Transportation:

1. Bus

The local bus system in Lulea (LLT) is well-developed. It operates between most of the suburbs and central Lulea, as well as the Storheden (an industrial area that plays host to larger stores such as big supermarkets and outlet shops). If you’re planning on travelling around Luleå for a few days, head to the LLT office to get yourself a ‘turistkort’. These tickets cost 100 SEK and allow you to ride the city’s buses as many times as you like over the course of three days.

2. Taxi

• Flygtaxi Luleå: +46-920-885-40
• Luleå Taxi AB: +46-920-10-00-00
• Sexans Taxi AB: +46-920-666-66
• Taxi Ersnäs: +46-920-312-50
• Taxi Kompaniet: +46-920-333-33
• TaxiKurir: +46-920-640-64
• Taxi Minicab: +46-920-25-55-55
• Rånedalens Taxi: +46-924-100 00

3. Car rental

Car rental is relatively cheaper compared to other modes of transportation. Some of the places available for car rental are:

• Bro Garaget, Handelsvägen 15, 97345 Luleå
• Rent A Wreck, Industrivägen 24, 97254 Luleå
• OKQ8 (petrol station), Robertsviksgatan 3, 97241 Luleå
• Statoil (petrol station), Stationsgatan 30, 97238 Luleå

4. Bicycle

As Lulea is a small town, most students cycle to school, to town, and even around the city. You can head to Cykelstallet at Sandviksgatan 76 to rent a bike. It costs 150 SEK for the first day and 100 SEK per day for the days after.

Banking services:

Having a Swedish bank account in Sweden can be convenient for paying bills and receiving incomes. Note that the offers from banks vary depending on how long you are staying and whether you have a Swedish personal identity number or not.

For short term students (1 or 2 semesters / less than 12 months), you cannot het a Swedish personal identity number. You will only get limited services at Swedish banks (e.g. no internet banking). Most students will bring large amount of cash and withdraw the maximum amount from ATMs whenever they are in need of it. Overseas banks generally have a flat fee for each withdrawal.

If you are long term students (longer than 12 months) in Sweden, you are entitled to apply for a Swedish personal identity number. Receiving your Swedish personal identity number may take a few weeks and should be done before applying for a bank account. You can also apply for a Swedish ID after having your Swedish personality number to help you simplify identification at the bank.

Banks in Sweden are generally open only between 10.00 and 15.00, but they normally have one evening a week with extended opening hours. The documents that you need for opening an account are:

• Valid passport (Your passport must have a valid international standard for Swedish banks to accept it as an ID)
• Your residence permit (if applicable)
• Proof of admission showing the duration of studies
• Details of address in Sweden
• A birth certificate issued by the Swedish Tax Authority (if you have a Swedish personal identity number)

Major Banks in Sweden:

1. Swedbank

2. Handelsbanken

3. SEB Bank

4. Nordea

​

5. Danske Bank (previously Ostgota Enskilda Bank)

Post office services:

There is a small post office in every supermarket in Lulea. The postal service is reliable and generally it takes less than a week to reach Singapore. Letters and postcards to Singapore costs about 14kr while packages go by weight and size. The full list of post office available in Lulea can be accessed here!

Medical services:

Vaccinations:

There are generally no vaccination requirements to enter Sweden. However, temporary regulations may at times apply to travelers from specific countries.

Student Health Services:

There are different medical services at different campus:

1. Kiruna

LTU, in conjunction with Previa AB Kiruna, runs the Student Health Care in Kiruna. As a student, you have access to a range of services; from advice on health issues and conversational support, to that of physiotherapy.

Point of Contact
Name: Britt-Marie Strandenhed
Address: Previa, Hjalmar Lundbomsvagen 44 in Kiruna
Phone: 0980-770 70 or 070-636 37 81, from 8am – 4pm.
Email: Britt-Marie.Strandenhed@previa.se

2. Lulea & Pitea

If you have any concerns about your health and your well-being (pain, health concern, stress, reflections, issues about drugs, STDs, and more), you can approach the Student Health Services.

