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Sweden in early December

Posted by (Southern Maine) on

It looks like my husband and I will be going to Sweden in early December and I've got a couple of questions.

First of all, does anybody know what the taxes would be on an apartment rental? We're thinking of a VRBO-type rental, and while the prices don't seem outrageous, it suddenly occurred to me to wonder how much more it will be per night. Would it be 12% as it is rumored to be for hotel rooms (which seems remarkably low to me!)

And as a second question, does anybody have a sense of whether Christmas festivities related to St Lucia's day are a big deal and worth arranging our schedule around? We'll be in London for the other part of our trip, and we're not that holiday-oriented, but is it a day when many places will be closed?

Posted by
5846 posts

Generally in Sweden prices are always quoted inclusive of tax. I rented through airbnb last year in Stockholm and the quoted price was what we paid.

There are no particular closures on Lucia Day, but December 13th falls on a Sunday this year and typically shops either are closed or have reduced hours on Sunday. Most people celebrate Lucia Day at home with lussekatter (saffron buns - you can get some in a bakery) and coffee. If you happen to be in a place where there is a Lucia procession or singing, then you might want to attend but I would not alter your plans. If you are in Stockholm, Skansen has Lucia events and they also have a Christmas market on the weekends.

http://www.skansen.se/en/tema/lucia-pa-skansen-2013

http://www.skansen.se/en/aktivitet/skansen-christmas-market

Posted by
8 posts

Thanks very much! It sounds like the Skansen Christmas Market might almost be a justification to be there for St Lucia's day. And the video on their website is a good reminder about weather at that time of year. After last winter in Maine, it's a gloomy prospect to consider, but that doesn't look so bad.

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