If you’re still debating whether to travel to Sweden by motorhome… take this as your sign! Do it.
Sweden is a country that can hardly be described in words. It is incredible. It encompasses so many terrains, including glaciated mountains, dense forests, lakes, coastal islands and more. It’s a huge country, meaning that you’ll never run out of things to see. In fact, your trouble will lie in choosing where to go in Sweden and narrowing down the list.
But we’ve got you covered. We’ll take you through everything you need to know about visiting Sweden with a motorhome. From the best campsites in Sweden to the driving rules, we’ll go through it all.
Let’s get started!
Getting to Sweden
Unfortunately, there are no direct ferries to Sweden from the UK. To drive to Sweden from the UK, you can either go via the Netherlands or France.
To take the Netherlands route, take a ferry from Newcastle, Hull or Harwich. Once you reach the Netherlands, drive through Germany and Denmark. We recommend taking the Rødby Sogn - Puttgarden ferry.
To take the route through France, you can use the Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais, and then drive north through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.
We definitely recommend doing this drive over two days, so aim to rest somewhere for a night. We’d advise making your night stop in Germany, as that’s about halfway.
Camping in Sweden
You’ve reached Sweden, not what? Now it’s time to find the best places to pitch your motorhome in Sweden.
Firstly, wild camping is legal in Sweden! You just can’t camp at a national park, nature reserve or on private land. This is a great way to make your trip to Sweden more budget-friendly and experience the gorgeous nature this country has to offer.
But if you’d prefer to visit a campsite, where you can properly set up your van and awning, here are the best campsites in Sweden.
1. Caravan Club Tisarstrand
Although off the beaten track a bit, you’ll be grateful you went to Lake Tisarsen and found the Caravan Club Tisarstrand. If you’re driving across Sweden from East to West or vice versa, this could make a handy stop. The lake is breathtaking and great for swimming. This particular site is nestled in a small forest and has great lakeside access.
There are 85 camper and caravan pitches, a good range of facilities and amenities, including accessible toilets, showers, washing machines and dryers, grey waste and chemical disposal, kitchen with microwave and oven, and a playground. You can hire boats and go fishing or take off walking through the forest trails. Finally, there’s a friendly reception and quaint little shop for any help or extras you may need. Just note that their camping season runs from April to September.
Price: €29.65 per night
Location: Kvarsätters sjöväg 110, 694 92 Hallsberg, Sweden
59.003194, 15.177945
2. Farstanas Havsbad
A 40-minute drive southeast of Stockholm, Farstanas Havsbad waits quietly in the Brandallsunds nature reserve for visitors from out of town who want to experience the serenity of their coastal woodland and sandy beach.
They have 350 campervan pitches on grassy meadows that gently slope towards the waterside. You can swim, go snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaking or waterskiing. Even better, you can take a few nights off cooking here, as the site has a snack bar and restaurant, and supplies fresh bread. This is a great one for the digital nomads, too, as 80% of the campsite is reached by WiFi. The facilities here are held to rigorous ACSI standards and regularly inspected. Just note that the camping season here runs from April to August.
Price: €26.90 per night
Location: FARSTA 1, 153 91 Järna, Sweden
59.097785, 17.651715
3. Saiva Camping
Saiva Camping is a beautiful site by the gorgeous lake Baksjön, on the outskirts of Vilhelmina in Lapland. The site comprises a reception building with a gift shop and kiosk cafe, TV and fireplace. There’s a facilities block, 23 camping cabins and 37 campervan and caravan pitches. The facilities block has showers, a toilet, a kitchen, a laundry room, chemical and grey water emptying facilities, and a sauna cabin outside.
In terms of activities onsite and nearby, there’s a swimming lake with a sandy beach, jetties and diving towers, a beach volleyball court and an outdoor gym. They offer canoe and kayak rentals and various guided tours, including mountain hiking with dogs, guided fishing trips and moose safaris in the forest. They also host midsummer and midnight light festivals.
Price: €24 per night
Location: Ryttarvägen 1, 912 32 Vilhelmina, Sweden
64.621202, 16.679152
4. Långsjön Stugor & Camping
It would be a crime not to put Långsjön Stugor & Camping right at the top of our list, seeing as it is the most popular of all campsites in Sweden! It’s rated 4.7 out of 5 stars and won the camping.info award two years running. Visitors particularly love the clean, modern facilities, stunning location, and cool things to see nearby around Ankarsrum. These include Vimmerby, where childhood heroes from the world of children’s author Astrid Lindgren come alive, and the gorgeous lake Långsjön, which is great for canoeing or kayaking.
There are 40 spacious, campervan pitches with electricity and lots of greenery for shade, or in the sun, if you prefer. All have views over the lake, and in their new facilities block you’ll find a kitchen, toilets, showers, washer, dryer, suitable toilets/shower and an accessible room for disabled visitors.
Price: €29 per night
Location: FAGERSAND 2, 593 71 Ankarsrum, Sweden
57.695651, 16.289740
5. Gålö Havsbad
A great way to really immerse yourself in nature whilst not straying too far from the city is camping in the Stockholm archipelago. The archipelago foundation runs good quality campsites on many of the islands, within their nature reserves. As such, these usually have composting toilets, waste bins and freshwater access. You can get to them by car, bus, or boat.
