Stockholm Airport Transportation: Cheap ways to get in from Arlanda
I have spent too much time wandering around airports trying to figure out the cheapest way to get into my latest European destination. It’s frustrating and really no way to start a trip after having been crammed on an airplane for several hours. Some airports are easier than others, though, and offer a few different options. Stockholm’s Arlanda airport is one of those.
Taxi
There is of course the classic taxi option. It tends to cost about about 500 SEK to take a taxi from the airport into central Stockholm. I don’t suggest it for a variety of reasons, one being the risk of black taxis that are more than willing to relieve you of your money in the 45 minutes it takes to get into town.
Bus
Another option into town is the bus. Flygbussarna takes about 45 minutes for the trip, but costs only a quarter of what you’d spend on a taxi. For 119 SEK, an adult can make the one-way trip into town. The cost is 89 SEK for a youth (under 25) ticket.
You can also save a bit of money by purchasing the round-trip ticket and buying the ticket online. The bus leaves on a pretty regular basis depending on the hour of the day. During heavily trafficked hours, the bus leaves every ten minutes. In the middle of the night, it departs every 30 minutes.
The Arlanda Express Train
Finally, there is the Arlanda Express. This is my favorite option (probably because I still qualify for the youth ticket!). The super-fast (200 km per hour) train will get you into Stockholm’s Central Station in 20 minutes. Adult tickets are 240 SEK, but watch for group deals where you and a buddy can travel one way for 280 SEK total. Youth and students pay only 120 SEK. Check the timetable to be sure, but the train leaves every 15 minutes for most of the day.
Public Transportation
And finally, public transportation. With a mixture of buses and trains, you can get from the airport into town for about 60 SEK. Of course, it will take you about one hour, but it is a good option if you’re willing to take the scenic route.
Getting into Stockholm from other airports
If you did fly into one of the other airports surrounding Stockholm (Ryanair to Skavsta for example), take the bus. Seriously. It will take you just over an hour and costs 75-99 SEK one way. The price depends on which company you choose (Flygbussarna or FlybyCoach) and whether you book online or not. Watch out for taxis: They’ll cost you well over 1000 SEK.
For more info on getting into Stockholm, view this article in our city guide. With the stress of getting from the airport to town out of your system, you’ll be able to enjoy and explore all that Stockholm has to offer. And with the money you saved on your way in, you’ll be off to a great start.
About the author
How does one get to the airport by bicycle? Surely this is the cheapest way!
Barbara
Thanks for your sharing, I will be in Stockholm during 7 -15 june, this information seems very useful, would you please tell me about direct bus to the stockholm central from Arlanda airport and also about a 25 k luggage if I can take it into the bus ?
Regards,
I plan to visit Stockholm from 13th may to 12 june 2010.
I was impressed with the details on your site.
I will try to make use of Public transport, bicycle, metro car etc.
Thanks for the info.
Regards,
Sam Prasad
@hidden europe.
I found the article very useful and in no way misleading, with regards to Arlanda Train Express being given its own heading. Any bus or train can be considered as public transport and i think it is important to differentiate Arlanda Train Express as it was also my preferred choice of transport when i visited Stockholm.
I was impressed by the frequency of their service.
Very true, however, SL tends to be viewed as THE public transportation in Stockholm. Of course, all buses and trains could be considered to be public transportation.
Very nice of you to add the detals for the public transportation route. Although, I will say that I have not had good experiences trying to get to the airport using that route. That being said, it is most definitely an inexpensive option that is worth a shot.
An interesting post. But perhaps just a little misleading. It sort of infers that the Arlanda train and the Flygbussarna coach services are not ‘public transportation’. Each is a key element in Stockholm’s public transportation network.
For those who want to avoid the premium fares charged on the Arlanda train and the Flygbussarna coach, there is a very easy way to reach the city centre from Arlanda airport – services generally run every fifteen minutes and the journey to Stockholm Central takes just nine minutes longer than the Flygbussarna coach.
Just hop on bus 583 at Arlanda for the transfer to Märsta railway station, from where trains on route C36 run directly to Stockholm Central. Bus departures during much of the day are every 15 minutes from Arlanda and the train also runs every fifteen minutes. The overall journey time from airport to city centre is less than one hour. The one way fare from Arlanda to city centre (or indeed to anywhere else in Stockholm) is 60 SEK (or 36 SEK if you are entitled to a discount rate ticket).
The 583 bus / C36 train route is a cheap and reasonably fast way of getting into the city centre. But it will appeal especially to those bound for other places in the Stockholm region too. For example, if you are headed to Södertälje, you will find direct trains from Märsta, so avoiding the need to change trains in the city centre. This route is also particularly good if you are bound for some northern suburbs (eg. Karlberg) where the C36 train from Märsta stops on the run into town from Märsta.
But, in our view, it is ideal for travellers headed for central Stockholm too – a route that is frequent, not too slow and much cheaper than either the Arlanda train or the Flygbussarna coach.
Nicky and Susanne