Doing business
Don’t expect much in the way of small talk – Swedes will get straight to the point. This can be advantageous, but also means you have to be very sharp. Prepare rigorously. Also you may find yourself at a loose end on some evenings – Swedes consider ties to family and home very important and don’t enjoy working out of hours.

Cool hotel
Head to the Hotel Odin for space and comfort. This new hotel has fabulous apartments filled with the kind of decor and gadgets you’d kill for at home and comes equipped with everything you need for a long, comfortable stay, including a full kitchen and a lounge with TV and stereo. See: www.hotelodin.se

Hip restaurant
Gothenburg is awash with sleek and fashionable restaurants. Modern Swedish cuisine is served up at exclusive, intimate Linnea. Fancy ingredientsand some surprisingly homely ones (gooseberries, nettles and lentils) are spun into subtle and succulent meals, beautifully presented on glass plates. Reserve ahead – it’s justifiably popular. See: www.restauranglinnea.com

Happening bar
Swedish law requires that bars have a restaurant section, though it’s often vice versa. Bliss (www.blissresto.com) has one of the hippest interiors in Gothenburg, with low designer seats, multicoloured fairy lights and superb food. It’s a real night-time joint: it serves late night tapas bar snacks and, should the urge take you, live DJs to dance to until late.

Must-see sights
The Askekarr Ship, Sweden’s only original Viking vessel, is on display at the Stadsmuseum alongside silver treasure troves and weaponry from the same period.

Getting downtown
Landvetter airport, 25km east of the city, has a frequent Flygbuss service (£5 one way, taking 30 minutes). A taxi from the city centre to the airport will cost £30. Ryanair serves Gothenburg City Airport (also known as Saeve airport) which is closer to downtown and accessible by bus (£5, taking 20 minutes).

The details
Citizens of EU countries can enter Sweden and stay in the country for up to three months without the need to negotiate red tape. If you’re staying longer you need to apply for a free permit. There are no restrictions on working in Sweden once you have the permit. Gothenburg is one hour ahead of the UK. One common mistake is to assume that Sweden is in the Euro zone – it’s not, it still uses the Swedish Krona. Exchange rate: £1=13kr. The Embassy of Sweden in London can be contacted on 020 7917 6400 or via www.swedenabroad.com.

Getting there
Gothenburg is served from several UK airports, including Ryanair from Dublin and Stansted, SAS Scandinavian Airlines from Heathrow and Flyme from Stansted, which offers one-way fares from £23 including taxes.

INSIDER’S TIP
“Landvetter Airport is Gothenburg’s main airport and is served from London Heathrow by Scandinavian Airlines. With 5.2million passengers in 2005 it is Sweden’s second-largest airport after Stockholm-Arlanda. A bus service operated by Flygbussarna takes you to the city in 20 minutes, and in 30 minutes to Gothenburg Central Station. Getting around Gothenburg is easiest by tram – the city has the largest such network in the continent”
Richard Jarvis, Operations Manager, BusinessTravel Direct

Compiled by Tom Hall on behalf of Lonely Planet. www.lonelyplanet.com

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