Written by Malena Rasetto
As I said in many articles, I lived in Sweden for 5 months as a volunteer. I moved from south to north, north to west and west to the south again. How did I travel around? How was the public transport? Is Swedish transport good enough to move around?
Swedish transport is very good! As I expected it’s punctual and very comfortable. I travelled the country by bus and train and it wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t expensive neither, it was all about how and what to buy.
I arrived at Ystad by ferry from Bornholm, and from Ystad, I took a train and a bus to Lönsboda. Both, the train and the bus were very punctual, I got my tickets in advance and I didn’t have problems at all with the schedule.
Travelling 15 hours from Stockholm to Kiruna by train
I spent 4 days in the capital, Stockholm, and then I took the longest train ever to the Arctic Circle. The train cost me around 50EUR. It was second class, which means normal seats. So sleeping wasn’t comfortable
at all, there was not enough space.
However, it was my choice. I want to make clear that in Sweden, as in many countries around Europe, you can buy your own train cavin. That is to say, a little cavin with few beds to travel comfortably during the night.
Regarding food, you can take your own supplies or buy in the bar inside the train that is located in one of the middle carriages.
Swedish transport in the Arctic Circle
In my experience, the bus connection is not that good, plus, there are no many options to move from town to town.
As you may know, if you go to the Arctic Circle, it’s because you want to catch some northern lights. So, I recommend you rent a car or drive your own car, you’ll have more freedom to move around.
Travelling 14 hours by bus
It sounds silly because I took a bus instead of a train because of the price, I’m a low-cost solo traveller.
I got one of my lasts volunteer jobs in Sweden, in Östersund. Taking a train was expensive and the connection wasn’t good enough. All trains go to Stockholm central station. It was pointless. So I decided to take a bus that left me a block away from my new home.
The price was a bit cheaper than the train, and I had to change at Gällivare station, where I waited 5 minutes for the last bus to come and travelled for another 13 hours to Östersund.
My experience with Swedish transport
As I said before, the Swedish transport was better than I expected. If it had been delayed, it was because of the snow. We should keep in mind I spent winter in Sweden. Here’s an article I wrote about how to survive the Swedish winter.
After those long-distances trains and buses, I took regional buses to travelled from Klagstorp to Malmö and vice-versa many times in 2 months. It was within the region of Skåne.
Thanks to mobile phones and apps, you can buy tickets through apps, you’ll get the QR-code that you can use straight away from your phone. No need to print tickets. The national train company is called SJ. However, if every region has it own app and public services. I used Skå (Skåne) and SJ.
Finally, my experience with Swedish transport was amazing. It took a lot to have a look and find good connections avoiding Stockholm but it was not impossible. I never flow within or out of Sweden given I decided to travel by land around Europe.
Hope this information was useful and answer most of your questions. Travelling around Sweden is not complicated at all, it’s all bout patience, time and a good budget.
E-learning course: Preparing your move to Sweden
Are you already feeling a bit overwhelmed about all the stuff you need to figure out how to move to Sweden? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just stressful this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to move. Here you will learn about:
- Short (and long facts) about Sweden.
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- The types of visas and residence permits that are available plus the requirements.
- Important Swedish agencies, and trust us, you DO need to know about these ones.
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- How to pack for your move depending on the season.
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After finishing this course, you will have a greater understanding of what has made Sweden what it is today, how you best prepare for a move here and to get your stay here started in the best manner.
About the Author
Hej! I’m Malena. I’m an Argentinian travelling Sweden. After living in Ireland for 2 years and a half I decided to start backpacking Europe. I’ve been living with different families since then. I love to be around different cultures, I love outdoor activities like hiking and swimming. I love blogging, reading and writing. You can find me on Instagram as @malenarasetto. I really hope you enjoy my articles! Vi ses!
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