Travel to Sweden (Europe)

Sweden is the third largest country in Europe and has many things to show to the tourists and not only because of its extensive territories. It is divided into two parts - north and south, which, despite their differences, are united by a magnificent beauty that fascinate not only foreigners but also locals.

These are just some of the reasons that can make you visit Sweden if you have not already done this. And the best way to not spend a large sum of money and still have a very nice vacation is to take a coach holiday to Sweden. Many companies offer this service, so bet on a familiar and secure one just to be able to spend your vacation really well and not have problems with anything.

While in Sweden, you will have the opportunity to see many beautiful places depending on how long you will stay and what program you have chosen and the route that the coach is taking you. If you have not yet decided which locations are good, then here are some suggestions, but they do not limit the places you can visit.

In the capital of Sweden – Stockholm you will find many restaurants, museums and many attractions. The most famous and beautiful places that you can see there are the Old Town, which offers a lot of historical facts and sights, Gamla Stan, Chinese Pavilion, Drottninghom Palace, Wasa Museum, the Grips Holm Castle. Another city with modern look is Gothenburg. There you can visit attractions such as the Liseberg Amusement Park, Rohsska Museum, Varbergs Fortress and assembly plant of car manufacturer Volvo. Haga / Linnestanden will be the most beautiful place for those of you who really love fashion and shopping. If you are interested in history and love to watch castles, Uppsala is the place for you. 

The northern part of Sweden has wonderful attractions, sights and islands. In Uppsala you can see the Kalmar Castle and the Domkyrkan Cathedral, the Kingdom of Crystal, where crystals are manufactured. On the island Gotland during the summer you can get great tan under the mild sun, while you enjoying the beautiful historic sights. In Malmo, you will see universities and advanced technologies and well-preserved cultural heritage, castles such as the Glimmingehus and Sophiaro are located there. Other places that are good to visit are the Operan, the Stadshuset, Skeppsholmen Island, Fyris River, the Kalmar Castle.

Whatever the route of your coach holiday to Sweden is, you will be very pleased. You do not have to worry about the organization, for accommodation or food, about where the landmarks of a city are. Everything will be provided and you will see what is really worth it. Places in Sweden are very different because it is a big country, and if you have the opportunity to see it - do not miss this chance.

The Danes have an interesting word for coach holiday to Sweden and it is Køb bustur Sverige. If you are interested in learning more about that great destination or want to book a coach holiday, visit this Danish website. If you don't udnerstand the language you can use Google Translator. To find out what the best cities in Sweden are, click here.

Gotland, the largest island in the Baltic, lies almost equidistant from the Swedish east coast and the Baltic state of Latvia. This beautiful island, surprisingly unknown to foreigners, is a favorite vacation destination among Swedes. First-time Swedish visitors often comment that it feels like being abroad, perhaps somewhere in the Mediterranean. Having grown up on Gotland, I am perhaps biased, but from the medieval, walled-in cobble-stoned city of Visby to the stark, windblown, sheep-studded landscape of Faro, Gotland truly is a spectacular and fascinating place. From Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago, it is about a 24-hour sail to reach Gotland. There are no luxury yachts available for charter on Gotland, but many in Stockholm, so this is the way to go.

Visby, the only city on the island, gets quite crowded in the summer, and if you like an intense nightlife, you definitely want to check it out. "Everybody" in Sweden shows up in Visby at some point in July: celebrities, politicians and royalty alike. After mid-August, however, most of the tourists are gone, so if you have your heart set on Visby but don't want to fight the crowds, that's a great time to visit. September can also be beautiful, with summer warmth lingering well into the month. To the surprise of many, the water around Gotland gets quite warm in the summer - it can reach 80F and above in August and sometimes way into September as well. It is a lovely experience to go swimming when the water is warmer than the air and then treat yourself to a hot chocolate or a vin chaud afterwards.

But you can find quiet spots with very few visitors all over the island even in July (with varying degrees, or lack, of nightlife). There are several other ports around the island well worth a stop:  Lickershamn (about 13 miles north of Visby), a small fishing village with a few beaches, restaurants and shops, and the highest rock formation (of which there are many) on Gotland called "Jungfrun". Lauterhorn on Faro (a small island just north of Gotland, which Ingmar Bergman used to call home) has a large area of rock formations, an old viking harbor, bike rentals, and one restaurant, bar, cafe and shop. Farosund, the northernmost village on Gotland, is a tad more lively with a few restaurants and shops.

