Gothenburg

Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg) is Sweden's second largest city with 570,000 inhabitants, and about 1 million in the metropolitan area. The city lies on Sweden's west coast, at the outlet of the Göta river. Gothenburg is Sweden's largest industrial city with companies such as the Volvo Group and Volvo Cars, as well as Scandinavia's largest port. The city hosts numerous national and international sporting and music events such as Gothia Cup, Partille Cup and Way out West. Gothenburg also has the Sweden's largest amusement park, Liseberg.

Understand
Gothenburg is a fairly green city with parks and a large river bisecting the city. Built after being founded by royal decree in 1621 it was modeled after the Dutch city style, with plenty of canals. Gothenburg has many nicknames that allude to its canals such as "little London", "little Amsterdam", and "little Venice". Early on Gothenburg was famous for its port and trade and has prominently hosted the Swedish East-India Company. Due to its historically industrial character Gothenburg has had strong working class associations, being known for its friendly yet brusque "goa gubbar". This together with its large port has given rise to the moniker "Marseille of the North".

Today, with over 50,000 students in the city and two major universities it has a young side with plenty of bars and night-clubs. Gothenburg has a reputation for being a very friendly place, and more welcoming than Stockholm, the Swedish capital.

History
Gothenburg is at the mouth of the river Göta älv. Lödöse, some upstream from Gothenburg was one of the largest cities in Sweden during the Middle Ages, and is considered a precursor to Gothenburg. During the Middle Ages the mouth of Göta älv was controlled by Sweden, while Bohuslän immediately north of it was Norwegian and Halland to its immediate south was Danish. The area thus became a tripoint of the three kingdoms. In order to consolidate Swedish control of the area, Älvsborg's fortress was constructed near modern-day Gothenburg. Several failed attempts were also made to build a city in the area.

The modern city of Gothenburg was built in 1621 by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf. During the 17th century Sweden conquered Bohuslän and Halland, thus making Gothenburg the center of an expanded western Sweden. During this era the older Danish Älvsborg fortress was demolished. It was replaced by a new castle, ingeniously called New Älvsborg fortress, on an island in the mouth of the river. Gothenburg eventually became a major gateway into Sweden, and one of the busiest ports in the Nordic countries. As the largest port in Sweden Gothenburg became the seat of the Swedish East India Company in the 18th century, and a hub for American emigration in the 19th century. During this era the city also became heavily industrialized, particularly as a center for the Swedish shipbuilding industry. Its large port, strong trade community and proximity to Marstrand meant the city had a large Jewish and international community, with the first Jewish association forming before that of Stockholm.

With rising competition from foreign ship yards in the 1900s, many of the dry docks closed down in the 1970s. Much of the inner harbor area has changed from industrial ship building to high technology and education, representative of the general change in the city. Today Gothenburg has international sporting events, concerts, and conventions. Being an industrial center, Gothenburg has been politically dominated by the left-wing Social Democrats for many years. In the 1960s with Sweden investing heavily in affordable housing with Miljonprogrammet large parts of the working class town was demolished. Much like parts of Södermalm in Stockholm, Masthugget was an entire district comprised nearly exclusively of small red-painted wooden houses, some of which had stone-laid ground floors, so called Landhövdingehus. Today such houses can only be found at Gathenhielmska kulturreservatet by Stigbergstorget in Majorna, as well as on some of the islands in the Gothenburg archipelago. Gothenburg is famous for its Landshövdingehus of which more upscale housing remains in Haga, Gårda and Majorna.



People
The working-class history is easily visible, for example in the harbor area, especially on the northern riverfront of Hisingen and north of the city center on the southern riverfront in Gullbergsvass. Before the 1970s there were few fashion houses or posher cafeterias, but that has changed.

The Gothenburg dialect is associated with cheerfulness and witty, if pun-laden humour, with many humorists classically from Gothenburg, often of the "goa gubbar" (lit. "good guys") stereotype, working class and somewhat fat. The connection to Britain has been said to be behind the high frequency of the male given name Glenn.

Like Marseille in France there is some animosity towards the capital, with those who move there sometimes being called "traitors".

Climate
Like most of southern and coastal Sweden, the city is best visited during springtime as well as in the summer. The climate is temperate with mild winters and warm, but not hot summers. Because it is located on the west coast by the sea the climate is milder and rainier in the winter than Stockholm, but comparable to Copenhagen. Snow is not a given in winter, for real Scandinavian winter, visit Dalarna or Norrland.

