north-bound

Is the staircase you refer to the one that is across the street from the bus stop with the bikes parked below, near Jimmy's steakhouse? I'm having a tough time "seeing" the staircase in the map.

 

If my in-laws are not up to walking and we decide to get the bus at "Londonviadukten", could you tell me how often the buses run to Slussen and how many minutes to Slussen. Where do we have to stand? I see the shelter and bikes lined up, will the red and white bus stop signs be easy to spot?

The little staircase is hidden under the trees, where the map says "Hermans Vegetariska Restaurang".

I think the bus stop at Londonviadukten is close to where Folkungagatan meets Stadsgården Quay. There are many buses that pass there on their way to Slussen, so the wait can not be many minutes. And to get to Slussen can also not be more than 2-3 minutes depending on traffic. Remember you need to have tickets before you get on the bus.

We will be in Stockholm July 5th 2011 for 3 nights. I have started looking into hotels and the majority seem to show no availability for our days. Is there something going on then (like a convention), am I too early, or do the hotels fill up this far in advance?

I think this must have been a temporary problem. Or if you only looked at a few weelknown hotels they could have preliminary bookings for some event or other. By now there are a lot of hotels that have rooms available.

Need help.... would like to see the ice bar in stockholm... can I get there by bus ? any ideas? I know you need a reservation... help Trudy

The Ice Bar is near the Central Station in Stockholm. There is the Metro as well as many buses that stop in that area.

So the question is From where do you want to go to the Ice Bar?

Here is a link to a map where you can fin the Ice Bar as well as the different ports where most cruise ships dock.

http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100446628536787947860.000448dadb8bebb56f079&t=h&z=13

Kavivashi

Sollentuna is a community with 60000 inhabitants north of Stockholm. Going from Arlanda airport in to Stockholm one would pass through Sollentuna, so taking the train all the way in to the city and then going back to Sollentuna is not a good idea.

The hotel lists only two options to get there from the airport. It is either a taxi (I have no idea what it would cost). Or you can take a bus nr 583 from Arlanda to Märsta Station, from there the train to Sollentuna Station, and then walk to the hotel. Sounds complicated to me, would not recommend it with luggage. Plus you would need tickets for the bus before you get on and I have no idea where you could buy that at the airport.

There is nothing special to do in Sollentuna as far as I know, but then I haven’t been there in many years, I live in Stockholm. There is a shopping mall near the hotel but I guess it would be the same shops as any other mall in the surburbs. I don’t know when the mall closes. There is a train station near the hotel where you can take the train to Stockhom Central Station. Expected time is 16 minutes and during most of the day there seems to be a train every 15 minutes. I am sure the hotel will be able to help you with train information.

For public transport the best thing is probably to buy 24 hour tickets which can be used on all public transport within the Stockholm area including the commuter trains and the ferry between Gamla Stan and the area where you will find Skansen and Vasa Museums. This ticket costs 100 kronor (60 kronor for children and those older than 65) Or there is a 3 day ticket that costs double as much, if you want to travel during more than one day. The tickets can be bought at the train station. When you get on a bus in the Stockholm area it is necessary to have your ticket beforehand, it is not possible to pay the driver.

I don’t know much about restaurants I Sollentuna since I never go there. There used to be one of the very best restaurants in Sweden, Edsbacke Krog, with two stars in Guide Micelin. But it was closed and there are now new owners who are said to do traditional Swedish food. The new name is Edsbacka Värdshus. May be worth a visit if you want to spend on a good meal. The location is still very nice I am sure.

As for how to get to the ship I definitely recommend a taxi since you will have luggage. There is of course the possibility to take the train to Stockholm and then go by bus to the port. But it is not easy to handle luggage on a bus that may be crowded.

Good tip, is the tower within Gamal Stan. See my post above, should I include that in my Gamla Stan walk around.

Bob

Katarinahissen is not in Gamla Stan, it is on the Södermalm side of Slussen.

The slussen area covers the south point of Gamla Stan and the connecting area of Södermalm. Down under all the traffic at Slussen there is a small lock where boats can transfer from the Baltic Sea to lake Mälaren, or back. And that is what the name Slussen means, the Lock. So the area covers both sides around the lock.

