One of the best things about coming to study in a new country is sometimes getting away from those studies and discovering the new land around you! In the last year I have been lucky enough to explore some great places around Sweden. I thought I might share some of these trips with you, and some of the travelling tips I’ve learned along the way.
Gothenburg by Train
Trains are my favourite mode of transport, so much so that I travel sometimes just to spend time onboard. From Stockholm it is quite easy to get a train anywhere around the country. The tickets are usually cheaper if you book well in advance but if you’re lucky, you can also get good prices at the last-minute. Buses are a cheap option too, but you’ll realise that Sweden is a large country – as long as you’re okay with spending five or more hours sitting on a bus, go for it!
For the four hour train to Gothenburg I spent about 350SEK, and my hostel cost about 250SEK for a dorm room per night. It was a very special place, a big, exciting city that was still quite easy to get around to see. My top tip to see would definitely be to walk around Haga and get a view over the city from Skansen Kronan.
Gotland by Boat
Gotland is one of those beautiful islands that the city-folk dream of visiting. Luckily for Stockholmers, the island of Gotland is not too far away. With a regular public transport ticket you can get a train to Nynashamn for 25SEK and from there it’s a 3 hour ferry to Visby, the beautiful main city on Gotland. The accommodation was particularly cheap on this trip, we just brought some tents and went camping! The KTH Outdoor Club rents out gear to students, so we got all the gear needed and had a great hiking trip along the northern coastline.
Öland by Car
Renting a car is a common way for students to travel around too. If you are going with a group and splitting the cost, it usually works out as cheap as the train. There are a few advantages to travelling by car, like being able to blast your own music on the way or the freedom to stop whenever and wherever you like. When we went to Öland we were so happy to have a car. It meant that we could wander through the countryside and stop at all of the nice small towns.
There are many more great places to visit around Sweden. From Stockholm, it is also an exciting trip to get the ferry across to Finland or Estonia. With enough students these ferries turn into party-boats and a few times every year you will hear of large groups of students booking this trip.
Hope this helps you on your travels around Sweden! If you check through these blogs, you’ll find even more tips and inspiration about travelling from Stockholm, trips to Uppsala, Kalmar, Öland and hopefully more to come!
~Declan