Driving in Sweden
Discussion
Driving in Sweden is very civilised, I found. No-one drives like an idiot.
For the headlights issue, I asked my local dealer to programme the car so headlights were on all the time. Was easier than getting a ticket for forgetting whilst there.....
I drove from Luxembourg to Säter in 2 driving days in 2008. Helped a friend for his wedding to his then Swedish fiancée by driving up with 2 family wagons loaded with booze for their celebrations.
Took the ferry from Puttgarden (D) to Rodby (DK), and stopped overnight in Malmö. Following day, drove the remaining 7h to Säter.
We were thankful to have so much booze left over from the wedding that we didn't have to spend much when in our accommodation for early nights (Children were then 6 & 7), given Swedish prices!
Toured around Sweden before dropping the family at the airport for them to fly back to Lux, and I drove back solo from Nyköping to Luxembourg. (I must have stayed somewhere overnight...)
I think I covered something like 4k km that trip.
For the headlights issue, I asked my local dealer to programme the car so headlights were on all the time. Was easier than getting a ticket for forgetting whilst there.....
I drove from Luxembourg to Säter in 2 driving days in 2008. Helped a friend for his wedding to his then Swedish fiancée by driving up with 2 family wagons loaded with booze for their celebrations.
Took the ferry from Puttgarden (D) to Rodby (DK), and stopped overnight in Malmö. Following day, drove the remaining 7h to Säter.
We were thankful to have so much booze left over from the wedding that we didn't have to spend much when in our accommodation for early nights (Children were then 6 & 7), given Swedish prices!
Toured around Sweden before dropping the family at the airport for them to fly back to Lux, and I drove back solo from Nyköping to Luxembourg. (I must have stayed somewhere overnight...)
I think I covered something like 4k km that trip.
Holidayed in Gorthernberg last year (first time in Sweden for me), and found the driving astoundingly stress-free and easy. I don't normally struggle to adjust to driving abroad anyway, but certainly found driving over there the least stressful. Only thing I really worried about was not having too much to drink the night before if I knew we were using the car. Possibly also helped that we had the best hire car we've ever had (a well kept V60 as opposed to some tired and thrashed PSA or VAG number)
Currently trying to persuade the other half that we should go back this year!
Currently trying to persuade the other half that we should go back this year!
OP there's one thing that I forgot which can be tricky, nearly caught out by it, sorry to use the c-word but maybe it was just the cyclists (yes that c-word) in our district that did this. Sorry it's a bit of a long winded post.
Pedestrian crossings, there were what we would recognise as proper marked crossings but in town junctions and some streets also had slightly raised areas of block paving, often near junctions that weren't marked but practically treated as crossings. The rules on crossings slightly differ from the current UK setup, see Highway code rule 195 which says amongst other things on such as zebras...
Both situations in Sweden were and presumably still are as I was instructed to be a MUST give way. Some pedestrians abuse that and just march out without pausing. Keep your eyes open and can usually spot the potential.
Cyclists do not have that priority, but do if they are on foot and pushing the bike. You get some who dismount on the move just before the crossing and just continue as they consider they are now a pedestrian. In extreme cases you can get someone who dismounts from the cycle, keeps one foot on a pedal and dabs the other foot on the ground like a scooter. Maybe it was just our local idiots as never saw it elsewhere particularly, but first time encountered it was a close call.
A question for those still living in Sweden, are you still plagued with idiot kids with a death wish on low powered scooters or are they all on e-bikes now?
Pedestrian crossings, there were what we would recognise as proper marked crossings but in town junctions and some streets also had slightly raised areas of block paving, often near junctions that weren't marked but practically treated as crossings. The rules on crossings slightly differ from the current UK setup, see Highway code rule 195 which says amongst other things on such as zebras...
rule 195 said:
● you should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross
● you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing
Note the distinction between should and MUST there.● you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing
Both situations in Sweden were and presumably still are as I was instructed to be a MUST give way. Some pedestrians abuse that and just march out without pausing. Keep your eyes open and can usually spot the potential.
Cyclists do not have that priority, but do if they are on foot and pushing the bike. You get some who dismount on the move just before the crossing and just continue as they consider they are now a pedestrian. In extreme cases you can get someone who dismounts from the cycle, keeps one foot on a pedal and dabs the other foot on the ground like a scooter. Maybe it was just our local idiots as never saw it elsewhere particularly, but first time encountered it was a close call.
A question for those still living in Sweden, are you still plagued with idiot kids with a death wish on low powered scooters or are they all on e-bikes now?
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