At first glance, Stockholm is a pricey place to go for a holiday. I’m all about the budget options, which is why I have to confess that I only found myself in Sweden because my friend won a competition.
Included in the prize were:
• Return flights for him and 49 of his friends from London City Airport to Stockholm with British Airways
• Two nights’ accommodation at the 4* Clarion Hotel Sign in the centre of Stockholm
• A city pass with free or discounted entry to most museums and attractions, as well as public transport passes
• Free entry to the newly opened ABBA Museum
Competition winner Steve and the crew of our private plane!
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Yes, our hotel had an ABBA-inspired karaoke lift, and we may have ‘missed’ our floor once or twice….
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So, perhaps I’m a little biased to answer the question ‘How expensive is Stockholm?’
But I’ll do my best.
To begin with, accommodation is surprisingly reasonably priced. Hostels in Stockholm start from around £23 for a bed in a large dorm room and £32 for a private twin. That’s really not bad by Europe standards.
One thing that wasn’t included in our fantastic little free holiday was food and drink, and I think it’s the cost of these that’s the main reason tourists’ eyes water.
On our first night, we headed out to a few of the central bars. From speaking to locals, we got the impression that Café Opera was the place to be seen, and as luck would have it, they were opening a new terrace bar the evening we arrived. It was a comfortable and trendy venue, but at £42.50 for a bottle of house wine and £7.10 for a not-quite-pint-sized beer, it was enough to get even the most devout alcoholic back on the straight and narrow.
Friends clearly aren’t used to seeing me drink tap water in bars…
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The good news is that you can save a lot of money by snacking and making your own food instead of eating out three times a day. And, if you like a drink in the evening, you might consider bringing alcohol with you from home. Just remember to check the limits on what you can bring through customs and be aware that there are inflated prices on duty free drinks at the airport when you tell them you’re heading to Sweden.
It’s not a bad idea having a few of your own cheaper drinks before you go and sample the nightlife. Swedes don’t tend to head out very early, so you have plenty of time for a pre-night out gathering.
If you do buy beer in an establishment, make the units count! This beer was 8.4%
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Being discouraged from drinking and staying out too late is also a massive bonus when it comes to sightseeing. We were up bright and early to explore the city, and there were some very picturesque sights.
A horse-drawn cart on central Djurgårdsbron Bridge
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Gröna Lund theme park is easily reachable by public transport. There’s an entrance fee of around £10, but be aware you pay extra for ride tickets and a full-day pass will set you back another £35!
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For a high-quality food market, the meals in Östermalms Saluhall aren’t too expensive. These plates were £11 each. If you’re looking to try local cuisine without a killer price tag, this is your best bet.
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On our second night, a small group of us found our calling at a karaoke bar called Golden Hits. If you love karaoke, this is one of the best – and I’ve been to a lot of them all over the world.
Ignore any pretentious comments about it being ‘the last resort’ or packed with an older crowd. I haven’t paid the equivalent of £15 for entry to a venue in a long time, and it was worth every krone.
Pre-self-humiliation
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Just a few pointers:
• Swedes are ridiculously good at karaoke. They can sing AND they can entertain.
• Locals aren’t offended when you murder hits by the Swedish legends ABBA and Roxette, but Wonderboy by Tenacious D is apparently taking it too far.
• If you’re struggling, my friend found that a simple ‘Why is no one clapping?’ can get the crowd going again in seconds.
So, Stockholm might not strike you immediately as the first-choice budget destination, but it makes a very interesting and pleasant city break and it doesn’t have to rinse you dry if you plan ahead and spend wisely.
I lol’d at the pic of everyone taking pics of their food ;) x
Me too!
Was it yummy?:)
Sofie @ Wonderful Wanderings recently posted..A good night’s sleep at the London Shaftesbury
The local food, when I forked out for it, was very good. I had a lovely fish dish and the traditional meatballs and mash. It’s worth a bit more than you’re used to paying back home. That particular market was really interesting and not too pricey either.
Arianwen Morris recently posted..Scared Britless: High-adrenaline New Zealand
I still can’t believe how awesome this competition price is!
I’ve been wanting to visit Sweden and Stockholm for a while now, but the rumors that a coffee in the city center would usually cost you about 8 Euros didn’t really encourage me to put Stockholm further up my travel priority list… It’s good to know that even Stockholm can be traveled (sort of) budget-friendly :)
Julika recently posted..Picturesque Monday: Dissenting Rotterdam
I think it’s all about your travel style. You can make a massive difference in spending if you do a bit of research on the free or discounted attractions and don’t go crazy on meals out. I appreciate people want to try the local cuisine when they travel, but I got by with one interesting meal a day and a whole lot of snacks!
Great blog post and spot on on so many things!! :-) So glad you had a nice time there!!
You’re so Welsh x
Is it the same for Norway?? Cathy and i are going at the end of June :) Trying to do it on a budget…. xx
Norway is far more expensive than Sweden. It’s all about how you decide to spend your money tho. Eating out and alcohol has high tax so drinking at home before going out and go to cafe’s instead of restaurants will make it a bit cheaper :) Scandi knows ;)
I don’t think I’ll be heading to Norway any time soon then! ;)
Oooh! Exciting! I’ve heard Norway is even more expensive, but I reckon the same would apply. You can probably find ways to save money by avoiding eating out too much and having a few beers before you go out.
Super nice! I still wonder in which contest your friend won to win such a prize ! 49 guests??!!! really?!
it truly looks like you made the most out of it and that’s all to be expected from you!
Cheers to the next adventure!
Les Petits Pas de Juls recently posted..Photo of the Month : we’re the proud owners of a beach house!
It was in the Evening Standard newspaper. He had to tweet an interesting fact about Sweden. The fact he came up with was that the @Sweden twitter account is run by a different member of the public every week!
Didn’t you get trashed on that one bottle? ;) Sometimes, thats all you need :D
I felt a bit woozy after that and the wine from the plane…
Dont remember where I heard it but most Swedes have drinks at home before they go out… hence, saving money and paying for less drinks…
I’m not surprised. It reminded me of being back at Uni, except in those days we were avoiding paying 75 p for a plastic cup of vodka redbull in the clubs. How times change!
Where’s the video of you murdering Roxette Ari?! Please don’t deprive the world of that!
Ouch! When I went with Lyn a couple of years ago we found cheaper bars (but I stress that they were rock/metal bars rather than trendy places right in the city centre). They did have karaoke though!! We saved by going to the supermarket (ICA) to get breakfast and lunch but had a couple of good dinners out :)
What a ridiculously HUGE prize your friend won. I’d have never imagined something like that. What a great way to see Stockholm. Great Scandinavia budget tips presented here. 8.4% beer from the store is smart. A couple of those ought to hold a person over for a while. :-)
Mike | Earthdrifter recently posted..Miswak: Medicine for the Mouth
Yes, I know! We all thought it was a late April Fools joke when he told us! I must enter more competitions!
I always spend loads of money every time I visit Scandinavia but I still love the place :-) the karaoke lift looked fun!
Becky Padmore recently posted..In BIG pictures: Ghent, Belgium
Oh yes! I think every hotel should have one! Although it does encourage you to spend longer inside…
8% strong beer – blimey! That is hardcore even for a German like me, who practically grew up on beer festivals! :-)
TammyOnTheMove recently posted..Behind the Berlin Wall – Life in Communist Germany
Yeah, it tasted like you’d imagine though! A bit strong for a wine drinker like me!