SL – Public Transit in Stockholm
SL – Stockholms Lokaltrafik
Phone: 08-600 10 00
Online information: www.sl.se/english
SL, the local public transit authority, produces good maps showing all the bus routes, subway lines and commuter rail connections for Stockholm. These maps are available at almost any newsstand or Pressbyrån.
You can buy your ticket at the SL Center, at one of the commuter train stations, or at the subway and streetcar turnstiles. There are also ticket dispensers in a number of other locations. You can even buy a one-hour ticket which is sent as a text message to your mobile phone. Until recently you bought and used flat-rate tickets for all city bus and subway routes. Since April 1, 2007 the city has been divided into transit zones, however, and the principle is now: The farther you travel, the more you pay. As always, free transfers within the system are allowed during a period of one hour.
Instead of buying individual tickets, many tourists buy one of SL’s short time travelcards, which are a good buy for anyone who will be using the transit system repeatedly during the day. They are valid for an unlimited number of trips on SL’s regular lines within Stockholm County, on all the streetcars, and on the ferries to and from Djurgården (see the bottom of this page). They also give you free admission to the Streetcar Museum.
You can choose between a travelcard that is valid for one full day (24 hours), three full days (72 hours) or even an entire week. Like the SL maps, travelcards are sold at most well-assorted newsstands in the city. Kids under 18 (and seniors over 65) get a hefty discount on their cards, so don’t forget to ask about it when you buy your travelcard.
With a travelcard (or any other pass, for that matter), you swipe your card at the turnstile or show it to the driver when you get on the bus. Please note: The transit authority carries out random inspections on board busses and streetcars and at the exits of the subway stations to make sure that everyone has a valid ticket or pass, so make sure you don’t lose yours along the way.
All-in-one tourist card available from the official visitors guide
If you are just going to visit a few of the museums and other attractions that charge admission in Stockholm, then an SL travelcard is probably a very good choice, but if you want to buy a tourist pass that gives you more, you might consider what “Stockholm – The Official Visitors Guide” has to offer at www.stockholmtown.com.
You can even buy the Stockholm Card online if you like. The Stockholm Card is also on sale at many hotels in the city, at the Stockholm Tourist Center in Kulturhuset and at many campsites, youth hostels and SL Centers. For an up-to-date list of where to buy the Stockholm Card, check out the www.stockholmtown.com website.
Unlike the SL travelcard, the “Stockholm Card” gives you free entry to 80 museums and attractions, free sightseeing by boat and free parking, as well as the unlimited free travel by public transport that a travelcard provides. You can choose between cards that are valid for 24, 48, 72 or 120 hours. The Stockholm Card starts to be valid when it is stamped with the time and date the first time you use it, and it is valid once per attraction.
Prices for The Stockholm Card 2011
Valid for – Adult card – Children’s card
24 hours – SEK 425 – SEK 195
48 hours – SEK 550 – SEK 225
72 hours – SEK 650 – SEK 245
120 hours – SEK 895 – SEK 285
Children’s cards must be used together with adult cards. Max. 2 children’s cards per adult card. Children ages 7-17.
Hotel card and travel pass available from Destination Stockholm
Destination Stockholm issues a hybrid pass called the Stockholm à la Carte card. This card can be used as a travel pass, valid for unlimited free public transportation by busses, subway and commuter trains, and six free boat tours during your entire stay at the hotel.
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Internet access helps you to get around in Stockholm
If you have access to the Internet where you’re staying—or have access to it any other way, for that matter—the online SL travel planner (or “journey planner” as it’s also known), is available online. Just type in your departure location (neighborhood, bus stop or station) and the place you want to travel to, and the travel planner will tell you which route to take, as well as upcoming departure and arrival times.
Internet cafés are sprouting up all the time in Stockholm and if your family is traveling with a laptop, hundreds of wireless access points or “Wi-fi hotspots” are also available around the city. Keep your eyes and ears open, and you’re sure to find a way to connect to the Internet during your stay in Sweden.
The Djurgård Ferries from Gamla Stan and Nybroviken
One final note, even if there are many other ways to travel between the Old Town, Gamla Stan, and Djurgården, I highly recommend taking the ferry between the two at some point during your visit. It’s a short trip, but it gives you a chance to see the center of the city from the glittering water where Stockholm is at its best.
