Cycling Vacation in Sweden

Written by Elina Nomad

One of the most popular adventure experiences that tourists seek when travelling to Sweden is to experience hiking in mountains. “Vandring” has been popular in Sweden for decades. It has become a lifestyle rather than just a one time holiday. I learnt the friluftsliv while living 6 years in Skåne. Since I went on my first camping at Stenshuvud nature park, I was caught on this outdoor’s spell.  I have gone to so many beautiful nature parks throughout my life in Skåne. Walked the Skaneleden’s coastline and made many day trip adventures. Eventually started cycling around Skåne. Therefore, in this article, I will focus more on cycling holidays in Sweden.

In the tourism industry, the concept of “staycation” has become more common. It’s also a sustainable way of travelling. Good that we live in a country with such beautiful nature. Midnight sun, aurora lights, Höga Kusten, flat countryside, rocky or sandy coastline, islands and lakes, and more to explore to discover! Also, the local tourism industry has really grown in the last few years. More and more experience adventures available than how I remember searching for something different five years ago. You can travel around North of Sweden with Norrtågland, or find a glamping experience or have a cosy farm stay in Skåne, or have a walk with alpaca in Dalarna!  The choices are endless, I get overwhelmed when researched travel ideas around Sweden. Therefore, I hope I’ve narrowed down for you cycling vacation information. 

My background

Firstly, I am not a recognized bikepacker. I am not sponsored. So I share my knowledge from my passion and enthusiasm, from my heart. All the sites, projects and organisations I will mention are from my own personal research. I am a weekend bikepacker or long ride bikepacker on vacations than leaving everything behind and going around the world. I wished, but not anymore. My kind of goal is to inspire that anyone can cycle. You don’t need fancy, expensive gear or have a body type like TourdeFrance cyclists.

My background is not athletic at all, but here you go, I can cycle 90-110km in a day on my long tours. Last year I wrote about my first solo cycling adventure on a newbie guide – bikepacking trip to Stockholm from Skåne. Here are all other Newbie guide articles on cycling in Sweden. That happened in summer 2019. Summer 2020 I cycled all of Sydkustleden and some parts of Sydosleden which connected in Karlshamn after I finished Banvallsleden. In numbers, Halmstad-Karlshamn-Åhus 291km, Åhus – Malmö 116km.

These three are marked cycle routes, but my round trip to Stockholm was made up of the route which mixed up sometimes with Sverigeleden and local regional routes.

Outdoorsy Skån…Stockholmer

Now I live in Stockholm. I said goodbye to Skåne, and here I am an outdoorsy Stockholmer. Every weekend I am searching for a day trip or a weekend bikpacking adventure. So far I have found pretty awesome places I would want to return to, but, oh well, so many new awaiting me to discover! During winter I gathered information on places to visit around Stockholm in an online notebook that way I can always check the list when I have one of those moments “there is nothing interesting to see”. Currently, since February I and my partner have gone camping every time to a new place.

Some of the places around Stockholm. Photos by Elina Nomad.

How do I find these places?

First, it always has to be near water – sea coast, lake or river. I love to jump in the water and my boyfriend likes fishing. Secondly, I decide on distance. Max for a weekend trip one way I take 50km. Weekend rides are shorter and more scenic as exploring new areas of Stockholm-län. Thirdly, how remote or common will be the place. Also, I started making my own map, if interested can follow it here.

• Step 1: Google Maps! Yes, that simple. On metro rides I am starring into the map, scrolling up and down, left and right, zooming in and out, screenshotting names and then I check next step 2.
• Step 2: Naturkartan. This app/website is the best outdoor lifestyle project ever!
• Step 3: Kamoot/Bikemap. After I have found a place I check if someone has already cycled there, for a bike route as around Stockholm it’s more cliffs that sometimes only by hiking you can get to the spot.
• Step 2/4: Badkartan. Since I am new to Stockholm, I don’t know the beaches here. Discovered this Swedish website and this is another way how I find my camp spots or day trips.
• Step 1-5: Windshelter map. This is more relevant to my long-distance trips.
• Final step: Always checking the local kommun websites about the nature parks, because sometimes you can’t camp everywhere or have any other rules.

