Well not me but my wife is going on a Scandanavian tour + Finland from Korea next week. Is there anything she should know about before going. I’ve been to Europe myself a few times but not the northern part and I’m just worried bout her even though it is relatively safe up there.
That said, anything she should know good or bad? local customs? warnings? tourist traps?
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The original was posted on /r/sweden by /u/BobbyBacala9980 at 2023-07-25 06:55:33+00:00.
RiiluTheLizardKing at 2023-07-25 07:11:55+00:00 ID:
jtct59q
Swedes dont like small talk with random strangers, they also dont like random strangers sitting next to them unless every other neighbor-free seat is full, if you end up sitting next to a random swede on the bus or train you should very much keep to your side and avoid eye contact and not try and talk to them.
Sweden has unfortunately gone down the road of “cashless society” so you’re unlikely to be able to pay with cash in restaurants, hotels and such, so you really need a credit card you can use internationally since it’s mostly grocery stores and some street vendors that still accept cash, it’s tragic but true.
Emperor_Owl at 2023-07-25 07:48:55+00:00 ID:
jtcvxb1
How is that tragic? Carrying cash is extremely inconvenient both for stores and people in general
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 08:40:42+00:00 ID:
jtczqtf
I can understand… moving from Canada to Korea where they are pretty much cashless like Sweden, it felt weird for me. Korea is a pretty intrusive country in my opinion. CCTVs everywhere, need to scam my personal card getting on and off the bus… sounds good for safety but it feels intrusive to know all my spending habits via credit card.
Emikzen at 2023-07-25 10:36:40+00:00 ID:
jtd8n1c
Privacy is a lot more protected and respected in Sweden than it is in Korea.
Snusandfags at 2023-07-25 07:56:38+00:00 ID:
jtcwhwu
My langare doesnt accept AMEX
RiiluTheLizardKing at 2023-07-25 07:53:05+00:00 ID:
jtcw8gd
It’s tragic because a lot of people still use cash and it makes it hard for them to function in society, especially migrants who dont have a personnummer yet who literally dont have any other option. Carrying cash isn’t hard, stores make record profits so they can spare the little expense to handle cash, and for people, well no one is forcing anyone to use cash, you can continue using card all you want and never touch a bill again in your life, I just think it was better if it remained a viable alternative to people who prefer to use it.
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 07:37:02+00:00 ID:
jtcv10j
Honestly… everything you said about Swedes holds true for Koreans 100%. lol
enepple at 2023-07-25 07:53:25+00:00 ID:
jtcw9e2
But I feel like this is a bit exaggerated. While what he says is true, I feel like it is mostly how we treat each other in day to day life.
In my experience we do not frown or get annoyed when/if a tourist does it, but we might be a bit caught off guard.
What I’ve heard and read though is that it is very hard to make friends when travelling from abroad, since Swedes are generally very locked in with their current friend-group.
I honestly can’t see much going wrong, especially travelling in a tourist group. I would say that the worst thing you probably will be exposed to is that most of the touristy-areas upscale their prices. No Swede, or at least very few, would actually buy anything in these areas unless necessary. But the prices are generally displayed so there will not be a surprise charge.
Mmm_daifuku at 2023-07-25 08:04:32+00:00 ID:
jtcx2v5
There are more social people in Sweden as well. Stockholm is like that but if you go to smaller cities and the country side, then people are more calm and friendly.
Admirable-Athlete-50 at 2023-07-25 09:01:42+00:00 ID:
jtd19v8
Im a swede who spent three weeks in Korea. I felt pretty familiar with most social rules except Koreans are better at handling crowds and standing aside when people enter subways and stuff.
There are some scammy people at tourist destinations but not to the extent of a city like Rome. Most people are helpful, they might notice you looking at a subway map and offer directions which is usually out of a true sense of wanting to help.
BeardedUnicornBeard at 2023-07-25 07:02:52+00:00 ID:
jtcsfym
You can drink the tap water.
Keffpie at 2023-07-25 08:41:50+00:00 ID:
jtcztry
…and it tastes really good, is the biggest thing I think to stress.
