Summer Course:
Boat Design
SURVIVAL GUIDE
BEST Gothenburg Summer Course
13-21 June, 2017
Contents
About Sweden, Gothenburg and Chalmers .................................................................................................... 4
Sweden .................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Chalmers University of Technology .............................................................................................................. 5
How to get to Gothenburg ................................................................................................................................... 5
Ferry ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Plane ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Train ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Bus .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Getting Around Gothenburg and Chalmers ............................................................................................... 7
Arrival to Chalmers ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Good to know........................................................................................................................................................... 8
The following items you SHOULD bring with you ..................................................................................... 8
The following items you SHOULD NOT bring with you ........................................................................... 8
Alcohol in Sweden =) ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Prices ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9
A Crash Course in Swedish ........................................................................................................................... 10
Contact Information ............................................................................................................................................ 11
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
Intro and Guidelines
First of all, a warm welcome to Gothenburg! This survival guide is dedicated to help you who are
visiting Gothenburg for the Summer Course 13-21 June 2017. It mainly contains information about
Sweden in general and Gothenburg in particular, as well as some practicalities regarding the event.
If you have any questions whatsoever do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected]
Let’s start with history of Sweden and introduction to Chalmers University of Technology. Please
take a look through and enjoy the reading!
Below you can see an overview of what Sweden looks like =)
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
About Sweden, Gothenburg and Chalmers
Sweden
Around thousand years ago, the Vikings lived in
Sweden (and they still do!). They were traveling
around Europe already by that time! The Vikings
were strong and fearless warriors.
They plundered a lot of places, for example todays Great Britain was a popular visit, and took home
riches and wives. Less known is that they also were popular merchandisers and got a lot of friendly
collaborating cites in Europe and beyond. In its heritage, Sweden is today a friendly peaceful place
that tries to help other countries.
The Kingdom of Sweden today has border to Norway in
the west, Finland in the northeast, the Skagerrak Strait
and the Kattegat Strait in the southwest, and the Baltic Sea
and the Gulf of Bothnia in the east. It is connected to
Denmark in the southwest by the Oresund Bridge.
Sweden is the third-largest country in the European
Union by area (450 295 m^2), with a total population of
about 9.6 million. Sweden has a low population density
(21 people/m^2) mostly concentrated to the southern half
of the country. About 85% of the population lives in urban
areas. Sweden's capital city is Stockholm, which is also the
biggest city, but that’s not important right now. The
country has a large amount of natural resources of water,
timber, and iron ore. The country is generally perceived as
modern and liberal and its citizens enjoy a high standard
of living. Since the early 19th century Sweden has been at
peace and has avoided war.
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
Inventions
Sweden is a growth place of inventions, technology and software. Maybe you have heard some of
them already? Here are a few things the Swedes are known for.
Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology (Chalmers Tekniska Högskola) is one of the most important
universities offering technical education in Sweden. Around 13 000 people work and study at
Chalmers, and about 40% of Sweden's graduate engineers and architects were educated here.
The university was founded in 1829, with the help of William Chalmers who left half of his fortune
in his will for the foundation of a "School of Industry". From the start Chalmers focused on science,
which was very unusual at the time. Since 1994, Chalmers is an independent foundation.
How to get to Gothenburg
Gothenburg can be reached via ferry, train, bus or plane. All trains, buses, and airport coaches
arrive at the Central Station or the Nils Ericson Terminal, located just next to each other, in the
center of Gothenburg.
Ferry
There is ferry traffic from Denmark
(Fredrikshavn) and Germany (Kiel). The
port is within walking distance from the
city center, www.aferry.com (around 15
EUR) or http://www.stenaline.se (in
Swedish, choose “studerande=student”
to get the nice price of around 15 EUR).
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
Plane
There is only one airport in Gothenburg, since they closed the “Göteborg City Airport” because of
problems with the soils. The one that remains is slightly better though. ;-)
Göteborg Landvetter Airport
Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) is located 25 kilometers east of Gothenburg. A lot of
international airlines (Lufthansa, SAS, Wizzair, Ryanair etc.) fly to Landvetter. From the airport you
can take the airport coach (Swedish: Flygbussarna) to the city center. This bus departs every
twenty minutes during daytime and stops at a variety of places in the city, we recommend you to go
to the Nils Ericson Terminal (the main bus & train station) where we might have organizers waiting
for you (more info about that by email later). This trip takes around 30minutes and cost 95 SEK
(185 SEK if you also buy return ticket which we recommend). And unless you are 17 years old you
are not eligible for a youth discount. A detailed schedule and more information can be found at
www.flygbussarna.se, we also recommend you to buy your ticket online. It’s important to
remember that there is no cash payment in the airport coaches. You can either pay with your credit
card on board (no Maestro or Electron cards) or you should buy your ticket in the airport (from
ticket machines where available, or information desks).
Train
If you are arriving from the south,
Öresundstågen is one good option. They offer
trains from Copenhagen and Lund to
Gothenburg. www.oresundstag.se
SJ (Statens Järnvägar) is a train network
connecting most of the bigger cities in Sweden.
However, they no longer offer trips between
Gothenburg and southern Sweden (e.g. to
Copenhagen). As a special bonus for students,
people under 26 years can buy cheap last
minute tickets from SJ, called “sista minuten”,
which are sold within 24 hours of departure.
There are also cheap "Just Nu" tickets, but in this case you need to book the tickets well in advance,
the earlier the better. www.sj.se.
