Travel Guide Sweden – Useful guide when exploring by car

Sweden is the largest of the three Scandinavian countries and offers modern cities, a high quality of life and breath-taking nature in which you can perform many outdoor activities, from skiing to hiking. With a car hire in Sweden you will be able to cover the whole of the country at your pace, get closer to the locals and enjoy the real spirit of this country.

The usual starting point is the country’s stunning capital city Stockholm with its beautiful archipelago, exciting museums, top class restaurants and lovely parks. The full visit will most likely take up a couple of days and after that we advice you to explore some of Sweden´s hidden gems. A quite interesting and not very long journey will bring you across the country to what's known as Little London to the locals, Gothenburg, on the North Sea. On the way there a stop is due in the lovely city of Nyköping. A trip to Malmö, located on the most southern tip is also highly recommended, and once there journey over the bridge to the the danish capital city of Copenhagen.

By choosing a car hire deal by Auto Europe, a renowned international car hire broker, you will not only get the best possible offer on the market but also opt for the best possible service and clients’ support. Part of the special experience of being our customers is the extra bonus of detailed information on our website, from insurance coverage to travel information, so that you are fully prepared for your trip. We hope that this travel guide for Sweden will give you practical and useful details before you head out on the road.

Look over the Sweden travel guide topics listed below and take a look at each page for information on a specific aspect of travelling in Sweden.

• Sweden Car Hire Guide - This guide offers a full overview of everything you need to know when hiring a car in Sweden.
• Sweden Driving Information - Learn helpful information about driving in Sweden. From tips and driving laws to speed limits, parking and more.
• Sweden Fleet Guide Options - Information about our car hire options for your trip to Sweden.

Road trips with my car hire in Sweden

Sweden is an elongated country with many fun and interesting regions and areas to visit. If you are renting a car in the country, it can be convenient to book a one-way rental because it allows you to pick up the car in one location and drop it of at another. For example, you can pick up the car in Gothenburg, spend a few days visiting Liseberg, Avenyn and Ullevi and then drive to Stockholm and leave the vehicle at a car rental office there when the adventure is over. However before you leave the car, make sure you have seen everything you want to see in the capital, Gamla Stan and Vasaplan are classic stops but do not forget to also pay a visit to Skansen, Djurgården and Södermalm with its beautiful architecture and trendy shops.

A good road trip to take is also to drive along the Swedish west coast. Start the tour in Malmö by visiting Malmöhus Castle, Turning Torso and Kungsparken and then drive all the way to Gothenburg. But what is a road trip without stopping on the road? Take the opportunity to stop for lunch in the port of Helsingborg or in beautiful Båstad, which for a few weeks during the summer is one of Sweden's leading holiday destinations due to the tennis tournament Båstad Open. Also take the opportunity to stay in Varberg and Falkenberg, which are also popular summer cities for Swedes as well as international tourists. On the way up to Gothenburg you have the chance to see some of Sweden's most beautiful beaches and the tour offers lots of fantastic views. When you reach Gothenburg but do not feel ready for your adventure to end, you can continue driving along the west coast until you arrive at Bohuslän and Fjällbacka which is a small idyllic Swedish summer town with beautiful nature and historical sights from the Viking Age.

Also do not miss the chance to drive through Värmland's forests and into Norway. See the best of Värmland by exploring the region's beautiful nature with dense forests and lots of peaceful lakes. Sweden's largest lake, Lake Vänern, is located here and you can visit it by, for example, going to Kristinehamn or Karlstad.

What to do in Sweden

Sweden is full of surprises, especially for people keen on nature and outdoor activities. While the modern cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg can offer culture, museums and fancy restaurant and bars, once you venture outside the city borders you will be overwhelmed by amazing panoramas and the sheer wilderness. Although our customers have different interests and needs and therefore want to spend their holiday differently, below we have made a list of things to do in Sweden that we hope will give you some idea of what not to miss.

• Malmö: When in Malmö you will not only discover a charming city rich in history, art and culture, but you will also be very close to the Danish border. Thanks to the Öresund bridge you can reach the Denmark and pay a visit to Copenhagen in just a short drive. In Malmö, you are never far from a lovely restaurant or a cozy café, for example, it is popular to have lunch at an outdoor restaurant on Lilla Torg or enjoy a dinner with drinks on Mölletorget. Also do not miss the sights Turning Torso, St. Petri Church, Folkets Park and Moderna Museet Malmö.


• Stockholm: Stockholm counts to the most modern European capital cities, yet boasting a picturesque ancient city centre called Gamla Stan hiding gems like the Stockholm Cathedral, the Nobel Museum, and the Royal Palace. The city occupies the area where Lake Mälaren runs out into the in the Baltic Sea and extends over 14 islands, and for this reason it is called also the “Venice of the North”. Strolling around is a real treat. Head to the beautiful garden Djurgården and combine a regenerating walk with a visit to the Vasa Museum where you can admire the Vasa battleship and if you like their music, the Abba Museum. If you have a passion for contemporary photography you should go to Fotografiska. If you have children a trip to amusement park Gröna Land is a must.


• Västkusten: Västkusten is the Sweden western coastal area where the city of Gothenburg is located. If you happen to like fish, swimming and kayaking this area will be your paradise on earth. The Tjörn cliffs, for example, swarm with fish, and around Koster you will find amazing beaches. Gothenburg is the second biggest city in Sweden, and it goes without saying that you will need to save some time to visit the Feskekörka, that is the Fish Market, the Botanical Garden (Botaniska), the scientific centre Universeum and the renowned Liseberg amusement park.


• Gotland: This wonderful Baltic Sea Island is definitely worth a visit. Visitors feel like in the middle of a fairy tale thanks to the tranquillity, the amazing vistas and the well preserved medieval city of Visby that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The journey by ferry from the mainland takes around three hours but there are also direct flights from Stockholm.


• Abisko National Park: If you want to get a taste of Lapland, you should definitely visit the Abisko National Park. The featured activities are numerous and just to name some there is the “Aurora chase”, ice fishing, sledge rides with motor or even pulled by dogs, and wonderful hikes. The drive from Stockholm is around 14 hours, so we suggest you fly to Kiruna and rent a car on site or to plan a nice trip with stopovers on the way.

Frequently Asked Questions about travelling in Sweden

Visiting a new country, especially if you do not know the local language is extremely interesting but at the same time challenging. The secret to avoid any stress on site is to gather some useful information not only regarding the sights, but most importantly some basic facts about the country. What also makes a different is remembering small yet crucial details such as what necessary documents to bring along, the choice of the right vehicle, making sure you have some Swedish kronas ready and setting the local time on your clock. Since we know that preparing a journey is quite time-demanding we gathered for you the most useful FAQs posed by our clients in the hope they will save you time and make things easier. For more generic travel tips when renting a car abroad visit our dedicated page.

Useful Links

Sweden Airport Information

Road trip inspo - Foodie trip around Scandinavia

Official Sweden Tourism Website

Gov.uk Sweden Travel Advice