World Travel Sweden

The information of Traveling Around The World and special Holidays in Sweden.

Home » Semua post berkategori bicycle
Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Guided Tours with Stockholm Our Way

There are many great ways to explore and discover Stockholm... either with established bus & boat sightseeing tours (like with Strömma) or more intimate tours. The company Stockholm Our Way offers several guided tours of the city and allows you to explore on foot, by bike or even by kayak. All with an experienced guide! If you want a more private experience or have any special interests, you can also book a private guide through them.
They offer several guided walking tours... either a visit to the historical city center (Gamla Stan & Riddarholmen), an expanded tour which includes Gamla Stan as well as nearby sites or you can have a bit of fun and immerse yourself in Swedish culture with a Viking guide. While most tours are in either Swedish or English, they do also offer a walking tour in German. If you feel like getting more physical, then you can either try their kayak tour or their bicycle tour. Stockholm is best seen from the water as well as being an excellent city to bike in, so these two tours are perfect for the visitor who wants to leave the beaten path!
Something else they offer, which I think sounds like a fun idea, is a visit to a Stockholm home. Have you ever been in a foreign city and wondered what it looked like inside a home? I can't be the only one who is curious! This experience also includes a walking tour of Kungsholmen and a traditional Swedish "fika". So, as you can see, quite a variety of tours. Please note that certain tours are only available on certain days, check their website for dates. They can all be booked on their website or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, you can contact me directly for help. (Edit: all pictures in this article provided by Stockholm Our Way... thank you!)



AN bicycle, kayak, sightseeing, tours, walk
Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Stockholm City Bikes - 2013!

Bikes with new sponsor: Air Tours
A true sign that winter is over... the Stockholm City Bike season has started (April through October). Stockholm is a fabulous city to bike around... lots of late evening sunlight, plenty of parks and bicycle lanes. This is all made easier (and inexpensive) with the Stockholm City Bike system. They have approximately 100 bike stands spread throughout the city, even out into the suburbs. You have the choice of buying either a 3 day card for 165 SEK or a season card for 250 SEK. Guests often comment that they only want the bikes for one day. Well, they don't sell one day cards... but the price for three days is still cheaper than renting a bike for one day at other commercial bike rental companies. If you are guests at the Rival Hotel then you can purchase a 3 day card at the hotel (we do not sell season cards). But if you are not a guest, either check with your hotel or else you can purchase your card at over 200 different 7-11's and Pressbyrån kiosks in the city (new this year) or at a SL Center.
Bike path on Djurgården
After purchasing a card, you can check out a bike at any of the bike stands by holding up your card to the computer display and following the instructions. You can check out a bike at any of the stands between 6am and 10pm daily throughout the season. If the stand is empty, the display will point you in the direction of the nearest stand with bikes. Otherwise they will be by shortly to fill up the stand with new bicycles. You then have that bike for 3 hours. You are welcome to check out a new bike right away, but you have to leave the bike at a stand before 3 hours is up... otherwise you receive a demirit. 3 demerits and your card will be cancelled. This system is to stop people from taking bikes home or into their offices. Be aware that the bikes don't come with locks, instead use the bike stands to lock your bikes (over 100 stands in the city!). It is important to note that you have to be 18 years old to use the bikes. If you are a family with children under 18, just talk to me and I will point you in the direction of a bike rental company that rents out children's bicycles.
AN bicycle, Stockholm City Bikes
Friday, November 9, 2012