Bus
There are several options when it comes to travelling by bus, see links below.
www.nettbuss.se
www.swebus.com
www.eurolines.com
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
Getting Around Gothenburg and Chalmers
Since Chalmers is almost in the city center, it is very easy to
get around on foot. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from
Chalmers to Avenyn (Kungsportsavenyn, the main street)
and about 30 minutes to walk to the Central Station from
the Chalmers Student Union. A map can come in handy. In
addition to the map below, you can get free maps from the
tourist information offices (marked with a green "i" on this
map).
A map of the center of Gothenburg can be found here. A
campus map of Chalmers is here.
Also, Gothenburg has excellent commuter service of trams
and buses. The transport network covers the whole city and
is quite punctual. You can easily buy a ticket on most trams
from a vending machine or in most kiosks (Pressbyrån).
The basic ticket costs 28 SEK and is valid for 90 minutes on
any public transport, including the ferryboats that travel to
the Gothenburg archipelago.
IMPORTANT! You can’t buy the ticket from the bus driver,
you must do it at “Västtrafik” ticket shops or “Pressbyrån”.
NOTE! We will provide you with tickets for the travelling during the course, so buy just a single way
ticket. If you end up still needing help, just ask someone, they will gladly help!
OBS! If you go without, do it on your own risk! If you get caught there is a hefty fine on 1200 SEK!
Those who control the tickets are rare (they travel around the city in a group and always wear the
same sort of black jacket and white caps).
To get to Chalmers from Brunnsparken near the Central Station, you can take trams 6, 7, 10 and the
bus 16. The name of the stop to get off at is, surprisingly enough, Chalmers :) It takes only 9-15 min
to get there from the central station, depending on which tram you take, we do not recommend
tram 6 because it takes a detour.
The public transport company in Western Sweden is called Västtrafik. From their website you can
get detailed information about the routes and schedules. www.vasttrafik.se
Arrival to Chalmers
From the Gothenburg central station (Centralstationen), take tram 7 or 13 to Chalmers. Now contact
Matea, Alexander or Jeanna (see contact info below). Or take trams 6, 7, 10, or the bus 16 from
Brunnsparken.
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
Good to know
The following items you SHOULD bring with you
(Otherwise you won’t survive ;))
-
-
Yourself
A sleeping bag (OBS!)
Warm clothes and a raincoat/umbrella (it rains a lot here, so just in case)
Sunglasses (Just in case we get sunny weather)
Indoor slippers
Clothes for swimming and sauna (or just naked)
Training closes for indoors sports
Towel!
Articles for personal hygiene and medication
ID, passport, student card and/or visa if required
Course fee - amount depending on your nationality, but maximum 45€ (preferably in SEK)
Cash for drinks (only SEK)
Clothes for the Swedish Sittning (=Swedish Dinner + Swedish Party):
- Dress up like what you think a Swede looks like!!!
Clothes for other theme parties:
- Will be announced by email!
Food and drinks (liquor mostly) from your home country for International Evening!
- Tip: If you are several from one country, plan together what to bring for that
evening.
Note: It’s going to be a Legendary Evening!
Huge, tremendous, incredible sense of humor, and lots of energy!
- A Swedish smile is a plus!
The following items you SHOULD NOT bring with you
-
Bad Mood
Weapons of any kind (Peace out bro!)
Nuclear Bombs (Just don’t!)
A Baby [–ies] (Not a good idea…)
Pink Fluffy Unicorns (they are extinct, so for those who are left: let them run free!)
Alcohol in Sweden =)
In Sweden, you can only buy drinks containing alcohol in state owned shops called Systembolaget
or bars and you have to be 20 years old to buy it at Systembolaget and 18 years old to buy it at a
bar. This is due to Sweden's very strict policy on alcohol, which also includes heavy taxes. Prices on
beer, wine, and liquor are what most Europeans may consider very high - so if you want to drink
cheaper it can be a good idea to bring some from home. There will be opportunities to purchase
alcohol at the parties.
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
Important to think about when dealing with alcohol in Sweden:
-
Never bring a container of alcohol through the door of a place selling it, neither in or out!
Always bring ID, especially to Systembolaget. They always check if they are in doubt.
If you are not 20 years old, do not enter Systembolaget. You will probably ruin your 20 year
old friend’s chances of buying…
It is forbidden to drink alcohol in public in most places in Gothenburg so just do it when we
say it’s okey. ;-)
It is considered rude to waste alcohol in Sweden. So drink up, and don’t spill!
Prices
Sweden is considered quite expensive among other Europeans country. It is possible to pay by card
almost everywhere. So there is no need to exchange huge amounts of money, when you arrive to
Sweden. The fee will be collected in cash.
10 SEK = 1.06 EUR
1 EUR = 9.47 SEK
-
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Pizza: 60-80 SEK
Beer: 10-20 SEK in the state liquor shop Systembolaget (this is the only place where you can
buy strong alcohol (>3,5%), except for pubs/restaurants) and 30-80 SEK (in
pubs/restaurants)
Bottle of wine: 50 SEK and up (in Systembolaget)
Cinema ticket: 95-145 SEK (95 SEK with discount, talk with us if you need it ;-))
Coke: 8-15 SEK (33 cl)
Pack of cigarettes: 45-60 SEK
Loaf of bread: 10-20 SEK
1 liter of milk: 8-10 SEK
Big Mac menu: 70 SEK
Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
A Crash Course in Swedish
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017
Contact Information
Alexander Sandercock
Matea Majstorovic
Main Organizer
[email protected]
+46 (0)73 635 52 42
Co-Main Organizer
Fundraising
[email protected]
+46 (0)70 481 90 83
Jeanna Fahlin Strömberg
President of BEST Gothenburg
[email protected]
+46 (0)72 514 64 53
We are waiting for you!
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Summer Course Gothenburg 2017