Sunlight in Sweden in the Summer

How would your weekend plans change if the sun didn’t go down until after 10 p.m.? What if it came blazing back up again before 4 a.m.? That’s what it’s like in Stockholm in the summer, where you’ll never be short of sunlight in Sweden.

stockholm sweden in the summer

The destination of Stockholm can put a new twist on the “party ’til dawn” objective for some. They can toast the sunset, toast the sunrise, then still get a few hours of sleep before breakfast. Assuming they have a room with good blackout curtains or they packed an eye mask, that is.

Daylight savings time is a non-issue in this situation. You can be out on a boat or playing golf hours past dinnertime and since it never gets totally dark in the summer, it seems the city ghost tours would be more surreal than spooky. The light shows at the summer concerts at the Gröna Lund amusement park might not be very dramatic—even by encore time. The evening music cruises get back just as the sun is setting.

A Less Pricey Stockholm

I know what you’re thinking: “Hey, isn’t Sweden part of Scandinavia, one of the most crazy expensive travel regions in the world?” Well yes, there’s that, but thankfully the Swedish kroner has lost some of its strength over the years against the euro and the U.S. dollar. A buck used to average around 6.5 kroner from 2011 through the beginning of 2015. Then it went up to between 8 and 8.5 when I was last there, now in 2023 it’s between 10 and 11. That’s not going to suddenly make this prosperous nation a bargain, but it does take out a fair bit of the sting.

 

As is often the case in pricey destinations, you can put a lid on some of the biggest costs by booking wisely or by booking air and hotel together on one of the booking services you’re used to using anyway. This way you take advantage of discounts these agencies receive for bringing in lots of volume.

Stockholm summerPackages like this from London can be in the range of £213 to £359 per person including airfare.  The hotels are usually 3- and 4-star places in good locations. That seems downright reasonable for a quick change of scenery in another capital city. If you go down a notch or two on the hotel, it can go below £200.

Naturally it’s going to cost more to fly across an ocean, so prices from New York are higher. Still, they’re not much more than if you were going to other parts of Europe. You can squeak in for around $1,000 per person in the busy summer season for flight, 4-star hotel, and breakfast buffet, which is probably about what you would spend on airfare anyway. Plus you’ve got one meal covered. Pick the lodging carefully though: they love small spaces and twin beds in this part of the world.

If you’re on a backpacker budget, you’ll feel the pain of the high real estate and labor prices more acutely. This is one of the few places in the world where “dorm bed” and $71 can appear on the same page. Thankfully there are cheaper options. Most hostels are in the range of $30 to $45 per bed per night and there are a few under $30. As usual, if you’re a couple you might be better off finding a double room in a cheap hotel instead.

Finding Free & Budget Options in Stockholm

With so much daylight in the summer, there’s plenty to do during all waking hours and some of it won’t cost you. Besides just soaking up the scenery and strolling along the waterfronts, there are plenty of of outdoor events. There are also a number of museums with free admission, including the Swedish History Museum, the National Maritime Museum, and Skokloster Castle.

The city runs two free walking tours that leave from the Gamla subway station. One is of medieval Stockholm, one of the modern city. Each lasts an hour and a half and starts at 10 a.m. (Please tip your guide for their time.)

biking Stockholm

When you need to get from place to place around the capital of Sweden, the best bet is to get an integrated transit pass card. It’s around $27 for 72 hours, so less than 10 bucks a day. That’s definitely less than renting a bike, which will cost you that much for just one day. You can rent for two hours though for around $16.50. Or go on a guided tour.

If you take a ferry out to one of the islands in the archipelago, you may find other bike options at the end point. One-way ferry rides run $9 to $16.

The birthplace of Spotify is one of the most wired cities in the world and there are public high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots around the city.

Try a Stockholm Weekend Getaway From Europe

Bike-friendly Stockholm for a beautiful summer vacation break in Sweden's capital city

Stockholm is a hotbed of innovation, has some of the world’s happiest citizens, and it’s a picturesque city of canals and islands. So what’s not to like? In winter, plenty: think 18 hours of darkness and many of those canals frozen. You could go for weeks without feeling sun on your face.

