Stockholm Skavsta Airport - Finally On The Map Thanks To Ryanair

The funny thing about Stockholm Skavsta airport is that the Swedish capital is nowhere in sight when you get there. The airfield, mainly used by Irish price fighter Ryanair, is located near Nyköping, about 100 km south of Stockholm.

Coaches, operated by Flygbussarna, take you to the capital in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. If you prefer traveling by train, you’ll have to go to the railway station in Nyköping which is 7 km away. Taxis charge 200 SEK – a fixed price – to take you there. Local buses provide a cheaper, but obviously slower alternative. The big car rental companies also have a desk here.

Stockholm Skavsta airport used to be a military airfield. In 1984 it opened up for civilian air travel. Though in Sweden, it’s not Swedish owned anymore: current owner is the Spanish Abertis corporation.

The airport is still quite small, though traffic has grown rapidly in recent years thanks to Ryanair.

At the time of writing (November 2007) Ryanair connects Skavsta with several destinations in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria and Slovakia.

If you book early you can get a return flight with Ryanair for less than 50 Euros from anywhere in Europe. But beware, if you book late, Ryanair is sometimes more expensive than traditional airlines that fly directly to Arlanda. They also have restrictions on luggage you won’t find with SAS, Lufthansa, KLM and the likes.

Thanks to its friendly size waiting times at the airport are reasonable and it doesn’t take too long to get your luggage.

If you arrive late and don’t want to travel to Stockholm right away, you may consider spending the night in a hotel. However, to find one, you will have to go to Nyköping – there’s no hotel at the airport. The Ibis Hotell is not far away though - if you take a cab - and close to the motorway.

Need more info? Here's the web site of Stockholm Skavsta airport.