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:
jtct59qSwedes 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:
jtcvxb1How is that tragic? Carrying cash is extremely inconvenient both for stores and people in general
RiiluTheLizardKing at 2023-07-25 07:53:05+00:00 ID:
jtcw8gdIt’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 08:40:42+00:00 ID:
jtczqtfI 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:
jtd8n1cPrivacy 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:
jtcwhwuMy langare doesnt accept AMEX
BobbyBacala9980 (OP) at 2023-07-25 07:37:02+00:00 ID:
jtcv10jHonestly… everything you said about Swedes holds true for Koreans 100%. lol
Admirable-Athlete-50 at 2023-07-25 09:01:42+00:00 ID:
jtd19v8Im 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.
Mmm_daifuku at 2023-07-25 08:04:32+00:00 ID:
jtcx2v5There 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.
enepple at 2023-07-25 07:53:25+00:00 ID:
jtcw9e2But 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.