If you're a first-time visitor to Stockholm you'll love the
city's stunning waterside setting. Head straight for the Old Town with
its lavish Baroque Royal Palace and charming historic squares. You'll
find European and Swedish art at the National Museum in the Norrmalm
district. But there's much more to Stockholm than meets the eye, so make a
return visit for hearty Swedish cuisine and sassy nightlife in the
Õstermalm area.
Background
It's hard to escape Lake Mälaren – Stockholm stands on 14
of its islands. You'll most likely begin your visit in or around the Old
Town, the historic city centre which dates back to the 1300s. Filled with
palaces and picturesque squares, it's also home to Stockholm's
opulent Storkyrkan cathedral, dating back to the 13th century. Buy tickets to the
Royal Swedish Opera or the 18th-century National Museum. Located across the bridge
in northern Norrmalm, it's home to paintings, porcelain and prints
from the 14th-19th centuries.
First-time visit
Start off in the Old Town as this is where the main attractions cluster. Visit
the King's official residence, the Royal Palace, with its dazzling
collection of crown jewels. When it's time to stop for a break, try a
traditional Swedish herring dish in one of the Old Town's numerous
Swedish restaurants. After lunch go shopping for clothing and crafts along
Västerlånggatan and Österlanggatan
streets, and seek out the antique shops of Köpmangatan street.
Return visit
Stockholm hovers over the water so take a sightseeing boat tour around the
Stockholm Archipelago. Stop at Djurgården island to view
the 17th-century Vasa warship, now at home in the Vasa Museum. Head back into
the Old Town to warm up on a local favourite, meatballs and gravy. Then join
the locals for a laid-back night out in the bohemian Södermalm area
or head for Õstermalm district to mingle with Stockholm's
highfliers.
Sweden's largest airport, sleek Stockholm-Arlanda Airport flies around 16
million passengers a year from four passenger terminals. The airport is situated
just 42 km north of Central Stockholm and the Arlanda Express train takes you to
Central Station in 20 minutes.
Free shuttle bus number 10 (stop 10) connects Terminals 2, 3, 4, 5 and SkyCity (the
pre-security check leisure area linking Terminals 4 and 5) runs every 8 minutes. The
journey takes five to eight minutes. Free shuttle bus number 14 (stop 14) connects
all the terminals with LFV long-term parking and Hotel Radisson SAS Arlanda Hotel,
and runs every 15 minutes. Both shuttle buses are free of charge.
Airport parking
There are car parks directly outside all four terminals, or further away with free
bus connections to the terminals (which run frequently). The further away the
parking from the terminals, the less you can expect to pay.
Please note that you won't be able to make changes to your hotel or car booking. If you want to change your booking you will have to cancel your current booking and make a new booking. This can be done on ba.com.
We cannot guarantee that the same hotel room or car rental option will still be available if you have to cancel and make a new booking.