Slite, on the east coast, is often overlooked by tourists since it's mainly known for its cement factory, but the town (the second largest on the island after Visby) also has a nice, sandy beach, tennis club, and a few stores and restaurants, although not much in the way of nightlife. Katthammarsvik, further down on the east coast, is an old fishing village with a locally famous seafood smoke house (try the smoked shrimp), several restaurants, cafes, shops and sandy beaches. A bit further down the coast lies Ljugarn, one of the most popular vacation spots, and the one with the most active nightlife, on this coast. Ljugarn has a beautiful white sandy beach, a few museums and several restaurants, pubs and cafes.

If you go all the way down the coast and head back up on the west coast, you arrive in Burgsvik, the southernmost village on the island. Burgsvik has a nice, sandy beach, a few shops and restaurants, a farmer's market every Saturday in the summer, and several artisans with shops. A bit south of Burgsvik is one of the most well known rock formations on Gotland, Hoburgsgubben (The Hoburg Man), who, according to one American friend, looks like Richard Nixon. Gotland is also a popular biking destination, and most towns have bike rentals (in Visby you can also rent cars, scooters and motorcycles) so if you want to see more than the coastal areas, that's a fun way to do it. There are of course many more harbors and beautiful places to visit on Gotland, but these are some places to start with, and I hope I have inspired you to explore this unique island on your next yacht charter vacation.

Travellers to Sweden would have no trouble finding things to do. It is a culturally rich and progressive nation that boasts of a very high standard of living. There are some great holiday chalets and self catering holiday apartments available to rent direct from their owners in Sweden.

Many tourists go on vacation to Stockholm and stay in self catering apartments. When there they can visit the Vasa museum. This museum in Stockholm houses the fruits of some ground breaking labour, the 17th century warship Vasa. The ship sunk during its maiden voyage in 1628, and was recovered in 1961. The resurrected skeletons and relics remain the only existing example of ship architecture from the period.

Stockholm, Sweden's capital city houses numerous museums, aside from the Vasa museum, you can check out the Nordic Museum, Museum of Natural History and Museum of Modern Art. The city is peppered with examples of historical architecture, like Riddarholmskyrkan, which is the oldest building in Stockholm, pretty much every district and neighbourhood in the city has its own unique charm and character. Families on vacation can rent self catering accommodation in Stockholm.

Gothenburg is the largest port in Scandinavia; about a million people live here and there is a plethora of attractions to keep the tourists busy. Take a leisurely saunter in the scenic Castle Wood Park, listen to a wide genre of music from Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, art enthusiasts can head over to the Museum of Art. Sweden features a stunning expanse of rugged beauty which is yet to be tarnished by commercialism, these makes for perfect hiking spots.

Lovers of the outdoors may rent a holiday cottage or log cabin and use them as a base to explore the beautiful countryside. The law provides rights of access for anyone, provided they respect the local culture and nature. Sweden comprises of over 24,000 islands and 100,000 lakes, so it's not much of a surprise that boating is an integral part of Swedish life. Most tours take you on a sightseeing trip around the Swedish archipelago. The Gota Canal is a favourite tourist haunt but there are loads of other places that interest the water-craft bound traveller.

Stop by the Linkoping Cathedral in Ostergotland to treat yourself to some splendid Gothic architecture. This massive cathedral is the burial site of a 15th century bishop, and is embellished with some priceless paintings which were gifted by King John III. Skiing enthusiasts would find no dearth for fun as Sweden offers some of the finest locales for the sport. There are some great ski chalets available to rent and many families rent them while on vacation. 

Hemavan, in Lapland is a great ski precinct with its vast open areas and mountains. Arefjallen resort is said to be the world's largest with a ski run of more than a hundred kilometers, the ski race in April draws hundreds every year. Riksgransen in the extreme north is famed for its snowboarding championships and non-stop skiing during the spring. During the spring it seems the sun never goes below the horizon, perfectly symbolizing the spirit of this country where the fun never seems to end.

Many families take a family holiday to Sweden and stay in self catering holiday accommodation. Sweden has a great selection of self catering holiday apartments in the city areas. There are also some beautiful log cabins and ski chalets available to rent in the mountainous areas of Sweden. Many families come back to Sweden year after year to spend there vacations and stay in a holiday home.