Choosing an SL Ticket for a Short Stockholm Visit

Stockholm’s public transport runs under the SL brand, short for Storstockholms Lokaltrafik. That covers the metro, buses, trams, commuter trains, and most ferries. Most visitor trips are covered by a single ticket or a time-limited travel card. For a short stay, tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card at the gate or on the bus for single rides. If you plan several rides a day, buy a 24-hour, 72-hour, or 7-day travel card instead.

The adult prices below are the fares SL set on 8 January 2025, the latest official figures. Ordinary fares were reported unchanged for 2026, but check every price on sl.se before you travel. Fares change, and the official fare table takes precedence.

Adult fares and what they cost

The SL announcement of the 2025 price change sets the adult travel card prices below. The Stockholm County Council made that decision. The discounted fares stayed the same.

The single fare needs the most care. The figure 43 SEK is commonly quoted, but SL’s 2025 announcement does not include it. Published amounts also differ: 37 SEK for tickets bought in the app or at a machine, and 50 SEK for tickets bought on board. Check the single fare on sl.se before you budget for it.

SL’s own announcement is the reference for these 2025 prices.

How single tickets and validity work

A single ticket is valid for 75 minutes from the moment you validate it. Within that window, you can transfer between SL buses, metro, trams, commuter trains, and SL ferries. The A Day in Stockholm guide to SL tickets describes this transfer window, and it is the rule that makes a single ticket practical for a sightseeing loop that uses two or three lines.

Travel cards start at different moments. The 24-hour and 72-hour cards begin at your first validation, so a card bought at 4 PM and first used the next morning starts running at that first scan. The 7-day and 30-day cards run from 00:00 on the first valid day until 04:30 on the night after the last valid day. The Lifeguin guide to Stockholm public transport lists this 04:30 cutoff, which means a late-night ride on the last day stays covered.

A fare evasion charge of 1,850 SEK is reported on top of the single fare. Confirm the current amount on sl.se. Validate or tap every trip.

The SL card and the old Access card

You can keep travel cards on a physical SL card, which usually costs 20 SEK. Stockholm Tunnelbana’s SL card page describes the card as valid for ten years and reloadable, and it does not show a cash balance. Period tickets load onto the card, and you still tap the card on each trip with a valid period ticket. A price of 50 SEK is also reported, so confirm the card price when you buy.

Many visitors still see references to the blue SL Access card in older guides, and Visit Stockholm’s travel card page still uses the Access name. The blue card no longer works. SL ended Access ticket sales in stages in 2022, and the final top-up option ended in March 2023. Replacing it with the green SL card is the step to take. Travelers who cannot use a contactless bank card should confirm their options for the Access card on sl.se.

You do not need a physical card if you use a contactless bank card or the SL app, which the next sections explain.

Paying with a contactless card

For most short visitors, a contactless bank card is the simplest option. Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card on the gate reader, the bus reader, or the platform reader, and the card charges a single fare automatically. SL and Region Stockholm launched contactless payment in SL traffic on 2 February 2021, according to the SL contactless ticket guidance. SL describes buying a single ticket by card as a good fit for occasional travelers.

Contactless fares come with two conditions. First, reduced-fare travel with a bank card requires registering the card on sl.se the day before travel and full price applies otherwise. Second, the day’s total is charged overnight, and the card can be blocked if the account has insufficient funds. Confirm both rules on sl.se before you rely on them.

The SL app offers another route. It lets you buy mobile tickets and pay by card or Swish. Show the QR code to the reader on metro and commuter trains, or tap your phone or card on buses and trams, according to Stockholm Tourism’s transport guide. Once you buy a QR ticket, it works without a data connection. Keep the phone charged, because a dead battery leaves you without a ticket.

Two details need checking on sl.se before you depend on the app: whether you need an SL account to buy tickets, and whether a foreign card or phone number works for Swish payments.

