Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [255]
You must have a Camping Card Scandinavia to stay at most Swedish campsites. Apply for one in advance by writing to Sveriges Camping & Stugföretagares Riksorganisation (www.camping.se) or fill in the form on the website; otherwise pick up a temporary card at any Swedish campsite. The card costs Skr125 a year. One card covers the whole family.
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PRACTICALITIES
Use the metric system for weights and measures.
Watch out for the Swedish word mil, which Swedes may translate into English as ‘mile’ – a Swedish mil is actually 10km.
Some shops quote prices followed by ‘/hg’, which means per 100g.
Use the PAL system for video recorders and players.
Plug appliances into the round, continental-style two-pin sockets for (220V, 50Hz AC) power supply.
Domestic newspapers (including the Göteborg and Stockholm dailies and evening tabloids) are in Swedish only. A good selection of English-language imports is sold at major transport terminals, Press Stop, Pressbyrån and tobacconists – even in small towns.
On the internet, Sweden Globe (www.swedentimes.com) has English-language articles about Sweden.
Radio Sweden International (www.sr.se/international) broadcasts programs nationally and to Europe on 1179kHz (89.6FM in Stockholm): check the website for a full list of frequencies and schedules.
Try National Swedish Radio (variable stations around the country, see www.sr.se for a directory) for classical music and opera, pop and rock.
National TV channels TV1 and TV2 broadcast mainly about local issues, in Swedish only. TV3, TV4 and TV5 have lots of shows and films in English.
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Primus and Sievert supply propane gas for camping stoves, and containers are available at petrol stations. T-sprit Röd (methylated spirit; denatured alcohol) for Trangia stoves can be bought at petrol stations, and Fotogen (paraffin; kerosene) is sold at paint shops such as Fargtema and Spektrum.
See boxed text for information on free camping in Sweden.
Hostels
Sweden has well over 450 hostels (vandrarhem), usually with excellent facilities. Outside major cities, hostels aren’t backpacker hang-outs but are used as holiday accommodation by Swedish families, couples or retired people. A related oddity is the frequent absence of dormitories, meaning you often have to rent out a room rather than a bed. Some hostels also have singles and doubles with en suite bathrooms that are almost of hotel quality, for very reasonable rates. About 50% of hostels open year-round; many others open from May to September, while some open only from mid-June to mid-August.
Be warned, Swedish hostels are virtually impossible to enter outside reception opening times, and these hours are frustratingly short (except in Stockholm and Göteborg): generally between 5pm and 7pm, and occasionally also between 8am and 10am. The secret is to prebook by telephone – reservations are highly recommended in any case, as hostels fill up fast.
Sleeping bags are usually allowed if you have a sheet and pillowcase; bring your own, or hire them (Skr50 to Skr65). Breakfast is sometimes available (Skr50 to Skr75). Before leaving, you must clean up after yourself; cleaning materials are provided. Most hostels are affiliated with STF or SVIF (see below), but there are other unaffiliated hostels also with high standards of accommodation.
STF
Some 315 hostels are affiliated with Svenska Turistföreningen (STF; 08-463 21 00; www.svenskaturistforeningen.se), part of Hostelling International (HI). STF produces a free detailed guide to its hostels, but the text is in Swedish only (the symbols and maps are easy to understand). Hostel details on its website are in English.
Holders of HI membership cards pay the same