Sweden – April 2017
This story is about an awesome Swiss Start-Up called “surp.travel“. They are not your common travel agency. They are specialized in surprise city trips in Europe. My friend Kim and I went on the website, put in the departure airport and travel dates, and then had to wait for the orange envelope with the tickets to be sent to us. About a week before our departure date I received an e-mail with a link to our personal travel guide. It showed the current weather at the destination and when to be at the airport. And then it was finally time.
After an exciting train ride to Zurich Airport, we open the envelope and read “Stockholm”. As we secretly were hoping to go there, we could hardly handle the situation. We grab our carry-on suitcases and rush to the check-in counter. With our boarding passes, we quickly make our way to the departure gate. Everyone around us is already discussing what they are looking forward to for their weekend getaway, while Kim and I only just found out where we’re headed.
During boarding, we check out the hotel we’re going to stay at. We also received useful information on how to get to the city from the airport as well as some insider tips from other travellers. Just before the flight attendants close the doors I message a school friend of mine who’s half Swedish and knows Stockholm very well. Then I activate flight mode, sit back in my seat and excitedly wait for take-off. 2.5 hours and a light inflight dinner later we arrive at Arlanda Airport. We take a bus to the station mentioned on our mysurp-site and from there walk a few meters to our hotel in Vasastaden. We check-in, take some pictures of our room and, in anticipation of what the next days are going to bring, go to bed early.
Day 1 we spend in the city centre and old town “Gamla stan”. Our first stop after a short tram ride is the royal palace. Both Kim and I have been to quite a few European palaces and castles before. But what makes the “Kungliga slottet” a little different, is that while it’s open to the public all year round, it’s still the official residence of Sweden’s monarch. After a taco lunch at Zócalo, we enjoy the spring sun under the cherry blossom trees in “Kungstädgarden”. At night we have dinner at Vapiano, followed by a stroll through Gamla stan. We grant ourselves a nightcap at the local pub “The Flying Elk” and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
The plan for day 2 is to go on a cruise around the central islands of the Swedish capital. The boat takes us past an amusement park and the Vasa-Museum and we get an opportunity to see Gamla stan from another perspective. In the afternoon, on recommendation from my high school friend, we visit the photography museum “Fotografiska” – which doesn’t disappoint. We then decide to follow another of her recommendations and walk up the steep hill to Monteliusvägen. From there you arguably have the best view of Stockholm. We stroll through the hip streets of Södermalm and have a typical dinner of Köttbullar and fries with cranberry compote. We wanted to enjoy the last night in Stockholm with a big night out at a local underground club. Unfortunately, it seems to be a little too underground for us tho, as we cannot figure out where the entrance is located.
On day 3 our flight only leaves in the late afternoon. This gives us plenty of time to admire the beautiful metro stations on the way to the Junibacken museum. The family museum is dedicated to Swedish children literature, especially Astrid Lindgren’s books. Having grown up reading about the adventures of Ronja the Robber’s Daughter, Pippi Longstockings and Emil in Lönneberga, this was a must-see for me. We grab lunch at the local burger chain “MAX” and enjoy the cherry blossom trees at Kungsträdgarden one last time. On the way back to the hotel we walk through beautiful neighbourhoods and wish we didn’t have to leave just yet.
This city trip was one of the most relaxing ones, as it did not involve any of the hassles of deciding where to go, finding cheap flights at normal times of the day, looking for a hotel in a good area and so on. For everyone who knows Europe quite well and is worried that they will be sent to a place, they’ve already been to: You can select up to 3 cities/countries you don’t want to visit. When in Europe I highly recommend giving the a surprise city trip a go.
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