First Time in Stockholm: What You Need to Know

Currency is SEK (SEK 11 approximately equals EUR 1). Stockholm is cashless: many places do not accept cash, and some cannot. Card or phone payment for everything including street food. The city is expensive: a beer at a bar costs SEK 75-90, a restaurant dinner is SEK 350-600 per person, a budget lunch is SEK 120-180. The SL transit pass (SEK 165 for 72 hours) covers all buses, metro, trams, local trains, and the Djurgården ferry. A single metro fare is SEK 42. The Stockholm City Pass (from SEK 699 for 24 hours) covers museums including Vasa but not transport: calculate whether the individual entries add up before buying.

Fika is a twice-daily coffee and pastry break that Swedish workplaces build into their schedule. As a visitor: sit down, order a coffee and a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun, SEK 35-45) or kardemummabulle (cardamom bun), and stay for 15-20 minutes. The best fika in Stockholm: Fabrique (multiple locations, SEK 35-45 for a bun), Östermalm Saluhall (market atmosphere, SEK 45-60), any neighbourhood bakery with locals in it at 10 AM or 3 PM. Do not get fika from a chain. Konditorier (traditional Swedish patisseries) serve kanelbullen the size that looks excessive but is correct.

Stockholm's metro (T-bana) has permanent art installations in 90 of its 100 stations. Some are famous (Solna Centrum: Red Line, an orange sky and dark forest running the length of the platform, the most dramatic station in the world), some are subtle (T-Centralen: Blue Line, the original Art Nouveau ceramic tiles from 1975). Buy an SL day pass and ride the Red and Blue Lines specifically to see the stations. Kungsträdgården (Blue Line, eastern terminus), Solna Centrum (Red Line), and Fridhemsplan (Blue Line) are worth getting off for.

Stockholm has 30,000 islands in its archipelago, accessible by Strömma or Waxholmsbolaget ferries from Strandvägen or Slussen. Inner archipelago islands (Vaxholm, Grinda, Finnhamn) are 1-3 hours from the city and accessible June-August on day trips. Book tickets online 1-2 days ahead in peak summer. Bring lunch: the island restaurants are expensive and limited. Vaxholm (1.5 hours, SEK 180 return) has a fortress and a seafood harbour. Grinda (2 hours, SEK 280 return) has the best swimming beaches and hiking. The ferries themselves are part of the experience.