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Island hopping in the Stockholm archipelago - which card is the smartest choice?
April 9, 2009
Hopping around in the Stockholm archipelago travelling with the white boats isn't a bad idea for a holiday. With the sea and the cliffs as companions, the feeling of freedom and beauty can be almost overwhelming.
But how do you travel in the Stockholm archipelago in the smartest fashion? It's not at all clear that Waxholmsbolaget's "Båtluffarkortet" is the least expensive option.
Should I buy the Båtluffarkortet?
The "Båtluffarkortet" travel card (boat hopping card) used to be valid for for 16 days, now it's five days. This is a big change for the worse, not least as Waxholmsbolaget themselves point out that each of the three parts of the Stockholm archipelago "contains enough to fill an entire vacation week". (It is customary to divide the Stockholm archipelago into the North, Central and Southern archipelago.)
Okay, so then you just need to buy three Båtluffarkort? Sure. The båtluffarkort costs 420 kronor, so for three weeks you're paying 1260 kronor. Then you can travel freely in the archipelago for 15 days.
Or else you could buy a 30-day card for 750 kronor. It takes you everywhere in the archipelago and is valid for 30 days. Take your pick.
Irony apart: the 30-day card seems to be a much smarter choice if you plan to be out on the islands for more than five days. And, less than five days is not really boat hopping now is it?
To get an idea of the boat fares in the Stockholm archipelago without any travel card, we compared the price of single tickets for a few popular routes (summer 2009).
- Stockholm-Vaxholm 75 kr
- Stockholm-Grinda 90 kr
- Stockholm-Möja 130 kr
- Stockholm-Sandhamn 130 kr
- Stockholm-Arholma 130 kr
- Stockholm-Utö 130 kr
- Stavsnäs-Sandhamn 75 kr
- Årsta-Utö 75 kr
So, two return journeys from Stockholm to the more remote islands would be 520 kronor. For a mini-package like that, the Båtluffarkort seems like a good option after all.
But for proper boat hopping in the Stockholm archipelago, the Båtluffarkort may not be the best choice.
Båtkortet
Another choice is Waxholmsbolaget's "Båtkortet" (boat card). With this pass you travel in the Stockholm archipelago with a discount for an indefinite time. Båtkortet costs 750 kronor and allows you to take out single tickets for a total value of 1,000 kronor. In other words, you get a 25% discount on the single ticket prices listed above.
In the end of the day, the choice is up to you. In any case, enjoy the stay in the magnificent Stockholm archipelago!
If you want to see more of the Stockholm area, or just enjoy a more extensive degree of freedom, you could check out a cheap car rental Stockholm. 121carhire.com specialises in car hire in Stockholm and other locations.
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