Stockholm, through the solo lens
- Arriving aloneeasyThe Arlanda Express reaches Stockholm Central in about 18 minutes for about 31 euros, the commuter train takes longer for about 18 euros, and the airport bus is about 12 euros.
- Where to sleepfineSödermalm, Norrmalm and Gamla Stan all work well on a first visit, but rooms are expensive, so it's worth booking early and looking at weekend rates in the business hotels.
- Getting aroundeasyThe metro, buses and some ferries all run on one SL ticket you pay for by tapping your card, and the metro runs all night on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Eating aloneeasyFika is made for one, cafés expect you to sit for a long time, and the lunch of the day is the easy, good-value way to eat a proper meal on your own.
- Things to do aloneeasyFerries, viewpoints, museums that stay open late and a city sauna with women-only sessions all work beautifully on your own.
- Feeling at easeeasyA calm, orderly city where people leave you alone in a nice way; around T-Centralen and Sergels torg late on weekend nights is the one place to be a bit more alert.
- Meeting people, if you wantfineSwedes are friendly but reserved and rarely start a chat with strangers, so meeting people is easiest through walking tours, sauna sessions and hostels.
- Solo moneytakes planningA room for one is about 100 to 150 euros a night and dinner adds up fast, so eating your big meal at lunch makes a real difference.
- When to go alonefineJune to early September has long light and warm water, September is quieter and lovely, and December has only about six hours of daylight.
- The wow factorlovelyWater everywhere, the old town from the cliffs of Södermalm, a warship pulled from the harbour after 333 years, and a sauna with a view. It's quietly beautiful rather than overwhelming.
The solo verdict
Stockholm is a really good first trip to the Nordics on your own, because it’s calm, everyone speaks English, and the whole culture is quietly built around being comfortable by yourself. Swedes leave you alone in a nice way, so you can sit in a café for two hours with one cinnamon bun and nobody will think anything of it. The city is spread across fourteen islands, which sounds complicated, but it means water at the end of almost every street, and the ferries are part of normal public transport. The one thing to plan around is money, because Stockholm is expensive and dinner is where it shows, so the easiest way to make it work is to have your proper meal at lunch and keep evenings simple. Three or four nights is a comfortable first stay, and a week gives you time for a boat out to the archipelago.
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