The best time to visit Stockholm is in the summer, when the city is glorious and gorgeous. That’s when I was there a few years ago and snapped the city shots you see here. If I lived in Europe instead of the USA I’d be making plans to return in June or July because it’s an easy hop from most of the continent.

Summer Sunshine in Scandinavia

A Stockholm city break is almost sure to be festive and bright. In late June, the sun doesn’t set until 10:30 p.m., so it’s not unusual to see people picnicking and enjoying outdoor cafes into the evening. If you’re out enjoying the local nightlife you may catch sunrise on the way home: the sky lights back up again at 3:30 a.m. This is a place where you don’t have to cram your sightseeing into the middle of the day. If you get a local Stockholm Pass you really have time to get your money’s worth without running yourself ragged.

This is a perfect city for a summer weekend break because you can really hit the ground running. Airport trains come into a city center built for walking, as do ferries from other countries. T

A grand bridge leads to the oldest section, Gamla Stan, established in 1252. You can walk from there to Strandvägen past boat marinas and grand buildings or take a canal tour to see it all from the water. It’s easy to join the locals and get around on two wheels as well. This progressive city is full of well-designed bike lanes and there are rental kiosks dotted around the city.

Here’s some footage I shot while on a tour that was included with the Stockholm Pass, the Royal Canal Tour.

Stockholm Ferries and Festivals

Since this is a city of 14 islands, the best way to get a feel for the region is by ferry. Multiple island-hopping adventures leave from the main downtown port area. Or venture out further to the main island of Vaxholm, fortified since the 1500s to watch for (and fire upon) invaders.

In a place where winter days are short and summer ones long, festivals are happening every week in the summer and many of them are free. There’s a good chance of catching one on almost any Stockholm city break, so check the local tourism board listings and city sites ahead of time to prepare. From June through August, there are festivals dedicated to music, food, beer, gay pride, theater, street performers, and the summer solstice, to name just a few.

Museums and Malaren

If you want to head inside for a while, you’ve got 16 free museums to choose from in the city, including Skokloster Castle–the biggest palace in the country–and the Swedish History Museum. Beyond the free options, you can visit unique local attractions like ABBA The Museum or The Vasa Museum housing an ill-fated huge wooden ship. (Just remember that most museums are closed on Mondays.)

ABBA the museum

For a more local experience on a warm and sunny day, head to Lake Mälaren. This is Sweden’s largest lake and it empties into the Baltic Sea at Stockholm. It’s a popular place for swimming, picnicking, and just spending the day enjoying a long summer day outside the urban core. There are nature trails and Viking settlements to explore as well. Thanks to Sweden’s right of public access, you won’t find fences or “No Trespassing” signs in any natural area.

Fast Wi-Fi is a given almost everywhere and mobile coverage is excellent. With this comes temptation, however. You may decide to extend your trip and work from a waterfront cafe here instead.

Historic buildings of Stockholm on the water in the summer

The official Stockholm Tourism site is a wealth of information and they don’t shy away from telling you how to find a bargain during your weekend holiday. They’ve got listings of freebies around town and tips on getting around by foot or by metro. There are plenty of reasonably priced take-out food places around and plenty of grocery stores for doing your own catering for less. Many of the hotels include breakfast: Sweden is the origin of the word smorgasbord after all.

If you’re really broke this may not be the best destination, but you could look for a buddy to bunk down with and that would help. Stockholm vacation rental units aren’t as expensive as you would probably expect unless it’s a really luxe building.

Otherwise, there are hostels around and the hotel prices aren’t as rough as I expected before I went there. When speaking at a travel bloggers conference I stayed in a Clarion Hotel, which normally isn’t all that nice in the USA, but it was like a hip boutique hotel there. Best Western actually has 17 hotels in the area for €100 or less double on June weekends. Radisson has a big presence also.

If you’re coming from a country like England where there are lots of air/hotel package deals to Stockholm, check into those. Otherwise get flights from multiple airports with Skyscanner.

Photos via Tim Leffel and Visit Stockholm. See their official website for loads of great information and photos.

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5 Comments

  1. Kerry Dexter June 18, 2016
  2. Marie-France Roy July 3, 2016
    • Tim July 5, 2016
  3. Stuart Forster July 11, 2016
    • Tim July 13, 2016

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