Since international waters are tax-free, alcohol retails for significantly less on the boats.

The tour operators are so interested in getting passengers (and thus shoppers and buyers of overpriced meals) that they sell tickets at well below cost, allowing a traveler to enjoy a cruise for less than the price of Ryanair tickets.

One great idea is to go to Riga from Stockholm, then take a cheap train elswhere- I routinely travel to Russia for less than $100 one-way including train and ferry fare.

Ferries go to Finland, Estonia, Latvia and several Swedish islands. You can start at SEK 30 for a daytrip to Åland and cruise for a whole week if you feel like it.

Buy tickets online and prepare to have your cheapest experience while traveling in Scandinavia.

The cruises I personally find delightfully cheesy and tacky, but some of my friends absolutely love the atmosphere and the drunk camaraderie.

The crowds on the ferries are very international, and you will have ample opportunity to socialize, once the cheap booze starts flowing.

We personally prefer to stick to our cabin and have a romantiс getaway for two, all for the price of a bus ticket.

Some starting points

http://www.tallinksilja.com

And for the green minded traveler- going by boat is the most environmentally friendly way of traveling, short of going by bike or foot, but good luck getting across the pond!

If you found this entry useful, please make sure to link to my project, www.EcoHouseFilm.com

about building an ecological house in Sweden!

details by maker:

The whole project cost around $15 from HomeDepot. There is one bolt that goes through the hub, and a coupling that links that to a bolt that is half metal threads and half wood threads. That’s really about all that it takes. The pots hang off of simple stainless hooks attached to the rim and spokes.

Detailed instructions

some other space saving ideas:

• magnetic knife strip

(get some magnets from old harddrives or refrigerator doors for free!)

alternatively, it’s $8 at ikea
and some clever hacks for it

Addressing the urgent need to green our built environment, Kjellgren Kaminsky Architects have conceived of a Super Sustainable City

that re-envisions Gothenburg, Sweden as a future-forward ecotopia. Designed as a dense and interconnected urban area, the master plan incorporates everything from green rooftop gardens to water and energy harvesting roadways, towering solar arrays, and soaring wind turbines. These measures address the issues of density, energy, and food production, while staying true to the city’s architectural heritage.

One of the smartest steps we can take towards a more sustainable future is to build denser, more efficiently designed cities. In doing so we stand to cut down on the materials required for buildings and infrastructure, decrease the distance residents need to travel, and provide space for the world’s surging population.

By 2020 the city of Gothenburg, Sweden will be growing at a rate of 8000 new inhabitants per year, and thus far the majority of this growth has taken the form of lateral sprawl. The Super Sustainable City addresses this issue by forming a dense city center that will house one third of the city’s growth until 2020 while forming a strong connection between each bank of the site’s river. The plan is inspired by the architectural heritage of Gothenburg, and will feature traditional yellow bricks, streets paved with granite, and plenty of markets and canals.

More at inhabitat

We are going to post free information here so people can volunteer for free.

Please leave comments to advertise your farm for free. Also, all farmers that register at pay sites, consider using a NAME for your farm that is special, and have a little page on the internet with contact info, or even post on a forum, that way people can search for your farm name and find your contact information. It is a good idea to have a name people can identify you by.

Volunteer at an environmental program in Sweden

Ecological volunteering – work with the environment and have a vacation at the same time .

1) Vaxhuset

http://www.vaxhuset.se/

In the summer welcomes volunteers to come and enjoy work and life  at Ekocentrum. Please contact them by email for more information. The address is info@vaxhuset.se

Welcome to come for a visit or to join a course or a camp here at Ekocentrum! Address: Mobodarne 857 S-826 93 Söderhamn Sweden
Telephone: 0046 270 42 70 50

2)Earthway Experience

What we can offer this year is the opportunity to experience the beginning of something special in the making. Lots of good work, good learning and a life experience never to forget! A bit like the summer before Dick Proenneke started filming “Alone in the Wilderness”

There is no cost to the Internship – although you will be expected to provide your own your own tent, sleeping bag, etc.

We will provide food for the time you are here. Expect lots of local favorites including moose, reindeer and fish. The Intern/Volunteers will be responsible for cooking themselves – but don’t worry it will be fun and a new Experience for some of you!

Positions start in May but it is possible to come in June if need be.

http://www.earthwayexperience.com/internship.html

kevin@earthwayexperience.com

46 70 299 2884

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Other links I’m going to look into:

http://www.norramon.se/

End of free information

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http://www.ial.se/www/en/volunteer_in_sweden

These charge $250 registration I think.

the above is free, but  below they charge fees:

WWOOF is an exchange program. In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.
They charge a 15 euro fee to register at the website,  which is ridiculous.

http://www.wwoof.se/

here is another pay site

http://www.helpx.net/search_now_paging.asp?host_region=313&network=3

I think Im going to set up a free classifieds system for work exchange programs in Sweden. In the meantime, feel free to leave comments.

what is being done in Sweden with environmentally friendly homes?

Sweden being green conscious, there are several initiatives by government, groups and individuals to improve the conditions of life and sustainability.

Check back as we publish several notes on green living in Sweden.

Read part one with videos here