Sweden   

Citizens of the European Union (EU) can enter Sweden with a valid national identity card and stay for a period of 90 days. However, citizens of the United Kingdom and Ireland, where there is no identity card system, must carry a valid passport. Other nationals should consult the Swedish embassy or consulate in their country of residence before departure for details of any visa requirements.

Ambulance, police, fire brigade: 112

Central European Time (GMT plus one hour). Clocks are put forward one hour from the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the end of October.

Check with your motor vehicle insurance company regarding any insurance documents you will need and whether additional motor insurance is required.

Always carry your full valid driving licence or International Driving Permit, vehicle registration documents, and insurance documents with you in the car. Traffic drives on the right. Dipped headlights are obligatory when driving, by day and night. The driver and all passengers must use seat belts. Penalties for drinking and driving are severe: the maximum blood alcohol limit is 20 mg per 100 ml (2g/l).

Sweden has a well-maintained road network with toll-free motorways covering more than 1,125 kilometres (700 miles).

The speed limit is 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour on motorways, 90 or 70 kilometres (56 or 43 miles) per hour on dual carriageways, and 50 kilometres (31 miles) per hour in built-up areas .

Winter tyres are recommended. Studded tyres can be used from 1 November to 30 April. It is advisable to watch out for reindeer and elk, which occasionally wander onto the roads.

In case of breakdown contact the police.

The electrical current in Sweden is 220 volts AC. Round, two-pin plugs are used. An adapter is necessary for UK and Irish appliances.

The official monetary unit in Sweden is the Swedish Krona (Skr). There are 100 öre in a krona. Notes come in denominations of 10,000Skr, 1,000Skr, 500, 100, 50, and 20. Coins are in denominations of 10Skr, 5, and 1, and 50öre.

Travellers cheques are the safest way to carry money, and you should buy these in your country of residence before departure. Travellers cheques and major credit cards are widely accepted in Sweden; shops and restaurants generally display signs indicating which cards they accept. However, not all shops and restaurants accept credit cards, so it is worth checking. You will find the current foreign exchange rate in most newspapers. Money can be changed at banks, bureaux de change, post offices, hotels, restaurants, and shops. Banks are open Monday to Friday 09.30 to 15.00 and also 16.00 to 17.30 on Thursday. Banks and bureaux de change at airports, ports, and main railway stations may have longer opening hours.

A 10-percent service charge is usually included in hotel and restaurant bills, so there is no need to tip, although it is usual to round up the bill to the nearest 10Skr. Taxi fares usually include a tip. Cloakroom attendants should be given about 5Skr per item.

1 January: New Year's Day
6 January: Epiphany
Good Friday
Easter Monday
1 May: May Day
Ascension Day
Whit Monday
21 June: Midsummer's Day
1 November: All Saints' Day
24 December: Christmas Eve
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Boxing Day
31 December: New Year's Eve

Facilities for travellers with disabilities are generally excellent. Hotels often have specially adapted rooms and wheelchair access. Access to public transport systems generally takes into account the needs of travellers with disabilities. Controlled street crossings often have audible indications for blind people. For further information contact the Swedish Federation of Disabled Persons (DHR), Katrinebergsvägen 6, 117 43, Stockholm, tel: +46 8 18 91 00.

Stockholm's bus network is comprehensive but routes can be complicated because of central pedestrianisation. Gothenburg runs a bus and tram network. Tickets can be bought from the driver but are more expensive than if you pre-pay for them in shops. A 24-hour pass is valid across the system. Stockholm has an efficient underground called the Tunnelbana (T-bana). The entrances are indicated by a blue "T" on a white background. Tickets can be bought in books of 15 and most urban journeys require 2 tickets. The Stockholm Card offers unlimited travel across the urban transport system and includes entrance to museums. The Tourist Card is valid for 24 hours or 72 hours and gives free public transport throughout the greater Stockholm area.

Regular boat services link many of the thousands of islands dotted down the Swedish coast. The route between the Baltic island of Gotland and the mainland is one of the busiest; car ferries sail between the island's main port, Visby, and Nynäshamm or Oskarshamn. Advanced booking is advised. There is also an extensive network of ferry services for the Stockholm archipelago.

Travelling across Sweden is possible by using the Göta Canal, which stretches between Stockholm and Gothenburg.

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Built across 14 islands linked by 50 bridges, Stockholm enjoys an excellent natural setting. The atmospheric alleyways of Gamla Stan, site of the 14th-century Storkyrkan (Great Church) and the majestic Royal Palace, attest to Sweden's medieval greatness. Important museums lie on the adjacent island of Skeppsholmen, while the extraordinary Vasa Museum, displaying a 17th-century warship, is just one attraction located near Djurgården, an immensely popular park. City Hall is Stockholm's major 20th-century building and site of the Nobel Prize banquet. The abundant waterways can be enjoyed on a boat trip to the splendid outlying royal palace of Drottningholm.

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The major city of Sweden's west coast, Gothenburg (Göteborg) is Scandinavia's busiest port and has ferry links with Denmark, Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom. The port brings affluence and an international flavour; taking a trip on a sightseeing boat on the Göta River makes an excellent introduction to the city. Comparatively little of old Gothenburg remains, though a sense of the past is provided by the City Museum, set within an 18th-century shipping company building. Gothenburg's museums are generally excellent, in particular the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the Maritime Centre, and the Gothenburg Art Gallery.

Culturally and historically, Uppsala is one of Scandinavia's most important cities; it has been a religious centre since pre-Christian times. The 15th-century Uppsala University has several historic sections, including the excellent library, that can be visited. Uppsala Cathedral's origins reach back to the 13th century but the enormous building has been frequently altered. Similarly, Uppsala Castle dates from the 16th century but retains little of its original appearance, though it is still well worth seeing. The playwright August Strindberg, the film-maker Ingmar Bergman, and the botanist Linneaus were all born in Uppsala; the latter is commemorated by the attractive gardens of Linnéträdgärden.