New Bicycles for Rent on Djurgården

djurgardscykeln.se/en/
Announcing, for the first time ever in Scandinavia, a year-round bike rental system! For a few years now, Stockholm has had Stockholm City Bikes which has been extremely popular for visitors and locals alike... a fun and inexpensive way to bop around the city. The only two negatives, really, have been the lack of bike stands on the island of Djurgården and the short season (April-October). Well, this has been solved by the company Djurgårdscykeln! You will now have the opportunity to rent bikes all year round on the island of Djurgården which, besides being a large national city park, is the home of Skansen, Vasa Museum, Nordic Museum, several art galleries and much more. The bikes are equipped with winter tires and lights which is why they can be used year round.
djurgardscykeln.se/en/
As with the Stockholm City Bikes, you can rent the bikes for three days at a time and use them for 3 hours at a time. Before the three hours is up, you need to leave the bike at its stand or you will be charged a late fee. You can, of course, take a new bike from the stand. This system stops people from keeping them at home overnight and allows more people a chance to use them. While Stockholm City Bikes is very inexpensive, Djurgårdscykeln is ridiculously cheap! If you already possess a Stockholm City Bike season card or a SL long term card (bus&subway)... then it is free! If not, then it is only 10 SEK for a three day bike pass! You just use your debit or credit card at the station. They have one station and it is located in between the entrances to Skansen and Cirkus. To get there from the Rival Hotel is very easy... just take the Djurgård Ferry from Slussen (10 minute walk from the hotel- ferry ride is another 10 minutes). This system started yesterday, so I haven't tried it yet... but you can get more information from their website (linked above).
AN activity, bicycle, Djurgården
Saturday, April 7, 2012

Stockholm City Bikes 2012 Season

Bikes at a bike stand
As I reported last week, the Stockholm City Bike season (April to October) has started. The City Bikes are a great and inexpensive way to travel about in Stockholm... and they grow in popularity each year. This season there are 106 bike stations spread throughout the city with more bike stands planned! There are two types of rental cards for purchase... either a season card (300 SEK) or a three day card (165 SEK). People often ask if there is a one day card. The answer is no, though their three day rental is cheaper than renting a bike for one day elsewhere.
The bike stands are open every day from 6am to 10pm throughout the season. Each stand has a monitor with card reader. Just hold up the card to the reader and the monitor will let you know which bike to take. If you come to a stand without any bikes, the monitor will let you know where the nearest stand with bikes is located. Each bike can be rented for max 3 hours at a time. If you would like to have the bike longer, you just need to take the bike to one of the stands before the three hours is up and exchange it for a new one. This is to keep people from hanging on to bikes too long and allowing everyone a chance to rent a bike. The bikes have no locks, the stands should be used instead when you want to lock up your bike. More info!
Several hotels, including the Rival Hotel, sell the three day cards... for hotel guests only. If you are not staying at one of these hotels, then you can buy your card at either a SL Center or Tourist Information Center. Click here for more information on where to buy your card.
AN bicycle, Stockholm City Bikes
Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tourist Season is Gearing Up!

Just in time for the Easter Holidays... three sure signs that the tourist season will soon be upon us! The first sign comes tomorrow (March 30th) when the Strömma boat tour to Drottningholm Palace starts up for the season. The boat tours will be operating on Fridays to Sundays until April 27th, when they start operating on a daily basis. Drottningholm, the home of the Swedish king & queen, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a great place to visit. The boat trip is half the fun and a wonderful way to see Stockholm.
Drottningholm. Photo by Gomer Swahn
The second sign... the start of the City Bike season (April 1st). A great and inexpensive way to see Stockholm! I will be writing more about this next week, but in the meantime you can check what I wrote last year. The Rival Hotel will be selling the card again this year (only to our hotel guests).
City Bikes

The third sign? Restaurants, bars and cafés all over Stockholm are opening up their outdoor seating areas. Apparently more restaurants than ever have applied for licenses to have outdoor seating this year! The Rival Hotel will be opening the Bistro balcony and Café outdoor seating on April 2nd... come snow, rain or sunshine! See you there!
Café Rival



AN bicycle, boat, royal, sightseeing, Stockholm City Bikes, strömma, unesco
Friday, July 1, 2011