You can drink the water in London or Malaga too, but it tastes like pool water.
ComprehensivePea269 at 2023-07-25 09:00:32+00:00 ID:
jtd16u6
Tasted Uppsala water didn’t taste as great as Dalecarlian water.
deppkast at 2023-07-25 11:44:28+00:00 ID:
jtdeybh
The only tap water I’ve tasted that is better than Swedish tap water was fresh mountain water from the tap, it tasted sweeter in a way
Cookiest0mper at 2023-07-25 13:20:23+00:00 ID:
jtdq95r
Your milage may vary, a lot. Tap water in Stockholm? Generally good as long as the pipes aren’t ancient(which they may be). Tap water in Gävle? Disgusting.
deppkast at 2023-07-25 14:11:54+00:00 ID:
jtdxb53
I am indeed from stockholm, born raised and living, still got nothing on mountain water imo. Stockholm tap water just tastes like nothing in the best way, but that mountain water was sweet and so clean
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 07:26:50+00:00 ID:
jtcu9kb
Who in the western world can’t? Except maybe people in parts of Detroit.
Baljeep- at 2023-07-25 08:34:41+00:00 ID:
jtczaxu
By swedish tap water standards, most of the US and large parts of europe would have what we consider otjänligt/unfit water
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 08:52:32+00:00 ID:
jtd0m0a
I know some of us Swedes tend to believe that’s the case, but it’s not. The EU tap water standards are as high as the Swedish ones used to be before we implemented the EU standards too. (https://www.boverket.se/sv/byggande/halsa-och-inomhusmiljo/regler-om-dricksvatten/samhallskrav-pa-dricksvatten/#:~:text=Relaterad%20information-,EU%3As%20dricksvattendirektiv,senast%20den%2012%20januari%202023.)
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 08:05:24+00:00 ID:
jtcx53x
I grew up in Toronto and travelled everywhere across the states… I would only drink tap water if there was no other option and it was the last resort, that’s what I was always told to do. However ironically it would later come out that some of these water companies would just bottle local tap water…
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 08:12:08+00:00 ID:
jtcxmw7
Yep, both Pepsi and Coca Cola taps from municipal water supplies and sells it as bottled water..
AmputatorBot at 2023-07-25 08:12:21+00:00 ID:
jtcxngh
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BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 08:28:29+00:00 ID:
jtcyunf
That’s Corporate America for you…
UncouthMedia at 2023-07-25 07:36:00+00:00 ID:
jtcuy6u
Have you traveled at all? American water is definitely not drinkable and the rest of Europe’s water does at the very least taste really bad.
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 07:41:33+00:00 ID:
jtcvddi
I’ve travelled a lot, yes, and European tap water is perfectly safe to drink. As for the taste, that’s subjective. I find the water tasted better in Malmö where I grew up than in Stockholm where I live, but I know native stockholmers don’t agree.
US tap water is also perfectly safe to drink, with the exception of temporary contaminations. The bottled water you buy there often comes from municipal water supplies.
UncouthMedia at 2023-07-25 07:43:44+00:00 ID:
jtcvjbu
The differences between cities in southern Sweden isn’t comparable to e.g. swedish vs french water though.
Plenty of European countries highly advice against drinking the tap water.
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 07:44:43+00:00 ID:
jtcvm0r
Really? What European countries highly advise against drinking tap water?
Lance-theBoilingSon at 2023-07-25 08:04:38+00:00 ID:
jtcx33w
Parts of Spain, mainly the south and especially the islands, like Mallorca, has a heavy mineral content (limestone, “hard water”) and like many places in the world,it is heavily chlorinated so the locals lug plastic containers home from stores, not so great for the environment. In addition many expats and locals have a filtering system in place, like my mother does.
Maybe Spain is worse than other southern European countries, i’m not sure.Spain certainly has the worst drought problem in Europe.Large parts of the country(center and southeast) is more or less a steppe.
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 08:08:47+00:00 ID:
jtcxe99
Spanish tap water is safe to drink unless there’s a local exception (about 0,5%). It’s usually the small islands you’re referring to indeed.
