Uppsala

By bus

For those really on a budget, Uppsala is accessible by bus. Swebus runs coaches from Stockholm's City Terminalen although the price is almost the same as with the train, as well as Gothenburg, Malmö and other cities in Sweden. Also, Bus4You runs coaches on the route Göteborg - Stockholm - Uppsala with one-way tickets from Stockholm to Uppsala for 39kr (http://www.bus4you.se/).

UL operates services to Västerås and Sala, as well as Arlanda Airport. Buses also connect Uppsala with Västerås Airport SEK 200 return ticket, operated by Flygbussarna (http://www.flygbussarna.se/). These are timed to coincide with the arrival and departure of Ryanair's daily flights to London.

By plane

With no airport of its own, Uppsala is served by the same airports that serve Stockholm city.

Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN)

35 km south of Uppsala, about halfway to Stockholm. It's a hub for SAS and served by most main European airlines and a number of Asian and American carriers. From there trains, buses, rental cars and taxis will be waiting to whisk you away - which one to take is up to you. The standard option is Upptåget, Uppsala's commuter train operated by UL which takes 19 minutes and costs SEK 140 one-way for adults and SEK 89 for people under 20. They leave Arlanda on weekdays every half hour between 5:27AM and 0:57AM on weekends, from 6:57AM. The train station is called Arlanda Central the airport has 3 train stations and is located under Sky City, between terminals 4 and 5. Tickets are available from the information desks in the airport in either the arrival area or in Sky City in front of the elevators leading to the station, or on the train itself at a 20 SEK surcharge. In Uppsala, you may buy tickets for Upptåget either from the 'Travelcenter' within the building Resecentrum or on the train itself at a 20 SEK surcharge. You can buy tickets from either the blue or gray machines inside the station, but you have to check if it is for the Upptåget or for the SJ trains see below.UL buses also exist, also departing every half-hour, from in front of terminals 2 and 5. They cost SEK 80 if bought in advance and SEK 100 if bought on the day, and take a bit over 40 minutes to arrive in front of the Central Station in Uppsala. Tickets can be bought at either the Information Desk in front of the exits from Terminals 2 and 5, or from the driver. They run round-the-clock and might be your only option between midnight and 5 or 6AM, even though they take far longer to arrive in Uppsala. Note that if you buy your ticket on the bus, you cannot pay by cash. In addition to Upptåget, there are a small number of long-distance and regional trains calling at both Arlanda and Uppsala. These trains are operated by SJ, the national train company. Tickets are usually more expensive than in the case of Upptåget around 160-170 SEK one way - there is no fixed price, as SJ uses an airline-style flexible demand-based system, but can be significantly cheaper down to ca. 75 SEK if booked well in advance. Tickets can be bought in similar fashion as in the case of Upptåget, plus from the blue or gray machines available in Uppsala Central Station. Note however that there is a 100 SEK surcharge if you buy the ticket onboard the train.Taxis are available in front of both terminals 2, 4 and 5. They offer fixed prices to Uppsala usually denoted by a large 'Fast Pris Uppsala-Arlanda/Arlanda-Uppsala' sign near the back of the car. This usually amounts to 350-500 SEK for 1-4 persons, making it a cost-effective option for 3-4 persons especially if factoring in public transport costs within Uppsala city. You must ask for the fixed price before commencing the journey, otherwise the driver might employ the per-km charge, that usually amounts to far more.

If using Ryanair or Wizzair or other similar budget carriers, they serve Skavsta Airport NYO, in Nyköping, about 170 km south of Uppsala. From there, take local bus 515 or 715 NOT the airport coaches to Nyköping Central Station and change to a regional train for Uppsala sometimes direct, but often with a change in Stockholm. This costs in total 119 SEK 101 SEK for people under 20 and takes around 2 hours to Uppsala.

Ryanair also serves Stockholm Västerås airport at Västerås 80 km west of Uppsala, to a handful of destinations in Britain and Spain. Getting to Uppsala was relatively easy in the past, as a direct shuttle used to exist. Right now, however, your best/cheapest/fastest bet is to use a taxi shuttle operated by the airport to downtown Västerås, then change for a local train to Sala, and change again for a train to Uppsala. Total travel time is approx. 80 minutes and the price 124 SEK 113 SEK for people under 26 if booked well in advance.

By car

Uppsala is located along one major highway, the E4. The north-south highway passes to the east of the city and stretches south to Stockholm, Norrköping, and all the way to Helsingborg in southern Sweden. Likewise it continues north past Sundsvall and Umeå to the Finnish border at Haparanda. The smaller national roads 55 and 72 carry traffic to Enköping and Sala, respectively 288 to Östhammar.