Philadelphia to Stockholm Flights (PHL to ARN): Connections, Flight Time and Arlanda Arrival

A one-stop trip through a European hub

As of recent schedules, no airline flies nonstop between Philadelphia and Stockholm. SAS serves the US from New York, Newark, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and American's Philadelphia network across the Atlantic does not include Sweden, so PHL to ARN is a one-stop trip. The connection is short by transatlantic standards, and the choice of hub mostly comes down to timing and fare.

The realistic routings:

• American or British Airways via London Heathrow. Both fly Philadelphia to London, and British Airways flies London to Stockholm several times a day. A terminal change may be involved, so allow two hours.
• Lufthansa via Frankfurt or Munich. Lufthansa flies both hubs from Philadelphia and both to Stockholm. Munich is the smaller, easier airport to connect in.
• United or SAS via Newark or Chicago. A short domestic hop to a United hub, then SAS or United to Stockholm. Newark to Stockholm on SAS is the most direct of these.
• Icelandair via Reykjavik. Icelandair has served Philadelphia in recent seasons and flies Reykjavik to Stockholm; check that it is operating for your dates. The connection at Keflavik is quick and the two legs are about equal in length.

Air France via Paris and KLM via Amsterdam also serve Stockholm, but neither flies from Philadelphia, so they generally need a second connection.

Flight time and distance

Philadelphia to Stockholm Arlanda is roughly 4,000 miles (about 6,450 km). A nonstop would take about eight hours; with one connection, expect 11 to 15 hours door to door depending on the layover. Via London or Frankfurt, the Atlantic leg is 7 to 8 hours and the European leg 2 to 2.5 hours. Via Reykjavik the legs are about 5.5 and 3 hours.

The outbound almost always leaves Philadelphia in the evening and lands in Europe the next morning, with an arrival in Stockholm around midday or early afternoon. The return is a daytime trip: a morning departure from Arlanda, a midday connection and an afternoon or evening arrival in Philadelphia, with the westbound Atlantic leg running an hour longer against the wind.

Leaving from Philadelphia

Philadelphia International concentrates long-haul departures in Terminal A-West, where British Airways and Lufthansa check in; American's international flights use A-West and A-East. The terminals connect airside, so a connection from an American domestic flight needs no second screening. Confirm the terminal the day before, as assignments move with the season.

For an evening transatlantic departure, arriving two and a half to three hours ahead is sensible, because the European flights leave in a cluster and A-West security peaks in the late afternoon. SEPTA's Airport Line train runs from Center City to every terminal in about 25 minutes. Garage parking is next to the terminals and the economy lot runs a shuttle.

Arriving at Arlanda and getting into Stockholm

Arlanda has two international terminals in use, Terminal 2 and Terminal 5, with Terminal 5 handling SAS, Lufthansa and most long-haul and Star Alliance flights and Terminal 2 handling British Airways and several others. The terminals are linked by walkways and a short shuttle, and Sky City between them holds the rail station entrance.

The airport is about 40 km north of the city, and the rail links are excellent:

• Arlanda Express. The dedicated train to Stockholm Central in about 18 to 20 minutes, every 10 to 15 minutes through the day. The quickest option and the most expensive train.
• Commuter train (pendeltag). SL's commuter trains stop at Arlanda Central and reach the city in about 40 minutes; a station access fee is added at Arlanda, which is why the fare is higher than a normal SL ticket.
• Flygbussarna airport coach. To the City Terminal next to the Central Station in about 45 minutes, running late into the night.
• Taxi. 35 to 45 minutes; the licensed taxi companies at the rank offer fixed airport fares, which you should ask for before getting in.

Stockholm is close to cashless. A contactless card or phone wallet works for every train, bus and ferry, and many cafes will not take notes at all.

Entry rules for Sweden

Sweden is in the Schengen area. As of recent rules, US passport holders can visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, with a passport valid for at least three months beyond the planned departure and issued within the last ten years. The EU's Entry/Exit System now records biometrics at the border on first entry, so allow a few extra minutes at Arlanda, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is expected to be required once it launches. Check the Swedish Migration Agency and the EU's official travel pages before you book.

If you connect in London, you leave and re-enter the Schengen area, and the UK may require its own Electronic Travel Authorisation even for transit in some cases; confirm the current UK rules.

When to go

June to August is the season Stockholm is built for: long days, the archipelago open, outdoor cafes everywhere and Midsummer at the end of June, when the city empties for the countryside and transport runs on holiday timetables. It is also the period of highest demand from the US. May and September are the best compromise, with mild weather and fewer visitors.

December has Christmas markets, Lucia on the thirteenth and a few hours of daylight; it is atmospheric but dark, and January and February are cold and quiet, with the lowest fares outside the Christmas week. Book transatlantic connections two to four months ahead for summer; six to eight weeks is usually enough in winter.

Time difference and jet lag

Stockholm is on Central European Time, UTC plus one, with summer time from late March to late October. Philadelphia's clocks change on different dates, but for most of the year the gap is six hours, with brief weeks in spring and autumn when it is five or seven.

Eastbound, you lose a night on the overnight flight and land around midday; stay outside in daylight, eat a normal dinner and sleep at a local hour, and the second day is fine. Westbound is easier, because the daytime flights land in Philadelphia in the evening and you can go to bed early.

What travellers on this route get wrong

The common mistakes are booking a Heathrow connection too tight for a terminal change, paying for the Arlanda Express when the commuter train would have done for a hotel away from the centre, and arriving over Midsummer expecting the city to be open. One more: buying a connecting itinerary with a Nordic budget airline on the second leg and discovering the checked bag was not included.