Wondering how to pay for metro and bus rides in Sweden - cash only, or do cards work too?
I’ve been living in Gothenburg for three months and use Västtrafik daily. You absolutely can’t use cash on trams or buses. I started with a reloadable travel card but eventually just used my Citi card directly at the gate readers and on buses. No surcharge, and it’s quicker. Same goes for ferries in the archipelago all take contactless. Even my friend who came from Tokyo used her Suica-linked card via Google Wallet and it worked on some readers. The whole system is super cash-free.
Traveled up north through Umeå and Östersund last month. Same story - everything is card-based. In Umeå, I took a local Ultra bus from the university area to the train station and tapped my Canadian RBC debit card without any problem. Even saw tourists using Curve and N26 cards. Cash is a no-go. There was one route outside Åre where we had to use the Länstrafiken app because the reader on the bus was broken, but even then, it was app or card only. Keep a backup card just in case.
I was staying at a hostel in Lund and commuted daily to Malmö. Never used cash once. I used a Wise card and sometimes an old Barclays Visa - both worked fine for Skånetrafiken trains and buses. You just tap at the validator when you board. Even rural buses between Lomma and Bjärred accepted contactless cards. A few friends used Apple Pay with their Amex and had no issues either. Seriously, no need to carry coins or notes, Sweden’s all digital when it comes to transit.
Took me a bit to figure out when I first landed at Stockholm Central. You can’t pay cash on metros or buses here. Everything runs through cards or mobile apps. I used my Monzo Mastercard with no issues at the SL gates in T-Centralen. Just tap and go. Same on the buses around Södermalm, the driver won’t even take cash if you try. If you don’t have a contactless card, the SL app is the next best thing. Even works for trams and commuter trains.