Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [272]
North of Gävle, regular connections with Stockholm are provided by several smaller operators, including Ybuss (0771-33 44 44; www.ybuss.se, in Swedish), which has services to Sundsvall, Östersund and Umeå.
You don’t have to reserve a seat on Swebus Express services. Generally, tickets for travel between Monday and Thursday are cheaper, or if they’re purchased over the internet or more than 24 hours before departure. If you’re a student or senior, it’s worth asking about fare discounts; however, most bus companies will only give student prices to holders of Swedish student cards (the exception is Swebus Express, where you can get an ISIC discount).
Regional Networks
The länstrafik bus networks are well integrated with the regional train system, with one ticket valid on any local or regional bus or train. Rules vary but transfers are usually free if they are within one to four hours. Fares on local buses and trains are often identical.
In remote areas, taxis may have an arrangement with the county council to provide a reduced-fare taxi trip to your final destination. These fares are only valid when arranged in advance (they cannot be bought from the taxi departure point). Ask the regional bus company for details.
Bus Passes
Good-value daily or weekly passes are usually available from local and regional transport offices, and many regions have 30-day passes for longer stays, or a special card for peak-season summer travel.
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CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Sweden has good roads, and the excellentE-class motorways rarely have traffic jams.
Automobile Associations
The Swedish national motoring association is Motormännens Riksförbund (020-21 11 11; www.motormannen.se).
Bring Your Own Vehicle
If bringing your own car, you’ll need your vehicle registration documents, unlimited third-party liability insurance and a valid driving licence. A right-hand-drive vehicle brought from the UK or Ireland should have deflectors fitted to the headlights to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. You must carry a reflective warning breakdown triangle.
Driving Licence
An international driving permit isn’t necessary; your domestic licence will do.
Hire
To hire a car you have to be at least 20 (sometimes 25) years of age, with a recognised licence and a credit card.
Fly-drive packages may save you money. International rental chains (such as Avis, Hertz and Europcar) are more expensive but convenient; all have desks at Stockholm-Arlanda and Göteborg Landvetter Airports and offices in most major cities. The best car hire rates are generally from larger petrol stations (like Statoil and OK-Q8) – look out for signs saying biluthyrning or hyrbilar.
Avis (0770-82 00 82; www.avisworld.com)
Europcar (020-78 11 80; www.europcar.com)
Hertz (0771-21 12 12; www.hertz-europe.com)
Mabi Hyrbilar (08-612 60 90; www.mabirent.se) National company with competitive rates.
OK-Q8 (020-85 08 50; www.okq8.se, in Swedish) Click on hyrbilar in the website menu to see car-hire pages.
Statoil (08-429 63 00; www.statoil.se/biluthyrning, in Swedish) Click on uthyrningsstationer to see branches with car hire, and on priser for prices.
Road Hazards
In the north, elk (moose, to Americans) and reindeer are serious road hazards, particularly around dawn and dusk; around 40 people die in collisions every year. Look out for the signs saying viltstängsel upphör, which means that elk may cross the road, and for black plastic bags tied to roadside trees or poles – this means Sami have reindeer herds grazing in the area. Report all incidents to police – failure to do so is an offence.
In Göteborg and Norrköping, be aware of trams, which have priority; overtake on the right.
Road Rules
In Sweden, you drive on and give way to the right. Headlights (at least dipped) must be on at all times when driving. Use of seat belts is compulsory, and children under seven years old should be in the appropriate harness or child seat.
The blood-alcohol limit is