Stockholm City Bikes - 2013!

Bikes with new sponsor: Air Tours

A true sign that winter is over... the Stockholm City Bike season has started (April through October). Stockholm is a fabulous city to bike around... lots of late evening sunlight, plenty of parks and bicycle lanes. This is all made easier (and inexpensive) with the Stockholm City Bike system. They have approximately 100 bike stands spread throughout the city, even out into the suburbs. You have the choice of buying either a 3 day card for 165 SEK or a season card for 250 SEK. Guests often comment that they only want the bikes for one day. Well, they don't sell one day cards... but the price for three days is still cheaper than renting a bike for one day at other commercial bike rental companies. If you are guests at the Rival Hotel then you can purchase a 3 day card at the hotel (we do not sell season cards). But if you are not a guest, either check with your hotel or else you can purchase your card at over 200 different 7-11's and Pressbyrån kiosks in the city (new this year) or at a SL Center.

Bike path on Djurgården

After purchasing a card, you can check out a bike at any of the bike stands by holding up your card to the computer display and following the instructions. You can check out a bike at any of the stands between 6am and 10pm daily throughout the season. If the stand is empty, the display will point you in the direction of the nearest stand with bikes. Otherwise they will be by shortly to fill up the stand with new bicycles. You then have that bike for 3 hours. You are welcome to check out a new bike right away, but you have to leave the bike at a stand before 3 hours is up... otherwise you receive a demirit. 3 demerits and your card will be cancelled. This system is to stop people from taking bikes home or into their offices. Be aware that the bikes don't come with locks, instead use the bike stands to lock your bikes (over 100 stands in the city!). It is important to note that you have to be 18 years old to use the bikes. If you are a family with children under 18, just talk to me and I will point you in the direction of a bike rental company that rents out children's bicycles.

Stockholm City Bikes 2012 Season

Bikes at a bike stand

As I reported last week, the Stockholm City Bike season (April to October) has started. The City Bikes are a great and inexpensive way to travel about in Stockholm... and they grow in popularity each year. This season there are 106 bike stations spread throughout the city with more bike stands planned! There are two types of rental cards for purchase... either a season card (300 SEK) or a three day card (165 SEK). People often ask if there is a one day card. The answer is no, though their three day rental is cheaper than renting a bike for one day elsewhere.
The bike stands are open every day from 6am to 10pm throughout the season. Each stand has a monitor with card reader. Just hold up the card to the reader and the monitor will let you know which bike to take. If you come to a stand without any bikes, the monitor will let you know where the nearest stand with bikes is located. Each bike can be rented for max 3 hours at a time. If you would like to have the bike longer, you just need to take the bike to one of the stands before the three hours is up and exchange it for a new one. This is to keep people from hanging on to bikes too long and allowing everyone a chance to rent a bike. The bikes have no locks, the stands should be used instead when you want to lock up your bike. More info!
Several hotels, including the Rival Hotel, sell the three day cards... for hotel guests only. If you are not staying at one of these hotels, then you can buy your card at either a SL Center or Tourist Information Center. Click here for more information on where to buy your card.

Tourist Season is Gearing Up!

Just in time for the Easter Holidays... three sure signs that the tourist season will soon be upon us! The first sign comes tomorrow (March 30th) when the Strömma boat tour to Drottningholm Palace starts up for the season. The boat tours will be operating on Fridays to Sundays until April 27th, when they start operating on a daily basis. Drottningholm, the home of the Swedish king & queen, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a great place to visit. The boat trip is half the fun and a wonderful way to see Stockholm.

Drottningholm. Photo by Gomer Swahn

The second sign... the start of the City Bike season (April 1st). A great and inexpensive way to see Stockholm! I will be writing more about this next week, but in the meantime you can check what I wrote last year. The Rival Hotel will be selling the card again this year (only to our hotel guests).

City Bikes

The third sign? Restaurants, bars and cafés all over Stockholm are opening up their outdoor seating areas. Apparently more restaurants than ever have applied for licenses to have outdoor seating this year! The Rival Hotel will be opening the Bistro balcony and Café outdoor seating on April 2nd... come snow, rain or sunshine! See you there!

Café Rival

Stockholm City Bikes

(Edit: this is a post from 2011. To see updated information, click here for the 2012 post) Warmer weather means that the Stockholm City Bike season has started. I have blogged about it last year, but there are a few changes this year (besides their appearance)... so here is an update!

Stockholm City Bike station

The Stockholm City Bikes are a great way to see the city and an inexpensive way to take a bike ride on a sunny day. You can either buy a season card or a three day card. The three day card is what is most interesting for a visitor so I will concentrate on that. The cost is 125 SEK, but as of June 1st it will be raised to 165 SEK. This is due to that the optional 50 SEK insurance will no longer be optional. I often get the question if there isn't a one day card available. The answer is no, but the cost of their 3 day card is much cheaper than renting a bike for one day at a regular bike rental store.
To buy a card: If you are staying at the Rival Hotel then we do sell the cards for hotel guests in the Reception... just talk to me! Otherwise you can buy a card at the Tourist Information Center at Vasagatan or in the Gallerian shopping center. They are also for sale in the SL Centers in certain subway stations (Slussen, T-Centralen and Fridhemsplan).
Rules: You have to be 18 years of age to rent a bike. There are about 90 bike stands throughout the city and they are open between 6am and 10pm every day. You check out your bike using your card and then you have the bike for three hours at a time. If you require a bike longer then you can check in and then check out a new bike at any of the stations.
Please note: There are no bike stands on the island of Skeppsholmen (Modern Art Museum, etc;) and only one bike stand on the island of Djurgården (Vasa Museum, Skansen, etc;). This is beacuse the islands are government owned and there are special laws regarding advertising. So plan accordingly!
If you are interested in renting more advanced bikes (mountain, city, children, etc;) or cycling guides... click here!