You can easily explore Stockholm’s historic centre on foot in a single morning. However, the famous Gamla Stan is not the only thing Stockholm has to offer, so you’ll certainly be glad to make use of public transport, particularly during a winter visit.

Choose a hotel in central Stockholm

Stockholm has a metro, buses, trams, local trains, coaches and ferries. All transport in Stockholm and the surrounding area is operated by the transport company SL.

For specific information on fares, timetables and services, please visit:www.sl.se.

Public transport tickets

To travel around Stockholm, all you need is a single SL fare, which you can use on the metro, city trains, trams, buses and public ferries. It is not valid on special tourist boats.

Fare prices

There are several types of ticket available. Within the validity period of each ticket, you can make as many transfers as you like between all modes of transport.

Ticket type	Validity	Price (adults)	Price (over 65 and under 20)
Single journey	75 minutes	43 sek	26 sek
One-day	24 hours	180 sek	110 sek
3-day	72 hours	360 sek	220 sek
7-day	From 00:00 on the first day to 04:30 on the day after the 7-day period has elapsed	470 sek	290 sek

How do I buy a ticket?

There are three ways to buy a ticket.

SL mobile app

The cheapest and easiest way is to install the SL mobile app. No complicated registration is required.

• Google Play
• App Store

Once you’ve bought your ticket, you need to activate it with a single tap and keep your mobile to hand at all times whilst travelling. The ticket is displayed as a QR code, which you must scan at the turnstile when entering the underground or at the scanner inside the bus.

You only need to scan the QR code when boarding.

Smart Card

You can also use a physical ticket in the form of a card. You can top up various tickets onto this card repeatedly. However, only one ticket can be on the card at any one time.

Just like a mobile phone when using the mobile app, you must always hold the card up to the turnstile when entering the underground or boarding a bus or tram.

A disadvantage of the card is the additional fee of 20 sek for issuing it.

You can only buy the SL Smart Card at ticket counters in each metro station or at Pressbyrån newsagents. There are no ticket machines available anywhere.

Paying with your own contactless card

In Stockholm, you can also pay your fare using your own card in the same way as with the SL Smart Card. Simply hold your card against the turnstile in the underground or against the card reader on the bus or tram.

However, you can only use your own card to pay for a single 75-minute journey at 43 sek.

Unfortunately, in Stockholm, daily caps do not apply to this payment method, as they do in many other cities. If you’re travelling a lot, you may end up paying significantly more per day than 180 sek, which is the price of a day ticket purchased via the mobile app or on a Smart Card.

Where are the tickets valid?

The fares listed above are valid on all SL transport services throughout the Stockholm region.

There are no zones within the city itself, so you can travel beyond Stockholm proper on a single ticket, as the Stockholm county is considerably larger.

You can use the tickets:

• The metro
• SL blue and red buses
• Trams
• ‘Pendeltåg’ commuter trains
• Saltsjöbanan and Roslagsbanan trains
• SL ferries (routes 80, 82, 83, 89)

Tickets are not valid on the following services:

• SJ, Mälartåg and MTRX long-distance and regional trains
• Sightseeing boats

In which towns/districts are the tickets valid?

You can use an unlimited travel pass throughout the entire Stockholm region; for example, with a single ticket you can travel to the ports of Nynäshamn or Kappelskär, and to the towns of Södertälje, Norrtälje, Sigtuna, Solna, Täby, Märsta, Ekerö and many others.

Tickets are also valid for journeys to BrommaAirport ( BMA) (all services) and Arlanda Airport (ARN) (but only on buses 583 and 597 from Märsta station).

You can also use these tickets to travel to some of the nearest towns just outside the district, such as Bålsta or Gnesta.

Where are the tickets not valid?

Some SL train and bus routes extend beyond the Stockholm district, and in such cases you’ll need to buy an additional ticket from the last stop within the Stockholm district.

You cannot travel to the following towns, for example, on this ticket: Uppsala, Knivsta.

Tickets are also not valid for journeys to Skavsta Airport ( NYO ) or Västerås Airport ( VST).

Route finders

Which websites are best for finding connections between different stops in Stockholm?

The best way to find all connections for the metro, trains, local trains, trams and boats on routes 80 to 89 is via the transport operator’s official website.

