When You Notice The Stripes

I got some good response on Couchsurfing for my very small “Teach, Learn, Share” box about Sweden and I got a request to write some more and since this blog is about traveling I decided to write a little.  So here it is. 

Hard Facts About The Country

Sweden is the largest country of the five nordic countries with a little bit over 9 million people. That would give a population density of 20 people/km², meaning you will have a lot of space when you are out in the wild. There are three major cities, Stockholm, Gothenburg (Göteborg) and Malmö and the country is divided into three regions, Norrland, Svealand and Götaland. Sweden is a member of the EU but not of the EMU (European Monetary Union) meaning we don’t have the Euro but instead the good ol’ Swedish krona (SEK). The living-standard and life-expectancy ranks among the highest in the world.

Travel to Sweden

Sweden is a member of the Schengen Agreement, which means you can travel between Sweden and other Schengen-countries without passing border-controls although there is a strong border control for entering the Schengen area.

If you are entering by plane, you have three major airports, all connected to the three major cities, Stockholm Arlanda, Göteborg Landvetter and Copenhagen Kastrup. The latter is on a small island between Sweden and Denmark and it takes about twenty minutes to reach Sweden by train. There is also a great deal of smaller airports, but I don’t think they are worth mentioning.

Hitchhiking

Sweden is not an easy country to hitchhike in since the Swedes are very private. But it can be done. Focusing on truck drivers is your best shot. Trying to get a ride while standing on a freeway is not something you should do, in most of Western Europe this is a complete blasphemy and it is also illegal.

Eating & Drinking

Swedish meals are often very simple and dull. There is almost always potatoes served and some kind of meat or fish, some vegetables and sauce. Pasta instead of potatoes is also used occassionally.

To your meal it is most common to drink soda, beer, milk or water. Coffee is very important to Swedes and Sweden is the second largest consumers of coffee in the world. You will find different kinds of coffee everywhere although brewed coffee is the most common.

Education

Education in Sweden is free for all residents and foreigners who come to study. If you are a foreigner studying in Sweden you are also allowed to work in Sweden wihout a working permit. Read more at studyinsweden.se.

Work

To work in Sweden you will need a working permit, and if you are staying for over three months you will also be needing a residence permit. There is strong competition for the available jobs and the ones most likely to get a job are Swedes, EU/EEA-citizens and foreigners already living in Sweden. If you are only interested in working for accommodation and food check out WWOOF. You can find more information about working here.

Respect and Etiquette

• Shoes off - When visiting someones home in Sweden, always take you shoes off when entering. The floors are almost always clean enough for your pretty socks. If you insist on wearing shoes indoor, bring an extra pair of shoes.
• Don’t do drugs - Most Swedes are against illegal drugs and are not tolerant about it. The younger population is more accepting and some even uses it occassionally but in that case it is often just marijuana. Feel the vibes about the subject before going on about it.
• Rejecting food and drinks - Unlike many other countries, it is acceptable to refuse to eat or drink something.
• Sweden, not Norway or Finland - Do not confuse Sweden with another Nordic country, even if they are similar. Sweden and Switzerland is not the same country either. Some people can get very offended.
• Don’t drink and drive - Never, ever, drink and drive. Not even a bottle of beer. This is highly frowned upon, condemned by society and also the legal limit is only 0,2 per mil. The punishment is a fine or maximum six months in prison. If it is above 1,0 per mil the punishment is maximum two years.
• Pay for your own meal - When you are dining out with Swedes you pay for what you ate and drank.
• Bring your own bottle - If you are going to a private party, bring you own alcohol unless told not to since alcohol is expensive in Sweden.
• Greetings - Shaking hands is the most appropiate way to greet. Hugs is okey for people who know each other well, though men shouldn’t hug other men. Hugs are more used in the younger generation so if a Swede greets you with open arms, go ahead and squeeze.
• Keep it down - Do not raise your voice. Simple as that.
• Respect minorities - Do not offend other races, sexualities or religions, even if you are not in their presence. Sweden is the only country where hate speech against homosexuals are illegal.
• Eye contact - Keep eye contact with the person you are talking to. If you are talking to several people, try dividing up your eye contact-time for each one.
• Don’t be late - If you agreed to meet someone, especially if it is a formal meeting, show up on the minute.
• Toasting - If you are at a formal dinner, don’t drink until the host made a toast. If you are unsure if a toast is going to happen, just wait until the host drinks himself without toasting.

Good to know

• You have to be twenty years old to buy any alcoholic beverage with over 3.5% alcohol. Also, you can only buy it one chain of stores, called Systembolaget, since there is a government alcohol monopoly. Though you can buy it if you are at a restaurant or bar with an age-limit of 18.
• In Sweden we have a thing called “Freedom to roam” which basically means you are allowed to walk on any public and private land (except for private gardens and land being cultivated) as long as you do not disturb or destroy.
• Smoking inside restaurants and bars is prohibited by law. Often you will find a room used for smoking or a small area outside.

So this is it for now. If I come up with some more important stuff I’ll add them.