In other words, May to September tend to have the most comfortable weather. From Midsummer to the end of July, many inhabitants leave the city, and some venues close for summer, making the city more dominated by tourists.

Tourist information


Gothenburg offers the Go City Pass, which allows entry into many tourist attractions, grand houses, and museums for 684 kr/adult or 464 kr/child (6–15 years old) (June 2024). Among attractions covered are Ringlinien vintage train, admission to Liseberg, Universeum, free travel with Paddan boat, boat trip to New Älvsborg Fortress, guided tour by bus, Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg Natural History Museum, Gothenburg City Museum, Gothenburg Art Museum, Röhsska Museum, Maritime Museum Aquarium, Medical History Museum, the Sports Museum, Maritiman, Gothenburgs utkiken, Guided tour of Gunnebo House, the Garden Society of Gothenburg, Greenhouses in the Botanical Garden, Röda Sten, Stinsen Sightseeing, Aeroseum, Volvo Museum, Mölndals Museum. This card is available on your mobile phone.

Gothenburgers are usually more than willing to help with directions.

By plane
The city's international airport, Landvetter, serves mainly flights from other European cities, the exception being a seasonal flight by SAS from New York-Newark. Otherwise, to fly in from other continents, you must connect at a larger airport offering intercontinental flights. Most carriers offer connecting intercontinental tickets.

There are two coffee shops, burger fast food service, and a newsagent land-side. Air-side you can find a few cafes, restaurants, bars, gift shops and duty-free shops. There is quite little shopping. Foreign exchange facilities are available on both sides of security. The airport provides free Wi-Fi, but charging stations and power sockets are not in abundance.

Most of the major car rental companies have facilities opposite the airport exit. There are two hotels: Scandic is located adjacent to the terminal building and Landvetter Airport Hotel is within walking distance beyond the car rental facilities.

There is a Flygbussarna bus service from Landvetter into the city. It runs every 15–20 minutes (during the pandemic it is adapted to the reduced flight schedules so check the website for the current timetable), costs 119 kr one way (238 kr return) if you pay online (otherwise it is 139 kr and 249 kr respectively). The journey takes approximately 20–35 minutes. It stops at several locations (first stop near Liseberg; final stop: the Nils Ericson Bus terminal which is next to the Central Train Station). The only method of payment for the ticket is by credit card. Free WiFi is available on the coach.

Taxis are expensive. To the city it takes about 25 minutes and costs between 520 kr and 560 kr. It is best to arrange fixed fare before getting in taxi.

Gothenburg City Airport (GSE) closed in 2014.

By train


SJ high speed trains run hourly and MTR trains every two hours from Stockholm Central station, taking just over 3 hours via Södertälje, Katrineholm and Skövde. Since May 2021, Flixtrain also runs three trains a day from Stockholm, taking 3 hr 30 min. These have very low "teaser" fares but a likely off-peak real fare is €17 single. Look on the Flix website as these trains may not be shown on others, for instance Deutsche Bahn.

Trains from Oslo take 4 hours. Trains run from Copenhagen city and airport hourly, taking 4 hours via Öresund bridge-tunnel, Malmö, Lund, Helsingborg and Halmstad. Regional trains also run from Jönköping via Falköping, and from Stockholm via Örebro. Travel from northern Swedish cities involves changing in Stockholm.



By bus
Coach lines to Gothenburg include Eurolines, Flixbus, GoByBus, Vy Bus4You and Swebus Express. The bus station is Nils Ericsson Terminalen on the north side of the central railway station. Västtrafik operates regional buses.

By boat
Stena Line operates ships to/from Denmark (Frederikshavn) and Germany (Kiel). The terminals are near the city centre. Tramway stops: Masthuggstorget (Frederikshavn), Chapmans Torg (Kiel).

DFDS is a cargo line with limited passenger capacity. They can take a small number of passengers (and their car) to Gothenburg from Belgium (Ghent).

There are also passenger boats cruising down the river, some all the way from Stockholm through Göta Kanal (by Rederi Göta Kanal)

By car
European roads E6, E20 and E45 pass through Gothenburg. If you come by car from Stockholm, you should take E4 to Jönköping, and then national road 40.

