Stockholm is nicknamed the Capital of Scandinavia. It is a beautiful Northern European city. It does not have a lot of tourists which is very nice. It's sort of the hidden gem in Northern Europe. It is a fantastic city.
No. 1 Hotel, Hostel, or Airbnb
Hotels can be expensive in the major cities like Stockholm. If you are traveling alone and don’t want to pay for a hotel room, there are so many youth hostels that you can choose from. Of course, you have to share a room with strangers but I think that is a rather nice way to meet some new people. If you are traveling with some friends, it might be even cheaper to get an Airbnb. But do pay attention to the requirement and contact the host first to get some information. I went to Stockholm couple weeks ago, and stayed at Generator Stockholm which is a hostel chain. They have hostels in a lot of major European cities. I recommend them because it is a cool place to be. The hostel has a very edgy interior design. The stay was very pleasant. I didn’t meet any new people because I went with 5 of my friends, so we just took a room for six.
No. 2 Public Transportation Pass
The public transportation system in Stockholm is very convenient. There are several passes that you can choose from: a one trip pass, one day pass, and three day passes. You can get the passes in the airport, train, or subway station and the hotel or hostel you are in might also sell them. I don’t recommend purchasing online if you don’t know Swedish. The website is confusing and the English version would not let you get day passes but only trip passes. The physical pass is very easy to get.
No. 3 Winter Sports
If you are going in the winter, and you like winter sports, you might like to go on a skate tour. There are three kinds of Skate tours in Stockholm, half day, one day and three days. I was not a very sporty person, but I went on the one day tour anyways. One of my friends who organized the trip to Stockholm was doing it and she took us to the office to make sure that everything is cleared and confirmed. While the staff is introducing to her what is going to do and I saw the pictures, I just decided that I wanted to go. So, I paid and I did it. It was an impulsive decision but probably the best decision I made in Stockholm. It was a mind blowing and beautiful experience. It was hard and I about died of exhaustion, but it was such a liberating experience being able to skate from lake to lake all day. It was drizzling in the end but everything was still so beautiful. The trip was not cheap but it was very well planned and worth every penny of the money.
No. 4 Swedish Food
Everybody that’s been to Ikeas probably knows that they sell meatballs. Ikea is a Swedish brand and the Swedish meatball is a must have when you are in Stockholm. My friends and I went to a restaurant that we all loved called Nomad. Weird name, I know, but the food is good, the place is beautiful, the owners and staff are so friendly. The restaurant was very close to the hostel we stayed in. We walked over there, and the owner told us all the seats were reserved but we were able to sit in the bar which turned out to be a great experience. We talked to the owner and staff while they were working in the kitchen and became friendly with them and a regular in the restaurant very soon. And the food was beautifully cooked. The restaurant is not expensive either. It was a very good experience.
No 5. The Subway
The subway or metro, however you call it, in Stockholm is very unique because essentially, every stop of the subway is a art piece. If you run out of things to do, just hop on the subway and look at the different arts in the subway station.
