SWEDEN: Prime Travel Data.

NEED TO KNOW

So here you are in Sweden and you need to know some elementary stuff — like how to make a phone call, get local money, or contact the American Embassy to report your stolen passport. Here is a convenient source for that information, plus a bit more.

This web page originally appeared in the first editon of my book How To Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook in a section titled "Country Data Sheets" over thirty years ago. I've updated and improved it for 2016.

Important information about this data sheet.
Native name	Sverige
Capital	Stockholm
Postal code	S
Telephone code	+46 See chapter 19, Telephoning to, from, and within Europe.
Language	Swedish
Currency	Krona See The Euro and Other Currencies.
European Union	Member. See chapter 25, Customs Duty, USA and Europe.
Schengen Agreement	Member. See chapter 3, Passport and Visas.
Time zone	GMT+1 See chapter 28, European Dates and Time Zones.
Electricity	220 volts, 50 Hz. See chapter 11, European Electricity: Travel Voltage Fundamentals..

Date	Holiday	Helgdag
Jan 1	New Year's Day	Nyarsdagen
Jan 6	Epiphany	Trettondag Jul
	Good Friday	Langfredagen
	Easter Monday	Annandag Påsk
May 1	May Day	Första Maj
	Ascension Day	Kristi Himmelfardsdag
	Whit Monday	Annandag Pingst
Sat after Jun 20	Midsummer Day	Midsommardagen
Sat after Nov 1	All Saints' Day	Alla Helgonsdag
Dec 25	Christmas	Juldagen
Dec 26	Boxing Day	Annandag Jul

Swedish Offices in the USA
Embassy	Embassy of Sweden, Washington, DC 1501 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 T 202-467-2600 F 202-467-2699
Consulates	Los Angeles, New York
Tourist Office	Swedish National Tourist Office P.O. Box 4649, Grand Central Station New York, NY 10163-4649 T 212-885-9700 F 212-885-9710 [email protected]

American Offices in Sweden
Embassy	Embassy of the United States of America Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 31 SE-115 89 Stockholm, Sweden T (+46) 8 783 5300

USA is known as:	USA

Recommended books for further information:

The books that you see listed here are those that I have personally used and am satisfied with, and/or are from publishers whose other travel books are reliable. I am a consumer when it comes to travel guides, and a critical one. Notice that I do not recommend any Frommers, Dummies, Steves, or other inferior guides. For some of the reasons please go to the hoi polloi.

As one example of a substandard guide, a 1,384 page book titled Rick Steves' Best of Europe 2013 has not a single mention of Sweden. Absolutely absurd!! That's like leaving Texas out of a USA travel guide. Almost as absurd is the fact that this "2013" book was published in August 2012. But this "Best" book did include enough pages to promote his over-priced whirlwind guided bus tours, videos, backpacks, sink stoppers (he must be kidding), and Steves' other branded products. Steves is strong on self promotion but weak on meaningful content.

For the good stuff, the links below take you directly to a page at Amazon.com. That page details the book or map, and in some cases includes readers' comments and sample pages from the book.You then have the opportunity to add the book to your shopping cart and buy it. Amazon.compays a small commission to Enjoy-Europe.com when you click a title here and then order the book.

Note: emphasis in the titles is mine -- to help you in finding the information you need. Don't worry too much about publication dates. Many books are updated every three to six years. The monuments and cathedrals haven't moved in 500 years!