Stockholm City Guide - Getting There By Road

Sweden uses the standard European road designation system with ‘E' indicating European routes. Traffic drives on the right and drivers give way to the right. National speed limits are 110kph (68mph), 90kph (56mph) or 70kph (43mph), depending on the road and traffic density. Speed limits inside built-up areas (virtually all of Stockholm) are 50kph (31mph) or 30kph (19mph) in school areas. The minimum driving age is 18 years for car drivers and 17 years for motorcyclists. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.02% and heavy fines or prison sentences may be imposed on those driving while intoxicated. The use of dipped headlights is compulsory in the daytime for cars and motorcycles, as are crash helmets for motorcyclists. All car passengers must use seat belts and children under seven may not travel without specially adapted restraints. Drivers must also carry an emergency warning triangle. Studded tyres are prohibited, except from 1 November to the first Monday after the Easter holiday.

A national driving licence and vehicle registration documents must be carried at all times. The Swedish authorities do not require drivers to carry a Green Card but its use is advisable, as it tops up the level of cover provided to that of the driver's domestic policy.

Motormannens Riksforbund, the Swedish automobile association, can provide further information (tel: (08) 690 3800; website: www.motormannen.se). Assistancekåren (tel: (08) 404 1455; website: www.assistancekaren.se) is the 24-hour breakdown service for motorists in Sweden.

Emergency breakdown service: Assistancekåren (tel: 020 912 912).

Routes to the city: Stockholm is integrated within the European motorway network, but Oslo is the only other European capital within convenient distance for direct overland access. The European motorway, E18, leads to Oslo, while motorways E20 and E6 lead to Oslo via Gothenburg. European motorway E4 heads south to Malmö for ferry connections to Copenhagen and to Uppsala in the north.

Approximate driving times to Stockholm: From Uppsala - 1 hour; Gothenburg - 5 hours 50 minutes; Malmö - 7 hours 40 minutes.

Coach services: The Cityterminalen (City Terminal), Klarabergsviadukten 72 (tel: (08) 762 5997; website: www.cityterminalen.com), situated next to Stockholm Central, is the terminus for international coach connections. Facilities include refreshments, left luggage, ATMs and bureau de change. Eurolines (tel: (031) 100 240; website: www.eurolines.se) provides coach links to more than 500 European cities and towns, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris and Rome. Coaches from the City Terminal serve most destinations within Sweden as well, although services to the far north are limited. Swebus AB (tel: (08) 5463 0000; website: www.swebus.se) runs services out of the capital.