Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [270]
Besides the Silja Line and Viking Line routes above, two companies offer foot passenger-only overnight cruises. Prices quoted are for return trips.
Birka Cruises (08-702 72 00; www.birkacruises.com) A 22-hour round-trip. One or two daily. Berths from Skr350. Prices include supper and breakfast.
Eckerö Linjen (0175-258 00; www.eckerolinjen.fi) Runs to the Åland Islands from Grisslehamn.
Ånedin-Linjen (08-456 22 00; www.anedinlinjen.com, in Swedish) Six hours, daily. Couchettes cost Skr75, berths start at Skr250.
Stockholm–Helsinki
Silja Line (08-22 21 40; www.silja.com) Around 15 hours. Ticket and cabin berth from €122.
Viking Line (08-452 40 00; www.vikingline.fi) Operates the same routes with slightly cheaper prices.
Stockholm–Turku
Silja Line (08-22 21 40; www.silja.com) Eleven hours. Deck place €11, cabins from €49; prices are higher for evening trips. From September to early May, ferries also depart from Kapellskär (90km northeast of Stockholm): connecting buses operated by Silja Line are included in the full-price fare.
Viking Line (08-452 40 00; www.vikingline.fi) Operates the same routes with slightly cheaper prices. In high season it offers passage from both Stockholm and Kapellskär.
RG Line (090-18 52 00; www.rgline.com) runs the Umeå–Vaasa and Sundsvall–Vaasa routes.
GERMANY
Göteborg–Kiel
Stena Line (031-704 00 00; www.stenaline.se) Fourteen hours. One crossing nightly. Pedestrian/car with up to five passengers from Skr495/1760. Rates are flexible depending on how early you book and which cabin level you choose.
Trelleborg–Rostock
Scandlines (042-18 61 00; www.scandlines.se) Six hours (night crossing 7½ hours). Two or three daily. Pedestrian/car with up to nine passengers Skr195/1025. Passenger with bicycle Skr225. A fuel surcharge of between Skr50 and Skr80 may be added.
TT-Line (0410-562 00; www.ttline.com) Operates the same as Scandlines, with similar prices.
Trelleborg–Sassnitz
Scandlines (042-18 61 00; www.scandlines.se) A 3¾-hour trip. Two to five times daily. Pedestrian/car with up to nine passengers Skr125/925. Passenger with bicycle Skr195. A fuel surcharge of Skr50 to Skr80 may be added.
Trelleborg–Travemünde
TT-Line (0410-562 00; www.ttline.com) Seven hours. Two to five daily. Pedestrian/car with up to five passengers from Skr290/1045. Passenger with bicycle from Skr390. Berths are compulsory on night crossings.
NORWAY
There’s a daily overnight DFDS Seaways (031-65 06 80; www.dfdsseaways.com) ferry between Copenhagen and Oslo, via Helsingborg. Passenger fares between Helsingborg and Oslo (14 hours) cost from Skr1100, and cars Skr475, but the journey can’t be booked online; you’ll need to call. DFDS also sails from Göteborg to Kristiansand (Norway), three days a week (from seven hours); contact them for prices. A Color Line (0526-620 00; www.colorline.com) ferry between Strömstad (Sweden) and Sandefjord (Norway) makes the trip two to six times daily (2½ hours) year-round. Tickets start from Nkr175 (rail passes get 50% discount).
UK
DFDS Seaways (www.dfdsseaways.com; Göteborg 031-65 06 50, UK 08705-333 000) has two crossings per week between Göteborg and Newcastle via Kristiansand (Norway). The trip takes 25 hours. Fares start from around £35 per person including economy berth; cars cost £75 and bicycles are free. Again, though, booking these trips online is somewhat maddening; it’s best to call instead.
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GETTING AROUND
Public transport is heavily subsidised and well organised. It’s divided into 24 regional networks (länstrafik), but with an overarching Resplus (www.samtrafiken.se) system, where one ticket is valid on trains and buses. Timetables are available online, with local versions available free of charge or for a nominal fee from tourist offices or the operators.
Holders of International Student Identi-fication Cards (ISIC) will get discounts with some operators – it pays to ask.
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AIR
Airlines in Sweden
Domestic airlines in Sweden tend to use Stockholm-Arlanda (code ARN; 08-797