Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [268]
Germany
BUS
For information on getting to/from Sweden by bus, see boxed text.
TRAIN
Hamburg is the central European gateway for Scandinavia, with direct trains daily to Copenhagen and a few on to Stockholm.
There are direct overnight trains running every day between Berlin and Malmö via the Trelleborg–Sassnitz ferry. The journey takes nine hours and a couchette/bed costs €88/125. See www.berlin-night-express.com for details.
Finland
BUS
Frequent bus services run from Haparanda to Tornio (Skr10, 10 minutes). Tapanis Buss (0922-129 55; www.tapanis.se, in Swedish) runs express coaches from Stockholm to Tornio via Haparanda twice a week (Skr570, 15 hours).
Länstrafiken i Norrbotten (020-47 00 47; www.ltnbd.se) operates buses as far as Karesuando, from where it’s only a few minutes’ walk across the bridge to Kaaresuvanto (Finland). There are also regular regional services from Haparanda to Övertorneå (some continue to Pello, Pajala and Kiruna). You can walk across the border at Övertorneå or Pello and pick up a Finnish bus to Muonio, with onward connections from there to Kaaresuvanto and Tromsø (Norway).
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
The main routes between Sweden and Finland are the E4 from Umeå to Kemi and Rd 45 from Gällivare to Kaaresuvanto; five other minor roads also cross the border.
Norway
BUS
Säfflebussen runs from Stockholm to Oslo (Skr425, 7½ hours, fives times daily) via Karlstad, and from Göteborg to Oslo (Skr265, four hours, seven daily).
Swebus Express has the same routes with similar prices.
In the north, buses run once daily from Umeå to Mo i Rana (eight hours) and from Skellefteå to Bodø (nine hours, daily except Saturday); for details, contact Länstrafiken i Västerbotten (0771-10 01 10; www.tabussen.nu) and Länstrafiken i Norrbotten (0771-10 01 10; www.ltnbd.se), respectively.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
The main roads between Sweden and Norway are the E6 from Göteborg to Oslo, the E18 from Stockholm to Oslo, the E14 from Sundsvall to Trondheim, the E12 from Umeå to Mo i Rana, and the E10 from Kiruna to Bjerkvik. Many secondary roads also cross the border.
TRAIN
The main rail links run from Stockholm to Oslo, from Göteborg to Oslo, from Stockholm to Östersund and Storlien (Norwegian trains continue to Trondheim), and from Luleå to Kiruna and Narvik.
Trains run daily between Stockholm and Oslo (Skr500 to Skr706, six to seven hours), and there’s a night train from Stockholm to Narvik (Skr811, about 20 hours). You can also travel from Helsingborg to Oslo (Skr750, seven hours), via Göteborg. X2000 high-speed trains are more expensive.
UK
BUS
For information on getting to/from Sweden by bus, see boxed text.
* * *
TRAVELLING TO SWEDEN BY EUROLINES
Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) is an association of companies forming Europe’s largest international bus network. It links Swedish cities such as Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö directly to Denmark, Germany and Norway, and indirectly to cities all over Western and Central Europe. Advance ticket purchases are compulsory. Most buses operate daily in summer and several times per week in winter.
The Eurolines Pass allows unlimited travel to 35 cities across Europe. From mid-June to mid-September, and around late December, a 15-/30-day pass costs €329/439 (€279/359 for those under 26 years or over 60; it’s cheaper outside these months). Some popular routes include the following:
Denmark (Copenhagen) to/from Stockholm (without pass Dkr280, nine hours, at least three per week) and Göteborg (Dkr200, 4½ hours, daily).
Germany (Berlin) to/from Stockholm (Skr710, 17 hours, three weekly), Göteborg (Skr649, 12 hours, daily) via Copenhagen, and Malmö (Skr439, 8½ hours, daily) via Copenhagen.
Germany (Hamburg) to/from Stockholm (Skr769, 14 hours, four weekly), Göteborg (Skr679, 11 hours, two daily) and Malmö (Skr469, seven hours, two