Driving in Sweden – all you need to know!

Are you considering a roadtrip in or to Sweden? Go for it! Depending on where you are from in Europe, taking your own car is much more convenient than flying and also a lot cheaper and more sustainable than traveling by plane. I went to Sweden three times by car from The Netherlands in the last year and a half and would not want anything else. Alternatively, if you’re from further away, a rental car will be the easiest way to move around this amazing but huge country.

In this article I’m going to give you all my tips for driving to Sweden, driving in Sweden and basically all you need to know before you’ll start your road trip. Enjoy!

Note that this post was first published in 2020 and updated in 2024. In the summer of 2023 I moved to Sweden from The Netherlands and being a local now, I found that there was a lot to be added to the original article.  

Driving to Sweden with your own car: what you need to know

You won’t have to prepare a lot when you go on a road trip in Sweden with your own car. However, there are a number of things that you need to arrange before you travel by car from abroad to Sweden. For example, before I moved to Sweden, I had a flat tire twice. Make sure to always have a spare one in the back of the car. Garages are closed in weekends and will not be able to help in weekends. So take a spare tire with you always, because driving on unpaved roads is almost unavoidable, which increases the chance of a flat tire. Something to worry about? No, certainly not, but something to just consider when driving in Sweden.
 
You do not need a vignette or something similar for driving in Sweden. If you make a cost estimate, it’s good to know if you want to make the crossing to Sweden by car or if you prefer to go via the bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö or possibly even from Norway.

Driving from Denmark to Sweden with your own car

I have selected both options for driving from Denmark to Sweden. You come across two large bridges: the bridge between Nyborg and Halsskov over the Great Belt (the Storebælts Bridge) and the Öresund Bridge (also known as ‘the Bridge’) from Copenhagen to Malmö.
 
You can pay for both bridges on site with a credit card. When you book online it can be cheaper. Are you planning to travel to Sweden more often than once by car and take the Öresund Bridge? Then buy the Bropas for the Öresund Bridge, you already got it out on the second trip to Sweden. Rates and info can be found here.
 
If you happen to be on the way to the north and are looking for a nice and not too expensive overnight hotel on the way, check out these options. I have slept in Best Western Plus Hus 75 in Ängelholm (4*) and three star Hotel Erikslund, also in Ängelholm. The latter is right on the highway, Hus 75 is in the center and has great beds!

 

Taking the boat to Sweden

There are countless options and combinations possible to get into Sweden by boat. A frequently used route is the boat from Puttgarden to Rødby in combination with a possible second crossing Helsingør – Helsingborg or the Öresund Bridge to Malmö. This goes every half hour and takes about 30 minutes. You can also take longer ferries from the north of Germany to the south of Sweden. In the past I’ve done various crossings, such as Kiel – Göteborg, Rostock – Trelleborg and Travemünde – Trelleborg. You can find rates for the ferries to Sweden here. Make sure to book ahead especially on the longer crossings!

Driving from Sweden to Norway

Generally speaking, crossing the border from Sweden to Norway is not difficult. On all the border crossings we used, I never saw any checks and we could just continue driving. The same goes for the border with Finland. When entering Sweden from Denmark you can be stopped by passport control, so this is something to keep in mind and always make sure that you have your passport with you and ready to be checked.

Toll roads in Sweden

There are hardly any toll roads in Sweden, only a so-called ‘congestion tax’ is levied around Gothenburg and Stockholm. You pay for this afterwards, the owner of the vehicle receives the bill about a month after that date. It is normally no more than 10 euros / dollars (approx. 105 SEK). So you don’t have to keep a credit card nearby for this. If you are driving a rental car, you will be charged by the rental company afterwards.

Is driving in Sweden easy?

Driving in Sweden is not difficult and actually quite relaxed. Apart from the big cities, there are hardly any four-lane roads and you are usually driving on a two-lane road. In addition, keep in mind that there are still countless unpaved roads. Campsites and other facilities that are somewhat more remote are often only accessible via a dirt road. If you just drive quietly and avoid potholes as much as possible, it will not cause any problems.
 
Swedes are very nice drivers, but also like drive fast, especially in the countryside. When someone is behind you, it is an unwritten rule that you divert as far to the right as possible (without endangering yourself of course) so that they can pass you without problems as a courtesy.
 
If you are driving through Sweden with a camper van or motorhome, then stop regularly to let faster vehicles that are behind you pass, especially in mountainous areas. There are small parking places next to the road every few kilometers and you’ll do everyone a favor if you stop here to let faster traffic pass by.
 
Unlike in the Netherlands or other European countries with many highways, you never drive faster than 100 kilometers per hour. A maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour applies on most through roads, but experience has shown that it is not really easy to achieve that average. So plan your trip well and not the way you would plan it in the rest of Europe.
 
In addition, you’ll notice that the roads in Sweden are raised, the roadside is always a bit lower than the actual road. This has to do with crossing wildlife, this way you have them in sight a little earlier. Wildlife crossings are not something to worry about, but it is something to keep in mind. Moose can suddenly cross over (especially at dusk) and when you drive towards the north, it may just be that there are herds of reindeer along the road. And then sometimes you have to wait until there is room to drive on. Don’t push or bother them, but let them be. Eventually they will make space for you. And after all, it’s vacation!

Driving in Sweden in winter

Ice driving in Sweden can be quite tricky when you are not used to it. Most cars have studded tires and know how to drive in the snow. Make sure your tires are winter tires and bring snow chains in case you are driving in Sweden in winter. Many backroads will not be cleared and can be extremely icy when it has just snowed and/or when it is raining. Take your time when driving in Sweden in the wintertime and always make sure to bring water, blankets and something to start a fire with just in case …

 

Renting a car in Sweden

In case you won’t have a car to drive to Sweden but instead you’ll want to rent one, it’s quite easy to do so. You can book via Booking.com – and make sure to read all the rules well. Damage to glass, tires and the bottom of the car are usually not insured and precisely the places where you are easily damaged due to the unpaved roads, so read the everything carefully before you rent a car and / or sign a contract!
 

 

Fuelling up in Sweden

You will find countless gas stations along the way, mostly around villages and towns. If you go further north towards Swedish Lapland, you will notice that the gas stations become scarcer. It’s smart to refuel regularly and not always push it until the end. You can find all kinds of gas stations, Preem usually has the cheapest gasoline. The gasoline price in Sweden is currently (June 2024) around 17.3 SEK per liter.
 
In addition, you will often find a small shop and toilets for the manned pumps, for which you usually do not have to pay, unlike in the Netherlands and Germany.
 

Conclusion

Hopefully you found this article about driving in and to Sweden by car useful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them below! If you want to continue reading, you may also enjoy one of the following posts:

• The most beautiful places in Sweden
• The best cities in Sweden to visit
• Scandinavia trip planning: which is the best country to visit?

Or alternatively visit my Sweden homepage with more than 50 articles about travel in Sweden.

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