Approximate distances and travelling time:
 * to Malmö (E6/E20 south): 300 km, 3 hours
 * to Oslo (E6 north): 320 km, 4 hours
 * to Stockholm (40 east, E4): 500 km, 4 hours and 40 minutes
 * to Copenhagen (E6/E20 south): 317 km, 3 hours and 30 minutes

Parking in Gothenburg can be difficult and expensive, as free parking is rarely found. Prices per hour vary between 7 zones and can be as high as 30 kr per hour. Free parking for tourists is however included in the Gothenburg City Card, if you happen to own one.

Gothenburg has implemented a congestion charge (trängselskatt) for the central area. However, for Swedish rental cars the cost is commonly already included in the daily fee.

Get around
Public transportation within Gothenburg (and the west of Sweden) is operated by Västtrafik and consists of trams, buses and ferries. You can find more information about tickets and a journey planner on their homepage.

Public transport in Gothenburg can be fairly slow: For example, to cross one side of the city to the other (20 km) can take up to an hour. It can be a good idea to look up alternative routes, with some of the express buses being considerably faster, and it sometimes being possible to save many minutes by walking a few hundred meters to a tram-stop located on a different line. Inside the central area, transport is fairly rapid, as the tram tracks generally are separated from normal car lanes.

The local transport company (Västtrafik) has removed maps from just about all the tram stops; be prepared and have a map ready before you get there. The phone app or web site is very handy when wanting to find routes, but will not ask you to walk any distance in order to save time — for this Google maps is better.

Västtrafik's ticket system
You cannot buy tickets from the driver on any buses in Gothenburg area, but they are available onboard countryside buses or regional trains and in machines on trams in the Västtrafik system.


 * Tourist Ticket

Tourists and others planning to travel everyday are advised to buy a 1- or 3-day ticket. A blue card called the Västtrafik card is charged with ticket information. They are bought at Västtrafik's service centres or from Seven-Eleven or Pressbyrån or some other stores. They cost 115 kr (24 hours) or 230 kr (72 hours) inside Gothenburg's zone A which includes the archipelago (as of Aug 2023). A tourist card is available from the tourist office which is valid as a tram/bus ticket and for museum entrance fees, etc. Longer period tickets (30 or 365 days) can be loaded onto a västtrafik card.


 * Single ticket

If you only travel occasionally, you can either buy tickets at 7-Eleven, the Västtrafik "Tidpunkten" customer service centers, the Pressbyrån shops, from the blue ticket machines on the trams - which accepts coins or major credit cards, online via the Travel planner, or via a phone app if you have a Swedish credit card. During daytime the cost is 41 kr for an adult within the city zone (34 kr with app ticket).


 * Prepaid card (Pay-as-you-go)

If you will be travelling more often it might be a good idea to buy a prepaid västtrafik card that also gives a discount. This card can be charged with any amount at a time until the card contains a maximum of 1500 kr. In addition you must pay a 50 kr deposit which can be used in part to pay for your trip, but if any of the deposit money is used, another trip cannot be made until you recharge the card again. If you return the card to a Västtrafik service center the deposit will be refunded to you.

If you travel within one zone a fixed price is deducted from your card, which is 34 kr for an adult within the Gothenburg zone. If you travel across a zone border the journey will be more expensive. With the exception of the southern part of tram no. 2 or 4 (all stops from Krokslätts Torg to Mölndals Centrum) the entire tram system lies within the Gothenburg municipality.

The card is used by touching it to one of the card readers in the vehicle when you board. If you intend to travel in more than one zone you must press the + button on the card reader before touching in and also touch the card to the reader when exiting the vehicle (otherwise, you will be charged for a journey to the terminal destination of the bus/tram). For tourists it's recommended you always touch in and out with the + button as the system will then always deduct the correct amount and you will not have to bother about the zones.

The Västrafik card can be bought from Västtrafik's service centres or from most convenience stores.

You can change freely between buses, ferries and trams 90 minutes after you first used your ticket. If you traveled in more than one zone the 90 minutes time will count from the time you disembarked in the last zone. When travelling between zones, remember to always touch in and touch out on each separate vehicle - otherwise you will be charged for each as separate journeys.

