Day by day
Times shown in Central European Time (Sweden). Every day below is grouped by where it happens — use the legend to see the shape of the trip at a glance, then tap a day for the details.
Monday, October 12
In transitMeet at the airport, Delta Group Area, 4:40 PM.
Depart Minneapolis — DL0162
Tuesday, October 13
In transitArrive Stockholm Arlanda — KL1223
17:15 — bus to Västerås with the whole group (60), stopping at ABB Süd (Hökanplan locker room) to drop off equipment. 19:00 — gear dropped, checking into the Plaza Hotel.
Wednesday, October 14
Västerås7:45–8:45 Breakfast · 9:00 Bus to ABB Süd (team) · 10:00–11:30 Practice · 12:00–1:00 Parent/team lunch at the ABB Café.
Anundshög Viking Burial Grounds
Bus at 1:30 PM. An English-language tour of Sweden's largest Viking-era burial mound site, about 15 minutes outside Västerås. Bus back to the hotel at 4:15 PM.
5:00–5:45 PM Dinner near the hotel.
Gustav Vasa's Knight Tour
6:00–7:00 PM, for girls and parents. Meet in the hotel lobby at 5:50 PM to walk to Gustav Vasa Park. "Gustav Vasa's Knight" walks us through how Sweden became a country, with a tour of Västerås Castle.
Boys' hockey practice
6:15 PM bus from the Plaza Hotel, splitting into two groups. Group 1: dryland 6:30, ice 7:00–8:00 PM at Mimerhallen. Group 2: gear stays on the bus for a ride to Råby IP — dryland 7:00, ice 8:10–9:10 PM. Both groups meet up with their host VIK team on-site. Bus picks everyone back up at 8:45 PM for the ride to the hotel.
Thursday, October 15
Västerås8:00–9:00 Breakfast · 9:15 Parents walk to Västerås Cathedral · 9:30–10:30 Cathedral tour · 10:00 Bus to ABB Süd (team) · 11:10 AM–12:40 PM Practice · 12:50–1:30 Lunch at ABB Nord Café · 1:30–2:00 Kids tour the VIK stadium & locker room · 2:00–2:30 VIK merch shop opens · 2:45 Bus back to the Plaza Hotel · free time in Västerås.
Girls' hockey practice
Skating with the VIK girls' F16 team (ages 12–15). Early dinner for the girls' team, then a 5:00 PM bus to ABB Süd for equipment and to meet the host team. Dryland at 5:15, ice 6:15–7:15 PM at Mannskinrinken. Bus back to the hotel by 8:00 PM.
Skultuna Fire Night Run
4:45 PM bus from the Plaza Hotel to Skultuna. Not running? Skultuna is a genuinely cute town to visit on its own — the brass factory tour and Bistro are open all evening. Bus back to the hotel at 8:45 PM.
Race start times & entry
Friday, October 16
VästeråsBreakfast · 9:00 Bus to ABB Süd (team) · 10:00–11:30 Practice · 11:45 Bus back to the Plaza Hotel · lunch in Västerås.
Kokpunkten Water Park
Bus at 1:45 PM. Kids get the water park; adults get the rooftop steam spa. Bus back to the hotel at 4:15 PM. Dinner in Västerås on your own.
Elite Series: Tillberga BK vs. Västerås SK
6:45 PM bus to ABB Süd Arena (whole group). 7:00–9:00 PM — the local pro rivalry, live. Bus back to the hotel at 9:00 PM.
Saturday, October 17
Västerås7:45–8:45 Breakfast · free time in Västerås · 1:30 PM bus to ABB Süd (team, 60).
Bandy games vs. Tillberga / VSK
3:00–5:30 PM. Bus back to the Plaza Hotel at 5:40 — players shower and pack their overnight bag for the homestay.
Homestay pickup
Players spend the night with a Swedish host family — bring a thank-you gift (tack så mycket!). Homestays are for players only; parents are invited to Parents Night Out instead.
Parents Night Out
6:45 PM — meet in the lobby and walk to Djäknabergets (about 15 minutes, with some elevation right before the restaurant) for a traditional Swedish dinner overlooking Västerås. 7:00–8:30 PM, set dinner at a fixed price. After dinner: Västerås is yours — the daring can find the disco. Walk back to the hotel whenever you're ready to call it a night.
Sunday, October 18
VästeråsBreakfast · 9:30 AM parent bus to ABB Süd Arena (40) — players on homestays come straight to the rink, arriving around 9:00 AM.
Games vs. Tillberga Bandy Club
10:00 AM–12:30 PM. Bus back to the Plaza Hotel at 1:00 PM (66 people).
Prison Island — team challenge with Swedish friends
An indoor team-building adventure — work through challenge "cells" together with the Swedish players. Parents can watch, or form a team and compete themselves. Open evening after — dinner on your own.
Monday, October 19
In transit7:30–8:30 Breakfast · 9:00 AM checkout and bus to Stockholm, whole group (66). Stops along the way: ABB Süd (grab equipment, clean out the locker rooms), the Vasa Warship Museum, and a Stockholm scenic overlook.
Check-in, Scandic Gamla Stan
Arriving around 1:00 PM — official check-in isn't until 4:00 PM, so the hotel will get some of us into rooms early and pile bags into one or two rooms in the meantime. Free to go explore Gamla Stan while you wait.
Stockholm Ghost Tour
500 years of Swedish history through Gamla Stan. Dinner on your own afterward.
Tuesday, October 20
Stockholm7:30–8:30 Breakfast · free time in Stockholm — find your own food through the day, and pack rink snacks in your backpack. 3:45 PM bus to Gubbängens Bandy Hall, whole group (70), pickup at the Scandic Gamla Stan.
Final bandy game — vs. GT 76 / Djurgården
5:10–6:40 PM, our last game of the trip. A BBQ / post-game tailgate with both clubs follows at 7:00 PM. Bus back to the Scandic Gamla Stan at 7:45 PM — get packed tonight for an early departure tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 21
In transitEarly breakfast — boxed lunches may be prepared for the group to take to the airport. 6:00 AM — bus loads for the airport (about 55 travelers).
Depart Stockholm — KL1216
Arlanda → Amsterdam, landing 11:35 AM, connecting to DL165.
Arrive home — Minneapolis, DL165
"I put this trip together to make sure the parents have things to do rather than sit in a rink for the week."