At the Södermalm side of Slussen there is a rock wall and Katarinahissen can take you up to the area behind. From the elevetor you walk to the roof of a building where there is an outdoor café and at the other side of the café there is a further bridge to go on to the mainly residencial area at Södermalm.

Ultima Thule, North-bound, Al Frescoe (LOVE that name!), I am among your many fans on this board. What can you tell me about the Katarinahissen lift? Is it off the beaten path? Is there a charge for going up---or can you just ride up, snap some photos and head down? Any info you can give me will be appreciated.

Katarinahissen is something that in my mind could interest more cruise passengers. It is located within the Slussen area, where Gamla Stan connects to Södermalm. You will see it on the Södermalm side.

The cost for going up is 10 kronor. Same cost for going down again. But if you don't want to pay twice there are stairs you can walk down from Söder to Slussen. If you have a Stockholm card I think it may include Katarinahissen.

Where will your ship be docked? If it is docked at Stadsgården you could have a very nice walk back to the ship from the top of Katarinahissen instead of going down again. The area behind Katarinahissen is really nice and interesting. Will take a little more time than walking along the quay of course, but well worth it if you still have some time left.

At least in Stockholm there is no pier where HAL ships dock. The same ship will sometimes dock here sometimes there. Here is a link to Ports of Stockholm with information of where your cruise is booked.

http://194.52.202.66:81/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=portitfw/FartygsLista_eng.html?hamn=Stohab&trafik=2&status=2&Show=Show

Even if you know where your ship is expected to dock it may be good to be aware that changes happen, even at last notice.

Once you know where you can expect to dock this map may be helpful. i have marked the position of the different ports in relation to the main sights and some useful transport means.

http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100446628536787947860.000448dadb8bebb56f079&ll=59.332051,18.072939&spn=0.025217,0.056648&t=h&z=14

Our cruise ship will dock at Frihammen and was wondering where we could pick up the 24 hour transport card?

I hope to either take bus 76 or ferry to Vasa Museum

Then bus 76 to galma stan-walk around

Then bus 62 or 3 to city hall-walk around

Then take T-bana to Slussen to walk around Sodermalm

We might have to cut out Sodermalm, this is a vigorous schedule.

What bus number would be get back to Frihammen?

First, you have to take the bus 76 go from Frihamnen to Vasa Museum, there is no ferry at Frihamnen. As you get off the ship there is a kiosk on the quay where you can buy the transport card, before you walk to the bus stop.

From the Vasa Museum you can either take bus 76, or the ferry, to Gamla Stan.

From Gamla Stan, if you are at the north end of the island, it is only a short walk to the City Hall. No need to take a bus unless you have difficulty walking. I hope you know that it is only possible to go inside if you are with a guided tour.

To go from the City Hall to Södermalm I would prefer bus 3 rather than the Metro.

To go back to Frihamnen you will again use bus 76.

Here is a link to a map that may be helpful. The red line in the map is the route for bus 76.

http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100446628536787947860.000448dadb8bebb56f079&t=h&z=13

Floridafolks, where all did you go on Sodermalm and were you glad you spent some time there? Thanks. Marlyne

Here is a link to the map I made for Floridafolks. It shows you the way to walk from the bus stop at Tjärhovsplan and down to the ship at Stadsgården.

http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100446628536787947860.000486f302393ee8c6554&ll=59.316616,18.09165&spn=0.012614,0.027852&t=h&z=15

At the end of the day, we took bus 3 from city hall to Tjarhovsplan exit and walked back to Katarinvagen to see La Mano statue then on via Fjallgatan to Stadsgarden 167 stopping at Kafestuga for ice cream(full of local families enjoying the day).I had all this on a google map so it was super easy to follow. What I liked about this route back to the ship was there were almost no other tourists- just locals. It was a nice way to end the day and we could LINGER over the lovely views (it is up high looking down) as long as we wanted depending on when we needed to be back at the ship. It is a MUCH nicer way back to the pier, if you have time. We wandered as time permitted- especially enjoyed going into a courtyard of some little church with lovely flowers and lovely views.

I am just sad that all the pix we took from Sodermalm got erased from our camera before downloaded to our laptop--So if anyone else follows this route and has photos to share, I would appreciate that.

 

Unfortunately, our ship was only in port 10-5(we needed to be onboard by 4:30), so we could not explore more. Locals on this thread have listed other things to explore there, time permitting. If we were not docked at Stadsgarden, then I do not think we would have had time to do this.

 

I originally was trying to work in the Ice Bar, but I think we would have been rushed. Based on the locals' recommendations on this thread, I am so glad we saw a little of Sodermalm instead. I think it represented a side of real Stockholm life better than the Ice Bar.

Floridafolks, thank you so much for coming back here and tell us about your day in Stockholm. I am happy it went well and you had a good time.

Often when I answer questions and try to give advice on alternaties I wonder later what happened when they were here. Did things work well, did the poster enjoy the day in Stockholm? But it is not often we hear from someone after the cruise, so it is really appreciated.

And I am so happy you liked Fjällgatan! Today I took a walk there myself and enjoyed the view. Also had an icecream at the cafe, I think it is a very nice place.

So again, Thank you!

lannie62

If you are interested in the area south of Gamla Stan Hilton is in a perfect position. You have Gamla Stan on one side of the hotel and Södermalm on the other. Södermalm, or Söder as we usually say means the south.

Of course there are many other hotels in the area. You can search on any hotel site. As I said, I never use the hotels here , so I don't want to recommend any when I know nothing about them.

Hi There,

would appreciate your input on what Hotel is better positioned for enjoying Stockholm 3 days before our cruise [ July].

Hilton Slusse

Radisson Blu Royal Viking

Sheraton

 

We would liketo be close to the Old City but also close enough to enjoy the new city.

The Sheraton says they are just over the bridge from the old city - how long would it take to walk 'over the bridge'?

 

thanks so much

Elana

Since I never stay in a hotel in Stockholm there is not much I can say about them. But Hilton is in the Slussen area just south of Gamla Stan. Sheraton is as you know across one of the bridges going north from Gamla Stan (takes perhaps five minutes to cross). And Royal Viking is further north, past the Central Railway Station.

My preference would definitely be Hilton. But that may well be because Södermalm is in my mind the best part of Stockholm and where I live.

The area north of Gamla Stan has the government and administrative district, the business district and a lot of shopping. But the area around Sheraton is rather boring in my mind. South of Gamla Stan used to be the poor working class district but that has changed and it is now younger, more trendy and more lively in the evenings. A lot restaurants around there. This is my personal opinion.

Some quick questions.

 

1. Frihamnen quay TI sells bus ticket/ferry ticket. How much for one day?

2. Where do you then go to find Bus 76?

3. Route to Vasa from Bus 76 stop?

4. Where to get ferry back from Vasa to Gama Stan?

5. Is the Town Hall, City Hall and Nobel Museum the same place?

6. Where are they located if we are at the Palace?

 

Do you need Sweedish Krona to buy bus/ferry tickets or do they take US dollars or euros or credit cards?

First, here is a link to a map I where I have marked the different ports and the main attractions. I think you can find some answers there if you close in on the different locations you are interested in.

http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100446628536787947860.000448dadb8bebb56f079&ll=59.33424,18.078175&spn=0.05043,0.110893&t=h&z=13

1. The 24 hour transport card costs 100 kronor.

2. It is easy to find the bus stop, take a look at the map which direction to take.

3. You take the bus to Djurgårdsbron stop, ask the driver to tell you where to get off. Again you can look at the map where to go. Start by crossing the bridge where you leave the bus. There will soon be signs pointing you in the right direction.

4. Again look at the map. You start in the opposite direction from where you came to the museum and walk along the water. Ask people on the way.

5. The Town Hall or City Hall is the same thing. It is to the north of Gamla Stan. Find it in my map. The Nobel Museum is in Gamla Stan so not the same location. You can only go inside the City hall on a guided tour. Here is a link so that you can see at what times there may be tours available.

http://international.stockholm.se/cityhall

6. See 5. And my map.

The info shop at the quay will take credit cards and probably Euros or USD as well.

Well, I contacted Viator to try and cancel the Stockholm cards through them. Hopefully it will be painless and I get the refund pretty fast. After I do, I'm going to re-buy the stockholm passes through Stockholmtown.com, since they'll send them to me directly. Paying for shipping is better than trying to run all over town to exchange vouchers + paying for transportation that I already paid for.

Since it is mainly the transport you are interested in why not just buy the 24 hour transport card. It should be sold in the info shop on the quay from what I have been told. Cost is 100 kronor, a lot less than the card you can order online. But of course it is only for transport, including the regular ferry from Djurgården to Gamla Stan, not museums or sightseeing.

The museums take credit cards so you don't have to worry about changing any money for that.

N/S;

Thanks for the info, how about a plan to save a few dollars, would a bus be better to vasa? what would you recommend and I will try and make my way back?

Bob

There is no direct alternative, so here are some alternatives.

There is the HoHo Boat which has a stop near your ship. It seems to run mainly clockwise, which could take a long time to get to the Vasa Museum. But from what others have posted it seems sometime to go the other way around and then it could be a possible way to get there.

Or you could walk to the Slussen area (south end of Gamla Stan). The walk should take 25-30 minutes. From Slussen you can either take the regular ferry to Djurgården where the museum is. or you can take bus 76 to Djurgårdsbron stop and have a short walk to the museum.

If you don't want to walk to Slussen from the ship there are buses that stop near your ship and I think they all go to Slussen.

Here is a map where you can see the alternatives.

http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100446628536787947860.000448dadb8bebb56f079&ll=59.324214,18.083668&spn=0.025222,0.055447&t=h&z=14

We are on the Star Princess Fri July 23 and plan to take the HoHo Boat from the cruise berth. Is it too far to walk from Skansen to the Vasa? We are in town (hopefully) from 10am to 5pm. After seeing these 2 sites, would there be enough time to sightsee in GamlaStan/Palace/TownHall also? Thanks so much!

Skansen and Vasa are both in the same part of Stockholm and it is not far to walk.

Skansen covers a big area and there is a lot to see and do there, I can easily spend a day there. But if you limit your time a bit there should be enough time left for Gamla Stan and the Palace.

Maybe you should skip the Town Hall. You can only go inside on a guided tour.

So, my Question is: if I were to take the 76 bus from Frihamnen to the Gamla Stan, how much cash would I need, and where can I purchase those tickets? We'll explore the Gamla Stan and exchange our vouchers around 9 when the tourist center opens.

 

I don't know why, but this has been the most difficult and frustrating city to plan.

I am so sorry that you are having problems. This is the first time I have heard of someone buying the Stockholm card and not receive the actual card but a voucher.

Usually I don't recommend the Stockholm card because it is difficult for a cruise passenger with limited time to visit enough museums to make it worthwile. But now this is a new reason.

Anyway the cost for one ticket on the bus is 30 kronor. You can not pay the driver, you need a ticket before you get on. I think you can buy the ticket at the info shop on the quay before you walk to the bus stop. Or there is a ticket machine at the bus stop. For the ticket machine you can use Swedish coins, or a credit card (but some visitors have reported that their credit card didn't work).

I hope you will have a more pleasant experience once you are here in Stockholm.

Need a little advise PLEASE;

Arriving at Stadsgården Port, I would like to go to Vasa, followed by meeting the Bike tour I will be taking,

What is the best and easiest way to get to Vasa?

Can i walk back from the Ice bar to the ship at Stadsgården Port?

 

Thank you.

cruisinbob.com

The easiest way to get to Vasa is to take a taxi.

It is possible to walk back from the Ice Bar to the ship but it is not a short walk, seems to be 2.4 miles. Here is a map: http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=59.322834,18.078647&spn=0.012612,0.027723&t=h&z=15&msid=100446628536787947860.000488aedf83c1c09db9a

Or you can take the Metro from T-Centralen station to Slussen. And then walk to the ship or take a bus. There are several buses that leave from a bus station under the Metro station. I think they will all stop near the ship.

Can I buy the 24 hour/1 Day Travelcard at Frihamnen or online ?

 

Thx

There is a small info shop on the quay at Frihamnen where you should be able to buy the 24 hour travel card. It can not be bought online.

I am booked on cruise tour which includes walking tour in Stockholm and a bus ride and walking tour in Stiguna.

 

Does anyone have any information about Stiguna. I have read and have some information about this place, but would like to hear some opinions / reviews of that town.