It might seem easy to get on one of the buses or trams without a valid ticket, but if a biljettkontrollant (ticket controller) would find out, you will be charged with a fee of 1500 kr.
 * Smartphone app

Västtrafik has an app called "Västtrafik To Go", in which single tickets, 1- or 3-day tickets, and period tickets can be bought. It is also a fully functional travel planner that can suggest when walking or cycling is a good or better alternative. It is available for both iOS and Android devices.

By tram
Gothenburg has a famous network of trams, covering most of the city. With over 150 km the Gothenburg tram is the largest light rail network in Scandinavia.

The network consists of 12 tram lines, 1 to 11 and 13, and every line except no 8 passes through the main tram stop Brunnsparken ('Well Park'). It is located one tram stop or a 2-minute walk from the train station, Centralstationen. The trams runs approximately every 8–10 minutes during daylight and twice every hour at night, at weekends the trams run every 15–30 minutes. Notice that not all lines runs nighttime.

This and the Paddan boats (operating from Kungsportsplatsen) is the best way to see the city as they run above ground at a comfortable yet quick pace.
 * Gothenburg tram and Stombuss network maps are available online.

By bus
Trams are the most efficient way to travel within the city centre, but if you're planning to go further you might need to go by bus. Bus lines heading in the same direction often departs from the same part of the city. There is no real equivalent to the large central tram and bus stop Brunnsparken—most others are divided into several "smaller" hubs, which you often reach by tram.

By ferry
Two ferry services run across the river; Älvsnabben is the regular ferry service with traffic every 30 minutes, and Älvsnabbare that only run between Rosenlund and Lindholmspiren (free of charge) during work hours. Besides transport, this can be a good way to see the city from the river.

Ferries to the southern archipelago run from Saltholmen, with three different lines: Vrångö line, Brännö Rödsten line and the less trafficated Förö line. The service runs once an hour or less.

Styrsöbolaget run the ferry services under licence of Västtrafik - you can still use the city public transport ticket. On their homepage can you find time tables and more information about the islands.

By taxi
There are several taxi companies, for example Taxi Göteborg (031-650000), Taxi Kurir (031-272727) and Minitaxi (031-140140). Initial fare from 35 kr, and then from 10 to 14 kr/km. Every taxi must have comparing prices well visible according to law, and it's often placed in the side window. No 1 is daytime, no 2 is rush hour and no 3 is for night time service, and then you see the initial fare, price per hour, price per kilometre and comparing prices for a typical journey.

Prices between companies vary. For the above-mentioned larger companies the visible comparing price is about 350-380 kr (and 400 kr at max). Dubious taxi operators take about double the price, so make sure to compare before you enter.

For longer travels, negotiate a fixed price. To the airport it should be around 500 kr from the city centre.

Illegal taxis, called "svarttaxi", are operating, particularly during Friday and Saturday nights. They are generally cheaper, but using them is not advised, particularly for women or drunk passengers, since muggings and rapes have occurred involving illegal taxis.



By bicycle
Gothenburg has a nice network of bicycle paths, reaching all parts of the city. You can buy network maps at the tourist information centres, and you can find an online version

You can bring your bike on the ferries, on some trains but not on trams or buses. The service is free on Älvsnabben but costs 10 kr on the ferries in the southern archipelago.

You can rent a bike from Cykelkungen or if you are staying at a hostel they can often provide it for you.

In the most central parts there are an automated loan bike system Styr & Ställ, registration of 90 kr for 30 days and while reserving an amount on your credit card they are free to use as long as you use for only 60 minutes and then replaced in another place. You can then take a bike again 2 minutes later. A real-time map showing how many bikes and free parking slots are available at each station can be downloaded from allbikesnow.


 * Bicycle planner

By foot
With a compact city centre most sights are easily reached by foot, and it's a nice way to get around.

Popular walks around the city include the nature reserve around the lake Delsjön, the park Slottsskogen, the botanical garden, on any of the islands in the southern archipelago, or in the neighborhood Haga.

Museums






Do

 * Southern Archipelago. For a low price one can visit the islands in the southern archipelago with regular passenger boats. These islands are car free and very picturesque. The boats go from the tram stop "Saltholmen". It is difficult to park there. Tram tickets are valid on the boat too.
 * Charter a Sailing Yacht sBoats.com or yachtbooker.com give you independent information on how to find a yacht charter in Gothenburg.
 * Southern Archipelago. For a low price one can visit the islands in the southern archipelago with regular passenger boats. These islands are car free and very picturesque. The boats go from the tram stop "Saltholmen". It is difficult to park there. Tram tickets are valid on the boat too.
 * Charter a Sailing Yacht sBoats.com or yachtbooker.com give you independent information on how to find a yacht charter in Gothenburg.
 * Southern Archipelago. For a low price one can visit the islands in the southern archipelago with regular passenger boats. These islands are car free and very picturesque. The boats go from the tram stop "Saltholmen". It is difficult to park there. Tram tickets are valid on the boat too.
 * Charter a Sailing Yacht sBoats.com or yachtbooker.com give you independent information on how to find a yacht charter in Gothenburg.
 * Charter a Sailing Yacht sBoats.com or yachtbooker.com give you independent information on how to find a yacht charter in Gothenburg.

Events

 * The Cortège. Every year students from Chalmers University organize the carnival parade on Walpurgis Night (30 April). The parade starts at Gibraltargatan next to the campus, proceeds via Läraregatan, Viktor Rydbergsgatan, Kungsportsavenyn, Vasagatan, Aschebergsgatan back to the campus and takes about 2 hours. During about a week before the parade, the students construct the different vehicles on campus next to Gibraltargatan. Free.
 * Every year in February, the town is invaded by cinema buffs for the annual Gothenburg Film Festival. The festival, which is growing every year, is now one of the major Scandinavian movie festivals.
 * Julstaden (the Christmas celebration), takes place in December. The city centre is filled with Christmas lights and various activities, such as the market at Haga Nygata. The event has become a popular tourist attraction.
 * Gothenburg Culture Festival (Kulturkalaset) takes place annually in August. City-festival featuring musical performances, a wide array of foreign food booths and lots and lots of beer. Massive public drunkenness and under-aged intoxication has made the city council consider to cancel the whole thing. If you stay off the absolute city-centre like the Avenue (Avenyn) you may find interesting parties and activities though.
 * Volvo Rendezvous for Owners & Members (VROM) &mdash; an annual meeting for Volvo enthusiasts.
 * Gothenburg's Pride festival is West Pride.
 * Göteborg Aero Show &mdash; Sweden's major annual air show, attracting tens of thousands spectators every year.
 * Way Out West &mdash; a yearly music festival held in Slottskogen, usually in August.
 * Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art (GIBCA). It's held every second year usually in November, the next one will be in 2019.

Sport events

 * Once a year during July, football playing youths from more than 50 countries take part in Gothia Cup, the world's biggest football tournament with over 1,000 teams. The final rounds are held at the Ullevi stadium, one of the largest in the Nordic countries.
 * Football: the city has four professional soccer teams. In Allsvenskan, the top tier, are BK Häcken (playing at Bravida Arena) and IFK Göteborg (at Gamla Ullevi Stadium). In Superettan the second tier are Örgryte IS and GAIS (both also at Gamla Ullevi). Gamla Ullevi is also the home stadium of the Sweden women's national team.
 * At Scandinavium hockey stadium the local team Frölunda plays games every week during season.
 * On occasion you can see wrestling in different locations in Gothenburg.
 * On occasion you can see wrestling in different locations in Gothenburg.

Learn
While the Gothenburg University or Chalmers University of Technology generally require longer stays to partake in their courses, if you want to do a shorter course, for example a language course or pottery course there are a few options:
 * Medborgarskolan
 * Folkuniversitetet
 * Vuxenskolan
 * Sensus

Buy
Gothenburg hosts most of the types of shopping that is available internationally. Swedish design goods and local specialties can be found at some places. The main shopping districts and malls are:



Book-shops
While few shops cater to English readers, there are two with somewhat more than the average business bestsellers:



Eat
The main restaurant street in Gothenburg is Linnégatan running from Järntorget to Linnéplatsen. It has a high concentration of good restaurants of all kinds in the low to moderate price range.

Most restaurants offer lunch menus ranging 90-130 kr, mostly they are served between 11:30 and 14:00.

Mid-range




Drink
In the summertime there are outdoor serving along Avenyn and Linnégatan.

You can pick up the free Nöjesguiden and Djungeltrumman magazines in various stores to read more about Gothenburg's nightlife. They are only available in Swedish though.

