Stockholm Arlanda Airport to City Centre: Train, Bus & Prices (2026)

Disclaimer: All prices, schedules and service details in this article reflect information available in June 2026. Transport fares and timetables change regularly — always verify the latest information on the official websites of each provider before you travel. The author and Faretus accept no liability for any inaccuracies, changes, or decisions made based on this content.

Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) sits about 40 kilometres north of the city centre — close enough that the Arlanda Express train covers it in 18 minutes flat, far enough that everything else takes considerably longer and costs noticeably more. Sweden, like Norway, is not a budget destination, and the airport transfer pricing reflects that honestly across every option.

What makes Arlanda slightly more interesting to navigate than some other airports in this series is that the "obvious" choice — the express train everyone has heard of — is also the most expensive way in by a wide margin, and there's a near-invisible trap built into the regular commuter train that catches people who think they've found a clever workaround. Get those two things straight and the rest of the decision is simple.

There are five realistic options for the journey. All of them are below.

The trap to know about before anything else: the Arlanda passage fee

If you take the SL commuter train (pendeltåg) from Arlanda Central station — the one that looks like a cheaper alternative to the Arlanda Express — you are not just paying a normal SL ticket. You are paying a normal SL fare (43 SEK) plus a separate Arlanda station access fee of 130 SEK, charged because the airport station itself is operated outside the standard SL network. The total comes to around 173–190 SEK depending on current rates — not the bargain it first appears to be, though still considerably cheaper than the express train.

There is a genuine workaround: if you take SL bus 583 to Märsta and then board the commuter train from Märsta station instead of from the airport directly, you avoid the airport access fee entirely and pay only a standard SL ticket. It takes longer and involves a transfer, but it is the actual budget option — not the commuter train direct from the airport, which many guides mistakenly present as the cheap choice.

The quick comparison

Option	Price (one-way)	Time to centre	Frequency	Best for
Flygbussarna (airport coach)	~129 SEK / ~€11	40–50 min	Every 10–20 min	Best value for most people
SL bus 583 + commuter train via Märsta	~43 SEK / ~€4	~60 min	Every 15–30 min	Absolute budget travellers
SL commuter train (direct from airport)	~173–190 SEK / ~€15–17	38 min	Every 15–30 min	Travellers who didn't know about the access fee
Arlanda Express	~340 SEK / ~€30	18–20 min	Every 10–15 min	Speed, business travel
Taxi (fixed-price)	494–800 SEK / ~€44–71	35–50 min	On demand	Groups, heavy luggage
Uber / Bolt	~500–650 SEK / ~€44–58	35–50 min	On demand	App users

Option 1 — Flygbussarna: the best value for almost everyone

Flygbussarna (operated by Vy) is Stockholm's official airport coach service, and for most travellers it's the right balance of price, comfort and simplicity. Buses run directly from stops at each terminal — Terminal 4 (stop 7), Terminal 2/3 (stop 6), with a stop also serving Terminal 5 — to Cityterminalen, right next to Stockholm Central Station. Buses depart every 10–20 minutes throughout the day, and the journey takes 40–50 minutes depending on traffic on the E4.

A one-way adult ticket costs from 129 SEK (about €11) when booked online in advance — walk-up fares at the airport are typically higher, so booking ahead via the Flygbussarna app or website before you fly is worth the few minutes it takes. The coaches have generous luggage holds, comfortable reclining seats, and onboard Wi-Fi.

The honest take: Flygbussarna is consistently the best value option for solo travellers and pairs who aren't in a desperate hurry. It's roughly a third of the Arlanda Express price for a journey that takes twice as long — a trade most people staying near the centre will happily make. Book online before you land if you can; it's cheaper than buying at the airport counter.

Option 2 — SL bus 583 + commuter train via Märsta: the genuine budget route

This is the option that actually deserves the word "cheap," as opposed to the commuter train direct from the airport, which only looks cheap until you hit the access fee gate.

SL bus 583 runs from the airport to Märsta station, a regular stop on Stockholm's commuter rail network outside the airport's fee zone. From Märsta, the commuter train (pendeltåg) runs into central Stockholm, stopping at T-Centralen among other stations. The whole journey takes about 60 minutes, and because you board the train at Märsta rather than at Arlanda Central, you pay only a standard SL ticket (43 SEK) — no airport surcharge.

Buy your ticket via the SL app, at machines, or with a contactless card directly on the bus or at the train barrier. A standard 75-minute SL ticket covers the whole journey including the transfer at Märsta.

The honest take: This is real budget travel — an hour-long journey with one change, for under €4. It makes sense for travellers with light luggage, plenty of time, and no interest in paying for speed. It is not comfortable in the way Flygbussarna is, and it requires you to actually know about Märsta, which most visitors don't until they've already paid the access fee once.

Option 3 — SL commuter train direct from Arlanda Central: faster than the bus route, but watch the fee

If you board the commuter train directly at Arlanda Central station (located in SkyCity, between Terminals 4 and 5), the journey to Stockholm Central takes about 38 minutes — faster than the Märsta route, slower than the Arlanda Express. But this convenience comes with the 130 SEK station access fee stacked on top of the normal SL fare, bringing the total to roughly 173–190 SEK.

