I just returned from a spring trip to Stockholm with mom! She selected the country although it also worked out for me as it was my first time visiting Sweden. The weather was perfect and we were able to walk nearly 25 miles over the five days! Tickets via Lufthansa/United were very reasonable ($679) and we didn't have any fuel cancellations (thankfully).
Landing to Stockholm is very straightforward although the new EU EES system was a bit of a mess - the kiosks were not all working and lines were not organized. Once we did the initial checkin we still had to get another round of fingerprints at the gate? Seems inefficient. The Arlanda Express train takes about 18 minutes to get into the center of Stockholm and from there we acquired our multi-day city transport pass for the trip. Our stay was at Hotel Rival and the room was very comfortable (with amazing breakfast). For dinner the first evening, we decided on a very popular local favorite, Restaurant Kyp In, and luckily they had a table open!
On Friday we visited the City Hall, Royal Palace. and Riddarholmen Church. Public transportation is easy in Stockholm and we didn't have any problems using the busses and trains. We were lucky to watch the changing of the guard right after our palace tour was done! The old town Gamla Stan is a great place to walk with many cobblestone streets, shops, and restaurants. One place we stopped for drinks and a snack was Cafe Nova - street seating is very popular. For dinner, we chose one of the highly rated restaurants on the island, Gastabud. No reservations so you need to arrive early or wait!
For Saturday we decided to train over to Djurgarden where we visited the Vasa Museum and Skansen museums and zoo. Dinner was at a local bar and restaurant called Akkurat. So many beer and whiskey choices!
Sunday's (and Mother's Day) plan was exploring Sodermalm with many shops and walkable gardens as well as a special get together in the evening with a classmate from high school! Henrik was very generous to host us at his home and we enjoyed catching up with a special dinner.
On Monday we booked an archipelago tour via GetYourGuide that was a 2.5 experience around the islands. I highly recommend this if you're interested in learning more about how Stockholm developed over time. After the tour we made our way to the airport and stayed one night onsite due to an early morning departure.
Overall it was an excellent trip and we can't wait to visit again soon!
