Sweden

Sweden is situated in Northern Europe on the eastern side of the Scandinavian Peninsula, between the Baltic Sea and Norway. Sweden is a Nordic country, sharing borders with Norway to the northwest, Finland to the northeast, the Gulf of Bothnia to the east, the Baltic Sea to the south, and Kattegat Sound and Skagerrak to the southwest.  Sweden shares maritime borders with several countries in Europe. The Scandinavian Mountains separate Sweden from Norway.

TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR SWEDEN
Area for Travel Insurance : Europe

Sweden is a long, narrow country that stretches from the Arctic Circle in the north. Poland and Germany lie to the south of the country, across the Baltic Sea. The Oresund Bridge connects the country to Denmark and Copenhagen. Sweden has a diverse landscape, from dramatic rocky and rugged coastline, deserted islands, sandy beaches, pine forests and pristine Arctic wilderness.

The official language is Swedish although Finnish, Sami and several other minority languages are spoken within communities.  Although Sweden is a member of the European Union the currency is the Swedish krona and not the euro.

Sweden is generally a liberal-minded and tolerant country and also health-conscious with its many health spas and saunas.  It is certainly known for the music that the pop group Abba brought to the world, as well as its filmmakers and screen legends that include Ingrid Bergman, Greta Garbo and Anita Ekberg.  Sweden is also famous for the Smorgasbord – which is basically a buffet-style selection of small appetiser dishes.  Fresh fish and fish dishes features heavily on menus in Sweden (especially herring and eel), along with the ever-popular traditional meatballs and lingonberry sauce. 

The capital city is the very beautiful Stockholm, set on series of islands.  Other large cities include Malmo, Uppsala and Gothenburg.   Stockholm is a modern, cosmopolitan and buzzing city that has plenty of history and culture.  In the south of the country the city of Malmo is linked to Copenhagen via the Oresund Bridge, which takes about half an hour to cross by train. 

Sweden is a popular winter sports destination, offering skiing, heli-skiing, cross-country skiing, and activities such as ice fishing, ice climbing, snowmobiling, skating and dog sledding.  In the north the spectacular and remote Swedish Lapland offers visitors a chance to meet with the Sami people, reindeer, and to observe the Northern Lights, or in summer the Midnight Sun. 

In summer Sweden is a popular destination for outdoors activities such as mountain biking, backpacking, camping, cycling, rock climbing as well as water sports such as rafting, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, fishing and swimming.   Always check your travel insurance policy to ensure that your planned activities are covered, or not restricted.

Sweden is particularly good for lovers of water sports with its many lakes, rivers, rocky and rugged coastline, and archipelagos of hundreds of small islands   You can choose to rough it and go camping and exploring, or take a cruise or boat trip.  It is also a terrific places for golfers, offering a choice of hundreds of courses.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO - SWEDEN
Useful travel advice from the Foreign & Commonweath Office for travel to Sweden. Click Here

Before travelling to Sweden we recommend a visit to the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for updated travel advice as part of their ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign.  Their advice is extensive and includes the following items and topics:

• Passport and visa information
• Travelling with children
• For emergency services call the euro-wide 112
• Consular contact information
• Check before taking on seasonal work in Sweden
• As with any country of the world: beware of pickpockets and street crime in busy cities, on public transport, and in popular tourist areas
• Driving during your stay in Sweden
• Use of illegal and recreational drugs, including Khat
• Healthcare in Sweden

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid in Sweden but should never be used as a substitute for comprehensive travel insurance. Health care in Sweden is of a good standard and most staff speak English. Note that the EHIC does not include ongoing or non-urgent treatment, or medical repatriation, as well as a host of other common travel mishaps that are covered by a good travel insurance policy. 

Visitors to Sweden – especially those planning on a camping and hiking or outdoors sport trip - should be aware that tick-borne encephalitis is common in some areas during summer (see FCO advice).

There is much more to beautiful Sweden than we can possibly cover here, so why not visit the official tourism website:  http://www.visitsweden.com

Disclaimer: While we have tried to ensure the information in this Travel Guide is correct we do not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy, or the content of external links.

Inclusion in this Travel Guide does not guarantee travel insurance is available in any country at any given time. Travel Insurance is not available in countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have issued an advisory against travel.

You are strongly advised to visit the FCO website for updated travel information and general travel advice before you travel.