Point of Contact
Name: Maria Kero (Director of Student Health Services)
Phone: +46 (0)920 492455
Email: maria.kero@ltu.se

3. Skelleftea

• Contraception
  The youth center in Skelleftea caters to girls up to 20 - boys up to 25
  Opening hours: Monday and Thursday, 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm​
  ​
• Psychiatric Clinic
  ​
• ​Doctor or Nurse
  You are always welcome to call or email the staff at the Student Health Centre in Lulea for advice.

Other services:

1. Healthcare center Porson

Phone: 0920-461950
Address: Professorsvagen 7

2. Healthcare center Bjorksskatan

Phone: 0920-231010
Address: Hostvagen 7

3. Sunderby Hospital

Phone: 0920-282728
24 hours

4. Dental Care

Phone: 0920-284800
Address: Porso Centrum
Available at daytime on weekdays

Telecommunications:

The three major telecommunication service providers in Sweden:

1. Telia (Halebop)

2. Tele2 (Comviq)

3. Telenor (Formerly Vodafone Sweden)​

Flying Chalks’ tip: LTU provides you with a Tele2 (Comviq) sim card on your first day. You can go to any supermarket to top it up. It costs around 50, 80 and 100kr for the 1, 2 and 3GB data plans respectively.

Weather:

In Luela, there is generally not much rain in summer where the skies are always very clear and bright. At the peak of summer, the sun never really sets and even in August, the sun was setting at about midnight. In winter, you can expect daylight hours to drop to as low as 4 hours a day. It is very cold in winter, with temperatures reaching close to -40 degrees in some areas.

Here’s the range of average high and low temperatures in Luela throughout the year:

Weather and seasons in the UK is unpredictable and differs daily. Seasons usually overlap and don’t follow regular patterns making it a common conversation topic within the UK. As such, although the UK is not large, temperatures and climates vary between the North and South, East and West. Basically, expect colder and windier climate higher up North and wetter weather in the direction of the West.

The average daily temperature in this part of the UK is about 4C in winter and 18C in summer. It is also known for its wet weather, averaging about one in three rainy days. Smell the blossoming signs of spring and thaw out the remnants of winter’s cold between March to May. This is also the period where days stretch longer with unpredictable showers so it’s a wise idea to keep and umbrella close to you.

Temperatures fluctuate between 9.3^oC – 15.4^oC and daylight lasts between 11-15 hours.

Summer
The warmest season in the UK coupled with occasional thunderstorms takes place in the period between June to August. This is when you lose your coats, bring out your sunglasses, hit the beach and bathe in the sun.

Temperatures range between 18.1^oC – 20.6^oC, sometimes reaching 30^oC. Daylight normally lasts around 16 hours. Do protect your skin from the harsh UV even though it might not feel hot!

Autumn
The season with the largest climate range, falling leaves and dipping temperatures is normally experienced from September to November. Early autumn can sometimes feel warm, like summer while Novembers can get very cold like winter.

Temperatures range from 18^oC – 9.5^oC and daylight lasts between 10-14 hours. 

Winter
Temperatures fall and morning frosts get common. The holiday season as they call, begins in December and last through February. Winter in the UK is commonly wet and windy.

To add to the terrible weather combination, this is also the season with shortest daylight lasting between 8-9 hours. Temperatures range from 6^oC to 7.5^oC, sometimes even plunging close to freezing point (0^oC).

Click here or here to find out more! Find out where are the 10 best places to visit during winter!

Flying Chalks’ recommendation: Do consider bringing along a sturdy umbrella that can withstand strong winds!

Flying Chalks’ tip: It is important to always bring an umbrella with you wherever you go, because it rains very often in the UK. Weather is pretty nice in general. Winter in Exeter is not as severe as the north part of the country. While snow is not very common, it did snow in some of the winter years.