For some people, I'm a well known name on the boards, for others I'm not. I've been a member and posting things since 2003. 11 years... Wow.
I'm a local "Göteborgare" and the reason I started posting back in the day was to clear all factual errors like "no creditcards are accepted in Sweden" and things like that. Since then, I've met quite a few Swedespeeders here in Göteborg. I've also had the privilege to meet both Mr Bob Kennedy and Mr Yannis Alatzas.
The reason I'm starting this post is that I would like to get in touch (an ultimately meet) OSD:ers coming over to Sweden. We could do anything from a coffee at Radisson for 20 minutes to a tailor made whole day out. I want to make it very clear this is not an advertisement for a company or likewise. It's an open invitation to meet a local.
What's in it for me you ask? For one, it gives me a chance to give people the real view (or at least my view) of things that cannot be read in the guide books. To leave Göteborg more educated and enriched than one would have been otherwise.
I can attest to Jonas' no strings attached offer. In 2007, our family met Jonas for coffee at the Radisson and then later for dinner and beers. Jonas helped us navigate the buses, as well as give us a better route to our next destination. I hope everyone takes you up on your offer. We thoroughly enjoyed our short time together. Thank you!!
We are now planning to return to Sweden next year (probably not an OSD because we still love our cars), for our 25th anniversary. Jonas we will be in touch as the time gets closer.
I've been a Swedespeed lurker for ages and this post drew me out of my anonymity! Jonas, that is an incredibly kind offer which I may take you up on. Once I have more details finalized for my trip I will drop you a DM. Right now we are looking at an end of June pick-up though things could still change....
Peg, Thanks for your kind words! You are welcome anytime!
Denise, Haha! Happy I could 'drag you out' Do send me a PM and we'll see what we can do.
I've tried to stop a couple of "red plated" Volvos in my days. Most suprised was the woman, who in my defense looked very American, when I started talking English to her in a parking lot. It turned out she was Swedish and exporting her brand new car to Norway...
Jonas loves his country and Goteborg. Take him up on his offer. He has guided me to places I could have never found on my own....even let me borrow his tripod for a few pics
Here are a few pics of the man of which we speak
I'm taking you up on your offer. I have aleady sent you a PM. We are seven weeks away from picking up our 2014 XC60 R-Design. We will have five days on our hands and want to make the most of it.
Looking forward to communicating with you via e-mail.
Met with "Penguin" and his wife yesterday. Spent a good two hours driving around town. We used one of my cars as they were picking up their car today.
I had a really nice time and I sincerely believe that they did too.
We talked a little about offers that seem too good to be true usually are too good to be true. As in this case, that a local offers to drive you 'round town for a few hours and just chew the fat, but that was what we did. I did mention that when contacting someone you don't know, on the internet, can you be certain if this person is sane or not? But I did drop them off at the hotel again, and not in a duffel bag...
I will chime in, here. I met Jonas a few years, ago, during one of my business trips to Sweden and the factory. Great guy and he also took me to a very scenic spot, on the other side of Goteborg, up on a hill (remind me the name, Jonas, as my memory is failing me).
I would highily recommend hiring Jonas for part of the day to provide you with a custom-made tour of the city and the area and I am positive it will be well worth whatever fee you agree to pay him.
Hey SS members...
Jonas is an extraordinary asset to have available. Prior to our arrival he answered all the questions I posed to him and provided us with a wealth of information about the Göteborg area. He is even willing to be a personal tour guide for you (schedule permitting). What more could you ask for?
Jonas...
Thanks for the very warm welcome and personal tour around the city. I hope your open house went well. We spent several days touring Göteborg both on foot and bicycle. It is a very easy city in which to get around in without getting lost. Even if we did, we found locals willing to help us... even when we didn't need help. You Swedes are a very friendly people! We are looking forward to another OSD trip back to Göteborg in a few years.
Hey SS members...
Jonas is an extraordinary asset to have available. Prior to our arrival he answered all the questions I posed to him and provided us with a wealth of information about the Göteborg area. He is even willing to be a personal tour guide for you (schedule permitting). What more could you ask for?
Jonas...
Thanks for the very warm welcome and personal tour around the city. I hope your open house went well. We spent several days touring Göteborg both on foot and bicycle. It is a very easy city in which to get around in without getting lost. Even if we did, we found locals willing to help us... even when we didn't need help. You Swedes are a very friendly people! We are looking forward to another OSD trip back to Göteborg in a few years.
Open house was great and apartment got sold for more than we ever expected! So well pleased to say the least. I'm glad to hear my fellow Göteborgare helped you out! Welcome back any time!
