Our Time in Älmhult, Sweden and High-Speed Train to Stockholm

Introduction: Late Summer in Scandinavia
Flight Review: American Airlines B737-800 First Class, MEM-DFW
Flight Review: Finnair A350-900 Business Class, DFW-HEL
Flight Review: Finnair E190 Business Class, HEL-CPH
Lodging Review: Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn
Our Time in Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Best Western Hotel Hebron, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Next House, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Story Hotel Studio Malmö
Our Time in Malmö and Ystad, Sweden
Lodging Review: IKEA Hotell, Älmhult, Sweden
Our Time in Älmhult, Sweden and High-Speed Train to Stockholm
Lodging Review: Motel L Älvsjö, Stockholm
Our Time in Stockholm
Flight Review: SAS A320neo Economy Class, ARN-OSL
Lodging Review: Comfort Hotel Grand Central, Oslo
Our Time in Oslo
Lounge Review: SAS Lounge, Oslo airport
Flight Review: Lufthansa A320-200 Business Class, OSL-FRA
Flight Review: Lufthansa 787-9 Business Class, FRA-MSP
Flight Review: Delta B737-800 First Class, MSP-MEM

As I mentioned in my prior post, we had just one night at the Ikea Hotell and were also taking advantage of the free laundry facilities. As a result we did not do much in the way of exploring the small town of Älmhult at all.

Ikea Museum

As a guest at the hotel we were given free passes to the Ikea Museum, which is just across the parking lot from the hotel.

While there is an Ikea store here in Memphis, I’ve never been even though I do love Danish modern. But I already have all the furniture and household goods I need so there’s never been a reason for me to visit, especially as it’s not very convenient to my home.

The museum tells a bit about the history of Ikea and has a good selection of the various types of items sold in the stores throughout its existence. As a non-Ikea enthusiast I found it mildly interesting but was glad my admission was free.

Outside the museum is this giant yellow clock in the shape of a keyhole which I assume has meaning for those in the know.

Dining

As mentioned in the prior post we ate lunch at the museum while our laundry was taking its own sweet time. I had the shrimp salad which was pretty tasty.

For dinner we walked past the museum and were intending to head farther into town when we ran across Älmhult Restaurang & Pizzeria. We were the only guests there when we arrived but that changed while we dined. While the restaurant was not crowded, it was steady business and the pizza take-out orders were numerous. We really liked the pizza and would recommend it.

High-Speed Train to Stockholm

Unless you have a car, the most practical way to get from Älmhult to Stockholm is via the train. Fortunately it’s very easy to do though not especially cheap. We pre-booked our tickets in advance as research had indicated it was a little bit cheaper to do so. And by booking all 3 of us on the same ticket that guaranteed us seats together.

Based on when you want to travel you can actually catch the high-speed train at the Älmhult station. But we departed in the 11 AM hour and so we first caught one of the Øresundståg trains to Alvesta, a journey of about 20 minutes. The Alvesta station is quite small but it does have a convenience store, (pay) restrooms, and indoor seating.

From Alvesta we caught the high-speed SJ Snabbtåg x2000 all the way to Stockholm. We easily found our assigned seats and there was enough space for our luggage. The train makes 5 stops between Alvesta and Stockholm and pretty much as soon as someone left the train, someone else came along to fill their spot. The Alvesta-Stockholm leg takes just over 3 hours. We enjoyed 2×2 seating on the train with electric outlets and wi-fi. It was such a pleasant way to travel!

SJ Snabbtåg x2000

In the end

We really didn’t see much in Älmhult as we spent most of our time in the laundry room of the hotel. The Ikea Museum may be interesting to Ikea enthusiasts, less so to those who aren’t as familiar with their products. The high-speed train was efficient, clean and relaxing.