The first five days of my trip to Scandinavia were great. Copenhagen was bustling, vibrant, and fun until August 4th, 2025.
One mistake derailed my trip by three days. To this day, it remains the most expensive, stressful, and time-wasting error I’ve ever made.
Day 1: Malmö
The interior of an Øresundståg train. Credit: Seat61
I’m traveling from Copenhagen to Stockholm, with a stop at Malmö Central Station. The train to Malmö is scenic, comfortable, and empty After arriving in Malmö, I look for the platform for the train to Stockholm, which is departing in ten minutes. I find the platform, press the button on my luggage handle to collapse it, and am hit with a feeling.
The feeling is the shock you get when you slip on ice or twist your ankle. I panic as five words enter my consciousness: “no no NO NO NO.” My luggage, hat, cardigan, passport, hygiene and dental supplies, clothes, and most importantly, my medication are still on the train. Not knowing what to do, I run back to the station and miss the last train to Stockholm.
The interior of Malmö Central Station. Credit: E-Architect.com
I remember how, on past trips, my parents and girlfriend often witnessed me forgetting my carry-on when I moved around. Their memory was my crutch for keeping track of my belongings. "I told you so" echoes in my head as I frantically pace around the station. I try to find the customer service counter, to no avail.1 However, I do find two Øresundståg staff who tell me that my bag will be transported by Sodexo Lost and Found. "It should turn up in three to four days," the helpful employee explains. They both apologize profusely and make it sound hopeless that I will get my luggage back today.
Credit: The Daily Scandinavian
But I need it by tomorrow—it contains my daily medication. They told me that my last train is in Helsingborg and won't be coming back. My new plan is to go to Helsingborg and grab my luggage before Sodexo does. However, that won't work because the train driver has to give me my bag, and Øresundståg employees can't call their coworkers for assistance with lost items. After thanking them for their help, I eventually find the customer service desk, Skånetrafiken, who tell me something similar.
My mom is in Germany, so I call her. She’s always available and great at handling dire situations. She calls the police, who handle lost valuables, and the train company for an update. In the meantime, she recommends that I find a hotel and get a phone number. It finally dawns on me that I won’t get my medication today and that I won’t make it to Stockholm. No trip has ever gone this badly before. On the phone, my mother hears me whimper before I hang up and begin to cry. She didn't say, "I told you so." Nobody did.
After getting back on my feet, I talk to more employees who give me conflicting information. My restlessness and hunger motivate me to book a hotel in Lund and leave.
“At least I don’t have to stay in another hostel.”
Day 2: Gothenburg
The hotel was premium and had the most gourmet breakfast buffet I’ve had to date! Swedish meatballs, onion sausage, ratatouille, caviar with deli sandwiches, and unlimited espressos. After breakfast, I call the Sweden Canadian Embassy about information on emergency passports and the Swedish medical system. While I wait for Malmö’s lost and found to open, I tour Lund’s (counts fingers) one attraction: a cathedral.
I arrived at Sodexo just minutes before closing, but my luggage did not. The receptionist says it might come tomorrow or in Gothenburg, so I call Gothenburg Sodexo, who tells me the same thing. It's Tuesday, but Gothenburg only receives lost items on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Since it's pointless waiting in Malmö, I take a 3.5 hour train to Gothenburg.
An SJ X2000 high speed train which I used to go to Gothenburg. Credit: Seat61
At Gothenburg Central Station (Nordstan), the bus driver confidently tells me that his bus is heading towards my hotel. However, his bus was actually heading in the opposite direction. I stepped off after two stops and caught the correct bus, which increased my travel time to one hour.
Nordstan Shopping Center beside Gothenburg Central Station. Credit: Handelstrender
I arrived soaked from the rain. The hotel reception was closed, and there were no instructions on how to enter the room. The place is old and worn with wooden walls and no insulation. The only way to get a key is to call customer service. When I arrive at my room, the lights flicker on, the fixtures are offset, my pillow is stuffed with feathers, and my creaky bed is next to a window with a light directly outside. It’s the first—and hopefully last—time I've had to wear earplugs and an eye mask in a hotel room.
Day 3: Return
”I can’t wait to get out of these clothes”
In the morning, I explore Gothenburg until Sodexo opens. First, I visit the beautifully decorated Oscar Fredrik Church, and then I head to the Karlatornet—Scandinavia’s tallest skyscraper. Unfortunately, a rainstorm with heavy cloud cover changes my plans.
When I arrive at Sodexo, I find that my luggage is missing from the new shipment. The receptionist apologizes, saying my suitcase may arrive on Friday or turn up in Malmö. I start shaking when I realize that I’ll need to go to the hospital.
Before leaving, I ask the receptionist, "What are emergency rooms called in Sweden?" Those words make him realize the urgency of my situation. He calls his supervisor, the train company, and the Malmö lost and found to see what he can do. After five calls, he determined that my luggage was going to Malmö and would arrive that day. Soon after, I receive an email saying my luggage has arrived in Malmö. Despite this good news, I won't be able to reach Malmö in time, as the next train arrives after Sodexo closes. I thank him, he wishes me good luck, and I go to the emergency room.
The nurses see me right away and write a prescription for my medication. They’re expensive everywhere and aren't covered by insurance—especially in Sweden. Instead of filling the prescription, I call the Malmö lost and found and tell them, "I'm in the emergency room right now, and I need an item you received containing my medication." The receptionist gives me her phone number, hides my suitcase under a tree, and sends me a video showing its location.
“Have you found my hat?” I ask. She tells me no hat was recovered.
“It could be worse.”
An SJ X2000 high speed train which I used to go to Malmö. Credit: Seat61
I book the next train to Malmö, arriving at the platform just minutes before its departure. I reach the train on platform 12, and ask a family if they’re going to Malmö. They tell me that this train should be going there! I take my seat and wait. A minute later, however, they say they’re no longer sure. I peek out my window and see, to my absolute horror, a sign in big, bold letters: “13”. I get the same feeling I had on Day 1. I'm on the wrong train. I'm also on the wrong platform. My train to Malmö will depart in 60 seconds.
I run to exit the train, but a family loading their luggage blocks the exit. I make it through with 30 seconds left and start sprinting, but I stop after hearing a metalling scratching sound on concrete. I turn around and see my wallet on the ground, having jumped out of my pocket. I grab it and make it to my train.
The only reason I boarded this train is because it was delayed by one minute, and the only reason I heard my wallet fall is because it's made of metal. I was shaking when I took my seat. This was definitely the closest call I’ve had while traveling.
When I arrived, I called my mom, who had been worrying the whole time. "What if he doesn't find his bag? What if someone stole his bag? What if something was stolen from his bag? What if he has to fly home in an emergency?”
I walk up to the tree under which the receptionist left my suitcase and find it intact, with all its contents inside! I’m freezing, so I put on my cardigan and take my medication. I’m overwhelmed with joy when I find my hat under my cardigan!
For three days, I was cold, trapped in Sweden, and my health deteriorated while I wore the same clothes. But now, it was finally over.
Epilogue
In hindsight, I don’t know how I managed all the stress and turmoil caused by my mistake. (My mom and girlfriend relieved a lot of pressure.) When the dust settled, I had spent more than $500 CAD on extra hotels and train fares.
The next day, I came full circle, waking up in Lund and revisiting the cathedral. I eventually got to tour Stockholm for only one day, which gave me a better impression of Sweden. Lastly, I went to Oslo, and I had so much fun that I almost forgot about this ordeal! But I didn’t forget my lesson.
When you get up, look around. Look up, look down, look under, look behind. It only takes a moment.