Sweden – quick travel guide

Beautiful island country (over 200,000), blending modern minimalist technology with old fashion homesteading lifestyle.

To someone who isn’t familiar with Sweden or Nordic European countries…Sweden is ultra-modern and minimalist. In architecture, general design of how all Swedish things look. The culture is somewhat like a more futuristic Germany (as I would say is typical with nordic countries). Landscape-wise, the country is made of many little islands all connected to each other. Imagine like a mix of a more minimalist Germany and Netherlands put together.

The lifestyle is very much homesteading. If you ever wanted to have big city comforts but still be in touch with nature, growing your own food, biking everywhere, and being surrounded with trees and green, Sweden is the spot for you. I think outsiders imagine Sweden as a country of technology and minimalism, but it’s very much a nature place as well.

You could easily see a couple main cities in Sweden within 10 days. 5 days is minimum to get a vibe. Stay longer to enjoy different towns. I would say Swedish cities are not so drastically different from each other like in other countries (Rome vs Venice).

Swedish culture is very much like a countryside country. Lots of homesteading, being free and relaxed, organic, self-sufficient, off-grid living. They might move to bigger towns for work opportunities but many prefer living in smaller towns and owning their own homes and land for growing stuff. They (as a whole) speak great English (probably among the best of all Europeans, similar to Dutch/Danish) and enjoy traveling.

General tips for traveling in Sweden:

• English-speaking – Swedish speak perfect English (albeit with a Swedish accent). They don’t dub English movies.
• Expensive – Nordic countries are considered expensive but I would say they’re still cheaper than the USA.
• Biking – I would say Sweden is the best country I’ve seen for biking. Yes, even better than Holland. Because 1) the bike lanes are huge and not so many bikers, and 2) bikes have priority over cars. It’s very easy to bike everywhere and without worrying that you have to pay so much attention to other bikers and traffic lights.
• Public transportation – is really really good here. Frequent options and on time. HOWEVER, there are issues with trains sometimes. Especially in hard weather. They have outtages on the tracks and your train may be delayed. At which point, they arrange buses and taxis to take you to the next destination. In worst case scenarios, they also put you in a hotel. I never knew about this issue and it only happened once to me (when going from Stockholm to Orebro). Just be careful if you’re relying on train to get to the airport.
• Rideshare – Bolt, Uber.
• E-scooters – Bolt, Voi, Qick.
• Weather – June is more like their summer. August is already getting chilly (autumn).

Miscellaneous tips:

• Wipe down the shower floor with the wiper. People generally expect that.

Safety tips:

• Sweden is super safe. There’s pretty much no danger. Definitely one of the safest countries in the world.
• If there is any crime…I suppose there might be some race crimes against people of color, Muslims, or anti-immigrant sentiments. But really…I wouldn’t expect you to have any issue.

Foods to try:

• Swedish meatballs
• Fish & seafood
• Konebullen – like a cinnamon roll but Swedish version

Customs & Language:

• Basic language lessons – thank you is “tak”, cheers is “skole”. Generally

Swedish cities (* = recommended, ** = must see):

• Stockholm** – the capital city, big yet still charmy. Enjoy the grand version of Sweden’s unique island landscapes. Many museums, architecture, people, and things to do.
• Gothenberg** – seaport and architecture. Beautiful.
• Malmo – I found it incredibly boring. Considering that it’s so close to Copenhagen, I can’t imagine there’s any reason to be in Malmo when you can just go to Copenhagen. Those that like Malmo might find it charmy and “calm”.
• Uppsala – university town. Also charmy.
• Orebro – small beautiful charmy town.
• Visby – haven’t been and don’t have any idea of it.

Nearby countries:

• Norway –
• Finland –
• Denmark – I’ve only been to Copenhagen and I liked it.
• Estonia –
• Latvia – more Slavic culture.
• Lithuania –
• Poland – beautiful charmy country with good food and central eastern European culture. Also less expensive than West Europe but just as developed as it.
• Germany – beautiful, nice, lots of parks.

Unfiltered notes: