Swedish Tips and Tricks - From My First Few Weeks in Malmö, Sweden

Molly Carter
Oct 29, 2018
7 min read

Updated: May 7, 2019

Here Are My Swedish Tips And Tricks From My First Few Weeks In Malmö, Sweden

So for this blog post, I wanted to gather together a few tips and tricks from my (now) first two months living abroad in Malmö, Sweden (as well as Sweden in general). Now, keep in mind that what I have experienced can vary from person to person and from region to region within Sweden; especially because many Swedes themselves say that Malmö is the least Swedish city in Sweden.

Malmö, Sweden

Biking

Starting off, what I have noticed from "living" in Malmö and travelling to a couple of Swedish cities, is that most Swedes love to bike. This is a great way to see a city because 1) it's exercise and 2) it's a less expensive way to get around (compared to a bus/taxi/Uber). One extreme example that I have seen is a women riding her bike, talking on her phone (holding the phone on her shoulder up to her ear), whilst walking her dog. It was a pretty incredible sight to see. Moving on, there are two main options for bikes (at least in Malmö) - 1) to buy a new/used bike from a bike shop and/or through Facebook (lots of people sell them here), 2) using the app - Malmö by bike. I personally like Malmö by bike app because it is around $25 USD for a year which is incredible. In Malmö, there are multiple locations all over the city where you can pick up your bike and later drop it off. However, it is important to note that you have to exchange (go back to the Malmö by bike stands) for a new Malmö by bike every hour (which can get somewhat annoying) but it is especially great if you are only biking in the city. I do not know/think that you can take these bikes outside of the city limits. Additionally, most cities around Sweden have some type of Malmö by bike bike but for their city. The other route for bikes is buying/renting your own. This usually means that you will spend more than $25 USD however, it is your bike; you can take it with you where ever (which is better for those who want to bike outside of their city limits). Important: If you are living and biking in Malmö, it is very important that if you are buying your bike, that you get a receipt for your purchase. Malmö has an issue with people stealing and later selling (stolen) bikes (which unfortunately a few of my friends and floor mates have been subjected to). This is very important because if you don't have a receipt, then you can get in trouble for being in possession of a stolen bike. If you already bought your bike without a receipt then the best thing to do is write down (if you can remember) where you bought it, which day, when, and how much it was. This is better than nothing. Knowing that people might try to steal your bike, make sure that you get a great (and buy great I mean indestructible) bike lock so people can't steal it. Most people that I know who purchased their bikes (at least in Malmö) spent more on their lock (around $100 USD) than the bike itself (usually from $40-100 USD). On a side note, so that cars and pedestrians can see you at night, please get a bike light.

Busing

If you prefer walking or just don't like biking, there are other options to get around cities (like Malmö) - like taking the bus. I usually take the bus to and from school as well as getting to places that would take too long to bike and/or walk to (like IKEA or the malls around town). Two things to keep in mind when taking the bus is 1) know your bus schedules and 2) they only take credit cards/JoJo cards. On the first note, the app Citymapper is a lifesaver because not only will it show you the bus times and numbers but it will tell you which buses you can take to get from point A to point B and how long it will take to get there. Knowing bus times are very important especially at night because, at least in Malmö, during the week and most importantly weekends, the buses aren't as frequent as they are say on a Thursday morning at 10am. The last thing you want to happen is when you're coming back from a fantastic trip from Berlin (and you're tired and it's raining) and/or had a fun night out clubbing to realize that the buses have stopped running and the other options are walking back and/or biking at 3am. The second note is that, at least for the buses in Malmö, they do not accept cash. And no I do not mean that I accidentally gave the bus driver American money or Euros, no, they will not accept Swedish Krona on board. They ONLY accept credit cards, JoJo cards (which is what I use and love) and/or pre-purchased tickets on your phone (you can buy these through the Skånetrafiken app). I personally love the student JoJo cards because they are around $50-60 USD per month but they give you unlimited trips around Malmö and can be used for discounted train tickets to Copenhagen. These student JoJo cards can be purchased at the Central Train Station in Malmö in the Skånetrafiken booth inside the train station however you have to have a student union card from your university in order to purchase it.

