Overview
Stockholm's public transport is run by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), the public transport authority for Stockholm County. SL operates the metro (tunnelbana), commuter trains, trams, buses and some ferry lines across Greater Stockholm, so a single ticket can carry you across several modes of transport.
The metro is the backbone of the system: three lines, 100 stations and 105.7 kilometres of track, with 47 stations underground and 53 above ground. It is the only metro system in Sweden and carried around 462 million passengers in 2019 — roughly 1.27 million on a typical weekday. The system is owned by Region Stockholm via SL and operated by Connecting Stockholm.
Riding it end to end as a visitor is straightforward. Plan your route on SL's website or app, buy a ticket or pass before you travel, tap or scan it at the ticket barriers, and ride to your stop. All three metro lines pass through the city centre, and the main interchange for all of them is T-Centralen, which sits next to Stockholm Central station and the City Terminal bus station.
The network
SL's network covers metro, suburban rail, trams and light rail, buses and ferries. The metro is the piece you will use most, but the other modes fill in the gaps — especially for the airport and the archipelago.
Metro (tunnelbana). Three colour-coded lines form seven routes with different termini, and all of them run through the city centre, creating a highly centralised network:
- Green Line (officially Tunnelbana 1, "Metro 1") — three routes and 49 stations; 41.256 km long; opened 1 October 1950 between Slussen and Hökarängen.
- Red Line (officially Tunnelbana 2, "Metro 2") — two routes and 36 stations; 41.238 km long; opened 5 April 1964.
- Blue Line (officially Tunnelbana 3, "Metro 3") — two routes and 20 stations; 25.516 km long; opened 31 August 1975, and almost entirely tunnelled.
The colour names come from the trains themselves: the Blue Line ran newer blue-painted trains and the Green Line used older stock in the original green. No trains were painted red — red (initially orange) was chosen for maps to tell the line apart. The names were in informal use from the late 1970s and officially adopted in the 1990s.
Interchanges matter. Besides T-Centralen, the system has three other interchange stations: Fridhemsplan, Slussen and Gamla stan. Trains run from 05:00 to 01:00, with around-the-clock service on Fridays and Saturdays. Outside rush hour, all lines run every 10 minutes during the day, dropping to every 15 minutes at other times.
Suburban rail (pendeltåg). SL commuter trains serve the wider county and the airport, and they connect with the metro at several points, including T-Centralen via Stockholm Central.
Trams and light rail. Trams serve parts of the city and inner suburbs. Tram 31 (Spårväg City) links Bromma flygplats with Alvik, where you can change onto the Green Line; tram 30 connects Alvik with Solna station via Norra Ulvsunda. Historic tram lines such as Djursholmsbanan and Saltsjöbanan date back to the late 19th century, when they helped Stockholm's suburbs expand.
Buses. An extensive bus network covers the city and county, including many inner-city routes that run on eco-friendly fuels such as biodiesel. Some central "blue" buses allow boarding at all doors, while red Stockholm buses have different boarding rules (see the ticket section).
Ferries. SL operates some ferry lines within Greater Stockholm, useful for reaching parts of the archipelago and waterside districts.
Tickets & fares
SL runs a single ticketing system across metro, commuter trains, trams, buses and ferries. Fares and validity are set by SL and change over time, so treat the figures below as approximate and check current prices before you travel.
Single ticket. A single ticket is valid for 75 minutes and costs around 43 SEK at full price, or about 26 SEK for seniors and for children, teenagers and students up to age 20. You can buy it at SL customer service shops, in the SL app, at the turnstiles, or on buses by credit card. Cash is not accepted on buses.
Period tickets. SL offers 24-hour, 72-hour, 7-day and 30-day passes. These are the practical choice for a visitor staying more than a day or two, and they cover the same network as a single ticket for their whole validity period.
How to pay. Ticketing is available via the SL app and rechargeable travel cards, and contactless payment is accepted at the gates. You can also buy tickets at station booths and select local retailers. SL phased out ticket machines on its network in 2022, so do not count on finding one. The system is equipped with ticket barriers, so you tap or scan on the way in.
Zones. SL's fares are zone-based across Stockholm County; the metro sits within the central zone, while journeys further out — including to Arlanda — can involve additional charges or separate airport supplements.
Tourist passes. The 24-hour, 72-hour and 7-day period tickets effectively serve as tourist passes, since they cover unlimited travel on SL's network for their duration. Note that some airport transfers are not fully covered by a standard SL ticket.
