Stockholm City Guide

Public transport

Operator. SL (Storstockholms Lokaltrafik) is the sole public transport operator in the Stockholm region and runs the Tunnelbana, Pendeltåg, the local railways Tvärbanan, Nockebybanan, Lidingöbanan, Roslagsbanan and Saltsjöbanan, Spårväg City, buses, and the commuter ferries between the islands. Since the 2016 fare reform there are no more zones, one ticket is valid across the entire Stockholm transport network regardless of the distance travelled. The only exception is the train journey to Arlanda C station, which carries an additional station surcharge. SL tickets are also accepted on certain routes of the private ferry company Waxholmsbolaget out to the archipelago.

Network. Three metro lines, commuter trains, trams, buses and ferries between the islands.

Modes of transport. Metro (Tunnelbana) · Pendeltåg (commuter rail) · Tram and local railways (Tvärbanan, Nockebybanan, Lidingöbanan, Roslagsbanan, Saltsjöbanan, Spårväg City) · Bus · Commuter ferries between the islands

Operating hours. On weekdays, the Tunnelbana and Pendeltåg run into the early hours past midnight, after which night buses step in until regular service resumes. There's a special arrangement at weekends, on the nights from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday the Tunnelbana runs around the clock with no overnight break. The exact first departure times vary by line and route, and are listed in the SL app and in the timetable on sl.se.

Night service. As soon as the Tunnelbana stops running on weeknights, night buses take over the key routes until early morning service resumes the next day. This switchover doesn't happen on the nights from Friday to Saturday or from Saturday to Sunday, because the Tunnelbana then runs right through the whole night. Which night bus line replaces a given metro line at night is shown in the SL app's journey planner.

Buying tickets. The easiest way is to buy tickets directly in the SL app on your phone, though they're only activated with a separate tap there, not automatically on purchase. Alternatively, machines at Tunnelbana and Pendeltåg stations, along with full-service outlets and sales agents around the city, sell single fares and period passes loaded onto a rechargeable green SL card, which costs a one-time 50 SEK. Anyone who doesn't want an SL card can just tap a contactless debit or credit card directly at the reader and pay the single fare that way. Nobody sells tickets for cash on board buses anymore, you need a valid ticket before boarding.

App and payment. SL-Reseplanerare och biljetter is the official app for timetable information and ticket purchases, free for iOS and Android. Payment in the app is by bank card, Swedish users with a personnummer can also pay with Swish. Tickets in the app don't start automatically on purchase, they have to be activated before the journey begins, and are checked either by showing the screen or tapping at the reader. Anyone who doesn't want to use the app can tap a contactless card or a digital wallet directly at the Tunnelbana gates, on board buses, or at the posts by tram and ferry stops, every tap automatically triggers a single fare at full price. There's no checking out at the end of the journey in the SL system.

Which ticket. For a two- to three-day stay in Stockholm, practically only two ticket types are worth considering. The single fare costs 43 SEK for adults, 26 SEK reduced for under-20s, students with a Swedish SL student card, and people 65 and over, and is valid for 75 minutes from tapping, with unlimited transfers on all modes of transport. Anyone travelling more often does better with a period pass, the 24-hour card costs 180 SEK (110 SEK reduced) and mathematically pays off from the fifth single fare, since five single tickets already cost 215 SEK. The 72-hour card costs 360 SEK (220 SEK reduced) and is worth it from the ninth ride within three days, since nine single tickets cost 387 SEK. For longer stays there's also a 7-day card for 470 SEK (290 SEK reduced). The 30-day card normally costs 1060 SEK, between 1 July and 1 December 2026 a temporary state subsidy halves the price, though for a short stay this card still isn't worth it. Anyone taking the Pendeltåg to or from Arlanda C station pays a single fare with Arlanda surcharge of 200 SEK, 183 SEK reduced, instead of the normal single fare, because a separate station surcharge of 157 SEK is charged at Arlanda C.

Fare zones. There have been no zones since the 2016 fare reform, every ticket is valid across the entire Stockholm transport network regardless of distance travelled. The only exception concerns train journeys to Arlanda C station, where an additional station surcharge of 157 SEK applies, no matter which train operator you choose.

Tip. Many metro stations are blasted into rock and painted; line 11 is the most spectacular.

Links

• SL Fares and tickets (overview)
• SL Visitor tickets
• SL Travelcards (prices)
• SL Single journey tickets (prices)
• SL App
• SL Enkelbiljett Arlanda (surcharge)
• SL Spårtrafikkartor (network map)
• Network map

Getting there

Main station

Location. Centrally located, with the Cityterminalen coach station right beside it.

Long-distance trains. Stockholm Centralstation is Sweden's central long-distance station, with its tracks operated in parallel by several rail companies. SJ, the largest provider, runs nationwide long-distance and InterCity services, the station operator Jernhusen cites the InterCity connection to Mora as an example. Snälltåget runs daytime trains daily to Malmö and Copenhagen, plus a night train via Copenhagen to Berlin, with seasonal night trains to mountain regions such as Åre and Vemdalen and up into the far north beyond the Arctic Circle. Vy operates the connection to Oslo, Mälartåg runs regional services including to Uppsala and Norrköping, and the Arlanda Express and the Pendeltåg lines towards Arlanda also stop here. In total, according to Jernhusen, the station sees over 200,000 visitors a day.

Opening hours. The station halls open Mon–Fri at 3 am and close at 1 am, Sat 4 am to 1.30 am, Sun 4 am to 2 am.

Airports

Local quirks

• Fourteen islands. The city is spread across islands, connected by bridges. Almost every route crosses water.
• No checking out at the end of the ride. SL doesn't have a tap-out at your destination like some other big cities. Every tap at a reader triggers its own separate 75-minute fare at full price, no matter how far you actually travel.
• The ferry is included in a normal ticket. The commuter ferries between Slussen and Djurgården, along with lines 80, 84 and 89, are part of the SL network. For the crossing to Vasamuseet or Skansen, a normal SL ticket is enough, no separate boat ticket is needed.

Good to know

Currency

SEK kr

Emergency number

112

Plug type

C · F

Time zone

Europe/Stockholm

Driving

right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h, outside towns 70 km/h (default value without signage), motorway 80-120 km/h (depending on the stretch)

Outside built-up areas, a default limit of 70 km/h applies without signage, lower than in many other countries. Motorways (motorväg) have no uniform speed limit, Trafikverket sets the limit for each stretch in steps of 80, 90, 100, 110, or 120 km/h.

Tipping. Service is included. Rounding up is plenty. Almost everything is card, often card only.

Tolls. No motorway tolls. Instead a congestion tax in Stockholm and Gothenburg plus charges on a few bridges, all automatic via plate recognition.

Access restrictions. The congestion tax explicitly covers foreign-registered vehicles. Cameras read the plate, the authority traces the owner and sends the bill home.