Snusandfags at 2023-07-25 07:53:21+00:00 ID:
jtcw970
Greece
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 08:04:03+00:00 ID:
jtcx1ke
Most ground water in Greece is safe as is (source: EASAC). But they do have water treatment plants for the ground water that isn’t up to par.
UncouthMedia at 2023-07-25 07:54:14+00:00 ID:
jtcwbkk
Currently in Greece. That’s one.
I remember Cyprus, Andorra and Bosnia are places where they highly advice against it, but in pretty much all the rest of them the locals still buy water bottles.
ImToxic00 at 2023-07-25 07:59:57+00:00 ID:
jtcwqp5
Bosnia? Everyone i know drinks tap water There. I buy water from the store but only because i want to support the country A bit more
Lokkuri at 2023-07-25 08:08:10+00:00 ID:
jtcxcm3
Taste isnt subjective when the water is full of contaminations,safe to drink sure, but still full of unwanted flavor
Also half of US tap water is contaminated with PFAS.
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 08:10:00+00:00 ID:
jtcxhdu
safe to drink sure…
So that’s the end of discussion about the safety standards of tap water. Next time we’ll talk about the culinary experience of tap water.
Lokkuri at 2023-07-25 08:14:43+00:00 ID:
jtcxtrj
Yes, but he did say drinkable…not about safety
And did you just skip the PFAS ?
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 08:21:06+00:00 ID:
jtcyaxa
He said safe, which it is. American tap water is safe with strict safety regulations in place. You’ll find PFAS in ground water all over the world, including Sweden. Tap water in Sweden is perfectly safe to drink. So is tap water in the US.
Elhiar at 2023-07-25 07:30:25+00:00 ID:
jtcujbq
Lots of places, discouraged in London and Rome for example
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 07:39:58+00:00 ID:
jtcv926
Same goes for London, perfectly safe to drink unless otherwise stated. But temporary contamination happens in Sweden too.
Christoffre at 2023-07-25 08:04:27+00:00 ID:
jtcx2ma
But temporary contamination happens in Sweden too.
My hometown had a temporary contamination of the drinking water, where the amounts of a dangerous substance were doubled.
But that meant that the water was only safe to consume for 40 years, instead of standard 80 years.
They fixed it within a year.
throwaway666_999_555 at 2023-07-25 08:26:26+00:00 ID:
jtcypbt
I’ve drank the tap water in London for two decades, you’ll be fine
Snusandfags at 2023-07-25 07:53:53+00:00 ID:
jtcwak8
London lol, not true at all
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 07:39:34+00:00 ID:
jtcv80c
I from Toronto and I never did… I always prefered overpriced bottled tap water haha
CapTension at 2023-07-25 07:43:18+00:00 ID:
jtcvi4j
In my experience if there is cheap still water in the supermarkets in big containers this means a lot of people don’t drink the tap water. If the still water is as expensive as flavored sparkling then most people probably drink the tap water so you should give it a taste.
Own_Acanthocephala0 at 2023-07-25 07:42:15+00:00 ID:
jtcvf6n
You won’t find much water on bottle here and it definitely will be overpriced. Everyone drinks straight from the tap since it really can’t get better than that.
ALH at 2023-07-25 07:47:07+00:00 ID:
jtcvsim
What? Overpriced I can agree on but I don’t think I’ve seen a single store that does not have bottled water…
Own_Acanthocephala0 at 2023-07-25 07:54:41+00:00 ID:
jtcwcth
Oh for sure, it was bit of an exaggeration from me. I my mind I was comparing stores in Sweden to stores in many other european nations where they have big full sections of just bottled water. We don’t have the same in Sweden since there isn’t much of a demand on it.
Rapithree at 2023-07-25 07:53:46+00:00 ID:
jtcwa93
If all your water comes from bottles. You get bigger bottles than 0,5l. Those are uncommon here.
ALH at 2023-07-25 07:56:30+00:00 ID:
jtcwhkh
Those are uncommon here.
