STF Fridhemsplan, Stockholm

At first glance there’s not much to like about STF Fridhemsplan, which shares its building with a mid-range hotel.

That building is on a busy inner-city road and looks quite worn out, with tired purple carpets in the ground-floor lobby.

But there are some good reasons to stay here. The nearest tunnelbana station – Fridhemsplan – is just a couple of minutes’ walk away, and the well-priced rooms are surprisingly bright and cheery.

Even the cheapest ones have their own TV, art on the walls, and bright red scatter cushions. There aren’t any dorms here as such; three- and four-bed rooms are available but to stay in these you’ll need to book the whole thing. If you’re travelling alone or as a couple, there are good rates for single and twin rooms.

All of the bedrooms share toilets and showers along the corridors. Unusually for a hostel run by STF, towels and bed linen are included in the price. Members of STF or Hostelling International get a small discount per night, so if you’re planning on staying for a while or going on to visit other hostels in Sweden, it might be worth joining up.

Breakfast is available each morning for 70 SEK per person but the small kitchen, down in the basement, makes it easy to rustle up something cheaper.