Earlier this month, I spent 2 weeks on holiday in the Nordic region and these are my observations from a territory touted for its high liveability index and famed for being one of the few places in the world that tourists can catch the Aurora Borealis. Summer, of course, isn’t the time for the northern lights with its extended daylight hours, so this entry will focus on what makes this region home to some of the most liveable cities as well as the little quirks I didn’t necessarily appreciate.

Branding Singapore as a smart nation, we’re still eons behind these Scandinavian countries in mobile app implementation. I am thoroughly impressed by the prevalence of mobile apps and QR codes to purchase and validate tickets on the public transport system, which I must say is also one of the most extensive I have seen. Airport check-in is hassle-free too, with barcodes replacing printed boarding passes, together with the self-service bag drop, has virtually eliminated the need for manned check-in counters.

Transport delays, though left me underwhelmed as I was plagued with them throughout my trip. I must have taken almost a dozen inter-city train rides, bus journeys and flights with majority of them being held up, albeit only short delays of 30 mins. One flight was however cancelled 2 hours before take-off which left me utterly disappointed. Having already waited at the airport for the whole morning, I immediately booked the next flight out. Needless to say, I burnt through a fortune and learnt an expensive lesson.

While we’re still struggling with cashless implementation locally, Sweden, in particular Stockholm, has very much transformed into a cash-free city. I was in for a rude shock when most shops and restaurants outright refuse cash, so much so that I had to sheepishly ask if cash was accepted every time I made a purchase. Going cashless is certainly a double-edged sword; it reduces employee pilferage from the tills and transactional inaccuracies but causes plenty inconvenience and extra charges on tourists.

The cash-free principle is so pervasive that even public toilets are paid for using credit cards, not that it matters as the dearth of public toilets is already unnerving enough that the only places where there are restrooms to be found are some eateries and paid attractions. Sure there are toilets available in libraries and parks but the cost of entry ranges between USD$1-2, with some of them only accepting card payment which can put a card-less tourist in a tight spot.

For all the autonomous vehicles testing and personal mobility devices going on here, Scandinavians still very much prefer the human-powered bicycle. The deeply-ingrained cycling culture and strong government support have led to dedicated cycling lanes on the roads. There’s also much respect for cyclists there as compared to the scorn rained on them here. While most citizens own their bikes, these cyclist friendly cities have great foresight to stick with docked bikes for bike-sharing and not have to deal with the rampant problems of dockless bike-shares.

All that said, the Nordic region certainly lives up to its reputation of being one of the most liveable places in the world especially if one is a denizen. Before I embarked on the trip, I budgeted a huge sum as it’s commonly assumed that Scandinavia, with its high standard of living, is going to make for a costly vacation. But by the end of the trip, I’ve come to learn that while eating out may be a tad more expensive, daily living expenses like transport and groceries are pretty much comparable to the rest of Europe.