Ticket machines at metro and commuter-rail stations and SL Centers at T-Centralen, Slussen, and Tekniska Högskolan are other places to buy. Retail agents such as Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven also sell tickets, and Arlanda Airport has information desks that sell them too. Confirm on sl.se whether machines accept foreign bank cards or cash. Cash is not accepted on buses or trains, so plan to pay by bank card or in the app.

Reduced fares, children, and the 30-day card promotion

Reduced fares apply to under-20s, older travelers, and students with valid ID, according to Stockholm Tourism’s travel card guide. SL’s 2025 announcement says students, under-20s, and pensioners keep their discounted fares. Check the exact age and ID rules on sl.se if you qualify for a reduced fare.

Published reduced prices differ. A 24-hour reduced card is listed at 110 SEK, a 72-hour reduced card at 220 SEK, and the single reduced fare at either 26 SEK or 27 SEK. Confirm the figure you need on sl.se before you buy.

Children under seven ride free with a paying adult, according to Stockholm Tourism’s transport guide. Check the under-seven rule on sl.se before you travel with a young child.

A temporary 30-day price of 530 SEK applies to cards bought by 1 December 2026, according to a price listing. It applies to the 30-day card only, not the 24-hour or 72-hour cards. Confirm the promotion on sl.se before you count on it.

Zones and Arlanda trips

SL fares were once set by zone, usually labeled A, B, and C, and older material also mentions zones 1 and 2. Recent fare descriptions say a single fare covers the whole network during a ticket’s validity period and that trips are no longer priced by zone. Check the current rules on sl.se before you buy a ticket for a trip outside central Stockholm.

Arlanda is the one place with a surcharge. A commuter-train trip from Arlanda carries an extra charge, and Stockholm Tourism’s transport guide notes that holding a travel card makes that trip cheaper. Check the current surcharge amount on sl.se or ask SL before you travel.

Ferries need one more check. SL ferries fall under the travel card, according to Stockholm Tourism. Waxholmsbolaget runs a separate set of ferries in the archipelago. Ask the operator whether an SL card covers its routes before you board.

Which ticket fits a short visit

A travel card costs less than single tickets once you pass its break-even point. At 43 SEK per single journey, the 24-hour card (180 SEK) breaks even at about four and a quarter single journeys, so a fifth ride in one day makes the card the cheaper choice. The 72-hour card (360 SEK) breaks even at about eight single journeys, and the 7-day card (470 SEK) at about eleven. These figures assume the 43 SEK single fare, so the break-even points shift if that fare differs.

A single day with light use suits contactless single tickets. A day with heavy sightseeing, with five or more rides across the city, suits the 24-hour card. A weekend or two or three active days points to the 72-hour card, and a week of daily travel suits the 7-day card. A price comparison estimates that a 30-day card beats repeated shorter cards only for long stays, with the break-even at about nine days of regular travel. For a visit of one week or less, the 7-day card is the practical choice.

Visitors who plan many paid attractions should compare the transport element separately. Visit Stockholm positions the Stockholm Pass for visitors who plan many sites and the SL card for transport-only needs. The Stockholm Pass bundles attraction entry with transport, so its price does not show the transport value on its own. Buy an SL card for transport and pay attraction entry separately unless the pass math favors it for your itinerary.

Ticket choices at a glance

• Tap a contactless card for single trips: A contactless Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card charges single fares at the gate or on board. SL recommends it for occasional travelers.
• Pick the travel card by ride count: Buy the 24-hour card if you will take five or more rides in a day, the 72-hour card for a weekend, and the 7-day card for a week, using the prices SL set on 8 January 2025.
• Confirm the single fare first: The 43 SEK fare is commonly quoted, but SL’s 2025 announcement does not list it, so check the single fare and any reduced-fare rules on sl.se before you travel.
• Start the clock at the right time: The 24-hour and 72-hour cards start at your first validation, while the 7-day and 30-day cards run until 04:30 the night after the last valid day.
• Leave the blue Access card at home: The blue card no longer works, so buy a single ticket by card or in the app, or get the green SL card.