English

Another important piece of knowledge about Swedes is that, in general, most speak English fluently (however not everyone does). Most people from ages 50 and under are fluent however many over 50 are fluent as well. In my personal experience some people who are over 50 sometimes have a more difficult time communicating to me (in English) and/or they might not know English at all. However, I would not be really worried about this because I can count on 1 hand the number of times that I have met someone who can't speak any English at all. Additionally, I would say that I do try to start off in Swedish (saying hi, do you speak English, etc.) and then switch to English and continue the rest of the conversation in English (which most people are perfectly fine with).

Recycling

I recycle back home but I have never seen recycling like I have in Sweden. Where I am staying, they take recycling to the extreme where we have at least 7 different types of recycling bins that are very (and I mean very) specific on what is allowed to be put in them. Truthfully, at first, I was actually kinda terrified to throw stuff away because of how specific everything is, but over time, it is definitely less stressfull. I never thought I would worry about which recycling bin I should throw my chips container in. Fun fact: Sweden is so 'good' at recycling that they actually import waste from other countries so that they can compost it.

Alcohol

If you like alcohol, then you'll need to figure out where your local Systembolaget is. For my fellow Americans, the Systembolaget is like an ABC store because this is basically the only place where you can buy alcohol in Sweden (other than the occasional beer and cider in the grocery store). Very important: Sweden is one of the countries that can be quite strict when it comes to alcohol consumption because while you can legally drink alcohol at age 18, you have to be at least 20 years old to buy any type of alcohol from the Systembolaget. This basically means that 18-19 year olds can have alcohol in bars and restaurants and 20+ can have alcohol anywhere. I'm not 100% sure, but if I remember correctly, if you are from outside of the E.U. (the European Union), you have to have your actual Passport (and not a drivers license and also not a copy of your passport) with you in order to buy anything.

Fika

In my opinion, Fika is the best thing EVER!!!! Fika basically means to take a coffee break in Swedish. It is similar to having an afternoon tea for those from the U.K.. I also love Fika because it can happen at any time, day or night. Swedish Fika usually consists of a coffee and a kanelbullar which is a Swedish cinnamon roll. These cinnamon rolls are quite different than the typical American cinnamon roll because the Swedish ones have bits of sugar (looks like balls of sugar) on top compared to American ones with lots of icing.

Personal Numbers

On a more sour note, the Swedish personal number is truthfully the thing that makes me not like Sweden. In order to basically live here, you need a personal number. This is fine, however, the Swedish government (or whoever gives them out) will not give one to someone unless they are living in Sweden for more than 1 year. Thankfully, my 'host' university gave me a temporary Swedish number. Having a personal number is critical because you literally cannot do anything without. You cannot get a gym membership, you can't open a bank account, you can't buy a cell phone/cell phone plan, etc. Side note: Whenever I tell people that I (Americans) do not have personal number (it is different to your social security number), some are shocked and I have had a few get mad because they don't know what to write down on credit card receipts that need it (since I am using an American credit card). Usually they'll just write down your birthday.

For Americans- DO NOT GIVE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OUT, THIS IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL NUMBER.

Apoteket

Last but certainly not least, Apoteket. Apoteket is basically a Swedish CVS/Walgreens. You can fill prescriptions here and get everything from cold and headache medicine to makeup wipes, vitamins, and bandaids. Apoteket is helpful because most of the employees speak English and they will help you find whatever it is you need especially when cold and flu season hits.

Finally, in case you were curious, also during this time I have completed my first exam, am about to take my second, have completed multiple presentations, attended many lectures and seminars, found my favorite coffee shop (Espresso House), went to a conference, went twice more to Copenhagen (and planned a few more trips), and went to Gothenburg (would 100% recommend anyone and everyone to go!)!!! I hope that at least one of these tips helps you on this incredible experience!

Gothenburg, Sweden

Travels

with

Molly