Mobile phones Multinational phones can be rented from Cellhire (www.cellhire.com).

Car hire Avis car rentals (Tel: 0770 82 0082, Email: reservation-office@avis.se). Office rental Regus (Tel: 0200 33 3301, www.regus.se).

Secretarial services Proffice (Tel: 020 170 7070, www.proffice.se).

LOCAL PRESS

The selection of English event guides and papers in Stockholm is rather small. The magazine What’s On Stockholm comes out every month during the summer and every second month in autumn and winter, and is the only real alternative. It gives a pretty basic outline of the city’s programme of events in the coming month. The magazine is a part of the official visitors’ guide, which can be found at www.stockholmtown.se, and the printed version can be found at a number of the city’s tourist centres.

If you understand Swedish, or can get somone to translate for you, the magazine Nöjesguiden can be found at many of Stockholm’s cafés and shops. It’s more in depth and a bit more hip when it comes to concerts and events.

INTERNET

Wireless internet isn’t very well developed in Stockholm. However, nearly all hotels offer broadband connections in the hotel room and some of them have internal wi-fi connections for their guests, which are the recommended options. Stockholm also has a wide selection of internet cafés throughout the city. Most of them are geared towards gaming, but you can visit any of them to check your email or get printouts. Below are a few examples.

Café Tilt, Grev Turegatan 8 (Tel: 678 04
24), subway station: Östermalmstorg. Eight terminals are available within this café in central Stockholm.

Kulturhuset, Sergels Torg (Tel: 508 315 08), subway station: T-Centralen. Located right in the centre of Stockholm is Kulturhuset (house of culture). The building not only houses a theatre, but also a café and internet café.

Matrix, Hötorgets subway station (Tel: 20 0293). Located underground, this internet café is very active. Mostly a gamers hang-out, there are almost always a few terminals for hire.

MONEY

Sweden uses the Swedish Krona as currency (plural kronor). 1 Swedish Krona (Kr) is made up of 100 öre. Notes come in denominations of 20, 100, 500 and 1,000 Kronor, while coins are 50 öre and 1, 5 and 10 Kronor.

ATMs are plentiful in Stockholm and the majority of them accept cards tied into the Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus or Maestro systems as well as some local options. Forex is the main exchange office in Sweden. It has offices located throughout Stockholm—Arlanda and the Central station have one each. Its current exchange rates can be viewed on www. forex.se.

Almost all Swedish shops, restaurants, nightclubs and boutiques accept credit cards, and using American Express as well as Visa cards is no problem when in Stockholm. Most shops in Stockholm tend to be open from around 8am until at least 6pm. On weekends expect shops to close a good two to four hours earlier. Be sure to check up on opening hours if you have some special sight in mind, as opening hours can vary a great deal.

Banks are open weekdays 10am-3pm, except for Thursdays when some banks stay open until 4pm or sometimes as late as 5.30pm. A few city banks stay open until 6pm. All banks are closed at weekends and on public holidays. Banks at airports, ports and main railway stations generally have longer opening hours. Bargaining isn’t really acceptable in Sweden, except in the occasional flea market.

TIPPING ETIQUETTE

There are no rules for tipping in Sweden. Taxes and service charges are included in the price, but it’s often customary to add 10% to the bill for good service. For taxis, just round up to the price and let the driver keep the change.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

1st January—Nyårsdagen, New Year’s Day
6th January—Trettondedag jul, Epiphany
14th and 17th April (2006)—Långfredagen, Good Friday and Påskdagen, Easter Monday
30th April—Valborg’s Eve
1st May—Första Maj, May Day May—Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag, Ascension Day
May/June—Pingst, Whit Sunday and Annandag Pingst, Whit Monday
6th June—Sveriges Nationaldag, Sweden’s national day Saturday between
20th-26th June— Midsommardagen, Midsummer’s Day Saturday between
31st October-6th November—Alla Helgons dag, All Saint’s Day
25th December—Juldagen, Christmas Day
26th December—Annandag Jul, Boxing Day

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Sweden’s weather is largely dependant on the seasons. You can expect snow and freezing temperatures from November until as late as March. Spring is a beautiful time in Stockholm, when the whole city comes to life again after the cold, dark winter months. Summers can be deceiving—hot and sunny days are often mixed with rainy days, although the temperature is still very mild. From around mid-September up until October the autumn comes, painting Stockholm’s many avenues in varying shades of yellow, orange, red and brown.

SUGGESTED READING

City Of My Dreams by Per Andrews Fogelstrom. A masterpiece of historical realism, this sweeping narrative creates unforgettable characters and gives a cross-section of life in 19th century Stockholm.

Stockholm Smorgasbord: A Cultural Feast for Travellers by Karin Seastone Stern.

This isn’t an ordinary travel guide or essay. It’s a story that takes you through Stockholm’s known and unknown menus and offers linguistic advice as well as a new view on the city.

Culture Shock!: Sweden by Charlotte Rosen Svensson. A more in-depth look at customs, etiquette and general Swedish life. Of Swedish Ways by Lilly Lorenzon. A charming and unusual account of Swedish customs and manners.

GETTING INTO TOWN

Airport There are three airports in close proximity to Stockholm: Bromma, Skavsta and Arlanda. Arlanda is the main one, located about 4kms north-west of the city. Cars If you’re interested in hiring a car, consult the previous chapter on business essentials. Avis has offices at Arlanda and Bromma airports. If you’re travelling by car, follow the signs to the E4 motorway, which takes you into the city. The drive takes about 30 minutes.

Taxis in general aren’t cheap in Stockholm. Most taxi companies, however, have set prices from Arlanda at about Kr 380.

Bus The Flygbussarna airbus departs every 10 minutes from outside all the terminals and takes you to Stockholm city centre in about 40 minutes. Buy tickets at any of the information desks in the terminal building. A one-way ticket costs Kr 89, a return is Kr 170.

Train Follow the signs to the Arlanda Express. It departs every 15 minutes and takes you to Stockholm in 20 minutes. This is the quickest and most comfortable way to get into the city, and it’s priced accordingly. A single ticket costs Kr 190, a return Kr 360 (valid for a month). Buy tickets from the yellow machines in the terminal building.