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How do I plan a trip to a destination I have never been to and am not very familiar with?
I start with Google, of course. While Facebook has exploded as the most powerful social media (and advertising) platform in the world, Google is still the place to search for information.
In the case of Sweden, I have been spending time on VisitSweden, VisitStockholm (including YouTube channels) and a good blog I found called The Stockholm Tourist, written by Sean Naughton, a concierge at Rival Hotel in Stockholm. I also came across Sweden’s official website Sweden.se, which I find very helpful in learning about the country, its people, demographics, history, progressive policies, etc. (the website, by the way, is excellent in terms of navigation and design – Visit Sweden, on the other hand, should be revamped).
Travel Arrangements.
When it comes to making travel arrangements, I used the list of hotels on the TBEX 2016 conference website (the reason I am finally going to Sweden) as a guide and then researched prices and reputations on Expedia and TripAdvisor (in addition to using Google Maps to locate the hotels on a map relative to downtown Stockholm). As for the flight, my main requirement – in addition to a reasonable fare – was to not depart in the wee hours of the morning. I used Kayak and Expedia Canada to research the flight, but actually purchased it with points I still had on my RBC Gold Visa. I will be flying Icelandair via Reykjavik.
| The Swedish Number. |
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| Beautiful Stockholm, Sweden. Might it be like Vancouver, but without the mountains? Photo courtesy of Visit Sweden by Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se |
The second call I made was answered by another young woman by the name of Mathilda. She lives in Stockholm. Mathilda was on a train with a friend and they were going to a movie theatre. This call was more fun than informative because Mathilda is 17 and, not to disparage teenagers, but they often don’t make for good interviewees. I asked her what her favorite part of Stockholm was and she had a hard time answering – asked her friend about it. In the end, she said her favorite thing about Stockholm is the very old buildings and their history (not a bad answer by the way, as Stockholm was founded in the 13th Century!
I plan to make a few more phone calls to the Swedish Number and see if I can zero in on a few not-to-miss spots as recommended by local residents. And see if I can practice a few words or phrases in Swedish I am trying to learn with an app. That, in addition to my own online research, of course.
Vi ses snart, Stockholm.
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Source: canadianandworldtourism.com