Stockholm Adventures

Photo: Stockholm Adventures
The biggest trend in tourism these days is eco-friendly and adventure tours. Travelers are moving away from the packaged bus tours and are choosing more adventurous ways to see cities and countries. Adventure tourism tends to have less of a negative impact on the environment as well as being more fun and memorable. It's also a nice way to see a part of the city and countryside not covered in guide books. Stockholm, with its archipelago, forests and national parks, is the perfect city to try a bit of adventure tourism.
Photo: Stockholm Adventures
The tour company Stockholm Adventures is a great place to start. They offer many different sightseeing tours and adventures, something for every taste and ability level. Here are some highlights of what they have to offer:
  • Hikes- they have both urban wanderings in the city as well as hikes in Tyresta national park and the archipelago.
  • Bikes- tours of the city.
  • Kayaks- from shorter tours in the city to full-day tours in the outer archipelago.
  • Wildlife Safari- see moose, boar and deer... just a 20 minute ride from the city.

So, take a chance to see Stockholm off the beaten path and/or experience Sweden's beautiful natural landscape and wildlife. Tours can be booked on their website, at the Stockholm Tourist Center or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me directly and I can help you make a reservation.
AN bicycle, kayak, sightseeing, tours, walk
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Guided Cycling Tours & Bike Rental




bikesweden.se
There are many ways to take a sightseeing tour of the city... walking, jogging, boat and bus tours are available, and now even bike tours as well! The tours are offered by Bike Sweden which is located right in front of the Museum of National Antiquities (Historiska Museet). They offer three set tours. A three hour tour around the nearby island of Djurgården (500 SEK per person), a four hour tour out to the Woodland Cemetary- a UNESCO World Heritage site (695 SEK per person) and a six hour tour out to the Drottningholm Palace- also a UNESCO World Heritage site (1195 SEK per person, including boat tour and lunch). Their multilingual guides will keep you informed of your surroundings and all tours include a sandwich and a soft drink.



bikesweden.se
If you are interested in biking on your own then they offer bike rentals as well. They offer rentals for different durations... from 3 hours up to 7 days. They have different types of bikes available, like mountain bikes and city bikes. They also have children's bikes, child seats and child carriers available. Click here for a price list. For more information, check their website (linked above) or contact them at info@bikeguide-stockholm.se
The closest subway station to the Museum of National Antiquities is Karlaplan (red line), five stations away from the Rival Hotel.
AN bicycle, sightseeing, tours
Saturday, April 30, 2011

Stockholm City Bikes

(Edit: this is a post from 2011. To see updated information, click here for the 2012 post) Warmer weather means that the Stockholm City Bike season has started. I have blogged about it last year, but there are a few changes this year (besides their appearance)... so here is an update!
Stockholm City Bike station
The Stockholm City Bikes are a great way to see the city and an inexpensive way to take a bike ride on a sunny day. You can either buy a season card or a three day card. The three day card is what is most interesting for a visitor so I will concentrate on that. The cost is 125 SEK, but as of June 1st it will be raised to 165 SEK. This is due to that the optional 50 SEK insurance will no longer be optional. I often get the question if there isn't a one day card available. The answer is no, but the cost of their 3 day card is much cheaper than renting a bike for one day at a regular bike rental store.
To buy a card: If you are staying at the Rival Hotel then we do sell the cards for hotel guests in the Reception... just talk to me! Otherwise you can buy a card at the Tourist Information Center at Vasagatan or in the Gallerian shopping center. They are also for sale in the SL Centers in certain subway stations (Slussen, T-Centralen and Fridhemsplan).
Rules: You have to be 18 years of age to rent a bike. There are about 90 bike stands throughout the city and they are open between 6am and 10pm every day. You check out your bike using your card and then you have the bike for three hours at a time. If you require a bike longer then you can check in and then check out a new bike at any of the stations.
Please note: There are no bike stands on the island of Skeppsholmen (Modern Art Museum, etc;) and only one bike stand on the island of Djurgården (Vasa Museum, Skansen, etc;). This is beacuse the islands are government owned and there are special laws regarding advertising. So plan accordingly!
If you are interested in renting more advanced bikes (mountain, city, children, etc;) or cycling guides... click here!
AN activity, bicycle, Stockholm City Bikes
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)