Swedish Lapland offers a wide variety of holidays and activities for guests of all ages. In this section we answer frequently asked questions about different topics and give you some practical tips to make your trip as seamless and enjoyable as possible.
Traveling to Swedish Lapland
By flight with Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian. It only takes 75 minutes to fly from Stockholm-Arlanda to Luleå Airport. By train with Vy or SJ. Every night trains to Luleå Central Station depart from Stockholm and Gothenburg. By bus with Länstrafiken Norrbotten. In fact, you can travel all over Norrbotten County and Swedish Lapland from the bus station in Luleå City Center. If you are travelling north by car, the E4 is the best and easiest motorway to take. Indeed, it stretches from Haparanda on the Finnish border to Helsingborg in Southern Sweden. Temperature and weather conditions can change very quickly in northern Sweden. Due to the location close to the Arctic Circle the climate is sub-arctic with long cold winters. To enjoy your trip it is important to be properly dressed. When getting dressed, use several layers of clothes. It will both insulate and ventilate! Layer 1 – Base layer Layer 2 – Mid layer Layer 3 – Outer layer Layer 4 – Reinforcement layer Despite being part of the EU, Sweden does not use the euro. Indeed, there was a referendum back in 2003 and at that time, Swedes decided not to adopt the single currency. All of this means that if you’re planning a trip to Sweden you’ll need to get used to Sweden’s very own currency, the Swedish krona. Swedish crowns, often referred to as SEK or Kr. Swedish, but English is a common language too. Smaller shops are generally open 10 – 18 on Monday to Friday, 10 – 14 on Saturdays. Bigger food stores and shopping centers are also open in the evening and on Sundays. It is advisable to always carry at least one widely-used credit card such as Visa or MasterCard (or a card with the Maestro logo on it). Please do not forget your PIN code, you will need it. Credit cards are widely used even for smaller amounts. Indeed, Sweden is trying to eliminate cash as much as possible – for security and tax reasons. Some restaurants, shops and museums no longer accept cash. In fact, many Swedes rarely even carry cash. There are plenty of ATM-machines in the city area, around the bigger attractions and malls. They thin out the farther you get from the city down-town area. Unless stated otherwise, the speed limit within towns and villages is 50 km/h. On roads the speed limit is 70 km/h, while 110 km/h is the speed limit on motorways (except for cars with caravans where the limit is 80 km/h). All cars must drive with dipped headlights, even during the day and in bright sunshine. Seat belts are of course compulsory (you know they were invented in Sweden). From 1 December – 31 March (in case of winter conditions) all cars are required by law to have either studded tires or un-studded winter friction tires. Outside this period, winter tires may be used if the roads are considered to be in “winter conditions” by the local police. Foreign registered cars are no longer exempt from this requirement. The alcohol limit is very low: 0.2 per mile. Be aware that random alcohol checks are also done in the morning, for example at ferry terminals. Don’t drink and drive in Sweden – never, ever. Getting fuel in Sweden is usually not a big issue. But keep in mind that the number fuel stations will decrease in rural areas. The amount of unmanned fueling stations where cash can’t be used is also growing, so a debit/credit card with a smart chip is highly recommended. Remember to plan ahead when driving in more sparsely populated areas. Fill up when you have the chance and you won’t have any problems. Major roads may have warning signs and also miles of running fences to prevent wild animals from entering the driveway, but there are absolute no guarantees. Small and bigger animals do venture out on the roads. Sometimes even in major urban areas, at any time. Badgers and foxes are common roadkill and will do little damage to vehicles. However, it will be a different story with deer, wild boar and moose. Hitting a moose will certainly wreck any normal car. Travelers will be glad to survive such a massive impact at high speeds. In the north of the country, there are not just small groups of stray reindeer but also the occasional herd being transferred between grazing areas. If you hit an animal you call the Emergency Number 112 and report the accident. There are four main important phone numbers in Sweden. Purchasing alcoholic beverages at a store in Sweden isn’t a simple matter as in many other countries. Here in Sweden we have a state-run chain of liquor stores called Systembolaget. These are the only retail stores allowed to sell alcohol (more than 3.5% volume). The stores generally close somewhere around 6 or 7pm on weekdays, depending on store and day. On Saturdays they close even earlier… around 2 or 3pm. All Systembolaget close, without exceptions, on Sundays and holidays! So you need to keep this in mind if you plan on purchasing wine or hard alcohol while visiting Sweden. If you like a good meal and are travelling on a smaller budget, we recommend that you eat your main meal at lunchtime, not in the evening. Prices in the evening are usually considerably higher. At lunchtime you can get a very decent “Dagens rätt” (“meal of the day” or “today’s special”) for about 90 to 110 SEK, including salad, bread and butter, soft drink or light beer, and coffee. The meal of the day is usually served until 14:00 hrs (2 p.m.), sometimes even until 15:00. Tipping is not mandatory. You only do it if you find the service and food nice, and you normally tip 10% if you have had a nice experience. The amount depends on how much the bill comes to. Some people round the amount up by 5-10%, some do not tip at all.