Not really? Might not be pallets of them in every corner shop like in contintental Europe, but theres usually lots of 1.5 (or 1.4 with shrinkflation) bottles in any grocery store.
bATo76 at 2023-07-25 08:03:28+00:00 ID:
jtcx02c
All tap water safe in Europe and US? This guy diarrheas.
MrOaiki at 2023-07-25 08:05:56+00:00 ID:
jtcx6n4
Yes, all tap water in Europe and the US is safe to drink, except for temporary contaminations. Even the water in Detroit is safe to drink.
AmputatorBot at 2023-07-25 08:06:09+00:00 ID:
jtcx78l
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Aggravating-Ad1703 at 2023-07-25 07:41:35+00:00 ID:
jtcvdgq
When you are Scandinavian everything outside of here taste like shit
grimexp at 2023-07-25 06:59:29+00:00 ID:
jtcs6aw
Beware of the polar bears roaming the streets.
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 07:55:19+00:00 ID:
jtcwehu
I grew up in Canada… saw them everywhere so I’m used to them.
Paws_On_Keyboard at 2023-07-25 08:18:47+00:00 ID:
jtcy4je
Never been there, but I’ve often gotten the feeling that we’re quite similar in a lot of ways.
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 08:54:19+00:00 ID:
jtd0qpp
Actually reading peoples replies here I find Koreans and Sweden very similar
It’s generally very safe there, so not much to worry about. If you are planning on doing a lot of hiking in unpopulated areas make sure you do your due diligence. The weather is pretty nice in the summer. Nearly everyone speaks good English, with the exceptions of some older people and those in rural areas. Enjoy your time there, the people are friendly and the land is breathtaking.
leethepolarbear at 2023-07-25 07:55:28+00:00 ID:
jtcwew7
Funny you happened to travel right around the same time thousands of Swedes are travelling to Korea because of the World Scout Jamboree.
Short-Departure3757 at 2023-07-25 07:30:40+00:00 ID:
jtcuk16
From what I’ve heard, the danish speak gibberish, and the norweigan are not particularly bright. So I would stick to Sweden.
exForeignLegionnaire at 2023-07-25 08:01:52+00:00 ID:
jtcwvwj
Kom igjen’a svenskefaen… Skal vi sloss?
maxxxahoes at 2023-07-25 08:25:07+00:00 ID:
jtcylsf
Brightest norwegian right here^
exForeignLegionnaire at 2023-07-25 08:26:36+00:00 ID:
jtcyprf
-_- Magnoff Kalfen!
eolisk at 2023-07-25 09:01:14+00:00 ID:
jtd18p9
Norway has the most beautiful nature tho 😭
coolbond1 at 2023-07-25 09:20:08+00:00 ID:
jtd2mj4
Norway for the natue swden for the history and denmark for the booze
sixpencecoin at 2023-07-25 09:56:55+00:00 ID:
jtd5eda
Damn right, I might need to use that description at some point xd
kiiviin at 2023-07-25 12:38:10+00:00 ID:
jtdkxsu
Denmark also had the best pastries.
RedditPickel at 2023-07-25 07:59:33+00:00 ID:
jtcwpou
Avoid smaller cab companies especially at airports and train stations
peterk_se at 2023-07-25 20:03:44+00:00 ID:
jtfgz3x
This is VERY important OP - in Sweden, there are a few taxi scams going on at the airport. Look at the rear window on Taxi’s they are forced by law to type the average price per kilometer.
If this numer is anything but 300-700 swedish crowns …then something is wrong.
It’s not a scam, technically, it’s just that certain taxis ramp up their kilometer price to several thousands. Quite unethical, but not illegal - unfortunately.
Kaffepaus_ at 2023-07-25 08:16:30+00:00 ID:
jtcxyjg
Can’t stress this enough, stick to the main company’s (taxi Stockholm, kurir).
IcyHedgehog1549 at 2023-07-25 12:11:25+00:00 ID:
jtdhvmp
No, stick to Uber as a tourist. You cannot get scammed, they are way nicer, and you will pay less.
