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GETTING AROUND |
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Sweden's internal transport system is quick and efficient and runs
through all weathers. Services are often reduced in the winter (especially
on northern bus routes), but it's unlikely you'll ever get stranded. In
summer, when everyone is on holiday, trains and buses are packed: on
long journeys it's a good idea to make reservations. All train, bus and
ferry schedules are contained within the giant and confusing
Rikstidtabellen (80kr), or pick up specific route information from train
station offices, most of whom will happily print out all your options
for you.
Trains
Swedish State Railways ( SJ - Statens Järnvägar; up-to-date timetable
information from www.sj.se or call free in Sweden tel 020/75 75 75) have
an extensive network, running right into the north of the country above
the Arctic Circle and on into Norway. Tickets are expensive but happily
it's almost never necessary to pay the full rate. InterRail and Eurail
passes are valid, as is the ScanRail pass.
To ensure a seat, you might want to make a reservation ; on some trains
- indicated by an "R" or "IC" in the timetable - this costs 30kr; on the
high-speed X2000 trains and most national routes reservations are
mandatory, though the fee is included in the price. If you are using a
travel pass, you must reserve seats separately before the journey
(50kr). Kustpilen trains (bookable through SJ) run between Karlskrona
and Copenhagen via Malmö. Interrail passes are valid and reservations
are not mandatory. One booklet worth picking up is the quarterly SJ
Tågtider timetable from any train station, an accurate and comprehensive
list of the most useful train services in the country, except for those
of the Inlandsbanan up to northern Sweden and the Pågatågen private rail
line in the south (InterRail valid on both). The Inlandsbanan is only
open during the summer.
For all train travel north of the line between Sundsvall and Ostersund,
it is necessary to book tickets through Tagkompaniet (tel 020/44 41 11).
They will also book SJ tickets, but SJ will not book Tagkompaniet.
Buses
Complementing the rail system are long-distance buses ( Expressbussar ),
operated by Swebus ( www.swebus.se ) and Svenska Buss between large
towns and to and from Stockholm. Services tend to be cheaper and slower
than the equivalent train ride. In the north, buses are more frequent
since they are used to carry mail to isolated regions. Several companies
operate daily services, and fares are broadly similar. You can pick up a
comprehensive timetable at any Expressbuss terminal, which will normally
be adjacent to the train station.
Ferries
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 Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn, very popular routes in summer for
which you should really book ahead.
Driving and hitching
Driving presents few problems since roads are good and generally
reliable. The only real dangers are the reindeer and elk which wander
onto roads in the north. To drive, you need a full licence and the
vehicle registration document. Speed limits are 110kph on motorways,
90kph and 70kph on other roads, 50kph in built-up areas. It's compulsory
to use dipped headlights during daylight hours. Swedish drink-driving
laws are among the toughest in Europe and random breath-tests the norm.
For emergency assistance on the road call 020/24 10 00.
Car rental can be less pricey than imagined, particularly if you book
directly at a company's Swedish office. Most rental companies have
special weekend tourist rates - from around 500kr. Otherwise, expect to
pay from 1750kr a week, with unlimited mileage.
Despite the amount of holiday traffic and the number of young Swedes
with cars, hitching is rarely worth the effort as lifts are so few and
far between. Shorter hops are a little easier to find, especially when
travelling along the coasts and in the north. If you do try it though,
always use a sign.
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