Sweden
Traveling Tips For Your Trip To Sweden From ToStockholm’s Jessica Dölling Gripberg
Planning a trip to Sweden and feeling a little lost?
Jessica Dölling Gripberg is the woman behind ToStockholm, a personal tour company for tourists, foreign staff or expats visiting Sweden. The mission of ToStockholm is simple: to help people from all walks of life discover Sweden and the Swedish way of life.
Aside from the customized personal tours and corporate welcome packages, ToStockholm also offers workshops throughout the year. From cooking classes and mushroom hunts to traditional Swedish candy making, there is something for everyone.
If you have a trip to Sweden planned for this year (jealous!) or you are thinking about booking one, here are five of Gripberg’s travel tips.
Plan your trip well (and not too short) 
If you are making the big trip overseas, it’s worth planning well and making sure you capitalize on the time you have.
Gripberg advises that you start your trip in Stockholm, and stay in the city at least a couple of days to check off all the must-sees: Gamla Stan (the old town), Djurgården (don’t miss the Vasa Museum – a favorite of Gripberg’s). If you are there during the summer months, be sure to take a boat trip out to the Stockholm archipelago. When you are ready to move on, take a train to Gothenburg – a comfortable way to travel, with tickets easily booked online. From Gothenburg, Gripberg recommends a trip to Marstrand, and if you’re adventurous, hiring a car (mostly manual shift) to make your way to the coastal region of Bohuslän.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothing
In Sweden there’s a saying: “Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder,” which translates to, “There is nothing like bad weather, only bad clothing!” Gripberg suggests whether you are visiting Sweden in the winter or summer, dress accordingly and comfortably and remember good walking shoes.
Enjoy Nordic Skating, Hiking or Biking
Enjoy the outdoors like a Swede! In winter, you can try Nordic skating or skiing, and in summer, bring a backpack and hike along the endless marked trails or take a biking adventure along the many bike paths.
Bastu, bastu, bastu!
If you have never tried a sauna, then this is a fantastic experience, according to Gripberg. You don’t need to go in naked, but don’t get shocked if others do! After the sauna, you take a dip in the sea, and if it’s winter time, you will find they have made a hole in the ice so you can take a quick dip.
Work with a local guide
Seeing as she is a certified Stockholm guide, Gripberg would be remiss not to include this as one of her five tips. Using a guide who is local to Sweden provides a level of knowledge and familiarity that, no matter how much you try to plan using recommendations and Google, can’t compare. Local guides are able to give you a true locals-only view of the city and insight into the Swedish way of life.
For more information, recipes and travel tips visit ToStockholm.com. Interested in touring with Jessica? Shoot her a note at info@tostockholm.com.
