Sweden / Konungariket Sverige – Let’s explore here

Based in Scandinavia in the North of Europe, Sweden is dominated by forests and many lakes, some of which are the largest in Europe. Being the fifth largest county in Europe, it has a very long coastline, along which most people live. To the West of the country is a long mountain range, the Scandinavian Mountains, that separates it from Norway. Its highest point is Mount Kebnekaise, in the far north of the country, at 6,877 ft (2,096m) above sea level.

It has a long and rich history, and today it’s a wealthy, highly developed country where most people enjoy a very high quality of life.

The population is about 10 million, and because it’s such a large country, and full of forest, you often find yourself thinking, ‘where is everyone?’ This is especially true in the capital, Stockholm, which, when we were there, appeared to be almost empty … beautiful but empty!

Current travels

We’ve created a blog for our visit to Sweden. You may find it helpful, and you may pick up some tips, or more likely mistakes not to make that we’ve made 😉

On our current road trip we travelled from Copenhagen in Denmark, across the Great Belt Bridge on to Växjö and up towards the capital, Stockholm. From there we headed West via Prästhög near Lake Vänern, the largest lake in the country, before heading onto Norway.

We also came back to Sweden after our first (failed) attempt to get to Nordkapp. The roads and tunnels were closed, and so as it was sunny in Sweden, we re-entered the country. We stayed just over the border in Karesuando – it was 26°C – the hottest place in Sweden at the time! It was also mosquito and horse-fly hell! … adding to our opinion of Sweden unfortunately!

We did meet quite a number of really interesting people in Sweden, most of whom were very well read and spoke English very well. We improved our knowledge a lot of this intriguing and beautiful country; if only it didn’t rain so much!

Accommodation

Due to the incessant rain for the entire duration of our time in Sweden, we couldn’t bring ourselves to camp in our tent on our first trip in Sweden, only to have it soaking wet in the car. Also, of the sites that we did find by lakes in the North, mosquitos were abundant!

Because of this we sourced some quality, affordable studio-flat type accommodation, which, surprisingly is readily available. we were under the impression that Sweden was expensive, but quite to the contrary, compared to Denmark and Norway to come, it was surprisingly inexpensive. In fact, it was considerably cheaper that the UK!

The best stay we had though without a doubt was in Prästhög – in the bizarrely named ‘Sheep Inn’. Not bizarre for Yorkshire, but definitely so for North West Sweden! The owner is a great character, really interesting and engaging. Plus you get a fully stocked fridge freezer (see below)! It’s set in amongst the forest and is well worth the effort should you be in the area!

On our second trip to Sweden, after falling to reach Nordkapp, we stayed in a campsite called Sandlöfs camping. the owners were really welcoming and chatty. It was lovely and warm, and the site was super flat for tents. However, it was mosquito and horse-fly hell! Gladly our tent has mesh windows, so the breeze could get in but the flies couldn’t. As soon as you left the tent though – it was like a free for all! Best avoided unfortunately!

What’s it like to drive in Sweden?

In the main, we found driving to be very sedentary and ordered in Sweden. Everyone sticks to the rules, and everyone gives everyone space and only a couple of times did we experience any lane-hogging like you get in the UK. There is very little speeding, and road signage is excellent. That said, the road network isn’t exactly extensive, and so it’s bound to be easier. You do however see this sign a lot! 🙂

The only exception that we came across was in Stockholm. As it’s on a set of islands, there are many corkscrew type roads taking you from the main roads to the suburbs. We found though that if you missed one, the next will rapidly take you back to the correct place.

So driving seemed pretty simple in Sweden, HOWEVER … the rain!!!!! OMG the rain! At times it doesn’t seem to stop, and sometimes, like when we drove into Stockholm from the South, the rain is so excessive, it’s literally like driving through a waterfall! Extremely dangerous driving conditions occur, such that everyone on the motorway brakes at the same time due to not being able to see out of the windscreen at all … not even slightly! Just incredible! How there weren’t more accidents I’ll never know! In that instance, everyone stopped dead on the motorway for approximately two whole minutes until the downpour eased off!

AND ALSO … the forests!!! Wow, we’ve never seen so many trees in our lives … just unbelievable! I mean, I’m a definite tree lover, but wow … lots, more than you can imagine! Because of the size and flatness of the country, and how extensive the forests are, the roads can be very straight and very long, with little differentiation either side of the road to break the monotony. As such, long distance driving can, at times, become slightly laborious. You almost need to speed up and slow down periodically just to break the monotony!

However, driving in the forests … well now you’re talking. Most roads in the forests are gravel tracks, so lots of tiny stones to deal with, and many of the tracks are quite narrow, so travel slows down quite quickly. However, some of the beautiful deep red houses and barns and farms that you see hidden in the forests are simply beautiful! It’s definitely worth going off road in the North and West of the country for this reason. Plus you can bathe in the thousands of lakes that suddenly appear out of nowhere.

Driving into Sweden from Denmark

Beware that drink driving in Sweden is taken very seriously, and the limits are much lower than in the UK. When entering Sweden you may be asked to take a breathalyser test by customs officials … I was! More on that in the blog!!

Driving between mainland Denmark and Sweden can either be done by Ferry or via the Øresund Bridge. Tickets for the bridge can be bought online in advance, or at toll booths. Tickets for the Ferry can be bought from Forsea ferries or StenaLine. One-way tickets are fairly similar in price (as of June 2023).

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

Our best places in Sweden

Växjö

Although a fairly quiet place on the day we were there, we were told that there is a university here, and thus a vibrant atmosphere. Apparently it’s a city, although there’s only 60,000 people who live there, so quite a small city – where is everyone? These photos were taken on a Sunday morning, which perhaps explains the lack of students 😉 We particularly like the deep red smiling cathedral!

Stockholm

It absolutely bucketed down with rain when we were in Stockholm, only to pause for an hour or so, which is when we tried to capture some of these images! The population is o ver a million, yet they were all in hiding when we were there!!

What was interesting was that the underground had been dug out and left hewn – leaving the bare rock, which was then painted in various colours!

Värmland

Värmland was definitely our favourite part of Sweden, although may be because it was the only place where the rain let up!! Mostly a set of disparate rural communities, the people we met were super friendly and eager to discuss all kind of issues! There appeared to be quite a number of similarities with farm holders in Yorkshire.

What currency do they use in Sweden?

In Sweden they use the Swedish Krona. The use of credit / debit cards is now very widespread, to the extent that many places no longer accept cash. Traveller’s cheques are accepted. There are lots of ATMs.

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Sweden?

They speak Swedish in Sweden, although English, and to a lesser extent German is also widely spoken, in particular by younger generations.

What time zone is Sweden in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.

Do I need a visa to visit Sweden?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

Is wild camping legal in Sweden?

Yes, wild camping is fine in Sweden, in particular around the lakes. We found that in the South of the country, there didn’t appear to be that many opportunities for wild camping, but in the lake lads in the North and West, there were plenty. Beware the mosquitos though – ensure you have mesh windows on your tent / camper!

Is it safe to drink water in Sweden?

Yes, it is safe to drink tap water in Sweden. Bottled water is also readily available across the country. 

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!