 

I am afraid that I will miss the experience if I leave it to go to another town and not stay in Stockholm for the whole day. So just want to make sure that the trade off (going to to Stiguna) is worth it.

 

Is there public transportation that I could catch from Stockholm to Stiguna?

Sigtuna is a charming small town. It was one of the first cities in Sweden, but today it has only 7.000 inhabitants.

If I had only one day in Stockholm I don't think I would spend it to travel to Sigtuna even if it is a nice place. There is so much to see and do in Stockholm that is in my mind much more interesting. And Stockholm is also a beautiful city.

However, it is possible to travel to Sigtuna by public transport. You should take a train from Stockholm Central Station to Märsta, where you change to a bus to Sigtuna. It could take 1 hour and 10 minutes to go there.

4Molly

Värtahamnen is in a port area northeast of the inner city but not very far away. There is a bus number 76 that can take you to the Djurgårdsbron stop from where it is a close walk to the Vasa Museum. The bus ride takes 9 minutes. The same bus can also take you to Gamla Stan.

Here is a map where you can see the port as well as the main attractions. The red line in the map is the route for bus 76. http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100446628536787947860.000448dadb8bebb56f079&ll=59.334503,18.089333&spn=0.05043,0.110893&t=h&z=13

If you decide to take the bus you will need a ticket before you enter, it can not be bought from the driver. I think there may be a info shop when you get off the ship, where tickets can be bought.

Wanting to go to the Absolute Ice Bar at the Nordic Hotel. Should we take a cab from the dock or city bus? And where exactly would the hotel be from the town centre

The hotel where the Ice Bar is löcated is within the city centre. Here is a link to a map where you can find where the Ice Bar is. You can also see the different places where most cruise ships dock.

http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100446628536787947860.000448dadb8bebb56f079&ll=59.333452,18.07869&spn=0.050431,0.110893&t=h&z=13

Do you have a reservation at the Ice Bar? If not it may be difficult to get in. The Bar is often booked by ships tours.

Since I don't know what ship you will be on, or where that ship may dock, I can not tell you how to get there.

I have read about a garden area with sculptures that is quite impressive; do you know the name/location of it?

 

Also, what is typical weather (high/low) for mid July? Thanks much

Could you perhaps mean Millesgården, former home to sculptor Carl Milles? Here is a link so that you can see what it is about. If your ship is docked at Frihamnen or Värtahamnen the place is not very far away. http://www.millesgarden.se/about-millesgarden.aspx

As for weather it varies a lot here. You can expect temperature to be somewhere between 55 and 90. The weather can be anything between cold windy and raining to warm and sunny, which can mean uncomfortably hot for city sightseeing (but of course wonderful if you are spending a day by the sea in Stockholm Archipelago).

So you will have to bring clothes that can be worn in layers. You should take something warm to wear if needed, and a light jacket that can stand some rain and wind. Hopefully you will need neither and have only nice weather.

I found a walking tour online in my research at Djurgården and was wondering if it is worth the time to take this walking tour. Or if our time would be spent taking a royal canal boat tour.

Thanks for any information!!!

I don't know what walking tour you found, but for us who live in Stockholm Djurgården is a nice area to take a walk to get away from the city. The island consists mainly of parkland and forrest, with buildings here and there. Most of the buildings are in the area near Djurgården Bridge. It is here you can visit the Vasa Museum and Skansen outdoor museum. The park areas are mainly lawns and trees, not a lot of flower beds or such.

For someone who is in Stockholm for just a one or a few days I would not recommend that walk, there is so much else that must be more interesting to do. But if you have got several days in Stockholm a Djurgården walk could definitely be a nice break away from the city.

Many thanks for your info.I had not taken into consideration the Royal Wedding.

I have checked the City Hall web site and they will be open.What would be the best way to get there from Gamla Stan?From the map it looks an easy walk.

Charles

It is a short and easy walk. This is the way I would take: http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=sv&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=59.326469,18.059807&spn=0.01261,0.027809&t=h&z=15&msid=100446628536787947860.0004880a03ea7cbc1af83

Start through the Parliament Building and then turn left and continue along the quay. Where my line disappears there are tunnels under the bridges.