Planning your own cycling adventure

The best way to discover your local area is to just go on day trips. Learning to get used to long distances, learning about your camping habits (if you are new to the outdoors) and starting with small or cheaper budget gear or rent out on Hyggo. Later you can upgrade when you know what is your outdoor style.

Organizing a cycling holiday is a fairly simple project. One way just to make a destination and camp along the road when you feel like it’s enough cycling for the day. Or plan every single day how far you will go, already find campsites, hostels or warmshower homes (CouchSurfing for cyclists). Maybe the more difficult part is to plan your food. For weekend trips it’s easier. But for long trips, I plan to bring basics and then buy fresh ingredients along the road. More detailed planning tip article you can read on NGTS blog by Sara Costa.

By making your own research you will learn more. On an online web search site just write “cykelturism i Sverige” or “cykel äventyr”, or “cykel semester”. There will be more detailed information covered.

Useful sites and projects

• Join the local Bikepacker community on Facebook.
• Hygglo – rent out than buy! You can find a bicycle or camping gear for rental before you choose what you need to buy.
• All cycling tourism routes in Sweden (In Swedish)
• Sweden By bike – more information about cycling routes across Sweden
• CykelFramjändet – a non-profit association, support cycling in Sweden.
• Bikester – it’s a bicycle-related shop, but on their site, they have lots of useful articles for beginner bikepackers
• Sverigeleden – 9500km long cycling route across Sweden.
• Rent a bike anywhere in Sweden

Other options for those who don’t want to plan.

Good news! There are loads of places or organisations which plans it all for you! All you need to do is just choose the dates, book, pay and go to the place. I think it’s a great option too. On my adventure to Stockholm, I met two ladies in their 50s from Germany. They were also on a bikepacking trip. However, their bags seemed too light. They had booked an organisation that offers bikepacking packages. It included a route, hostels and their luggage taken from the hostel to another. All they did was choose the distance they want to cycle. Here are adventure planned package deals within Stockholm and some around Sweden, but there are more organisations! These are just a few and if you know more, please add them in the comments.

• Nordic trails
• Sweden by bikes packages
• Idre fjäll
• Aventyrsgården-kallby
• Guided bike tours in Stockholm
• Vastsverige – cykelsemester
• Archipelago route 

Life is like riding a bicycle – to keep your balance, you must moving

Has this helped you to learn more about adventure cycling? I hope so. Although, if your excuse is the equipment and too much planning, then, for example, the Nordic Trails or any other package deals are for you. If you are still unsure, maybe my summer cycling video will inspire you? Hopefully, I have covered enough information for newbies in bikepacking adventures. However, if you have more questions or you know more tips I missed here, please, write a comment here. Most importantly, share your cycling adventure photos with The Newbie Guide to Sweden instagram!  

Just remember – take only memories, leave nothing but footprints. Read the Swedish outdoor rules on our blog – Allemansrätten.

This is my story for The Newbie Guide blog. If you are curious to see more of my photos of bikepacking adventures find me on Instagram. All photos by Author.

About the Author

“The queen of the roads in Sweden”, that’s how my newly met Swedish friends called me. To Sweden, I came as a hitchhiker, a nomad with a smartphone capturing my moments. During my exploring, I met a “different Sweden” which is not written about in tourist guides yet. I became curious and fascinated by “Swedishness” which I also explored in academic studies a bit. Currently, I am more or less off the road as a freelance photographer and community manager, and content creator. Occasionally I am a house sitter in the Skåne countryside. About my adventures, I keep a diary blog and Instagram. Hope my stories inspire you to explore Sweden more!