Trains run every 15–30 minutes throughout the day, and the same ticket also covers travel onward to Uppsala if that's your destination instead (about 18 minutes from the airport).

The honest take: At nearly €17, this sits in an awkward middle ground — not dramatically cheaper than Flygbussarna, and not nearly as fast as the Arlanda Express. It mainly makes sense if your final destination is better served by a commuter rail stop than by Cityterminalen, or if you're continuing on to Uppsala rather than Stockholm itself.

Option 4 — Arlanda Express: fast, comfortable, and priced accordingly

The Arlanda Express is Sweden's dedicated high-speed airport rail link, running nonstop between Stockholm Central Station and the airport in 18–20 minutes using purpose-built X3 trains capable of 200 km/h. Trains depart every 10–15 minutes for most of the day, with reduced frequency overnight, and the service runs from just after midnight until just before midnight — essentially round the clock.

The standard adult fare (ages 26–64) is approximately 340 SEK one-way (about €30) when bought through official Arlanda Express channels, or 640 SEK return. Youth fares (18–25) and select promotional tickets run closer to 160 SEK, effectively half price — worth checking if you qualify. Buying online in advance is meaningfully cheaper than buying at the station counter or, worse, paying the conductor on board, which carries a penalty surcharge of around 200 SEK on top of the ticket price.

Two stations serve the airport: Arlanda South for Terminals 2, 3 and 4, and Arlanda North for Terminal 5. Trains between the two airport stations are free and take about a minute, so don't worry if you land at the "wrong" one.

The honest take: The Arlanda Express is exceptional at what it does — it is genuinely one of the fastest, most reliable airport rail connections in Europe. But at roughly triple the price of Flygbussarna for a time saving of about 25 minutes, it is a premium product, not a default choice. It earns its price for business travellers with tight connections, anyone catching an early departure who needs the schedule reliability, or simply travellers who'd rather spend the difference on speed than save it.

Option 5 — Taxi and ride-hailing: fixed price if you check the window sticker

Sweden does not regulate taxi fares the way many European countries do, which means pricing varies significantly between companies, and unlicensed operators do exist at Arlanda. The safest approach is simple: only get into a taxi displaying a fixed price sticker on the rear window, and confirm that fixed price applies to your specific destination before getting in. Reputable companies advertise fixed fares of 494–800 SEK to central Stockholm depending on the company and which part of the city you're heading to.

Uber and Bolt also operate at Arlanda, with typical fares of 500–650 SEK to the centre — broadly comparable to a fixed-price taxi, sometimes slightly cheaper during off-peak hours, but subject to surge pricing during rush hour or high-demand periods that can push prices above the taxi fixed rate. Check both apps on arrival before committing.

The honest take: For a solo traveller, a 600 SEK taxi against a 129 SEK Flygbussarna ticket is a significant premium for roughly 10–15 minutes saved. For three or four people sharing, that same 600–800 SEK fare divided by the group lands at 150–270 SEK per person — genuinely competitive with the bus while delivering door-to-door service. As with most cities in this series, the taxi math improves sharply with group size.

Which option is right for you?

Solo or pair, no urgent rush → Flygbussarna. Best balance of price, comfort and frequency for most visitors. Book online before you fly.
Absolute budget priority, light luggage, time to spare → SL bus 583 to Märsta, then the commuter train. Under €4, about an hour.
Tight connection or early-morning departure → Arlanda Express. The schedule reliability and 18-minute journey are worth the premium when timing actually matters.
Group of three or four → Taxi with a visible fixed-price sticker, or Uber/Bolt. Per-head cost narrows enough to make door-to-door service worthwhile.
Family with children and luggage → Flygbussarna for the luggage capacity and lower price, or a taxi if you have more than two large bags between everyone.
Continuing on to Uppsala instead of Stockholm → SL commuter train direct from Arlanda Central. Same ticket gets you there in about 18 minutes.

The one number worth remembering

129 SEK. That's the Flygbussarna fare, and for most travellers arriving at Arlanda, it's the right answer — cheaper than the train everyone's heard of, simpler than the commuter rail workaround, and fast enough that the extra 25 minutes over the Arlanda Express rarely matters in practice. Sweden charges a premium for nearly everything connected to Arlanda's 40-kilometre distance from the city, but the coach is the one place where the premium is genuinely modest.

Save the express train for the day your connection is tight enough to need it.

And if you haven't found that cheap flight in yet, the Faretus deals page is where to start.

All information in this article is based on publicly available data from official transport providers as of June 2026. Prices, schedules and service arrangements may change without notice. Always verify directly with the relevant provider — Arlanda Express (arlandaexpress.com), Flygbussarna (flygbussarna.se), SL (sl.se) — before travelling. The author and Faretus bear no responsibility for any decisions made based on the content of this article.