IF Elfsborg v Hibernian - The Independent Tour details

[1875]

It would seem that a fair number of us are travelling to Sweden to see Hibernian play (or not!!!). [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] will be used to compile all the information we gather for the trip over the 'summer is a bummer' close season.

[Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] versus [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]

Sweden, Currency Swedish Kroner - Around 11.5 Kroner = a Quid

Date: 12th or 13th of July, kick off time to be confirmed. Stadium [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] with a capacity of 14,500.

IF Elfsborg, are, at time of writing, 2nd in the Swedish Allsvenskan 2008 'Premier League'. They play in yellow and are considered one of the big clubs in Sweden, last winning their championship in 2006!!! Not a wee diddy team here.

They play in the Western Swedish Town of [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register], 45 miles inland from the city of Gothenburg. It has a population of around 100,000 people.

Getting there

The vast majority of Hibs fans seem to be flying into either [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] with [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] via Prestwick, Stansted or even Frankfurt Hahn or by KLM from Edinburgh via Amsterdam and arriving in [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register].

Prices are around £230 return now as far as we know?

Once in Gothenburg City Airport, there is a bus into Gothenberg City Centre. It is around 60 kroner single, 110 Kroner return which is around a £5 and £10. Kids under 8 are free. It leaves 50 minutes after the flights arrive and drops you off at the main bus station, taking 25 minutes.

Those flying in with KLM, the bus from that airport is One Way
75 Kroner and a Return is 140 Kroner, about £7 and £13.

You have to pay 50 kroner each way for kids over 8 and under 17 and pensioners I think, under 8 is free.

The same bus company do both airports, see [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]in English.

Digs


To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


Because of the uncertainty of when the game will be played, most of those booked up have booked all three nights in the [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register], it works out at £60 a night a room, or £30 a skull. The Hotel, is a Boatel and is in fact a converted ship that sits in Gothenburg Harbour. A few of the bounce travellers have stayed there and reckons its fine and near the food and peeving facilities. Added 17/5: Ibis rooms - There's a small double bed and a single that pulls down from the wall in each room.


To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


On Saturday night a number of us are planning to stay over night in Boras. We have found a nice wee cheap Mini Hotel and Hostel in Boras City Centre, called the [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] with rooms from £15 to £25 per person per night. Some of the others Bouncers are booked the Friday, Saturday and Sunday Night in Boras.

Note: Mind when booking the Ibis Göteborg City Hotel, book the Flex Plus rate, its a few quid more but allows you to cancel the rooms right up to the day of the booking at no no extra cost.

Gothenburg to Boras and back

Seems the choo choo is the way and most of us will be letting the train take the strain. It seems that there are regular trains Added 15/5: and buses from Gothenburg to Boras, with the last bus heading back quite late depending on the day we play of course. Added 15/5: The last train seems to leave at 18.45? Prices seem to be 82 Kroner Return, (£7) and 5 Kroner each way for Kids (44p!!). This is based on getting the 10.50 am Train on the Saturday and coming back on the 10.30am train on the Sunday. Be careful though as many of the 'trains' listed are in fact buses. Added 15/5: SJ seem to run both. Tagbuss and Lansbuss indicates Bus!!

[Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]

A funny wee aside, the Swedish word for Bairn is, well, eh, Barn.

The Bevvy

There seem to be a few tales about how expensive Sweden is. I work with a Swedish lassie and she reckons Sweden is cheaper than Ireland and about the same price as the UK. As way of a check, I went onto a Gothenburg Irish Pub website to check it out. Irish Pubs rip people off the world over, but see for yourself how much a pint and a scran costs by clicking [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] and then the Gothenburg drink list. Seems to be over £4 a pint in a renowned rip off place. One bouncer posted a price list for beer in pubs in Gothenburg which makes happy reading, see here Bars in [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]

There is a chain of Swedish Bars that are styled around an English type pub, called the '[Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]. There are a few in Gothenburg and one in Boras. Scran seems reasonable and a pint seems to sell for around £3.80 a pint?

A handy hint is to buy a few cans from the supermarket, but be aware, Swedish Supermarket Beer is very low strength at around 2.7 alcohol by volume, so check what you are buying!

Systembolaget (literally system company) is the name of the state monopoly responsible for retailing alcohol. Its shops - marked with distinctive green and yellow signs - are the only outlets allowed to sell spirits, wine and full-strength beer (Class III). Supermarkets and other shops can sell no alcoholic beverage stronger than Class II beer.

Systembolaget shops can be a bit of a shock to foreign visitors. It's like being transported back to the Soviet Union circa 1975. There are no shelves with enticing displays of the goods on sale. The interior is bare, except for a display cabinets, where a single example of each item on sale is safely held behind protective glass. At the back of the shop is a counter, where the customer tells the assistant what is required, which is then retrieved from a hidden storeroom. Not very welcoming and quite an obstacle for a foreigner wanting to browse through what is available.

The austere image has been softened in some outlets, which have, daringly, adopted the self-service system. They are still, however, the exception. Of the 390 shops, only 30 are fully self-service, but with a further 60 self-service for beer. The intention is to create 10 more supermarket style shops, but no more. The argument is that it encourages people to buy more, so is intrinsically bad.

The opening hours are the second hurdle the consumer has to negotiate. These seem to be designed to make it as difficult as possible to buy alcohol at the times when you might want to consume it. They open 10:00 - 18:00 Monday to Wednesday and 10:00 - 18:30 or 19:00 Thursday and Friday. A recent development is Saturday opening: between 10:00 and 13:00 to 15:00, depending on where you are. On Sunday it remains impossible to buy alcohol to take away. Very convenient if you're visiting the country for the weekend.

Food

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Still to do a bit of reading on this but cheap food includes hot dogs, smorgasbord (open sandwiches), the usual healthy options from McDonalds and suchlike. One hint for the ''mair kultchured'' Hibby is the cheap 'menu del dia' arrangements which offer a decent 2 or 3 course lunch for 5 to 8 quid. Many places do them, so keep an eye for them.

Added 17/5:

Things to do when no drinking/ at the football

Amusement park

I think I might head here on the Monday...........[Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]. Only about £7 to get in too.

Another Fitba Match

If we are playing on the Saturday, there is always this game on the Sunday....13/07/08 - GAIS v Ljungskile SK. GAIS ([Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]are Gothenburg's 'other' team, play in Green and Black and play at the [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]. There is a homophobic song in there somewhere too.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


An open air swimming pool in Boras

Those who care for a cooling dip or a swatch at the Scandinavian beauties, it seems there are two major swimming pools in Boras, one of which is outdoors, should the weather be agreeable.

Stadsparksbadet - (City Park Swimming-baths) Stadsparksbadet is situated in the heart of Borås, beautifully surrounded by the central park. A water adventure complex where all the family have a great time. The daring can try out the wave pool and the climbing wall. Water cannons, a cave, diving tower and a new 60-metre long water chute, as well as a Jacuzzi, solariums and sauna.

Alidebergsbadet (Out-door swimming-baths) Alidebergsbadet is an open-air swimming-bath complex with heated pools, children's pool, diving tower, nude area and water chute. Alidebergsbadet is situated in the same area as the Borås Zoo and the shopping-centre Knalleland.

The Zoo

[Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register] It as to be better than Gorgie Farm

Weather

This might help with your packing! Looks like the pac-a-mac will be required.

[Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]

Tack very much.