All you need to know about driving in Stockholm

It’s easy to rent a car in Stockholm. As with all of Europe, all you need is a national driving license and a valid passport, and you’ll be good to go.

If you’ve hired a car but would prefer to swerve parking in the city centre, you’ll be glad to know there’s a great park and ride service. Just outside of the city centre, you’ll find over 30 park-and-ride facilities that are well connected to the city’s public transport. Park & Ride Enskedehallen is one of these at 5.5km outside the city ( a 12 minutes drive,) as is the one at Sickla shopping centre which is 9.9 km away (16 mins drive).  Here’s a handy map which shows where some of these are located. 

Top tip: to get the most out of your money when you use a park-and-ride facility, arrive between 5 AM and 9 AM to get a low daily price. 

You’ll find plenty of parking garages located within the inner city, particularly in the Norrmalm area. When it comes to cost, the price usually sits between SEK 85 and 120 for each hour during weekdays. If you’d like to park in a 24-hour garage in the city, you should expect to pay around SEK 300. 

You can also park in designated street parking, but check the signs on the road, as fines for non-compliance can be high.. Most places that allow you to park on the street will have signs around the neighbourhood entrance. Generally, street parking meters will charge by the hour and will accept payment using both MasterCard and VISA.

During weekdays, between the hours of 6:30 AM and 18.29 PM, all cars are subject to a congestion charge. The maximum amount per day, per vehicle, is capped at SEK 105 while trips in or out of the inner city or along the Essigneleden highway will cost between SEK 11 and 35. 

It’s also worth noting that the roads in the city centre have toll roads for Swedish-registered cars.

A nature-packed, picturesque city like Stockholm can easily persuade you to do your bit for the environment. If you opt to drive an electric vehicle in the city, you’ll find over 1,000 charging stations in and around greater Stockholm for these. Keeping in line with the city’s fossil-fuel-free vision for 2040, you can expect to see a lot more of these in the future.

• On roads that have a speed limit of between 30 and 50 km/h, buses always have the right of way. The same goes for pedestrians when it comes to crossings.

• You need to keep your headlights on no matter the time of day. When the sun's shining, dimmed is sufficient.  

• The legal level for drinking and driving is a maximum of just 0.2%. If you want to be on the safe side, it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether, especially on unknown roads.  

• The driver and all passengers must be belted up at all times.  

• In the case of an emergency when you’re out driving, you can reach the emergency services on 112. 

Although there are a couple of rules to keep in mind when you’re driving in and around Stockholm, you should find the driving easy. Swedish roads are well-maintained, with the country said to have some of the best secondary roads and highways on the continent. 

Worried about finding your way?  Include GPS to your car hire booking and relax.  You can add it on the 'Extras' page while booking online, or contact us to add it to an existing booking.

During winter, the weather conditions can become pretty severe in Stockholm. Be prepared by adding winter equipment to your car hire. We offer snow tyres and snow chains, and if you’re hitting the slopes during your visit we can add racks for skis and snowboards too.

You can book winter products online, or add to an existing booking, by calling our reservations hotline.