Stockholm Arlanda Airport to the City Center

Four options connect Stockholm Arlanda Airport, north of the city, with central Stockholm: the Arlanda Express train, SL commuter trains, airport coaches, and taxis. SL is the regional public transport operator for the Stockholm area. The Arlanda Express is the fastest, taking about 18 minutes to Stockholm Central, the city’s main railway station. The airport coach has the lowest published single adult fare. Only a taxi takes you from the airport to your door.

Fares are in Swedish kronor (SEK). Fares and timetables change, so check the operator’s own page before you buy, because older prices still circulate.

Arlanda Express to Stockholm Central

The Arlanda Express runs to Stockholm Central in about 18 minutes, and the operator’s Stockholm Central page gives that figure. Swedavia, the airport operator, also lists 18 minutes and describes the service as non-stop. Service runs about every 15 minutes through most of a typical weekday in both directions, according to a June 4, 2026 guide to the train. One listing gives 5:00 a.m. as the first departure and midnight as the last, so confirm the start and end times on the operator’s page before an early or late flight.

The standard adult single fare is 340 SEK in the most recent dated source, although other pages show 320 SEK. The operator’s page also lists an advance fare of 199 SEK. That fare comes with conditions: you must book at least five days ahead, and the number of seats at that price is limited. If your travel dates are fixed and you plan a few days ahead, the advance fare is the lowest rail price on the page. If you need to travel on short notice, budget for the standard fare.

Return fares appear as 600 SEK on one site and 640 SEK on another, so check the price during checkout. Youth fares of 160 SEK and a 210 SEK pensioner fare appear on an Arlanda Express information page, along with free travel for children ages 0 to 7. That page carries no date, and its age limits differ from other pages, so confirm them with the operator. Swedavia says tickets can be bought at staffed counters and self-service machines at Stockholm Central, and at self-service machines at the airport.

SL commuter train from Arlanda Central

The SL commuter train (called pendeltåg in Swedish) takes about 36 to 40 minutes to Stockholm Central or Stockholm City. A Stockholm transport guide reports departures about twice an hour and lists the first departure from Stockholm Central at 4:08 a.m. and the last departure from the airport at 12:43 a.m. That guide carries no date, so confirm the times with SL. The train stops at Arlanda Central, a station below SkyCity, the commercial area at the airport.

The fare has two parts, and the second part is the harder one to pin down. The first part is the regular SL ticket. Adult fares rose on January 8, 2025, according to SL’s 2025 price notice. That notice lists a 75-minute single ticket at 43 SEK and a 24-hour ticket at 180 SEK. The second part is the Arlanda passage fee, a surcharge on trains that stop at Arlanda Central. The same notice says the single-ticket price to Arlanda had not been set when it was published, and that buses from Märsta avoid the passage fee. The passage fee was 130 SEK from March 1, 2022, according to Region Stockholm. SL’s 2024 notice gives 135 SEK, and a later public broadcaster report gives 147 SEK without a date. Confirm the current amount with SL.

For a reference point, SL’s 2024 combined single fare from the airport was 177 SEK for an adult and 161 SEK for a pensioner, student, or young person. That number predates the 2025 adult increase, so use it only as a rough baseline. Before you choose the train over the coach, look up the combined fare in the SL journey planner or on the SL website for your exact date and ticket type.

Airport coaches to Cityterminalen

Flygbussarna runs the airport coaches. Its buses reach Cityterminalen, the bus terminal attached to Stockholm Central, in about 40 to 50 minutes. The adult single fare most often quoted is 129 SEK. The Stockholm-online airport guide lists 99 SEK for riders ages 8 to 25 and free travel for children ages 0 to 7, with up to four children per adult. Return tickets are listed at 198 SEK. Check these figures on the Flygbussarna website before you buy.

Coaches run about every 15 minutes, according to the Stockholm-online guide and the Cestee guide. Service starts around 3:00 a.m. and ends around midnight to 2:00 a.m., and the exact first and last departures vary by source. A stop at Brommaplan, a Stockholm suburb on the way, costs more, at 139 SEK according to Cestee.

Tickets are sent to your phone as a mobile voucher, and you show it to the driver. The voucher details on one travel guide state that the ticket is valid for three months on the line you choose. Airport pick-up points vary. Listed stops include Terminal 4 and Terminal 2/3 stops, with Terminal 5 also served, so check the stop list for your terminal before the trip.