Now concerning the hotels, out of the three (Riverside, Scandianvian and Novotel) I would recommend Riverside. Yes, it's a little bit futher from the city, but don't take your car to town from there! There's a bus that leaves every other minute on peak hours that takes you to Nordstan/Brunnsparken (outside Radisson Scandinavia) or take the ferry from Riverside to either Nordstan, or in the other direction, Novotel.
Riverside is a beautiful hotel with amazing rooms. There's a roof top pool and a great view. They have a weekend brunch that I've eaten (as I live five minutes walking distance from there) a couple of times that is really nice.
Do you suggest the Radisson Blu Scandinavian or the Radisson Blu Riverfront on the north side of the river? Is it harder to get into downtown from the riverfront hotel? Thanks! Kris
The Radisson Blu Scandinavian is in the center of downtown and is the hotel at which Volvo provides your complimentary room. The Radisson Blu Riverfront is newer and nicer. If you plan on going into downtown Göteborg numerous times while you're there, I would recommend staying on the downtown side of the river. It's not really difficult to get into town from the Riverfront hotel but you do have to contend with finding a place to park, which is not easy and is not free.
We just returned and stayed at Novotel Göteborg. I can't recommend it enough. It has a great staff; it's right on the riverfront; and, it's next to the freeway. We both walked into town and rode bikes into town (which Novotel Göteborg offers free of charge) on the walking/biking paths next to the river.
The Radisson Blu Scandinavia has paid parking. Novotel Göteborg offers free parking on site.
If you use a site such as the following, you can get an idea of the amenities are offered at the various hotels. It will help you get the most for your money depending on what your priorities are.
Hi Jonas. Just wanted to let you know that I have shot you a PM. Let me know if you didn't receive it. We are hoping to be able to meet up with you for a meal... and I think I owe you a drink or three after you have been forced into reading about my OSD misadventures up until this point.
It's interesting how when this thread was high up on the first page of the forum, I'd get tons of requests and e-mails and PM. Now almost two months have passed since my last Swedespeed meetup. So, offer's still here.
The offer seems like a great one! I will be taking you up on it in about a year or two when I am able to start my OSD order. I plan on taking a bit of a road trip from Gothenburg to France.
Did you use a GPS or plan the route the traditional way? I planned on trying to plot out the trip day by day and see if i can get a Europe card for the GPS. I assumed that 2 days would be enough for the trip from point A to B.
We had Euro maps in our Garmin (2370 came with Euro and US maps). We also planned with google maps (before the trip and on a daily basis) as well as using paper maps. Each have advantages/disadvantages.
We had a list of things we wanted to see that was so long we wouldn't be able to do it all in 6 months (and we knew it). We also added things as we went along -- I noticed our route would take us around the town of Waterloo so a visit to the battlefield was added.
This is where google maps comes in handy for pre-planning. It includes european maps. I put in Gothenburg Sweden/Paris France as points A/B and got 15 hours 39 minutes no traffic. From our experience, things took twice as long (meals, rest stops, traffic, etc.). https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=...gothenbu&mra=ls&t=m&z=6&output=classic&dg=brw
Maybe a little OT here, but I might be going to the US on business in the end of January 2015. Details are not yet finalized and if I know my employer, I will only know a week or two before I go. Either way, if I do go, I will be going to Kentucky.
Do we have any SwedeSpeeders there in KY up for taking me for a little drive or a beer? I know that Kentucky is about as wide as Sweden so it's no small state. I believe that the town in question would be Elizabethtown, but again, I'm not 100% certain yet.
Maybe a little OT here, but I might be going to the US on business in the end of January 2015. Details are not yet finalized and if I know my employer, I will only know a week or two before I go. Either way, if I do go, I will be going to Kentucky.
Not that anyone reached out, but I'm not going to US unfortunately. I have changed employer (after seven years) and this new position will mean less travel. That said, I will go to Kalmar later this week,so if anyone's there...
Still, as always, drop me a PM when you're heading over to Göteborg!
I need to bookmark this thread for when I do my next OSD. Would be fun to meet you and have a day, Jonas. When we came in 2010 I spent too much time at the H&M, as I had my teenage daughters with me!!
We happened to take delivery while a large handball tourney was held in Goteborg. Our teenage cousin from Oslo was playing in it, so we got to watch her play (in the mud - not ideal handball conditions).
That trip was one of the greatest trips of my life. We did a week (before pickup) in Norway, and then a week (with the car) in Copenhagen. Next time, I plan to spend a week or more IN Sweden!! Maybe summer 2016!
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