Gålö is a 4* seaside campsite and has had that accreditation since 2004. It’s an adult-only (ages 23+) site, suitable for couples, groups and families with children. They’re animal-friendly and the nature reserve setting is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts and walkers; there are plenty of excellent seaside trails which depart from the site; this site sits on Sweden’s longest sandy beach. It’s common to see elk and deer in the meadow in the early mornings and after sunset.
Caring for the environment is a huge part of their ethic, and so there’s a big recycling point. The facilities are modern, clean and tidy, and cleaned every night. There’s a special dog shower built into the toilet blogs for getting those sandy and muddy paws cleaned and dried, too. Make a reservation for this site during the summer months, as it’s small and fills up! There’s a jetty out into the water, and it’s great for swimming. Elsewhere on Gålö you can also swim, visit the pub, go horse riding, kayaking, fishing, and biking.
Price: €33.16 per night
Location: Skälåkersvägen 11, 137 96 Haninge, Sweden
59.095064, 18.318694
Need more ideas? Check out our list of the best campsites in Sweden.
Driving in Sweden
The rules for driving in Sweden don’t differ much from the rest of Europe! The main differences are for winter, as Sweden can get quite icy. In winter, you should carry antifreeze and a shovel at all times. Some roads may also be closed or have weight restrictions during the early spring period when snow is melting. Some road surfaces can also get damaged due to frost.
When driving in rural areas, keep an eye out for large wild animals -such as elk or moose- that run out into the road.
There are some toll roads in Sweden, including on the four major bridges: Oresund, Motala, Sundsvall and Svinesund. Be sure to either use the ‘Avoid toll roads’ option on Google maps or get a toll bade.
Best motorhome destinations in Sweden
As mentioned previously, Sweden is a vast country with so many places of interest. But for the sake of this list, we’ll narrow it down to the best motorhome destinations in Europe. Here are the places we recommend adding to your Sweden itinerary.
1. Skåne
Situated in Sweden’s most southern region, Skåne is home to the most fertile soil in the world. Here you’ll find stunning forests, lakes, beaches, farms and more. You can spend endless days exploring this area, and visit some of the 300 castles and gardens dotted around, which range from the 12th to 19th centuries.
This is also a foodie’s heaven, as you’ll find delicious meals everywhere you go. Restaurants in this area serve farm-fresh vegetables, fruits and meats. Specific regional delicacies to try are goose, mushrooms, eel and asparagus.
If you had to narrow it down to one day, we’d say you must visit the Sofiero Palace in the morning. Then in the afternoon, either walk the Skåneleden Trail, a 621-mile route through the southern countryside, or bike through this area.
2. Visby
Be sure to head to this UNESCO World Heritage Site during your trip. The walled Medieval town of Visby is often referred to as the Pearl of the Baltic. Even your kids will get excited for this old Viking town.
Visby is the best-preserved fortified city in Northern Europe, with walls that are almost 700 years old. You’ll feel like you’ve truly stepped back in time as you stroll along the twisting cobblestone streets and gaze at the 100-year-old timber buildings. You can explore some of the 90 churches, many of which were constructed before the 12th century.
3. Sigtuna
History buffs will love Sigtuna, Sweden’s oldest town! This picturesque city is located in Uppland, north of Stockholm and beside Lake Mälaren. Sigtuna was founded during the Viking era, around AD 980, and still houses many medieval churches, ruins and rune stones.
Aside from these historical sights, you can also visit craft shops, restaurants, cafes and boutique stores. You’ll always find something to see here.
4. Abisko National Park
Hoping to see the Northern Lights during your trip? Then definitely add Abisko National Park to your list!
In the summer, you can hike through forests and visit Trollsjön, the clearest lake in Sweden. You can also go caving there. In the winter, you can go skiing, take a ride on a dog sled, or find a spot to ice fish.
The best place to see the northern lights is the Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolija, which is 2952 feet above sea level in a nearly pitch-black area.
5. Höga Kusten
Sweden is quite a flat country, so if they say something is high, it’s not always what you’d expect. The Swedish ‘high coast’ is 940 feet above sea level, which isn’t as high as you’d expect, but this is still a sight to behold!
This is our favourite hiking destination in Europe, offering an unparalleled view of the Baltic Sea. You can take your pick out of Skuleskogen National Park and Ulvön’s Island National Park - or visit both!
You can easily spend a long weekend here, but we recommend going during the week when it’s quiet. You can pitch your campervan nearby and enjoy the starry night sky.
6. Stockholm
Our list would not be complete without the capital of Sweden!
Spend an afternoon in the old town, which is filled with cobblestone streets and ochre-coloured buildings. You’ll find plenty of cute shops and cosy cafes to try. If you’d like some more culture, you can stop by the Vasa Museum to see the only 17th-century ship in the world.
Another great way to explore the Stockholm region is through a boat tour. This will allow you to see some of the 14 islands that make up the Baltic Sea archipelago.
We also love to visit the ABBA Museum! It’s modern, interactive and features non-stop ABBA songs.
Convinced to visit Sweden by motorhome yet? Well, start planning your trip! Check out our extensive packing list to make things easier and ensure you don’t forget anything. If you need a motorhome for your trip, hire one from a private owner on Goboony.
