Roman Zywicki
Stockholm Budget Travel Guide
Sweden and other Scandinavian countries are widely known as some of the most expensive in the world, which always frightens off-budget travelers. But, don’t be afraid! They are not as expensive as it seems. Here is my Ultimate Stockholm Budget Travel Guide to spend a great weekend in Stockholm having a tight budget.
Free museums in Stockholm
Despite the fact that the average price level in Sweden is high, some particular things are cheaper, and even free! You like museums, but have a limited budget? Stockholm is the city for you!
Stockholm can be called the city of museums. The most famous, but not necessarily the most interesting museums are paid and are relatively expensive. At the same time, there is a whole range of great free museums to visit in Stockholm. Of course, they are included in my Ultimate Stockholm Budget Travel Guide. Here they are:
The Swedish History Museum, which is situated on Narvavägen 13-17. Visit it for free and discover the whole history of Sweden from the middle ages until today.
Visit the Army Museum on Riddargatan 13 and find out about the history of the Swedish army from the 16th century until nowadays. You can go there for free and even get a free English audioguide.
The museum I really recommend you visiting is the Medieval museum situated in the front (and underground) of the King’s palace. It is very interactive and made as a medieval Swedish village with its artisans, old wooden houses, and Viking ships.
Okay, enough of the history. Go to the free Modern Art Museum on Exercisplan 2. Even if you don’t like such kind of museums, I recommend you visiting it in Stockholm, as Sweden is famous for its design, and the museum has an exhibition of Swedish architecture and design.
Dansmuseet, or Dance Museum, which is situated on Drottninggatan 17. This museum is free and tells you not only about dances, but also about theater, art, and photography. It was founded by a famous Swedish cultural personality, Rolf de Maré.
There are more free museums in Stockholm. I named just 5 most interesting ones.
Now, let’s move to the next point, cheap and free things to do in Stockholm:
There are also lots of great cheap or free things to do in this Scandinavian city. Did you know that the largest museum in the world is the Stockholm metro? Now, you do!
The first great thing to do for a budget traveler would be to get to some high point to see the panorama of Stockholm. The city on the islands is condemned to be beautiful! There are lots of great panoramic points to view the whole city. Some places that I recommend visiting to relax and enjoy the view holding a cold Swedish beer in your hand would be Höga Stigen, the hill on the north of Södermalm island. Nearby, you will also see some fairytale wooden houses. You just don’t want to leave this place!
But, you have to. Stockholm has lots of great things to do and places to visit on a budget. Let’s continue our Stockholm budget travel guide.
You definitely should attend the changing of the guard near the Royal Castle. It starts at 12:15pm in the palace outer courtyard on weekdays, and at 1:15pm on Sundays. Looks pretty impressive. Highly recommended!
Another free place to visit near the Royal Palace is the Storkyrkan church. Even if you have been to many churches in the world, even if you have been to Rome (I think, after Rome, every church seems simple), this one will definitely impress you. So much gold and ‘luxury’ I haven’t seen in any church in the world.
My favorite thing to do in Stockholm on a budget was walking through the Gamla Stan island. It is the oldest part of the city and the most touristy one. Although there are so many tourists on the island, you will easily find cozy side streets with no people at all and enjoy the fairytale atmosphere of Stockholm.
Tired of museums and hungry after long walks? Let’s go and have a cheap, but tasty snack!
Cheap places and food to eat in Stockholm
If you go to any restaurant in Stockholm, especially in the city center, you will see that the prices are not really suitable for a budget traveler. I managed to find one seamlessly luxury restaurant, where I shared some chicken nuggets with my friend for just 5 euros for each of us.
Still, not to feel like a fish out of water, I recommend you eat in fast food chains. Either local or international. McDonalds and Subway here have similar prices to other European cities. Most popular local fast food ‘dishes’ are hotdogs and herring sandwiches. Not really good food, but good enough for 3-4 euros (by the way, the currency in Sweden is Crones, 10 of them = about 1 Euro, but you can use your credit card almost everywhere).
Another option would be to buy food in the supermarket, especially if the place, where you stay has a kitchen. Food in the supermarkets is somewhat more expensive than in other European countries, but you can still find some bargains. Peanuts are cheap (my favorite food when I travel), chocolate, bananas, bread, and some other basic products are not expensive either. I really recommend trying a local pastry. It is delicious!
Pressbyran and other small supermarkets and newsstand chains have bundle deals with coffee and pastry. Sometimes, it costs 2,5 euros, sometimes just 1!
Places to stay in Stockholm on a budget
Like any European city, Stockholm has a wide range of hostels. The prices start at 18-20 euros per night. You just need to take into account that some places take additional charge for bedsheets and towels. Another feature of Stockholm hostels is that they have almost everything automatic. You might not even see any employee of the hostel during your stay. As when you book a hostel, you get a code on your email address that you use to enter the building and later to enter your room and open your locker.
It was my Ultimate Stockholm Budget Travel Guide. To find out more about Stockholm, Norway, Valencia or some other cities, visit my blog RomanRoams.com! Have a great day!
Searching for the best hotels and affordable flights? Check out our complete list of affordable hotels and resorts via Agoda or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.
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Also Read: 5 Incredibly Unique Hotels in Sweden