• sl.se/reseplanering
• SL mobile app

You can find timetables for private ferries directly on their websites; see the links below in the ‘Boats and Ferries’ section.

google.com/maps also provides a good overview of current services and departure times for all transport (including private ferries) in Stockholm.

The 10 best hotels in Stockholm

Metro

The Stockholm Metro has three main lines, which split into further branches at their termini.

The Stockholm Metro is not just a means of transport; thanks to the exceptionally interesting design of its stations, it is also one of the city’s main tourist attractions.

You can find detailed information on how to use metro tickets, where to find route maps and where the most beautiful stations are in the separate chapter ‘The Stockholm Metro’.

‘Pendeltåg’ trains and the local railway

City and commuter trains provide fast transport across the city centre from north to south, as well as services to Stockholm’s suburbs.

SL public transport tickets are valid on the following trains for the entire journey:

• Pendeltåg – lines 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48
  • On route 40, the ticket is valid only as far as ‘Upplands Väsby’ station in the northern section. To continue on to Arlanda C, Knivsta and Uppsala C stations, you will need to purchase additional tickets.
• Roslagsbanan local railway – lines 27, 28, 29
• The Saltsjöbanan local railway – lines 25, 26

We do not particularly recommend using the trains to get around the city centre, as the Pendeltåg stations are deep underground and it is usually quicker to take the regular metro. On the other hand, if you are heading to the outskirts of Stockholm, the trains are definitely the best option.

Services on the main lines run every 8 to 15 minutes, whilst in the outlying areas the maximum interval is 30 minutes.

Trains usually run from around 5.30 am to midnight, and on the main routes until 1.00 am.

You can find detailed train timetables and information on local railways on the website:sl.linjetidtabeller.se.

How do I use the tickets?

If you are travelling on Pendeltåg trains, you enter each station via turnstiles, just like on the underground. To open the turnstile, you must hold your mobile ticket’s QR code, your own payment card or your SL Smart Card up to it.

On the Roslagsbanan and Saltsjöbanan local railways, there are no turnstiles. There are ticket readers on the platforms where you can validate single-journey tickets (on a Smart Card or by paying with your own contactless card). If you have a single-journey ticket via the mobile app, you simply need to activate it via the app; you do not need to scan the QR code anywhere.

If you have a day ticket or a multi-day ticket, you do not need to tap it on the reader; simply show it to the ticket inspector on board the train if required.

Trams

Stockholm currently has five tram lines, which are not interconnected. However, they are all part of the public transport system, and you can use standard tickets on all of them.

• Line 7 “Spårväg City”–takes you from Centralen main station to the popular islandof Djurgården in 8 minutes; trams run every 8–10 minutes
• Line 12 “Nockebybanan” – this line runs to the residential district of Nockeby and is not widely used by tourists
• Line 21 “Lidingöbanan” – this route runs from Ropsten metro station to the island of Lidingö, where residential areas blend with attractive new housing estates featuring parks and seafront promenades
• Line 30 “Tvärbanan” – the longest route, running from Solna station along the entire western edge of Stockholm southwards to Globen
• Line 31 “Tvärbanan” – connects the main route of Line 30 with Bromma Airport

Trams run from around 5.30 am to 12.30 am; at weekends, services do not start until between 6.00 am and 6.30 am.

You can find timetables for all tram lines at this link:sl.linjetidtabeller.se.

How do I use the tickets?

Always tap your SL Smart Card or your own contactless card against the reader whilst still at the tram stop.

If you are using the mobile app, you activate your ticket by tapping within the app and do not need to tap the QR code against any reader.

Transport maps

The metro, trains and trams are the most straightforward and most widely used forms of transport in Stockholm, which is why we’ve put together a special map of all the routes.

Complete maps, which also show all bus routes, are available exclusively on the Swedish version of the official website:sl.se/reseplanering/kartor.

Boats and ferries

Boat transport in Stockholm is not only very popular with tourists, but also a practical means of transport for locals. It often significantly shortens the journey between islands and across bays, and the boats offer beautiful views of the city and, further from the centre, of the Nordic countryside.

SL public ferries

The local transport authority operates several ferry routes, on which standard public transport tickets are valid for the entire journey.

The most popular routes run right through the centre of Stockholm.