Clubs
There are several different clubs in Gothenburg, with a wide array of music styles.

Cafés
Gothenburg has a vast array of cafés practically everywhere. In the district Haga (near Järntorget) you can find a lot of nice cafés. It is quite normal to get a free re-fill if you buy filter coffee (bryggkaffe in Swedish).

Budget
Many Youth Hostels only offer their lowest prices to members of STF or IYHF. The Tourist Bureau just off Avenyn organises an excellent private home B&B service.

Stay safe
Most crimes against tourists are crimes of opportunity, such as pick-pocketing, bicycle theft, auto theft and auto vandalism. Pickpockets converge in Gothenburg during the summer months so beware. As always, do not leave valuable items in your car or in a cloakroom, and watch your bag in crowded places. Most shops and all major taxi companies accept credit and debit cards, so there is no need to carry a lot of cash. Downtown Gothenburg is plagued by illegal taxis by night, and they are considered very unsafe, especially for women. Check the taxi rate, which should be on a yellow window sticker; the preferred price should be in the range of 300-350 kr. Generally speaking, crime rates in Gothenburg are quite low from an international perspective.

Connect
As of Sept 2021, Gothenburg has 4G from 3 Tre and Net4Mobility / Tele2, and 5G from TeliaSonera. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Cope

 * The Local, local English-language newspaper.
 * Mailboxes Etc., Cheap place in town to print PDF's - handy e.g. for boarding passes or bus tickets

Religious services
Protestant churches:
 * Smyrna international, Hagakyrkogata 2. Celebration 15.00 (in English). Iranian meeting Thursdays 17:30.

Roman Catholic churches:
 * Kristus Konungen, Parkgatan 14. Holy mass: Sa 11:30, 16:30 (Spanish), 18:00, 19:00 (Polish); Su 9:30, 11:00, 13:00 (Polish), 16:00 (Croatian), 19:00; M-F 08:00, 11:30, 18:00.

Church of the Anglican community:
 * St. Andrews church, Hvidfeltsplatsen 2

Mosques:
 * Nasir Moskén, Tolvskillingsgatan 1. Sweden's first mosque built in 1975. (ahmadiya)
 * Bellevuemoskén, Generalsgatan 2A.
 * Göteborgs Moské, Myntgatan 8. This newly built mosque, with its beautiful cross between Islamic architecture and modern design, is a must go to for architectural fans.

Go next

 * Near Gothenburg is the beautiful Gothenburg archipelago. Here you can enjoy nature, have great views over the islands, swim in the ocean, buy ice cream and maybe eat at the restaurants on Brännö, Styrsö or Vrångö. The ferry terminal in Saltholmen which connects to the islands is easily reachable by tram from Gothenburg city center. There's a resident population on most islands, so ferries run all year.
 * Älvsborgs fortress (Älvsborgs fästning) from the 17th century was built on an island to protect the city from being attacked from the sea. Tourist boats Stromma make the trip regularly during summer.
 * Vinga - the last outpost before the sea and the place where Evert Taube (a famous Swedish poet) grew up.
 * Gunnebo House and Gardens, in the neighbouring municipality of Mölndal, is a large 18th-century wooden mansion built in the neo-classical style with Rococo interiors set in a Baroque park. There is a restaurant, a gift shop, guided tours and annual markets in the autumn and at Christmas.
 * Tjolöholm Castle, in Kungsbacka municipality south of Gothenburg, is an anachronistic Tudor castle built in the years around 1900 for the Scottish-Swedish merchant and factory-owning family Dickson, one of Gothenburg's many generous donors (they founded Gothenburg's first public library and built decent homes for the families of their factory staff).
 * Suburban Gothenburg: Alingsås, Lerum, Härryda, Mölndal and Partille
 * Bohuslän region with its scenic coastline landscapes is easily reachable by Västtrafik buses and trains, the company also operating the public transport in Gothenburg.
 * Denmark: Frederikshavn on the northern tip of Denmark has daily ferry connections operated by Stenaline. Depending on the ferry, the ride takes between 2 and 3 hours. The ferry itself can also be attraction in its own right, as you get good views of the Gothenburg Archipelago, and you will see a lot of Scandinavians going crazy because of the duty-free alcohol sale on the boat. Copenhagen can also be easily reached by bus.