10 days for Stockholm and ... ?

Hi,

In July we will be in Sweden for 10 days, arriving in and leaving from Stockholm.
The main aim is to see as much as possible of Stockholm. That doesn’t mean we want to visit every museum (impossible of course) but certainly the most important ones.
We’d like to visit the various districts and islands of the capital, stroll around about everywhere and certainly not rush from one place to another.

Now we think that 10 days will allow us to go elsewhere too.
So, what place(s) do you recommend and how do we get there? We want to travel by public transport.
It’s certainly not the intention to go to places very far away from Stockholm. But it need not to be daytrips. If necessary we can stay overnight somewhere else.
The advantage of Stockholm are the hostels that also have double rooms and are therefore within our budget.

So first of all, how many days do you advise us to stay in Stockholm?

We heard about Uppsala and Sigtuna. Are visits of these towns daytrips from Stockholm or do we better stay there for a night ? Or longer ? Can both be combined on one trip (by public transport)?
We also heard about the Archipelago. Can anyone recommend islands to go to? And are these daytrips or not? We have no idea how the Archipelago is best visited. Do people return to Stockholm in the evening? I can image hotels might be expensive there. Perhaps boats too …?

A long time ago I took the boat from Stockholm to Helsinki. I have a memory of a very beautiful trip starting in the center of Stockholm and it was fascinating till the boat arrived in high seas. Now I don’t think we should take a boat to Finland to enjoy the scenery of the Archipelago.
Although, when I look at a map I discover a lot of islands in the Åland archipelago. They’re part of Finland but not really that far from Sweden. Is this interesting to go to?

Thanks in advance!
Suggestions about things to do in Stockholm that we won’t find in a guidebook are certainly welcome.
Enjoy your holidays!

Uppsala and Sigtuna are day trips from Stockholm. You can stay there overnight if you wish too. Sigtuna is much smaller, Uppsala is a university town.
There are more than 2000 islands in the archipelago, about 50 worth visiting. They're good for day trips, mostly for picnic with bicycle, or walking. There are hundreds of different routes, inland and the outer archipelago. Look at Waxholmsbolaget - the biggest boat company in the archipelago.
Åland is a pecular place. It's part of Finland, but the only language is Swedish. They've got their own flag, passports, post office and local autonomy for less than 30,000 pop. Good for sailing, fishing and walks. You can rent a wooden cottage with traditional sauna (much better in winter). The landscape isn't different though from what you see in Sweden.
Boat trips to Åland from Kapellskär or Grisslehamn. Also from Stockholm.

Other places worth visiting from Stockholm - Strängnäs, Mariefred, Trosa.
You can take a boat to Mariefred (inland) from Stadshuskajen (Town Hall) and return by train.

Sigtuna and Uppsala can both be done in a day. But without a rental car I would not do them on the same day
Uppsala is one hour away from Stockholm by train. You can go to Sigtuna eighter with train to Märsta and from there by bus. Or, it you vistit in July or August, with boat from central Stockholm
Boat
Journey planner
If you go to Sigtuna i would recommend Skokloster Slott (castle) One of the most beatiful castles in Sweden from the 17th century. Skokloster

Edited by: dryroad

Edited by: dryroad

I'd second the suggestions here to visit Sigtuna and Uppsala. And I would like to add that when planning such a long stay, as 10 days based in one city, it can be a good idea to spend at least one night elsewhere, maybe in Uppsala. That would give the pleasant feeling of 'returning'. Stockholm is a great city to visit but ten days in a stretch may give you the feeling repeating things.

There are several youth hostels in the archipelago, in Swedish only it seems. These hostels are often booked long in advance, so check early. My suggestion would be Finnhamn. There are fast boats from city centre at least twice daily, about three hours. Very very beautiful, and a very Swedish experience.

I would suggest being in the city on weekends and in the arhipelago on weekdays say monday/tuesday when it is less crowded.

PS Congrats to the wisdom of setting aside ten days for this area!

Finnhamn should be nice for a night away from the city, and a day's exploration.
The hostel there is a great place, but book early.

10 days is a good amount of time to set aside for Stockholm, and July is absolutely the best time to be there. Well, really, the best time would be during the MidSummer celebrations (first friday after the first day of summer), but July is good, and Stockholm (and Sweden in general) is beautiful during the summer months. It's green, it's lush, and the city is not as crowded like a lot of the other major European cities, as most of the Swedes get out of the city for the summer.

Uppsala would make for a good day trip as would Sigtuna. You could do a day trip to the Archipelago (and there are day cruises around the islands) but you'll with you stayed a day or two.

Following is a walking tour around the city center: h [ttp://wp.me/pG4fM-5b]

Aimlessly walking around Gamla Stan is a requirement: http://wp.me/pG4fM-4V

Going Around Stockholm: http://wp.me/pG4fM-5P

Have Fun and Safe Travels!!