Flixbus runs the same corridor for less money. The Cestee guide lists fares from about 95 SEK, with roughly 10 to 13 departures per day and one city-center stop. The trip takes about 50 minutes, depending on traffic. Flixbus suits a traveler who can plan around a fixed departure and does not need to be at the station early.

Taxis from Arlanda

A taxi is the only option that drives you to your address. Sverigetaxi and TaxiKurir both quote 695 SEK for a standard car carrying one to four passengers, and 1,095 SEK for a large car carrying five to seven, on the route from Arlanda to Stockholm City. Their prices include VAT and fees. Both operators publish the same figure, which makes them a useful benchmark. Each operator sets its own price, and no official tariff covers this route, so get a fixed quote from the company you book with.

Other operators quote less. FixaTaxi lists 625 SEK for one to four passengers on the 38-kilometer route, including a 70 SEK airport pick-up surcharge, with a trip time of about 33 minutes. The same operator lists 555 SEK for the reverse direction and says there is no night or weekend surcharge. A 2025 price list from Binc gives 420 SEK from Stockholm City to Arlanda. Add surcharges to any quote. Sverigetaxi and TaxiKurir charge a 30 SEK fee for pick-ups at Stockholm Central and other named locations, a 100 SEK fee for pre-booked cars from Arlanda terminals 4 and 5, and a 75 SEK climate fee for large vehicles.

Trip times run from about 35 to 50 minutes, depending on traffic. A Stockholm tourism guide estimates the cost of a taxi at roughly 500 to 700 SEK, depending on traffic. The same guide advises choosing an authorized taxi with a yellow license plate and a displayed price, which is a practical check when a car is waiting at the curb.

Comparing the four options

The table below puts the latest published figures side by side. Confirm each figure on the operator’s page before you buy.

Which option fits your trip

For a single traveler with one bag who wants the shortest trip, the Arlanda Express is the clear choice. Book the 199 SEK advance fare if your plans are firm and you buy several days ahead. If plans change, the standard 340 SEK ticket removes the booking condition. Its 18-minute ride is also the most predictable choice when you need to make a connection in the city.

For a budget trip with time to spare, the airport coach is the lowest published fare. A 129 SEK adult ticket costs less than the 2024 combined SL and Arlanda fare, and the coach drops you at Cityterminalen beside Stockholm Central. Ages 8 to 25 pay the lower 99 SEK price on the Stockholm-online listing, so check that age band if you travel as a student. The commuter train becomes a good choice only after you confirm the passage fee for your travel date.

A taxi suits three kinds of trip: a late arrival when public transit has stopped, a party of up to four people sharing one fare, and a traveler with heavy luggage or a stroller. Because the price depends on the operator, the direction, and the surcharges, collect two or three quotes and ask for the total, including pick-up fees, before you confirm the booking.

Checking prices and times before you travel

The most reliable check is the operator’s own page on the day you book. The Arlanda Express page carries the official fares and conditions, and Swedavia’s trains page covers the train services from the airport. For SL, the most recent fare notice cited here is dated January 8, 2025. Search the SL journey planner for a 2026 fare before you commit to the rail option. For Flygbussarna and Flixbus, check the fare and stop list on each company’s website, and make sure the stop matches your terminal.

Fares change, so a figure you read in a guide may already be out of date when you travel. Compare the operator’s price with the quote from a travel guide, and pay the figure the operator shows at checkout.

Summary

• Book the Arlanda Express for speed: It runs in about 18 minutes, and its 199 SEK advance fare requires booking at least five days ahead, while the standard adult single is 340 SEK.
• Choose the airport coach for the lowest published fare: The most cited adult single is 129 SEK, and Brommaplan costs 139 SEK on the same line, so confirm the stop before you board.
• Confirm the passage fee before choosing SL: The Arlanda passage fee was 135 SEK in SL’s 2024 notice, the current amount is unconfirmed, and the 2025 Arlanda single fare had not been set when SL published its notice.
• Use a taxi for doors, groups, and luggage: Quotes start at 420 SEK, a standard car for one to four passengers costs 695 SEK with VAT and fees included, and pick-up surcharges can add to the quoted price.
• Verify fares and timetables on your travel date: Check each operator’s official page before you buy, since opening hours, departure times, and fares change.