Inspections and fines. You must be able to show a valid ticket if inspected. Failing to do so carries a penalty of around 1,500 SEK.
Concessions. A parent travelling with a stroller rides free on red Stockholm buses, but not on blue central buses with boarding at all doors.
From the airport
Stockholm has several airports, but Arlanda is the dominant one and the one most visitors will use.
Arlanda Airport (ARN) lies about 40 km north of the city and is Sweden's largest airport. Your public-transport options into the centre include:
- Dedicated airport train — runs every 15 minutes from the terminals to Stockholm Central Station in about 20 minutes; roughly 175–350 SEK per person depending on group size, with a youth fare of about 160 SEK.
- Regular trains — around 270 SEK, though much cheaper fares can be had if you book in advance.
- SL commuter trains — around 180 SEK full price, 90 SEK concession, serving the airport.
- FlixBus coaches — the cheapest ride unless you hold an SL day card and avoid the airport's train stations; about 45 minutes, 79–99 SEK, cheaper in advance.
- Airport coaches — about 45 minutes to the city.
With SL, you can also take the commuter train or a bus to a station with more frequent services into the city. Taxis and rental cars are available as well.
Bromma Airport (BMA) is the only airport within the city, about 8 km west of central Stockholm. As of 2025 its only remaining operator is NyxAir, flying to Trollhättan–Vänersborg near Göteborg. From Bromma, take tram 31 from Bromma flygplats to Alvik, then change onto the Green Line metro for T-Centralen; the whole trip takes just under 30 minutes, with tram 31 departing every 20 minutes. To reach Sundbyberg and Solna instead, change trams at Norra Ulvsunda onto line 30 towards Solna station.
Skavsta Airport (NYO) is about 100 km southwest of Stockholm, near Nyköping, so its "Stockholm-Skavsta" branding is a stretch. The most practical option is the airport coach to the City Terminal, about 80 minutes for around 229 SEK online. A sometimes cheaper route is local bus 515 or 715 to Nyköping Centralstation, then an SJ regional train on the Norrköping–Nyköping–Stockholm route (from about 100 SEK, cheaper on select days). You can buy an SL combined ticket from Skavsta to Stockholm valid on both the local bus and the regional train, or pay for the local bus on board with VISA or MasterCard (cash is not accepted) and buy the train ticket at Nyköping's railway station.
Västerås Airport (VST) is about 100 km west of Stockholm and serves Ryanair flights to and from London Stansted. Airport coaches run to and from the City Terminal for about 139 SEK one way or 249 SEK round trip, taking about 80 minutes. Alternatively, a public taxi shuttle runs between the airport and Västerås rail station in 6–7 minutes for about 50 SEK one way, departing 20 minutes after each flight arrival; from there, regional trains on the Stockholm–Västerås–Örebro–Hallsberg–Göteborg route reach Stockholm in about 53 minutes for around 59 SEK.
Etiquette & customs
Stockholmers are orderly travellers, and a few local habits will make your journeys smoother.
- Queuing. Queue calmly at ticket barriers, platform doors and bus stops, and let passengers off before you board.
- Escalators. Stand on the right and walk on the left, as is standard in Sweden. Keep your luggage to one side so others can pass.
- Quiet and priority seating. Priority seats near the doors are for the elderly, pregnant travellers and passengers with reduced mobility; give them up without being asked. Keep phone calls short and voices low, especially in the quiet areas of carriages.
- Eating and drinking. Keep food and drink modest and tidy on board, and take your rubbish with you.
- Rush hour. At peak times, move right down the carriage, keep backpacks off seats and let the flow of passengers carry you through the doors.
- Tickets. Always have a valid ticket ready — inspections are routine, and the penalty is steep.
- Accessibility. SL's system has an accessibility guarantee for travellers with disabilities, so step-free routes and assistance are available if you plan ahead.
Official links
Survival terms
- Subway/metro — tunnelbana (tunnel-BAH-nah)
- Ticket — biljett (bil-YETT)
- Line — linje (LIN-yeh)
- Entrance — ingång (IN-gong)
- Exit — utgång (OOT-gong)
- Transfer — byte (BEE-teh)
- Single fare — enkelbiljett (EN-kel-bil-yett)
- Day pass — dygnsbiljett (DOOGNS-bil-yett)
Buy your ticket or pass before you reach the barriers and keep it handy for the whole journey, since inspections are routine and the fine for travelling without a valid ticket is steep.