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Can you buy a ticket on the bus in Sweden?

How onboard ticket sales work in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Skåne.

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Short answer

SL buses in Stockholm and most Västtrafik buses in zone A sell single tickets for a tapped bank card, but SL buses do not accept cash. In Skåne, regional buses stopped selling tickets on board on 1 January 2024, so what applies depends on the region.

Urban transport: SL, UL, Västtrafik, Skånetrafiken Illustration of a metro train, a tram, a city bike and a parking sign on a city street

Why

  1. According to SL, you cannot use cash on buses, commuter boats or other trams and local lines.
  2. Västtrafik says that on buses in zone A an adult can buy a single ticket by tapping a bank card on the reader.
  3. According to Skånetrafiken, ticket sales on board regional buses were removed from 1 January 2024.

Details

Visit Stockholm says single tickets can be bought by credit card on buses in Stockholm, and Skånetrafiken says tickets can be bought by bank card on board its buses. Skånetrafiken's regional buses are the exception, so buy those tickets in the app or at a machine beforehand. For more on the systems, see the guide to urban transport and Västtrafik transport, and for trip budgets, see how much a trip to Sweden costs.

Tip

Download the local travel app before you go, whether SL, Västtrafik To Go or Skånetrafiken, because app tickets work where sales on board have stopped.

What may differ

The rules depend on the region and the type of bus: Västtrafik excludes buses in Gothenburg, Mölndal, Partille and the X-lines from its sales from the driver, but zone A buses accept a tapped card.

Common misconception

You can always pay the driver in cash on a Swedish bus.

What actually happens

According to SL, you cannot use cash on buses, and Skånetrafiken stopped ticket sales on board regional buses on 1 January 2024.

People also ask

  • Can I buy a ticket from the bus driver in Sweden?
  • Can I pay cash on a bus in Sweden?

Sources

This answer is for reference only. Rules can change, so check the transport operator in your region before you travel.

Urban transport: SL, UL, Västtrafik, Skånetrafiken

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