm Central Station
Where to stay?
This is a hotel and hostel. We were leery at first about staying at a hostel but the prices were too good to pass up and they had raving reviews. Each floor of the hotel/hostel has different types of rooms. We booked our own room with private bathroom (so basically a hotel room) and it was AMAZING!!!!! I would highly recommend staying here; it was close to walk to the subway, comfortable and clean.
What to do?
I used the link above and a subway map to create a DIY Stockholm Subway art tour. It was raining the morning we got to Stockholm so this was the perfect rainy day activity but rain or shine I think you have to check the subway art out! We bought a 24 hour unlimited subway pass.
To be honest, I am not normally a big museum girl but THIS MUSEUM WAS SO COOL. Click the link to learn more about the Vasa that sank in Stockholm back in 1628 year ago and spent 333 years on the ocean floor before it was found. It is a true treasure and unbelievable sight that they have been able to restore and preserve it.
It’s no secret, how much I love photography and I was lucky enough to have my Swedish relative show me around the city. Our first stop was at this museum of contemporary art. When we went artist, Erik Johansson’s work was being displayed and WOAH it was amazing. Check out more of his work here. Ps. There is a cafe on the top floor that overlooks the water, city and is the best place to pika.
If you’re in Stockholm during the winter make sure you consider iceskating. You pay to rent ice skates (inexpensive) but it is free to ice skate. It was my first time ice skating in over 10 years and I had so much fun!
You can’t miss the charming old town of Gamla Stan. It is the perfect place to get lost exploring the quaint streets of the old town and the best spot to find souvenirs for family and friends!
Where to eat?
Swedish meatballs need I say more? We tried boar, calf, beef and we even tried MOOSE! Our traditional Swedish meal was paired with a Swedish holiday drink! This spot is a must!
The cutest spot to just relax and have a slow morning fika. I enjoyed an iced latte of course, almond croissant and chia pudding.
You know I love a good breakfast spot and the Greasy Spoon was delicious. We both ordered coffee (of course) and blueberry pancakes.
This spot was located right next to our hotel (The Generator Stockholm) and we went here twice since it was so good and convenient.
Country #20 Recap: My favorite 5 cities from 20 Countries
(in no specific order)
1. Stockholm, Sweden
What’s better than Fika, meeting your Swedish relative, learning how to ice skate, trying moose for the first time and getting lost on the subway looking for the subway art? NOTHING. Stockholm was all I had dreamt it to be AND more. It is a huge city with the kindest people, cleanest (and coolest) subway and I can’t wait to be back.
2. London, United Kingdom
My first trip to London was a 48 hour solo trip in February of 2019, however, most recently my bff and I took a 24 hour trip to London in October 2019. London is a fabulous city with someone thing to see around every corner. Three must sees all pictured below: The Tower Bridge, Peggy Porschen Cakes and E L & N Cafe. Read more about the details of my London Trips below!
3. Prague, Czech Republic
I rang in the new year (2019) in style in Prague. It was my first time visiting Prague and it most definitely wasn’t long enough. The people were kind, the things to do were endless and the city was oh so charming. Read more about my Prague adventures in the travel guide below.
4. Sydney, Australia
My trip to Sydney may have been quick but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this happening city. I did the famous Sydney Bridge Climb (you have to add this to your bucket list), attended the Hillsong Christian Conference and of course checked out the Sydney Harbour and Opera House. Sydney, don’t worry I will be back soon!
5. Garmisch - Partenkirchen, Germany
Part of my 11 day solo trip, this romantic city was a dream. I had the best sleigh ride through the city and took a train up the mountain (felt like I was in a Christmas movie) to the tallest point in Germany (Zugspitze) where I went sledding. Click the button below for more details of this quaint city that is only an hour and 20 minutes train ride from Munich.
My 20 Countries Visited List:
United States of America
Canada
Bahamas
Dominican Republic
Brazil
Germany
Hungary
Switzerland
Czech Republic
Austria
Belgium
United Kingdom
Netherlands
France
Australia
Ireland
Italy
Spain
Norway
Sweden
*Countries I’ve lived in are italicized*
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As always, all opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience.