After Copenhagen and Oslo, the next stop for my Europe trip was Stockholm in Sweden.
I traveled from Copenhagen to Oslo via FlixBus and my experience was pretty much similar to the other times I've taken it. It was cheap and the whole experience wasn't bad - I pretty much slept throughout the entire trip. The only issue for most people was that there wasn't a lot of legroom which wasn't really an issue for me since I'm short.
To get to Stockholm from Oslo, I decided to take the train. I traveled via SJ Train, which is a regional train company in Sweden that offers trips between various cities in Sweden and major cities in other Scandinavian countries.
Booking a Trip with SJ Trains
The booking process was very straightforward. I booked online through the SJ Trains official website and paid using my debit card. I booked the earliest trip which departed at 7:32 am and was scheduled to arrive around 2 pm. The trip was from Oslo Central Station to Stockholm Central Station.
When making a reservation, you get to choose between first class and economy. Of course, I opted for the latter because your girl is a budget traveler. You also get the option to add a breakfast meal for a small fee, which I did since I figured I'd go hungry in a six-hour train ride. After paying, I got the confirmation right away and it comes with a mobile ticket with a QR code.
In total, I paid SEK480 or around PHP2,540 for an economy seat plus the add-on breakfast, which I thought was okay.
outdated but comfy seats |
During the Trip
On the day of the trip, I arrived at the platform 45 minutes early because that's just me - I like being way too early just to be safe. Once the train arrived, I boarded it, stowed my luggage in the storage rack in my assigned car, and looked for my reserved seat.
The interiors of the train looked very outdated. The floors needed some serious scrubbing and everything just looked very old. Apart from that, the amenities were quite decent. The seat was spacious and comfy and can be reclined. There was a nice seat-back tray table that was big and sturdy enough to hold my laptop. There was Wi-Fi on board, plus a charging port for my electronics. There was also a cup holder for drinks and plastic bags for trash, and they were quite generous with the legroom.
good amenities onboard |
The onboard toilet was clean and spacious. It was bigger than those tiny toilet cubicles on planes.
Several minutes before departure, someone came to check the tickets. The train departed on time and an hour into the trip, they announced that those who paid for breakfast could claim it in one of the cars. I expected some bread, a couple of slices of cheese, and a hard-boiled egg in the meal as advertised. However, there was some issue with the pre-ordered meals and we were told to just take any sandwich from the shop. To be honest, the sandwich looked better than the breakfast meal advertised so this was like an upgrade. The meal also included hot coffee.
The sandwich was good. As expected, I felt hungry again after a few hours and as I've said, this was a six-hour-ish train ride, but it was a good thing that I bought a couple of sandwiches before going to the train station in Oslo. So I had plenty of food with me.
sandwich and coffee |
Midway through the trip, the train stopped due to a mechanical issue and we were stuck for nearly an hour. There were announcements specifically for those who booked the airport train from Stockholm Central Station.
Apart from the delay, the trip went smoothly. I worked for a couple of hours since the onboard Wi-Fi was pretty decent and then slept for a couple of hours. I stayed awake when we were about an hour away from Stockholm so I could see the views.
Overall, I had a pleasant experience traveling from Oslo to Stockholm by train. Everything was so easy and convenient from the booking process to boarding to the trip itself. Yes, the delay was a bit of a bummer and I can imagine it being a hassle for those who have tight schedules but I don't think those delays happen too often.
Would I recommend taking the train from Oslo to Stockholm? Definitely! The cost of it versus taking the bus is almost the same but the comfort and travel experience was way better.
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