Tazyrelliex at 2023-07-25 15:37:10+00:00 ID:
jteabuf
Where I live it’s not uncommon for uber drivers to take the ride, deny it, call you and tell you they’ll drive you for above what uber said the price would be.
RaXha at 2023-07-25 13:24:10+00:00 ID:
jtdqqtu
Uber is far from widely available, at least in Sweden.
Zvenc at 2023-07-25 11:35:48+00:00 ID:
jtde2pz
You do know that those are only big in Stockholm right? On Gotland we NEVER use your taxis because they charge ridiculously high. We use Taxi Gotland or virtually any other companies that aren’t Swedish.
Duckfro at 2023-07-25 18:07:58+00:00 ID:
jteygt4
To clarify, it’s legal to charge what you want for a taxi ride, as long as you display the price on the yellow sticker on the right rear window. Learn how to read those and what’s a good price and you can take most cabs.
There are also cab companies that have cars and names very similar to the “big brand” companies. Be alert.
SirElroy at 2023-07-25 19:49:40+00:00 ID:
jtfeodj
Or take a min to learn about commuter trains and busses. Sweden is not as good as seoul but its good enough in Stockholm/arlanda area. taxi in sweden is way overpriced.
PapaIIII at 2023-07-25 08:13:25+00:00 ID:
jtcxqdm
Uber is perfectly safe.
Rising_Spirit at 2023-07-25 09:49:41+00:00 ID:
jtd4ty7
Beställde uber en gång. Chauffören dök upp en timme sent och när han väl hade dykt upp ville han att vi skulle betala honom extra i kontanter för att åka med
Mindcoitus at 2023-07-25 10:44:31+00:00 ID:
jtd9bno
Hur är det ens möjligt, avbryt och beställ en till om den inte dyker upp.
geon at 2023-07-25 09:10:22+00:00 ID:
jtd1wsf
Uber is not a small company.
cc81 at 2023-07-25 11:08:29+00:00 ID:
jtdbgvw
This is important. This is most likely one of the most common scams that tourists encounter.
cemilanceata at 2023-07-25 07:31:59+00:00 ID:
jtcunfk
You should be worried, we are the most beautiful people on this earth.
EasyLengthWise at 2023-07-25 08:21:44+00:00 ID:
jtcycp8
This guy has been to one country in the world
cemilanceata at 2023-07-25 11:46:39+00:00 ID:
jtdf6g4
I actually prefer a little more flavour myself, but that doesn’t change the fact how we are perceived among the masses.
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 07:59:25+00:00 ID:
jtcwpbp
Honestly, I can’t disagree… come World Cup time the Swedish WAGs always get me…
Quick Question: Do Scandanavians share the same ethnicity? I don’t know much about northern Europe. Are they pretty much the same ppl more or less separated by borders?
Axxx69420 at 2023-07-25 08:05:46+00:00 ID:
jtcx66g
Yes basically. You won’t notice that much of a difference as a foreigner. There’s just slight differences in culture that you might notice.
TheWolfwiththeDragon at 2023-07-25 08:23:53+00:00 ID:
jtcyije
As a Swede, our sense of ethnicity is much more based on language and nationality. Since Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and Icelandic are all descendants of the same Norse people, we are all very similar. We can also understand each others’ languages fairly well.
The odd one out is Finland, since their linguistic roots are completely different from any other Nordic languages. Swedish is more closely related to Persian or Hindi than it is to Finnish! Despite us being neighbours. But Finland was part of the Swedish empire for 700 years so there has probably been quite some mixing between the two.
There is also the Sami people to the north, which are a semi-nomadic group of people not ethnically or linguistically connected with the Norse. If you ever see reindeer herding while traveling here, it is run by them as that’s their privilege.
BTW, as the term ”Scandivania” is sometimes only used to refer to some of the countries in the region, you could just use the term ”The Nordic countries” to refer to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland all together. Explanation.
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 08:49:58+00:00 ID:
jtd0f0j
Wow a lot of info to unpack here. I always assumed Finland was apart of Scandanavia until I did research for this trip. Watching that youtube link… thanks!
