Booking Trains and Buses in Sweden

Travelling by public transport in Sweden

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All Nature Travels experiences are accessible by public transport, and the vast majority of our clients choose to travel in this way. Public transport in Sweden is efficient and comfortable, and offers access to even the most remote parts of the country. Where it is necessary to take a combination of train and bus to reach your destination, bus timetables are often thoughtfully coordinated with train arrival and departure times. The information below will help you to find the most convenient public transport connections at the best possible price. Advice on travel to/from your destination is given in the "Getting There" section of the Full Details file for each of our experiences. Simply click on the "Full Details" link on each experience page.

If you are flying to Sweden, see our interactive map for a list of flight connections from the UK. Click on the airport icons to see connections to/from each airport. You can also book flight buses from Swedish airports into the city online through us.

DFDS Seaways offer regular and affordable ferry connections between Harwich and Esbjerg in Denmark, from where you can travel onwards by car or public transport. You can book DFDS Seaways ferries online through Nature Travels.

If you are planning to spend some days in Stockholm or Gothenburg before and/or after your trip with us or need to overnight before onward travel, please see Stay On The Way.

Airport coaches in Sweden

You can book Flygbussarna flight buses from Swedish airports into the city online through Nature Travels:

Flyrail: Book SAS flights and train/bus tickets in a single transaction

Flyrail - www.flyrail.se - is a collaboration between SAS airlines and Swedish national rail operator SJ where you can check timetables and book tickets for combined travel to Sweden with SAS and onward public transport in Sweden. Here you can check and book connections all the way from your departure point to your final destination in Sweden. This is a convenient way to book your complete journey and also offers a "get you there guarantee", as SAS and SJ take care of each others' passengers in the event of a travel delay. For more information on the guarantee, please see the Flyrail website. Using Flyrail may be ideal if SAS offers convenient flight connections for your journey to Sweden.

NB: Booking with Flyrail may not be cost-effective if arranging your journey more than 90 days before departure. This is because the most affordable train fares are only released 90 days in advance. If you book earlier that this using Flyrail, you will not have access to the best train fares. On the other hand, booking flights as early as possible is normally recommended for the best airfares, so flight prices may increase by waiting until within 90 days of departure to book your journey. If you are planning your journey well in advance, you may find that the most cost-effective option is to book separately, booking your flights as early as possible for the best airfares and booking train travel just within 90 days of departure as described below for the best train fares.

Money-saving tip if flying with SAS

SAS (www.flysas.com) sometimes displays cheaper fares if booking sections of a journey separately (e.g. two single tickets instead of a return, or London-Stockholm and Stockholm-Kiruna if taking a domestic connection). You may wish to compare prices in this way when checking flight options with SAS.

How to check train timetables and purchase tickets for public transport in Sweden

On the website of Swedish national rail operator SJ, you can check connections and book your tickets online. You can usually check times and purchase tickets for the complete route, including any sections where it is necessary to travel by bus.

To see timetables and book your tickets, go to www.sj.se. Click "In English" in the top right corner. Type in your start point and your destination. If you have difficulties, you can also call them on +46 (0) 771-75 75 75. Wait for the message to say "For information in English, press…". Please note that connections listed on the SJ website may include bus services as well as trains.

NB: Many Swedish place names will use the Swedish characters å, ä and ö. If you do not have these characters on your keyboard, you can replace them with the English characters a and o. The system will usually make a guess as to the place name you require and ask you to confirm your choice - you may see pop-up error message in Swedish. Simply click "OK" and choose from the suggested list of station names in the "Do you want to travel to...?" drop-down menu. If you have difficulties, you can also copy and paste these characters from the sentence above. If travelling to or from Gothenburg, bear in mind that the Swedish name for Gothenburg is Göteborg. In all Swedish station names, "C" signifies the central station (e.g. Stockholm C = Stockholm Central).

If you are planning to take an extended rail journey, perhaps for one of our guided hiking tours in Lapland or our dog sledding holidays in Lapland, taking a night train is often the most convenient option. There is a choice of sleeping arrangements to suit all tastes and budgets, from couchettes to private en-suite compartments. Options are listed along with timetable information on www.sj.se.

The English version of the SJ website is still under development. If you have difficulty entering a valid telephone number on the booking page, use the following number as a "dummy": 0870 12345678. This number is not important to your booking and will not be used for contact purposes.

NB: Getting the most affordable train fares

It is MUCH cheaper to buy your tickets in advance (except for local connections, where prices are fixed). The most affordable tickets are only released 90 days before travel. You should buy your tickets as soon as possible within 90 days of your return travel date. To get an idea of likely fares, use sample dates just within 90 days of time of checking. If checking many months in advance, timetable information for your chosen dates may not be published yet - again, use sample earlier dates for an indication of likely connections. For group bookings, SJ offers special group rates for groups of 10 or more persons - for a quotation, email gruppresor@sj.se.

Collecting your tickets

When booking your train tickets online at www.sj.se, you will be presented with a choice of ticket options on the payment screen. Various options will be offered depending on your journey. You can choose to collect your ticket on arrival at SJ ticket machines or Pressbyrån/7-Eleven stores. Please note that the option to send tickets home is not available to travellers outside Sweden.

Inter Rail passes

If you are an EU resident and are combining two or more Nature Travels experiences in Sweden or would like to explore Sweden before or after your experience with us, an Interrail One Country Pass may be a cost-effective option. The passes give unlimited travel for a certain number of days within a particular period - see www.interrailnet.com.

Travelling direct from the airport

If travelling to your experience from a Stockholm airport or from Copenhagen, there may be connections available from the airport. To check, type in the following as your start point:

• If flying to Stockholm Arlanda (ARN): Arlanda C
• If flying to Stockholm Skavsta (NYO): Skavsta Flygplats
• If flying to Stockholm Västerås (VST): Västerås Flygplats
• If flying to Copenhagen (CPH): Köbenhavns Lufthavn/Kastrup

If flying to Gothenburg, take an airport bus into central Gothenburg for onward connections (you can book airport buses in Sweden online through Nature Travels). If flying to an Oslo airport, check with your airline for travel into central Oslo for onward connections.

Local bus and train services in Sweden

There is also an efficient network of local bus and train connections. For local services you should buy your tickets at the station/on board. Operators for local routes in Sweden will depend on the area in which you are travelling. Timetables for many local services will be listed on www.sj.se. We are happy to advise if you have difficulties.

Booking trains from between Norway or Denmark and Sweden

If the majority of your journey is in Sweden, the SJ website will probably show connections and allow you to purchase your tickets. If not, you may find connections listed at www.bokatag.se or www.resplus.se.

Travelling by coach

SWEBUS offers an efficient and affordable network of coach services in Sweden, including some cross-border routes, for example to/from Oslo in Norway. To check timetables and book your bus tickets with Swebus, go to www.swebusexpress.se. Click "English" in the top left corner and select your departure point and destination. You can then choose from a variety of ticket options (price depending on flexibility required). You can also call them on +46 (0)771 - 218 218. You may also find Swebus connections listed on Swedish rail operator SJ's website at www.sj.se.