Stockholm, Sweden

ORIENTATION – Stockholm Card 290/420/520 all trans and museums – Airport Shuttle to Hotels or Arlanda Express train (very easy, similar to the Heathrow Express 20 mins to downtown) which costs 140kr and will take about 20 mins (taxi will cost 400-600kr).

Lodging:

• Hotel Diplomat - Strandvägen 7c, 104 40 Stockholm - +46 8 459 6801 - great location, right on the water. Service and the restaurant (breakfast) were very good. Nice quiet lounge on 1st floor. Massages are available through front desk.
  
• Berns Hotel - written up recently
  

Attractions - Stockholm's official website has good info on exhibits/hours

• T-bana, hundreds of artists along a stretch
• Walking tour – one in the Lets Go Book about 4 hours
• Kungliga Slottet – Royal Palace - each at 90kr 12-15:00 – have a changing of the guard around 1:15. Can see guards in action at other times.
• Nobelmuseet – 11-19pm 60kr
• Stadshuet – Tower and tour – 10 or 12 – 60 kr
• Arkitekturmuseet – cool museum with various exhibits. Connected to Modern Art Museum. Architecture is 50kr.
• Design Shops - these are all over town, but did not meet expectations
• Kulturhuset – cafes, library and people's center – worth walking through to see if there are any interesting exhibits if you are looking for local art. Great spot to read/hang out if you are looking for a local spot.

Food – prices are lowest at lunch, to save money

• Café Opera - in back of the Opera House - extensive, lavish renovation recently completed
• Riche – was packed everytime we went by. Reservations required
• Koh Phangan – Thai
• Chokladkoppen – light meals and bid desserts – people watching
• Café Svenitappare – sandwiches, looks like 17^th C shop
• Kofi – café and sandwiches – great spot, always packed anytime of day. Get a blanket and sit outside
• Stockfleths - coffee spot
  
• Gotgatan, Folkunggatan – affordable
• Sodermalm area – café and club scenes
• Grand Hotel - new design highlighted in Travel & Leisure
• Bakfickan - local Swedish spot
• Bon Lloc - top restaurant
  
• Divinio - Tuscan influences

Drinks: most of these were written up in travel articles

• Laroy (might be cover)
• White Room
• Sturecompaniet Kungsgatan and Stureplan areas
• Sodermalms night life
• Debasser – live music
• The Lab – down to earth
• Brodoerna Olssons
• Garlic and Shots
• Spy Bar - same owner as The Lab
• Ice Bar – expensive and somewhat touristy, but much cheaper then the Ice Hotel! Located in the Nordic Sea Hotel.
• Daily News Cafe - pub
• Sturehof
• Blue Moon Bar
  

Shopping

• Drottningg
• Fruit Market – 7-18 at Hotorget
• Kungshallen – food market 11-11
• Saluhall – 9:30-4
• Vasterlanggatan – Old Town Gamla Stan – Old Town
• Stortorget
• Hammagaton
• Blas & Knada - pottery
• Design Torget - in Kulturehusset
• Ostermams Saluhall - markets and local food
• Svensk Hemslojd - crafts
• Motiv - Photography gallery with Swedish b&w prints - they have an airport location
  
• Nordiska Galleriet - Swedish furniture
• Svenskt Tenn - Swedish furniture
• Galleri Gunnrummet - local painting