Visiting Stockholm

Stockholm is quite possibly on of the most beautiful (and underated) cities in Europe. It isn't up there with popular city breaks because not many people think of it. But it is sooooo worth a look! I went for a week with my best friend, sort of by accident. We were going to meet friends there and then didn't. Had we have not planned to meet our friends there though, we probably wouldn't have thought to try it! Hostels there are very good but if you have the money I would recommend a hotel. The hotels aren't the cheapest in Europe by far but are worth the money and are much safer. The staff seem to be uber helpful in every hotel! We paid about £300 each for a week in a hotel but our flights cost £50 with Ryan Air! Everything else in Sweden is cheap! Food is cheap, and there's a huge selection, tourist attractions are cheap and there are so many to see! This is another very important point...buy a guide book! Tourist attractions aren't overly publicised in the city. Also, check when booking if you will be there during a national holiday....as you will end up spending the day hungry in your hotel room! And please learn to say "hello", "goodbye" and "thank you" at least! Everyone in Sweden speaks fluent English but they are very keen on manners so you will need to make an effort to get help! Try and use the public transport to get further afield. Most attractions are within walking distance even though Stockholm is purely islands. But boats and trams are fantastic transport methods there! Other than that, see everything! We managed to see and do everything by precisely planning our week there. Our friends were there for 3 days and barely saw anything! In this city, going with a whim will turn sour...planning is everything!

O.K here is the story! I like to manage money well, so I like keeping a budget on the things I spend money on. Sweden is an expensive country so when I visited, I asked myself what could I do to save money and still have fun? So what I did was...it might sound crazy, but I found safe places to sleep "outside." Day 1 I slept on the ground next to an old door that looked liked nobody used. It was right next to the river and there were two wall's that covered me a little from the wind and from the sight of people. Day 2 I found a small area right outside of the main bustation that covered me from view and from the wind. Day 3 I sleeped inside the busstation while I waited for the bus to take me to the airport. I was there during the winter and I don't recommend you do the same if you don't like the winter or get cold easily. If you do, here is what you need: a sleeping bag,warm clothing and food so you won't have to go to the store at night if you get hungry. I could of stayed in a hotel but I choose not to, I still had a good time. O Yea!! if you get tired during the day and need to rest, you can always go to trainstations or bustations and take a nap, it is very common to see people sleeping while they wait for their transportation.