This could be a very vast section indeed, but I have tried to make it rather brief, with mostly some tips and general information that could come in handy before Your visit. Just sift through the headings that appears most interesting.
Having old tickets left from a previous visit? Before going further You should know that unused portions of tickets from the that system in effect circa 1990-2010, can be refunded at sales offices until 2019. The old ticket machines is shown to the left above. A tariff table was posted on the wall, but is hardly needed now, as it is not necessary to decide at once how far to go. The new models come in blue or yellow, and are placed on a pole in the vicinity of every door. As some bus drivers don't like passengers to enter in the back door (see also further down the text), these may be switched off. A strange measure, as it could prevent boarding passengers to pay...
All passes have a pricing structure centered around Göteborg. That is not very good for passengers in the outer parts of the metropolitan area. One exception is the new 24 hour KOMMUN (community pass), valid for any one single area by choise. A lesser validity is the TÄTORT (downtown pass). This can be activated in a number of cities, and then only be used within that local system of downtown routes. All this shaves some costs, and gives a lot more convenience to the occasional tourist.
The natural choise for Göteborg is the 24 or 72 hour passes. Well, not 24 or 72 really, as they are not valid between midnight and morning. It is considered immoral to be out then, I guess. These passes comes in a few versions, with the plain Göteborg as the least expensive. As it is only valid within the city limits, most services numbered above 200 is out of reach (and also the last section of tram 4 or bus 19). Some buses can naturally be used before they leave the city proper. The area within the city limits has BLUE street signs. That is very helpful to know, when wondering where You are! To get outside the city, it takes Göteborg +, ++, or even +++. The highest class is however Regionen runt, for all of Västra Götaland state. This is also valid for long distance trains, but MUST be activated before boarding these, as ticket machines are often missing. Also get a reciept showing the CONTENT of the pass! That "inspection" is available at all stores that sell the passes.
Single tickets (SEK 25) can NOT be purchased from the drivers in the immediate vicinity of Göteborg. Further away it is alright to pay onboard buses. Some trams also have Ticket Vending Machines, usually ony the first car in a train. Many stores have Västtrafik-kortet. This demands a deposit of SEK 50, and can after that be charged with travelling money at some 700 outlets. If the above mentioned daypasses is not for You, my suggestion is to avoid single tickets. For both cost reasons and convenience the charge card is a boon, never mind the deposit. The carrot offered for the card, is a significant rebate for each trip.
Several people can also share the same pass. Alas it is a little bit tricky, when handling the onboard electronic ticket validator. The V botton is for adding grownups, and U for youngsters and children. The + is only for adding zones, when travelling through more than one. Don't hestitate using it if You are not sure of where to go, or if the bus goes outside one zone. If You do that, just remember to "check out" when alighting the vehicle, by touching the machinge again. No buttons this time. If it is forgotten, the maximum charge for the line will be subtracted.
When You are going by bus, I must be honest enough to mention that not all bus drivers are friendly in this city. It differs a lot from time to time! Some are even outright evil. If you encounter one of those: hit back at once! (at least verbally). You have my blessing. It is bad enough if they bully locals, but they should definitely not mess with You as a tourist, my friend! It has since many years also been something of a rule to leave from terminals 1-2 minutes before the stated departure time. I'm not joking! (the only statistic says that 14% of departures are too early).
One common source of problems in the relation between staff and costumers is the payment system. Ferries, trams, commuter trains (mostly), and so called trunk buses all have an honour system. That means the staff is not supposed to ask about your ticket. Only if You need help, You will ask them. "Other" buses have off and on also used this system within the city limits, albeit less likely on routes not operated by the city owned undertaker Göteborgs Spårvägar. The colour of the bus is nothing to go by here. Comfusing, I know.
Locals can take care of themselves, and don't like Big Brother. That's why every campaign to make people enter in the front door is doomed to fail as time goes by. The important part must be that the fare evasion is kept low, not which door people enter in? It must be said here, that many drivers through the years have never asked about a ticket if You just enter in front (!). On the contrary hell broke lose just if anyone entered back. Some drivers definitely have a serious lack of logical thinking!
There is no conclusive information about what applies now. Ticket machines are available inside every door, and on many services it comes only natural for both crew and passengers, that all doors are created equal. It was supposed to be official again spring 2010, but the information was finally omitted. As a rule of thumb, lines with fewer passengers, as well as more obscure bus stops, will demand entering in the front door. This is NOT an acceptable approach, and anything but logical. The moral is, as You hide in the crowd, You can ride free. The ticket inspectors would certainly not think so, no matter what.
Two airports serve Göteborg, Landvetter for the major flag carriers, and Säve city airport (it is usually spelled Save in English), for the low cost airlines. The railways are mostly going along the coast, both south to Scania and Denmark, and north to Norway (Oslo). The northeast corridor is leading to Stockholm, with connections to the northern part of the country. Three European highways pass Göteborg: E6, E20 and E45. Ferries operate to Denmark (Frederikshavn) and Germany (Kiel), but the former services to Norway, U.K. and Netherlands are unfortunately gone these days. Long distance buses are available from mostly the same destinations as the railways.
There is a wealth of hotels in Göteborg. Also a few hostels is to be found in and around the city. If You find a nice and inexpensive place some way from the city, it would not have to be a problem if You just make sure there is good transportation available. The hostels in Åsa (bus 732 + commuter train in 60 minutes), Mölnlycke (the Green express in some 20 minutes), or Stenungsund (train or the Red express in about less than an hour), is a few examples of the suggested outer limits. When staying outside downtown, it can be a reason to put emphasis of districts in that direction for the duration of that particular stay.
There is so much to see in the vicinity, that it would give yet another reason to visit Göteborg. Some of the areas along the coast north of Göteborg is described in the section for STENUNGSUND. Upstreams along the river valley is Trollhättan (home to SAAB), and Lödöse (a precursor to Göteborg), both accessible by the hourly bus route 600.
East lies for example Alingsås, where an international light festival is held every fall. The terminal stop for the eastbound commuter trains is right in the middle of that small town. Borås is a rather huge city to the east. Bus 100 leaves every 10 minutes in the peak, and takes about an hour to get there (Nils Ericsson bus terminal by the Central station, or Korsvägen are simple boarding points). A special article covering Borås is later planned for Busspojken.
One southern destination could be Särö (Blue express), that may not be much to see, though it is still living very much of the heritage as a royal summer playground some 100 years back. More interesting may be the Tudor castle Tjolöholm, owned by the city of Göteborg, even as it is situated in Kungsbacka. A commuter train ride, bus 732 for 20 minutes to Torpa, and a walk of some 45 minutes is required, so this it nothing for a foul weather day.
| Göteborg introduction | Selfguided city tour |
| Route numbers | Transit undertakers |
| Vehicles - buses | Vehicles - trams |
| Links and information | Den Oudsten feast (pics) |
This collection offers some examples, from which you can obtain further information, when planning your trip. All links will open in the same browser window as Busspojken, and thus replace this.
Göteborg tourist (15 languages)
Västtrafik statewide transit undertaker
Ringlinien heritage tram association
Private search register with information about buses
STF hostels, Swedish tourist association
Scanian water tower society, some English available.
