An adult travelling with a pram rides free on SL buses (SL is Stockholm's public transport) and boards through the middle doors. On the tunnelbana (metro), pendeltåg (commuter trains), trams and light rail you need a ticket as usual, but the pram is always allowed on. What makes everyday life hard is not the rules but the lifts, rush hour and full buses. Rules can change, so check the current terms on sl.se.
Half past four on a Tuesday in November at a bus stop in Hägersten. The bus arrives, it is full, and there are already two prams in the pram space. The driver shakes his head, the door closes and you are left standing in the rain with a six-month-old who needs feeding in twenty minutes. That is what SL with a pram looks like on the bad days. On the good days it is the best way to get around Stockholm with a small child, and the difference comes down mostly to timing and planning.
The rules in brief
| Mode of transport | Adult with a pram | Where you board | Where the pram goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus | Free | The middle doors | The marked space, brake on |
| Tunnelbana (metro) | Ticket required | Lift to the platform | By the doors in the middle of the carriage, not in the aisle |
| Pendeltåg (commuter train) | Ticket required | Lift, then a low-floor carriage | The space by the doors, often marked |
| Trams and light rail | Ticket required | At the door, often low-floor | The marked space |
| SL boats | Ticket required | Lift on board at the gangway | On deck, folded if it is full |
The free rule on the bus exists for a practical reason: someone boarding with a pram through the middle doors cannot leave the pram to walk up to the driver and show a ticket. So it is not a discount for families with children in general, but a way of making boarding and alighting work. If you travel without a pram, or with a baby carrier, you pay like everyone else.
The bus: how it works
- Stand at the middle doors when the bus arrives, so the driver sees the pram and lowers the bus if it can be.
- Wait until the door is fully open. Lift the front wheels over the step and roll in. The back wheels follow if you push down on the handle.
- Put the pram in the marked space, ideally with the child facing backwards, and put the brake on.
- Hold on to the pram for the whole journey. Buses brake hard, and the pram's brake is not always enough.
- Press the stop button in good time and get ready at the door, so the driver sees that you are getting off with a pram.
- Reverse out back wheels first if the step is high, so the pram does not tip forwards.
If the space is full or taken by a wheelchair, you have to wait for the next bus. Wheelchairs have priority, which is fair, and arguing with the driver gets you nowhere. Allow for one extra bus in your timing when you have somewhere important to be in rush hour.
The tunnelbana: the lifts decide
Most tunnelbana stations have a lift, but not every lift works every day, and at some stations the lift is a long way from the exit you wanted. Before you travel a new route: check the station's lifts in the SL app or on sl.se, where broken lifts are usually listed. Escalators with a pram are prohibited and dangerous, even if you see others doing it. Ordinary stairs are manageable with help from a fellow passenger, and in Stockholm you will almost always get that help if you ask.
On the train: put the pram by the doors in the middle of the carriage, not in the aisle, and hold on to it. Avoid standing at the front of the train in rush hour, where the crush is worst. Changing between lines can mean one lift up and one down, so give yourself five extra minutes per change.
Times to choose and times to avoid
- Quietest: between nine and three on weekdays, and weekend mornings. Then there is room for the pram and a seat for you.
- Hardest: between seven and nine in the morning and between four and six in the afternoon. The buses are full and the pram space is taken.
- Friday afternoon and Saturday after lunch in the city centre are also crowded, especially towards Djurgården and Gamla stan.
- Major events in town affect whole lines. Check the traffic situation in the app before you leave home.
Pram, stroller or baby carrier?
The big carrycot pram is comfortable for a baby but hard work on SL: heavy to lift, wide in the aisle and difficult to get in when the space is taken. A lightweight stroller or travel buggy that folds with one hand makes every journey easier from the moment the child can sit up. A baby carrier is best of all on the tunnelbana: no lifts, no wheels, and the baby falls asleep. Many of our nannies choose a carrier for journeys with changes and a pram for journeys without.
What makes the journey easier
- Check lifts and the traffic situation in the SL app before you leave home
- Have your ticket on your phone or your card ready, so you are not hunting for it with one hand on the pram
- Pack the bag under the pram, not on the handle, so the pram does not tip when you lift the child out
- Ask for help on stairs and at high steps. It is not a defeat, it is how the city works
- Give yourself time: a journey that takes twenty minutes without a pram takes thirty with one
- Keep a snack and a toy within reach, because it is when the bus is standing still that the child gets fed up
How we do it with our families
Denise picks up a one-year-old from förskola (municipal preschool, from age one) in Solna three days a week and takes the bus home to the family in Sundbyberg. She always chooses the stop where the bus arrives empty from the terminus, so the pram space is free, and she is standing at the middle doors in good time. On days when she is going on to the library she takes the baby carrier instead, because that is two changes with lifts. The note to the parents says which bus they took and whether the one-year-old fell asleep on the way, because that decides how the evening goes. The same nanny and the same route mean the one-year-old knows exactly when it is time to wave to the driver.
Our nannies are out and about with children in Stockholm every week: parks, libraries, swimming pools and playgrounds. Would you like someone to take the afternoons? Book a free first meeting with the nanny at your home.
Read more: A nanny who picks up from preschool · Things to do with kids in Stockholm · Parks in Stockholm with great playgrounds · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you travel free on the bus with a pram?
Yes, an adult travelling with a pram rides free on SL buses. It is a practical rule: you board through the middle doors and do not need to leave the pram to show a ticket to the driver. Rules can change, so check the current terms on sl.se.
Does that apply to the tunnelbana and the pendeltåg too?
No, the free rule applies to the bus. On the tunnelbana, pendeltåg, trams and light rail the adult needs a valid ticket as usual. Small children travel free with a paying adult; check the current age limit and weekend rules on sl.se, because they change from time to time and differ between weekdays and weekends.
How do you board the bus with a pram?
Through the middle doors. Wait until they open, lift the front or back wheels depending on whether the bus kneels, and put the pram in the marked space with the brake on and the child facing away from the direction of travel if possible. Hold on to the pram during the journey, because buses brake harder than the pram's brake can handle.
What do we do when the lift is broken?
It happens, and it is the hardest thing about the tunnelbana. Ask someone for help on the stairs, which almost always works, or walk to the next station with a lift. Take a baby carrier instead of a pram on journeys where you know there are many changes.
How many prams fit on a bus?
It depends on the bus, but the space is limited and wheelchairs have priority. If it is full, you have to wait for the next bus. Avoid rush hour if you have the choice; between nine and three is quietest. Allow for one extra bus in your timing when you have somewhere important to be.