Staying in Sundbyberg, Stockholm: Is It Worth It?
Stockholm is an expensive city to visit, and accommodation can take up a pretty big chunk of your travel budget, especially if you’re trying to stay in the city center areas.
Instead, I ended up staying in Sundbyberg, an area northwest of central Stockholm, at Story Hotel Stockholm North. I originally chose the hotel because I found an incredible deal using hotel points that I just couldn't pass up. But as it turned out, the area was also much more convenient than I expected.
For three days, I took the metro into the center for classic first-time sightseeing (if you want a ready-to-use guide on what to do, see my Stockholm 3-day itinerary!), and I honestly never felt like I was missing out by staying a little farther away.
So if you're visiting Stockholm for 3–4 days and wondering whether it's worth staying outside the tourist center to save money, here's what my experience was like.
Where Is Sundbyberg, and Is It Convenient for Sightseeing?
Sundbyberg is located northwest of central Stockholm, outside the main tourist areas. The important distinction to keep in mind is that I stayed near Sundbybergs centrum station, which I think made all the difference. The station is one of the transport hubs of the city and is served by the T10 metro line (the blue line), which goes directly into central Stockholm and stops near several major sightseeing areas.
For example, from Sundbybergs centrum:
Stockholm City Hall: Around 11 minutes on the T10 to Rådhuset station, followed by roughly 10 minutes of walking.
Central Stockholm (T-Centralen station): Around 13 minutes on the T10.
Gamla Stan (Old Town): Around 14 minutes on the T10 to T-Centralen, then walk or transfer to reach the historic center.
Factoring in the walk to the station, waiting for the train, and walking to my final destination, I generally took around 30–40 minutes to reach places in central Stockholm.
Of course, not everything is directly accessible on the T10. For places like Djurgården or parts of Södermalm, you'll need to transfer to another public transport line. But depending on where you're staying in central Stockholm, you might need to take those connections anyway.
Basically, staying in Sundbyberg primarily meant adding one extra metro ride to the beginning and end of my day. I usually headed into Stockholm in the morning and didn't return to my hotel until the evening, so the commute never felt particularly inconvenient.
Payment was really easy too — you just need to tap your contactless credit cards at the metro turnstiles. Plus, given Sundbyberg is a bit outside of the busy tourist zones, the metro was usually pretty empty when I took it, and I always managed to get a seat.
So if you stay in Sundbyberg, my biggest recommendation is to stay within easy walking distance of a T10 station.
As for getting there from Arlanda Airport, we took the Vy Flygbussarna airport bus toward Brommaplan, which stopped in Sundbyberg. This was a direct route, whereas other options would've taken us to central Stockholm first and then have us transfer. We purchased tickets at a machine directly at the airport bus station, so we didn't need to book in advance.
Sundbybergs centrum metro station platform.
What's It Actually Like Staying in Sundbyberg?
One thing I appreciated about Sundbyberg was that it didn't feel like I was staying in some isolated suburban hotel area.
My hotel was located in Signalfabriken, a redeveloped area with restaurants, cafés, shops, and a mix of residential and commercial spaces. There was also a large Willys supermarket about a five-minute walk away, which we took advantage of a couple of times for snacks and drinks. (By the way, the supermarket had a huge pick-and-mix Swedish candy section that was practically a cultural experience in itself!)
There was also a riverside walking trail about 5–10 minutes away, and I actually spent one of my free days just relaxing at the hotel and going for a rainy-day run along the trail.
The neighborhood certainly wasn't as lively as parts of central Stockholm. It felt a little business-oriented, with plenty of people around during the day but noticeably quieter streets in the evenings. Still, there was enough activity around my hotel that it never felt deserted.
Most importantly, the area felt generally safe, comfortable, and convenient as a place to return to after a full day of sightseeing.
Signalfabriken area next to the hotel.
My Experience at Story Hotel Stockholm North
Story Hotel Stockholm North is a boutique hotel that's part of the Hyatt portfolio, where I have loyalty status.
As I mentioned earlier, the biggest selling point for me was the price. I booked it for 7,000 Hyatt points per night, which felt like an incredible deal compared with the hotel prices I was seeing in central Stockholm.
For context, I was visiting in late August, and many of the decent centrally located accommodations I found were around $150–200+ USD per night. Based on how I valued my points, staying here worked out to roughly half the cost of those alternatives.
I talked about its convenient location already, but beyond the location and the price, there were a few things I really liked about the hotel.
First, breakfast was included, which was a huge plus in an otherwise expensive city. The buffet had enough variety that we could fill up before heading out for the day, saving us from having to buy breakfast elsewhere.
The hotel itself had a young, relaxed, slightly hip atmosphere. It was also pretty quiet during our stay, which I appreciated, and the staff were consistently friendly.
That said, the rooms were on the smaller side (pretty typical for a European city hotel), and if I'm being picky, mine could have felt a little cleaner. Still, for the price I paid, I thought it was more than good enough, especially since I was spending most of my time out exploring Stockholm anyway.
Overall, I was really happy with the value and would happily stay here again if I found a similar deal.
Are There Any Downsides to Staying in Sundbyberg?
Not being in the middle of Stockholm's tourist center is the obvious downside, and for me pretty much the only one.
If you love being able to step outside your hotel straight into sightseeing action, or like returning to your room for breaks throughout the day, paying more for a central location might be worth it.
You'll also be more reliant on public transportation, so if you would rather not commute, that’s another thing to keep in mind. Personally, I tend to spend full days out exploring anyway, so taking the metro into the center in the morning and back in the evening didn't feel like much of a sacrifice.
Would I Stay in Sundbyberg Again?
Absolutely, assuming I could find another good deal.
Would I choose Sundbyberg over a similarly priced hotel in central Stockholm? Probably not. If I found a great deal in the center, I'd take it.
But if central Stockholm accommodation is looking expensive for your dates, I'd definitely recommend checking hotels near Sundbybergs centrum station before booking. Just make sure you're within easy walking distance of the metro, since that's a big part of what made staying there so convenient for me.
Questions?
Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment below or send me a message with any questions — I’m always happy to help when I can.
You may also like:
Stockholm 3-Day Itinerary — if you don’t want to plan and just want to follow a ready-to-go schedule, here’s my (carefully planned) itinerary from my own trip.
Copenhagen 2-Day Itinerary — A natural next stop if you’re doing a Scandinavia trip.
Train from Stockholm to Copenhagen — and a guide on how to help you get to Copenhagen from Stockholm.