Rising_Spirit at 2023-07-25 09:55:56+00:00 ID:
jtd5bo6
Finland is similar culturally but not in terms of language
MawrtiniTheGreat at 2023-07-25 11:46:41+00:00 ID:
jtdf6lx
The Finns (and the Sámi) are originally north Siberian nomadic steppe people, originally more culturally similar to say the stereotypical medieval Mongolians than to the old Norse/current Scandinavian cultures. However, thousands of years of proximity and hundreds of years of Swedish rule has brought the Finns culturally a bit closer to the rest of us. The language is still completely different from the Scandinavian languages.
The Sámi are still a lot closer to their original roots, although in a modernised form the last hundred years (less horseback archers, more snowmobiles for herding deer). Here is an example from early 20th century: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File%3ASaami_Family_1900.jpg
kadunkulmasolo at 2023-07-25 09:31:17+00:00 ID:
jtd3fsr
No offense or anything but since I have seen you calling it “Scandanavia” several times in this thread (so its unlike to be a typo), I feel like I need to point out that the actual spelling is Scandinavia with an i.
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 10:59:25+00:00 ID:
jtdan47
Duly noted… thanks!
Paws_On_Keyboard at 2023-07-25 08:15:16+00:00 ID:
jtcxv6o
Yes, except the sámi in the north, though they were there before modern borders and cross all three countries. Then of course we have had a lot of immigrants in later years.
gullijan at 2023-07-25 08:06:16+00:00 ID:
jtcx7ji
Yeah, people in Sweden, Norway and Denmark share the same ethnicity. We also understand each others language but I have to say I struggle with Danish (am Swedish).
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 08:42:38+00:00 ID:
jtczvvv
I always assumed that Finland was Scandanavian too… until I googled info on this trip for my wife…
ravyalle at 2023-07-25 08:05:20+00:00 ID:
jtcx4yj
Its pretty much the same ethnicity in northern and central europe but people do look sliiiighly different in different countries, its pretty cool. I for example am from germany originally but always immediatey get spotted because i dont really look like the average swede. We are all caucasian but the faces are different somehow. I have even noticed some differences between eg sweden and denmark
Common-Wish-2227 at 2023-07-25 09:11:11+00:00 ID:
jtd1z1e
We fucking aren’t Caucasians! Please. That entire terminology is bullshit. We’re north Germanic.
andre-lll at 2023-07-25 08:06:29+00:00 ID:
jtcx84c
I’d probably say that we are more or less the same people. We all see ourselves as brothers and would fight for each other, same with Finland.
rakosten at 2023-07-25 08:03:27+00:00 ID:
jtcx01h
Rent a car so that you can be more flexible and really enjoy the ”allemansrätten” for real.
Fit-Picture-5096 at 2023-07-25 08:05:53+00:00 ID:
jtcx6il
I recently found some cash in an old jacket. I had to google the bills to see if they still were usable. I haven’t used cash in years.
JaguarZealousideal55 at 2023-07-25 07:07:41+00:00 ID:
jtcstdu
Welcome!
Payment with card (visa or master card) is more common than paying with cash. Swish (an app-based system) is also popular and common. Many places don’t even accept cash. My elderly parents manage but they grumble a bit when they have to use their phones to buy the grandkids ice-cream.
I live in Sweden btw.
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 07:27:08+00:00 ID:
jtcuabh
All of Scandanavia is like this or just Sweden? So she should just use her Korean visa credit card for transactions?
Korea is the same way actually… it’s almost a cashless society.
Drahy at 2023-07-25 08:24:32+00:00 ID:
jtcyka4
Denmark is the same.
SunTzuYAO at 2023-07-25 08:03:44+00:00 ID:
jtcx0rd
Norway is very similar in this regard, except for some remote parkings near the wilderness areas where there might be parking fees that can only be paid via their local mobile payment system (which you can’t get as a tourist) or cash. Virtually everything else you’d normally pay by card.
