7 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Sweden

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Sweden travel tips

From historic museums and national parks to scenic landscapes and ice hotels, there are endless incredible things that await your exploration in Sweden. The bustling city that’s brightly colored is a unique mix of things – the kind that will see you create life-long memories you’ll treasure forever.

Whether you’re traveling alone or with family, there is something for everyone in Sweden.  But if you want to get the most out of your short stay, then working with a tour company could be just what you need. This is especially true if you’re planning a trip to Sweden for seniors and juniors too because it will save you lots of hassles.

With that in mind, here are seven things you need to know before visiting Sweden:

Be ready to butcher the name of places

It’s funny to assume you know how to pronounce the name of a place, only to kill it the first instance you speak to a local. Well, the good thing is, despite that, you’ll still be able to make your way around town and anywhere else for that matter. Sweden has a big population of English speaking people, so, communication is much easier than you’d expect when visiting a foreign country.

People love to fika

Wondering what on earth is fika? Never mind. You’ll soon be familiar with it. The Swedes live for fika, a term which loosely means “coffee pause” or “break” and if you love sharing coffee and pastries, you’ll soon be lost in the culture too.

Island-hopping is part of the fun

There are a total of 221,831 islands in Sweden – it’s hard to miss them regardless of whether you are headed to the south, east, north or west coasts. The islands are centers of the country’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. You can access the largest islands – which are perfect for hiking, lunch, and swimming – by public ferry.

The Swedes don’t skip the line

In Sweden, everyone passes the queuing test – no one pushes to the front of the crowd. Whether at the pharmacy, supermarket, post office or systembolaget, they take a number and queue to wait for their turn – please have some manners.

Recycling is a way of life

Newspapers, clear glass, colored glass, milk cartons, garden waste, food waste, plastics, metals … the Swedes are keen on recycling. In fact, an average household has at least three trash cans with different sections for garbage and wastes.

There is no party like a Midsummer party

Many Swedes celebrate Midsummer (the longest day of the year), which happens on a Friday between 19th and 25th of June. Most villages and towns organize Midsummer dances where crowds dance to folk songs around a pole that’s decorated with leaves and flowers.

You’ll do a lot of things yourself

The Swedes have an Ikea approach to life, meaning, you should not expect anyone to help you with your bags up to the room – unless you are boarding a high-end hotel. Reason being, the Swedish government offers many great benefits to the people, so no one needs to settle for small jobs with small pay.

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