Gothenburg Life and Visitor Travel Tips

(Gothenburg, Vastergotland, Vastra Gotaland County, Sweden)

Visitors holidaying in Gothenburg should consider purchasing the moneysaving Göteborg Pass when they arrive. The discount card is well worth the money, even if you intend to simply use it to park with, since street parking in Gothenburg is amongst the most expensive in the whole of Sweden.

The Göteborg Pass also allows either free admission of good discounts to an array of attractions, along with free sightseeing bus tours, unlimited use of public transport and even free bicycle hire. Many hotels in Gothenburg now offer a deal known as the 'Göteborgspaketet', where the Göteborg Pass is automatically provided during your entire stay as part of the package.

Useful Contact Details

The main tourist office in Gothenburg is located at the Kungsportsplatsen and is home to all of the usual pamphlets and glossy brochures, along with city maps, postcards and gifts, and a convenient hotel-booking service.

This is also a good place to book for sightseeing tours and boat trips along the city's canals and around the archipelago.

Göteborgs Turistbyra - Kungsportsplatsen (Gothenburg Tourist Information Centre)
Address: Kungsportsplatsen 2, Gothenburg, SE-41110, Sweden, SE
Tel: +46 031 61 2500
Fax: +46 031 61 2501
Website: www.goteborg.com
Email: turistinfo@goteborg.com

Göteborgs Turistbyra - Nordstadstorget (Gothenburg Tourist Information Centre)
Address: Nordstadstorget (next to Brunnsparken), Gothenburg, SE-41105, Sweden, SE
Tel: +46 031 61 2500
Fax: +46 031 61 2501
Website: www.goteborg.com
Email: turistinfo@goteborg.com

Alingsas Turistbyra (Alingsas Tourist Information Centre)
Address: Stora Torget 1, Alingsas, SE-44181, Sweden, SE
Tel: +46 0322 61 6000
Fax: +46 0322 61 6730
Website: www.alingsas.se
Email: turistbyran@alingsas.se

Kungsbacka Turistbyra (Kungsbacka Tourist Information Centre)
Address: Storgatan 41, Kungsbacka, SE-43432, Sweden, SE
Tel: +46 0300 83 4595
Fax: +46 0300 83 4599
Website: www.kungsbacka.se
Email: tourist@kungsbacka.se

Kungälv Turistbyra (Kungälv Tourist Information Centre)
Address: Fästningsholmen, Kungälv, SE-44281, Sweden, SE
Tel: +46 0303 23 9200
Fax: +46 0303 1 7106
Website: www.kungalv.se
Email: info@turism.kungalv.se

Language and Dialect

Gothenburg is a great place to practice your Swedish, since a large number of the locals actually speak English well and will be happy to correct you. Whilst you will be able to enjoy your time in Gothenburg without speaking a single word of Swedish, bringing a phrase book will allow you to attempt to immerse yourself a little in the local culture. Many Swedish phrases are simple, such as:

• Hello - Hejsan
• Welcome - Välkommen
• Good morning - Good morgon
• Please will you speak more slowly - Var snäll och prata langsammare
• Where is the toilet? - Var är toaletten?
• How much does this cost - hur myc-ket kos-tar det
• I don't understand - Jag förstar inte
• What did you say? - Vad sa du?

Dos and Don'ts / Tourist Traps

• Banks - plenty of banks with cashpoint machines can be found along the Kungsportsavenyn (Avenyn) and also within the Nordstan complex
• Boat Trips - if you find that the prices of boat trips along the Göta Canal are a little prohibitive, there is a good walking trail along the side where you can take a stroll and enjoy the sights for free
• Eating Out - the Kungsportsavenyn is a great place to visit and always features heavily in many of Gothenburg's local events, although the bars and eateries here do tend to be much more expensive than those in the Linnégatan area
• Postal Services - the majority of all postal services in Gothenburg and now provided by newsagents, kiosks, supermarkets and also petrol stations
• Shopping - whilst the shopping around the Nordstadstorget is excellent, the crowds that its draws means that pickpockets also favour this area, so take the necessary precautions to safeguard your belongings. The Götaplatsen is another hotspot for pickpockets in Gothenburg