Not sure about the other countries but would imagine it’s the same.
pink_board at 2023-07-25 07:58:56+00:00 ID:
jtcwo2h
Easier to use cards but might come with extra fees when converting currencies
bawng at 2023-07-25 08:25:56+00:00 ID:
jtcyo0d
Someone down voted you but this is correct. Card payments are free in Sweden but if you have a foreign card your bank will charge an exchange fee.
Same as when we Swedes use our cards abroad.
Joz43 at 2023-07-25 12:48:02+00:00 ID:
jtdm5cf
This depends on the bank, there are a few that do 0% and just charge you whatever VISA or Mastercard’s rate is, but yes many large banks charge a foreign transaction fee of anywhere from 1% to 5% on top of the VISA/Mastercard rate.
manInTheWoods at 2023-07-25 09:18:37+00:00 ID:
jtd2ifv
It’s around 1%, better than forex rates. I wouldn’t worry.
JaguarZealousideal55 at 2023-07-25 07:33:41+00:00 ID:
jtcury9
I don’t know about the other countries.
exForeignLegionnaire at 2023-07-25 07:58:26+00:00 ID:
jtcwmoh
Mastercard and vida debit, or use Apple pay or Google pay. Don’t bother using cash. At least in Norway.
LuceDuder at 2023-07-25 08:57:05+00:00 ID:
jtd0xse
Second that for Finland
s-maerken at 2023-07-25 09:05:28+00:00 ID:
jtd1jno
Third that for Sweden
maark91 at 2023-07-25 09:08:50+00:00 ID:
jtd1sqc
Get ~500 sek just in case if she visits a farmers market or small kiosks on the beach/nature since they dont always accept cards.
Possible-Finish-9499 at 2023-07-25 19:37:07+00:00 ID:
jtfcn5f
If your card requires signature CVM instead of PIN, you’ll have to show passport everytime you want to make payment.
Elhiar at 2023-07-25 07:31:05+00:00 ID:
jtcul2z
Yeah just use a debit or credit card.
eloktro at 2023-07-25 08:25:39+00:00 ID:
jtcyn84
Yea, all of Scandinavia.
BackgroundRate3700 at 2023-07-25 09:19:38+00:00 ID:
jtd2l57
So she should just use her Korean visa credit card for transactions?
Absolutely. Just make sure to check with the bank before, just in case it’s region locked or something for security purposes.
Elhiar at 2023-07-25 07:30:59+00:00 ID:
jtcukt9
Yeah just use a debit or credit card.
helm at 2023-07-25 08:53:41+00:00 ID:
jtd0p3g
Swish is hard to use as a foreigner without BankID
gammalsvenska at 2023-07-25 12:34:01+00:00 ID:
jtdkg94
It’s basically impossible.
RiiluTheLizardKing at 2023-07-25 07:12:30+00:00 ID:
jtct6tz
You cant get Swish unless you’re a citizen with a personnummer.
tobberoth at 2023-07-25 07:19:03+00:00 ID:
jtctogv
You don’t need to be a citizen, but you do indeed need a personnummer, so it’s not available for tourists. You need to be a resident.
Muted_Sprinkles_6426 at 2023-07-25 07:58:01+00:00 ID:
jtcwllw
Just so you know what to do if you encounter trolls…watch this documentary :
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740707/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_7_tt_8_nm_0_q_troll
/s
Flesh-God at 2023-07-25 07:52:51+00:00 ID:
jtcw7ud
Many stores don’t take cash, just straight won’t so a card is a necessity. Or you won’t be able to buy things, at least not in Stockholm.
bruhbruhbruh123466 at 2023-07-25 08:02:20+00:00 ID:
jtcwx32
Stay out of certain areas, look up our “socioeconomic challenged areas”. Basically immigrants ghettos. I don’t know how it is in Korea but just know people aren’t so outwardly warm and friendly as in other countries. We are absolutely friendly but it’s not something we express to strangers without being talked to first.
Again I dont know if you have it in Korea but if you’re going to a really big city watch out for bike lanes where only bicycles go.
If you are out at night it’s not really anything special, stay out of sketchy areas and stick to well populated places. Most Swedes know English pretty well so if you are not staying for long don’t learn like a few Swedish phrases, it’s unnecessary.
