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Practical Information

Location

Events will take place at KTH Campus, with the exception of evening events. The majority of events, including seminars, the PhD School, and the main 3-day workshop, will take place at the Digital Futues Hub at Osquars Backe 5, floor 2. Fore directions, see: www.digitalfutures.kth.se/contact/

Weather

The weather in May can be unpredictable, so it makes sense to plan for a bit of everything! Temperatures are usually between 5C and 15C (40-60F), with evenings and nights being cooler when there is no cloud cover. It is typically dry.

SMHI ( www.smhi.se/en ) and YR ( www.yr.no ) are the most useful forecasts (the international ones are often not so accurate!). 

Currency / Paying for stuff

Sweden has largely moved to digital payments only. To our knowledge, there is no place in Stockholm that only accepts cash, it is rather the opposite: Most places do not take cash. It is really not worth it to get Swedish crowns in advance nor once you are here. For example, usually only one queue at the supermarket takes cash. And, exchanging currency typically requires documentation about its provenance and filling in paperwork. ATMs are not readily available and are mostly accessible in banks during opening hours. 

Coming from/Going to the airport

If you are arriving to Arlanda airport, there are several easy ways to reach the city.

You can buy a one-way or return ticket to Flygbusssarna ( www.flygbussarna.se/en/ ) - The stop in the city is not so important as the price is the same. For simplicity, you can choose Stockholm C (City-terminalen), but make sure you do pick the right airport. No need to print anything, just show your QR code when getting on the bus. 


A second way of reaching the city is via the Arlanda Express train, which is faster but also more expensive ( www.arlandaexpress.com/ ). You can prebook tickets for the Arlanda Express. The Arlanda Express is sign-posted at the airport and will bring you to Stockholm Central station. From there, you can take other local transportation such as the Tunnel Bana (or T-Bana). Local transport if coordinated by SL and you can find information, routing, and tickets on their website: sl.se/en/in-english

Of course, you can also take a taxi, but the buses and trains have quite good timetables and provide a high-quality service (not too crowded, wi-fi, sockets for charging your devices, etc.). 

Arriving by Train

Stockholm is connected to many European cities through the rail network often connecting through Copenhagen. Trains will arrive at Stockholm Central station, where you can connect to local transportation.

Getting Around

You can get around Stockholm using the SL app or a physical SL card. The SL app is free of charge and can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. The physical SL card costs 50 SEK and is reusable ( sl.se/en/in-english ). You can also tap your bank card or digital contactless cards in digital wallets (such as Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Apple Pay and Fidesmo Pay). The card must be connected to one of the following networks: Mastercard, Visa or American Express.

You can take ​​the metro (Tunnelbanan or T-Bana), commuter rails (pendeltåg), commuter ferries, trams and light railways such as the trains on Roslagsbanan, Saltsjöbanan, and Lidingöbanan, and hundreds of bus lines around Stockholm City.

The main public transport stops for KTH are for the metro: Tekniska Högskolan (red line, 14, north, direction Mörby Centrum) and for buses stops are normally labelled Östra Station or Stockholms Östra. The main blue bus lines 4 and 6 have a stop at "Östra station". Bus lines 67, 72 and 94 also stop here.

An adult fare for a single trip on any public transport costs 43 SEK and you can travel 75 minutes, including transfers. You can travel with a discounted fare (SEK 26) if you are a student from a Swedish university or if you are over 65 years old. Please note that the student fare is only allowed for travellers with a Swedish student card who can show its validity on the Mecenat app, when the tickets are controlled.

Other possible fares are 

  • 24 hours: SEK 180 (adult fare); SEK 110 (discounted fare)
  • 72 hours: SEK 360 (adult fare); SEK 220 (discounted fare)
  • 7 days: SEK 470 (adult fare); SEK 290 (discounted fare)
  • 30 days: SEK 1,060 (adult fare); SEK 650 (discounted fare)

Public Holidays

May 29th is a public holiday in Sweden (Kristi himmelsfärdsdag or Ascension Thursday). Some businesses, including KTH, restaurants and shops, may be closed or may close early. The following day is a klämdag (literally “squeeze day” or a day squeezed between a holiday and a weekend) where many Swedish people will not be working, with schools, nurseries, and some other institutions being closed.

There will also be a public holiday on June 6th for Sweden’s national day. Many shops, restaurants, and other businesses will be closed. This holiday is a relatively recent addition to Sweden’s holiday calendar, so there are fewer public celebrations.

For those staying after the focus period, Midsommar will be celebrated across Friday June 20th (Midsommarafton) and Saturday June 21st (Midsommar). Many businesses will be closed across the weekend and most will close early on 20th or even earlier. There are special celebrations across Stockholm and Sweden during Midsommar and more information can be found here: www.visitstockholm.com/see-do/attractions/midsummer-in-stockholm/