Travel Guide - Sweden

Sweden is a large, geographically varied and strangely little-known country whose sense of space is one of its best features. Away from the relatively densely populated south, travelling without seeing a soul is not uncommon. The south and southwest of the country are gently undulating, picturesque holiday lands, long-disputed Danish territory, and fringed with some of Europe's finest beaches.

The west coast harbours a host of historic ports - Gothenburg , Helsingborg and Malmö , which is now linked by bridge to Copenhagen - while off the southeast coast, the Baltic islands of Öland and Gotland are the country's most hyped resorts, supporting a lazy beach-life to match that of the best southern European spots but without the hotel blocks and crowds.

Stockholm , the capital, is the country's supreme attraction, a bundle of islands housing monumental architecture, fine museums and the country's most active culture and nightlife. The two university towns, Lund and Uppsala, demand a visit too, while, moving northwards, Gävle and Gällivare both make justified demands on your time. This area, central and northern Sweden, is the country of tourist brochures: great swathes of forest, inexhaustible lakes - around 96,000 - and some of the best wilderness hiking in Europe. Two train routes link it with the south. The eastern run, close to the Bothnian coast , passes old wood-built towns and planned new ones, and ferry ports for connections to Finland. In the centre, the trains of the Inlandsbanan strike off through lakelands and mountains, clearing reindeer off the track as they go. The routes meet in Sweden's far north - home of the Sami, the oldest indigenous Scandinavian people.

Almost all towns in Sweden have a tourist office , giving out maps, timetables and other bumf, and usually booking private rooms, renting bikes and changing money. Some also sell discount cards during the summer which give reductions on local travel, museum entry and other freebies. They're normally open long hours daily in high season, shorter hours during the rest of the summer, and Monday to Friday in winter. The best general map of Sweden is the Motormännens Sveriges Atlas .

Sweden's internal transport system is quick and efficient and runs through all weathers. Services are often reduced in the winter (especially on northern bus routes), but it's unlikely you'll ever get stranded. In summer, when everyone is on holiday, trains and buses are packed: on long journeys it's a good idea to make reservations. All train, bus and ferry schedules are contained within the giant and confusing Rikstidtabellen (80kr), or pick up specific route information from train station offices, most of whom will happily print out all your options for you.

Driving presents few problems since roads are good and generally reliable. The only real dangers are the reindeer and elk which wander onto roads in the north. To drive, you need a full licence and the vehicle registration document. Speed limits are 110kph on motorways, 90kph and 70kph on other roads, 50kph in built-up areas. It's compulsory to use dipped headlights during daylight hours. Swedish drink-driving laws are among the toughest in Europe and random breath-tests the norm. For emergency assistance on the road call 020/24 10 00.

Eating and drinking is nothing like as expensive as it used to be in Sweden, though filling up at breakfast and lunch is still much better value than eating out at restaurants in the evening. At its best, Swedish food is excellent, largely meat-, fish- and potato-based, but varied and generally tasty and filling. Specialities include the northern Swedish delicacies - reindeer and elk meat, and wild berries - and herring in many different guises

Drinking is still pricey, though in Stockholm it's no more than most European capitals now. The cheapest choice is probably beer , which costs 35-45kr for 400ml of lager-type drink - a sto stark . Unless you specify, it will be starköl , the strongest Class III beer, or the slightly weaker mellanöl ; folköl is the Class II and cheaper and weaker brew; cheapest (around half the price) is lättöl , a Class I concoction that is virtually nonalcoholic. Classes I and II are available in supermarkets; Class III is only on sale in state-licensed liquor stores ( Systembolaget ), where it's around a third of the price you'll pay in a bar. Pripps and Spendrups are the two main brands. A glass of wine in a bar or restaurant costs around 30-40kr, while you can buy a whole bottle for a little more in a state off-licence. For experimental drinking, aquavit is a good bet, served ice-cold in tiny shots and washed down with beer. There are various different "flavours", too, with spices and herbs added.