Closest to your body we recommend a set of thermal underwear in synthetics, wool or woolen mixture.
Synthetics absorb and transport the moisture away.
Wool absorbs the moisture but has the ability to keep you warm even when it is damp.
Avoid cotton since it absorbs the moisture and chills when it gets damp.
Long johns and a long sleeved undershirt; socks.
The next layer can be of wool or fleece. This layer is for keeping you warm and transporting humidity away from your body.
Wool or fleece pants, turtleneck or fleece sweater; wool boot socks.
The outer layer protects you from wind and moisture from outside.
Water and windproof winter jacket with hood and padded winter (ski) trousers, waterproof or water-resistant winter boots somewhat larger than normal and with good fraction.
Warm hat; mittens or gloves; and a scarf.
If the weather gets very cold, or you rest, it is good to have some extra warm clothes to put on top or under a shell garment: Down jacket or vest and thick sweater or vest (wool or fleece)
112 (for emergencies)
1177 (for medical advice)
11 414 (for non-emergency incidents)
113 13 (for information about none acute accidents and emergencies)
Dog Sledding
Although dog sledding may have existed before, the oldest archaeological evidence has been dated to around 1,000 A.D. As far as we know, the native and Inuit people in the northern areas invented dog sledding. Dog-sled teams were much smaller than they are today, and mainly used as a mode of transportation. This practice was also appealing to polar adventurers in quest of the poles. Dog sledding has a sports aspect too. The most well-known race takes place in Nome, Alaska. This route is famous due to the 1925 Serum Run, also known as the Great Race of Mercy, when Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian native, delivered diphtheria medicine to the struggling town. There are two possibilities, either you sit on the sled steered by a guide, or you drive your own dog team. The groups are usually small, ranging from 5 to 8 people. By driving your own dog team, your dog team will automatically follow the guide sled dog team. We do not recommend it due to bumps. We provide winter overalls, boots, and gloves. However, we recommend bringing warm clothing. Each dog pulling a sled has a special role to play to maintain the team operating as one. The lead dogs (in the 1st position) apply the musher’s commands, set the pace, and ensure correct direction. The swing dogs (in the 2nd position) ensure the team follows turns. The team dogs (in the 3rd position) pull the sled and help maintain speed. The wheel dogs (in the last position) pull the most weight of the sled and therefore, tend to be the strongest within the team. Besides enjoying their holidays, they go on a trip to keep exercising up at their own speed and without pulling. They will only start pulling carts when the temperature drops. There are two distinct types of Huskies: The Siberian Husky which is the pure breed and the Alaskan Husky which has been mixed with house dogs and hound dogs for improving their speed. The latter is smaller therefore faster. He is the most used dog in dog sled racing. He can also have blue eyes like the Siberian Husky. Both are strong (low temperature resistant), athletic, friendly, and playful. They require a lot of exercise to be happy and healthy. They also live in packs. Besides having a special diet, they have a huge appetite due to their physical effort. While a normal dog might get by on 1,500 calories a day, sled dogs can easily consume up to 10,000 calories per day on the trail! Therefore, their diet is simply made up of a mixture of meat and dry food. In the winter, it is important to monitor their water to avoid them eating snow since that can dehydrate them as they spend too much energy warming up again. Their special formula is a warm soup with a meaty base. In the summer, the portion sizes are far smaller as they are burning less calories (500-1000 calories per day). The water also needs to be changed at least once per day to avoid stagnant water. They are used to eat at least two hours before they run and get an additional soup afterwards. In hot days, it is common to give blood ice cubes to help reduce the core body temperature. Yes, we advise you to book it in advance. Indeed, it will guarantee availability for your preferred day. Of course, you can! As a passenger and during the break.
Northern Lights
It is a natural light phenomenon. It takes place when the interaction between the solar winds and Earth’s magnetic fields occurs. The other names for Northern Lights are: Polar lights and Aurora Borealis. In fact, Galileo Galilei named the latter one which is the scientific name. The antonyms of Northern Lights are: Aurora Australis and Southern Lights. They take place in the southern hemisphere. Aurora comes from the Roman goddess of dawn. Flying across the sky from east to west to announce a new day coming. Borealis is the Greek word for winds from the north. There are six types of Northern Lights such as “Curtain”, “Draperie”, “Corona”, “Flaming”, “Pulsating” and “Homogeneous quiet”. Red, pink, green, yellow, blue, and violet. They change according to the altitude and to the type of collision. First, violet with nitrogen ion above 85 km and blue with nitrogen molecule at approximately 110 km height. And then, yellow and green with atomic oxygen at approximately 100-140 km height and Carmine red with oxygen atoms above 200 km. Ideally, between September and late March, although we have viewed them as early as late-August. The lights can come at any time when it is dark, but the best times seem to be between 9 pm and 2 am. Light pollution and bad weather (such as clouds and snowfall) can affect viewing the lights. Ideally, the best place is to be in an open space at high altitude and away from streetlights. Yes, we advise you to book it in advance. Indeed, it will guarantee availability for your preferred day.
Guest reviews
Nature’s Best