• Route 80– runs from Nybroplan pier to the islandof Djurgårdenand continues via several stops to Ropsten metro station. This route is very busy, with services running every 15 minutes. From Ropsten station, selected services continue further north-east.
• Route 82– a short route connecting Gamla Stan (Slussen pier) with the islandsof Djurgårdenand Skeppsholmen. It runs once every 15 minutes.

Timetables for all SL ferry routes can be found on the website:sl.linjetidtabeller.se.

Some jetties on the outskirts of Stockholm are equipped with special devices for signalling the ferry. You must use the lever to flip the sign or mirror well in advance (at least 2–3 minutes before the ferry arrives) so that the crew know that someone wishes to board.

When boarding the ferry, the crew will scan your ticket or the QR code from the mobile app using a handheld scanner. You can also buy a single-journey ticket on board using a contactless card.

Standard tickets, including day passes and multi-day passes, are valid on ferries on routes 80, 82, 83, 84 and 89.

Private and tourist ferries

The network of public ferry routes is also supplemented by private ferry companies operating numerous routes.

However, standard public transport tickets are not valid on these services; you must pay a separate fare for the route in question. Payment can only be made by card to the crew, and the price is calculated based on the distance travelled.

Waxholmsbolaget

This company operates an extensive network of routes from the city centre to all the inhabited islands to the east, north and south of Stockholm.

Fares are calculated based on distance. The lowest fare is 61 sek and the highest is 186 sek. Day tickets are not sold here.

Ferries on specific routes usually sail only 2–3 times a day, whilst many routes do not operate at all during the winter.

• Route map: waxholmsbolaget.se/kartor
• Search for connections: waxholmsbolaget.se

Stromma

Stromma operates exclusively tourist services on several regular routes from central Stockholm.

• Klara Mälarstrand – Drottningholm
  • 1–2 times a day (summer only)
  • 225 sek 325 sek return
  • stromma.com/drottningholm-palace
• Strandvägen – Vaxholm
  • Once a day in winter, up to twice a day in summer
  • 235 sek 380 sek return
  • stromma.com/vaxholm
• Strandvägen – Vaxholm – Grinda – Sandhamn
  • 1–2 times a day, operates in summer only
  • 240 sek to Sandhamn (return journey not discounted)
  • 175 sek to Vaxholm (slower boat than the one mentioned above)
  • stromma.com/kastell
• Strandvägen – Nacka Strand – Fjäderholmarna
  • Once an hour (summer only)
  • 195 sek return ticket
  • stromma.com/fjaderholmarna

Zeam

This ferry operates on a route that takes just 3 minutes and connects two busy quays.

• Norr Mälarstrand
• Söder Mälarstrand

Ferries depart once every 10 minutes from 7.00 am to 8.40 pm. At weekends, service does not start until 9.00 am.

A single journey costs 35 sek and public transport tickets are not valid on this service.

You can find a detailed timetable and current prices on the website:zeam.se.

 

Buses

Buses play a particularly important role in the outskirts of Stockholm, but many routes also run into the city centre, where they connect with the metro and tram networks.

You will no doubt notice that some of the SL buses are red and others are blue. However, the difference between the blue and red buses is largely a marketing one and has no practical implications for passengers.

Blue buses usually run on busy routes (on average once every 8 to 15 minutes), whilst red buses run on standard routes with intervals of 15–30 minutes.

Daytime bus services run from approximately 5.00 am to 12.30 am.

On all buses in Stockholm, passengers board via the front door only.

You can find timetables for all bus routes at this link:sl.linjetidtabeller.se.

How do you use the tickets?

You must validate your ticket every time you board. The driver has a reader where you can scan the QR code from the mobile app, or tap your own contactless card or SL Smart Card.

You do not need to scan your card or QR code when alighting.

Night-time public transport

The Underground, trains, trams and the vast majority of bus routes only run from around 5.00 am to 1.30 am; the last Underground services from the city centre leave as early as around 1.00 am.

On the nights from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday, the metro and some buses run non-stop 24 hours a day.

On other days, overnight bus routes 91 to 96 operate every 30 minutes.

Taxis and mobile apps

There are many taxis and mobile apps available in Stockholm.

Taxis are particularly useful at night, when public transport is running at a minimum, but they can also be a good option if you’re travelling in a group.

Standard taxis are usually about twice as expensive as those booked via the Bolt or Uber apps, both of which operate here. The availability of cars via Uber and Bolt is very good across all parts of Stockholm.