Option number 1: read Daria’s blog 🙂 I guess this article on how to prepare for a long stay in Sweden could apply to any country to a certain degree. So if you’re thinking of staying abroad for a longer time, read on. Let me share my experience with you so that you are prepared as best as possible.
Money, money, money
Let’s start with, annoyingly, the crucial thing when it comes to living abroad: the money.
Firstly, bear in mind that what you are offered in terms of the payments may differ to what ends up in your bank account. This is because of the exchange rate, and any fees that your bank may charge for handling a different currency.
There are some alternatives that you can explore. For example, some of my colleagues use Revolut which is an online bank that offers services such as money transfers. I personally am not using it, so can’t comment how good or bad it is. But researching alternative banking options is definitely worth considering.
Secondly, if you’re pressed for time like I was before coming to Sweden, check with if your bank offers a credit/debit card with no fees for using it abroad. My bank has such a card, and this is what I’m using while in Sweden.
How to prepare for a stay in Sweden in terms of money? You want to cut down any additional fees to a minimum. Some of them are inevitable, unfortunately, and all the ‘inevitable’ will affect how much is in your pocket at the end of the money.
Ring ring – using your mobile phone abroad
For now, using your British number abroad is not that problematic. Thanks to the EU rule, we can use the data allowance on our mobile plan in EU countries for no extra cost.
No idea what will happen as of 2021. I’m being pessimistic and claim that this privilege will be gone because of Brexit. If it happens, the cost of staying outside of the UK for longer is immediately higher.
Hopefully that won’t be the case, but I think it’s better to be prepared for that option. You may either consider getting a completely separate mobile phone plan for your stay in a different country, or obtaining a mobile with the local provider. In Sweden, though, you may need a Swedish ID to be able to do that. And that’s a whole different story.
Sweden is the country where Mr Ericsson was born, and Ericsson company was founded in 19th century, and so their internet and wifi access is brilliant.
How to prepare for a stay in Sweden – Accommodation
This may be the trickiest part of staying in Sweden. As I already mentioned in my previous post, Stockholm doesn’t have the services of estate agents. Good thing: you don’t pay any fees for getting your accommodation arranged. Bad thing: you rely on other people’s willingness to rent you a place.
I’m using Airbnb for all my accommodation in Sweden. My colleagues who don’t have such strong ties to their home countries like I do rent apartments. They use Blocket as the place to look for places to rent. The page is in Swedish, but it’s nothing that Google translate can’t handle.
It’s quite a convoluted process to rent a place in Stockholm. It’s also not without a risk. There is a rule here that a citizen is not allowed to have more than one flat. You can have a house and flat, but not two flats. When a Swedish person wants to rent their apartment out, they need to ask the association – the other residents – if they are happy with it. So it could be that they will say OK for one year, but not for the next.
This means you as the renting person may be asked to move out, and sometimes at a very short notice. The upshot though is that renting is not that expensive. You can rent a furnished place, or unfurnished, and it’s not uncommon to be in a quite new apartment. However, I have heard people complain that the adverts of the flats contain out of date pictures or information. If you go down that route, be prepared to have a looot of patience.
When you prepare for your stay in Sweden, I’d suggest taking great caution when you’re sorting out your accommodation for the first weeks of your stay in the new country.
Getting everywhere in Stockholm
SL Travel card is your best option when it comes to moving around Stockholm area. A monthly card costs ca. 900kr – which is about £70 – and it covers trains, buses, trams and ferries.
You are likely to use Arlanda Airport to fly in and out. Bear in mind that you will need to pay the passage fee (120Kr) if you’re using the commuter train (where you can use your SL Travel card). You can also use Arlanda Express which will take you straight to the centre of the city in less than 20 mins. One way ticket costs 299Kr.
I’ve no idea how much it costs to hire a car. If you do drive in Stockholm, bear in mind that the Swedish drive very carefully and politely. It’s not London nor New York City – the drivers don’t honk, don’t cut in, don’t drive like crazy. In the 6 weeks I’ve been here, I have seen only one accident, and it wasn’t anything serious.
Also, if you happen to be in Stockholm during winter, make sure that you are a confident WINTER driver – we all know what happens in the UK when the snow falls…
Taxis are super expensive. I only took one once – when I arrived in Stockholm a month ago, because I landed quite late. It cost me over 700kr to get from the airport to my hotel. Bearing in mind that the SL Card costs ca. 900kr for a month, it really is not worth taking a taxi unless you absolutely have to.
“Hej” and “Hejdå” – Swedish language
Swedish language is not easy, but not impossible to learn.
It is true that a huge majority of the Swedish population speaks English. And they are happy to switch from Swedish to English when you indicate you don’t speak Swedish. I love it – they don’t make you feel guilty for not speaking their main language. The Brits could learn from them a little.
Apart from learning the super basics of “hello” – “Hej”, “Bye” – “Hejdå” (pronounced Heydo), and “Thank you” – “Tack”, I’d say it is really good to know the words related to travelling and traffic. The number of times I have now been on a bus and a message came up on the display that I couldn’t understand is nuts.
So a few words to bear in mind: “Fullsatt” means crowded; “Ej i traffik” – Not In Service; “Försening” – Delay.
Google Translate app is your best friend. I’m not ashamed to say that I use it loads, and translate anything I see. It’s brilliant because you can use your phone camera to translate words that you are looking at. This saved me a lot of problems while shopping – I simply point my camera at the item that I’m holding in my hand and I can see the translation on my phone screen 🙂
Some words and phrases are very similar to English ones, e.g. “Prioriterad sittplats” (have a guess what it means!), others are more mysterious like “ursäkta mig” (Excuse me).
All in all, make some effort and learn the basic phrases of the country you’re in. It’s not that difficult, and the people around you will definitely appreciate it.
“Is it cold there?” – Swedish weather
If you have hardly ever experienced cold dry weather in your life, you may be in for a shock when you come to Sweden.
How to prepare for a long stay in Sweden? Take clothes that you can put on in layers. Hats, gloves, scarfs are essential in winter. You won’t be roasting in summers, but you won’t be cold then either.
Make sure you also have the right cosmetics for this weather. My skin (and hair) went nuts when it was faced with the dry cold air. Luckily, I have managed to get it back under control.
Be open minded
In terms of preparing for a long stay in Sweden, or any country, this is probably more important than anything else.
I’ll sound like a nagging person but you have to remember that the ways you’ve lived before coming to a different country may differ. And they may differ a lot.
Trying to bend the rules to suit your expectations may end up in frustration and disappointment. I’m not saying don’t be yourself – after all we all have something to share with the people we meet, we learn from others and we pass on our experience onto them. Our cultural background, knowledge and habits are all worth sharing and discussing with others.
But over the years I’ve seen people who couldn’t adjust to the ways of a ‘new’ country and this always ended up in hostility (“my ways are better than theirs”), or negative comments about other nationalities or races. There is no place for this ever. You need to be open-minded and tolerant. Otherwise, everyone’s experience will be unbearable or unpleasant.
How do you prepare for a long stay in Sweden (or any country for that matter)? There is quite a lot that needs to be taken into account. I hope I’ve helped with the basics that are needed for the beginning of the journey. I’m quite positive that the people around you will offer help. My colleagues have, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Bottom line: expect your world to be turned upside down, and enjoy it 🙂