MareW

My husband and I are considering a (somewhat) last minute, low key trip to Stockholm in September using hotel points and frequent flyer miles. We went to Denmark and Norway in 2004, and also visited Malmo then.

We are planning to go to Visby for one night, so we don't really want any other overnight trips. We like museums, scenery, historical sites, etc. Are there any other recommended daytrips we can do by train? Will a week in Stockholm be too long?

virgo839

Stockholm is one of my favorite cities in the world, but a week there may be too long. Also, it is already fall there in September, and it can get pretty chilly. That said, I would recommend that you take the train to Uppsala for the day, or maybe even an overnight. It's an interesting old university town, and there's a burial mound site just outside of town -- I can't recall the name, but it's a beautiful setting and very interesting. Another thing you can do, if it's not too cold, is to take a boat out into the archipelago. We went all the way out to Sandhamm. There's a very nice hotel there.
Here's a website with more ideas for your stay:
http://www.stockholmtown.com/

blackduff

Virgo is correct. A week might a bit too much.

There's a good visit to the Castle-I think it's called Drottengham (sp??).

Make sure you visit the Wasa museum. I loved this boat and I've been there often. NK is a big department store which can spend a good part of one day. SalaHall is in the center of Stockholm and this is fun to visit.

Although I've never visited close, The City Hall of Stockholm is interesting.

There are quite a few different types of museums in Stockholm, including an outdoor museum.

At second thought, I could spend a week easily. Take a day just walking around Gamla Stan.

I always loved the Fall time but it can be cool. But enjoy!

Blackduff

The quays are quite neat to look the different boats from Scandinavia.

MareW

Thank you for your replies and the website link! I can tell you both love Stockholm, but it sounds like a week in the fall might be pushing it. I haven't made any reservations yet--just checked into it enough to see if I could get free flights.

Anciana

Stockholm is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and a week in Stockholm in September could be barely scratching it. It is a pretty old (lotsa sightseeing), very lively (lotsa to do days and evenings) and a very pittoresque (lotsa favulous views and nature) city. Must sees include Old Townhouse (where the Nobel price dinners are held and one of my favorite is a lovely chamber of gold mosaics - I was once married there), royal castle (including a separate royal jewels museum), Drottningholms Slott ( a royal summer castle) with a museum and an ild theatre where they have performances summer time, Birka island (pre-Stockholm) with a boat trip. As for the city itself, the Old Town, the Soeder (South island), the Oestermalm (the richest residential and commercial part of town), Djurgaarden (means Zoo, but it is not a zoo, but musea and Skansen and some old mansions /not Macmansions/ in Scandinavian style, Lidingoe with a fabulous outdoor sculpture museum, etc. etc. etc. Then there are fabulous half day and day trips in the surrounding archipelago and on Lake Maelar: to Vaxholm with its fort and a famous fish restaurant, to Skokloster or Straengnaes( more medieval castles, both well worth visiting, and fabulous boat rides on lake Maelar). I have also seen that Swedish Tourist Society (STF) organizes several fun events in September: balloon rides over Stockholm, boat trips to islands to find wild mushrooms ( a favorite passtime of Stockholmers in September) and others. An island hop in the archipelago is fabulously scenic in the fall, though early September will be too early. Yes, you'll need sweaters, windbreakers and might need raincoates, but the summer crowds should be mostly over and the true Stockholm emerges in all its glory. Oh, I miss my Stockholm... maybe I should take a trip there in September, too, on the way to Spain from a Spanish scholl at Lake Apoyo in Nicaragua.

hobbes

With an overnight trip I think the balance 5 days can be easily spent in Stockholm. we just returned from a packed 4 night trip in June. Don't miss City Hall, the Vasa Museum, Carl Milles Museum, pubs in the evening in Sodermalm, Fjallgatan. We spent a relaxed lunchtime at Kungstragatan, went to Skansen tho I was not that impressed, my partner did the Nobel Museum while I wandered in Gamla stan, we really enjoyed our 2 hour boat tour under the bridges and canals of Stockhol 6-8 PM (tho n the fall you will want to do an earlier one), a 1 hour walking tour of Gamla Stan one evening, dinner at Prinsen and lunch at Sturehof, the boutiques and food hall in Ostermalm. We did not have enough time for Drottningholm.

sprin2

I don't think you'll be bored with a week in Stockholm, and you'll have time for some nice day excursions.

You might think about two nights in Visby, especially if you are taking the ferry. It is a charming town and lots of fun to poke about, full of ruins and wonderful views. We took an early morning ferry over, spent that afternoon and another full day and took the first ferry back on the next day. Spent part of the full day exploring Gotland and could easily have spent another day poking about Visby.

MareW

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions! Still deciding...

NativeNewYorker

We arrived in Stockholm last Friday, and left (for Copenhagen) on Monday morning...and we felt like we saw and did many wonderful things. We took a canal boat toar, saw the Changing of the Guards @ the Royal Palace, strolled around Gamla Stan (where we stayed - perfect), took a boat tour out amongst the archipelago (a 2 1/2 hour must do), went out to Carls Millesgardens (just outside the city), Nobel Museum, sat and people-watched @ our favorite Strorteget Square in Gamla Stan, had many a delicious meal, lots of beer, and a little too much ice cream. Stockholm is a regal, clean and delightful city.

Dukey

NativeNewYorker: Please tell us what hotel you stayed in and was air conditioning needed?

I ask because we will be in Stockhom next year this time (post Baltic cruise) and I'm having trouble deciding on hotels.

Appreciate yours or anyone else's feedback on this.

anu_72

My favourite hotel in Stockholm is Hotel Hellsten (www.hellsten.se). The location is central, yet the hotel has such a relaxed, quiet atmosphere. It's a small boutique hotel. The building originates from 1898, but the interior has been recently decorated and it's a tasteful mix of old and new. Breakfast is included in the moderate rates. Service is very friendly.

For dinner, I recommend South of Siberia (www.south.nu) on the same street as the hotel. Great food and service! There are plenty of other good restaurants on Luntmakargatan, too.

NativeNewYorker

In reply to Dukey - we stayed in Gamla Stan and loved our location, @ the Rica City Gamla Stan. The breakfasts were excellent. We didn't have ac, and could have used it. We also weren't impressed with the futon mattresses, but we had those in Copenhagen, also, so maybe we just expected thicker, higher (more comfortable!) mattresses like in the US. While we were in Stockholm is was getting warmer, and by the time we got to Copenhagen it was very warm and we were very unhappy sleeping without ac. They did give us a fan, but we were hot.

PalQ

Yes and you'd have to be a millionaire to live there for a whole week!

escargot

All I can say is I would have loved an entire week in Stockholm, the link to my trip report from our visit in May is http://tinyurl.com/jc22r if you want to see what we loved about the city , our hotel, the sights we saw, etc.

We did not get out to Drottingham, or to some side trips we wanted to do, and would have loved to have done more museum and a few other things -

however, we also loved our pace - which was not too rushed with plenty of time left for sitting in cafes and soaking in the feeling of the city.
Personally, I can't wait to go back !