Swedish transport is very good! As I expected it’s punctual and very comfortable. I travelled across the country by bus and train and it wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t expensive either, it was all about how and what to buy.
I arrived in 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 any problems at all with the schedule.
Travelling 15 hours from Stockholm to Kiruna by train
I spent four days in the capital, Stockholm, and then I took the longest train journey 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 it clear that in Sweden, as in many countries around Europe, you can buy your own train cabin. That is to say, a little cabin with a few beds to travel comfortably during the night.
Regarding food, you can take your own supplies or buy food at the onboard café, which 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 not 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 the Northern Lights. So, I recommend renting 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 last volunteer jobs in Sweden, in Östersund. Taking a train was expensive and the connection wasn’t good enough. All trains went through 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 five minutes for the last bus to come and then travelled for another 13 hours to Östersund.
My experience with Swedish transport
As I said before, Swedish transport was better than I expected. If it was delayed, it was because of the snow. We should keep in mind that I spent the winter in Sweden.
After those long-distance trains and buses, I took regional buses to travel from Klagstorp to Malmö and vice-versa many times over 2 months. It was within the region of Skåne.
Thanks to mobile phones and apps, you can buy tickets through apps. You’ll get a QR code that you can use straight away from your phone. There’s no need to print tickets. The national train company is called SJ. However, every region has its own app and public services. I used Skånetrafiken (Skåne) and SJ.
Finally, my experience with Swedish transport was amazing. It took some effort to find good connections that avoided Stockholm but it was not impossible. I never flew within or out of Sweden, as I decided to travel by land around Europe.
Hope this information was useful and answered most of your questions. Traveling around Sweden is not complicated at all, it’s all about 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 how stressful this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need before your move. Here you will learn about:
- Short (and long facts) about Sweden.
- The history and background of Sweden regarding democracy, religious freedom, gender equality, social security, child welfare and LGBTQIA+.
- The types of visas and residence permits that are available plus the requirements.
- Important Swedish agencies, and trust us, you really need to know about these ones.
- How to find a place to stay and how to avoid rental fraud.
- How to pack for your move depending on the season.
- And there will be some quizzes to make sure you are paying attention and not falling asleep in front of your screen.
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.
