Here’s an idea: skip a visit to IKEA’s food court and dine on the real deal in Sweden.
Sweden’s best cities are accessible by train, which means the moment your plane touches down at the airport, you’ll be ready to ride the rails to Sweden’s ice hotels, biggest smorgasbords, and the burgeoning Scandinavian fashion scene.
Need a lift? Grab a Eurail Sweden Pass and you’ll have your choice of trains running through the country.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Anton Petrus. Image Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Eurail Sweden Pass, explained
Allow us to explain how to use a Eurail Pass in Sweden with a little harmonious help from Sweden’s favorite supergroup: ABBA.
A Eurail Pass costs “Money, Money, Money,” but the amount you spend really depends on which type of pass you say “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” to.
The One Country Pass allows you to choose “One of Us,” with “us” being the 33 countries that are part of the Eurail Pass network. Sweden is a “Super Trouper” on the list, but the Global Pass may request that you “Take A Chance On Me.”
If you say “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” to a Global Pass, you’ll have access to all 33 countries, which includes neighbors like Denmark, Norway, and Finland, plus 40,000 cities across Europe. “Mamma Mia!”, that’s a lot of train stations to visit.
“Does Your Mother Know” how long you’re traveling? Then ask her advice on whether your Eurail Pass should be a Flexi Pass or a Continuous Pass. A Flexi Pass allows you to choose a select number of travel days within your validity period.
Think to yourself: Is time often “Slipping Through My Fingers”? Then a Flexi Pass is best, since you’ll only pay for a few days of travel if you decide to stay in one Swedish city longer.
But if you say: “I Have A Dream” to travel “So Long” from Stockholm to “Waterloo”, London, so “Don’t Shut Me Down”—well, a Continuous Pass is best because it offers you unlimited travel on all of the days in your set travel period. (Just note: if you opt for the One Country Pass, you'll be able to buy only Flexi Passes.)
Image Credit: Getty Images, Alexander Spatari. Image Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
How to assemble a Swedish train trip with a Eurail Pass
Because step-by-step written instructions are better than confusing sketches.
Step 1: Touchdown in Copenhagen
Whoa, we’ve just started this project and have already gone off the rails?
Sit tight, Swedish sightseer, we know that Copenhagen is Denmark’s capital.
Copenhagen is directly across the Øresund Strait from Malmö, Sweden; if you had a few too many akvavit shots, you might think you could swim the short distance. Thankfully, the Copenhagen to Malmö train is faster, warmer, and far less exhausting.
Two reasons for flying into Copenhagen: it’s an accessible direct flight from many US airports, and Copenhagen is the fashion capital of Scandinavia, giving you a chance to grab the threads you need to look Scandi sharp.
Scandinavia’s cities are well connected so taking the train from Copenhagen to Stockholm, Sweden, is about as straightforward as it sounds. You could skip this entire route guide on the Copenhagen to Stockholm train, seeing nothing more than the inside of a train station between the cities.
But why would you skip so much of Sweden’s beauty?
Image Credit: Getty Images, Elena_Sistaliuk. Image Location: Malmö, Sweden
Step 2: Copenhagen to Malmö
Do as you wish in Denmark’s capital. We’ve got some tips on where to eat, stay, and play in Copenhagen for solo travelers, and for those spending a full weekend in the city, a whole bunch of the best things to do.
Make your way to Malmö with a quick Copenhagen to Sweden train and see the strait from the opposite side. Like Copenhagen, Malmö is a solid place to shop, swim, and sample food along the harbor.
Step 3: Malmö to Lund
The train from Malmö to Lund takes as little as 10 minutes, so you could combine the two cities in a single day if you’re tight on time.
Lund is laid-back. A walk through the Kulturen open-air museum lets visitors step into the city’s Middle Ages; the historical museum takes them thousands of years further into Sweden’s past.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Vadim_Nefedov. Image Location: Helsingborg, Sweden
Step 4: Lund to Helsingborg
For the next 28 minutes, kick back and relax as you take the train from Lund to Helsingborg. And once you reach this coastal city, keep the relaxed vibes going by embracing fika: the Swedish art of drinking coffee and eating cakes. Helsingborg requires no rush and no fuss.
Step 5: Helsingborg to Gothenburg
Getting to Gothenburg takes a little more time than the previous legs, but that’s just fine: stare out of the train car window and drink up views of the coastline. Once you arrive in Gothenburg, you’ll be happy you had time to rest your legs.
Sweden’s second-largest city has way too much to pack into a single day—or a weekend, for that matter. Spend a day under the Scandinavian sun hiking the Gotaleden trail, hanging out in Slottsskogen park, and island hopping.
Step 6: Gothenburg to Stockholm
The Gothenburg to Stockholm train ride is the longest stretch of this journey, leaving you ample time to decide what you want to do in the Swedish capital. Consider yourself a “Dancing Queen”? Then boogie over to ABBA The Museum. Railriders who need retail therapy will dig shopping for the coolest Scandi fashion brands. Or you can just relax at one of Stockholm’s best bars and reflect on this unforgettable Copenhagen to Sweden train journey.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Johan Klovsjö. Image Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Explore more of Scandinavia with a Eurail Pass
Eurail Pass and Sweden go together like meatballs and lingonberries. You don’t need to stop your Swedish sabbatical when you get to Stockholm. Take the train farther north to Uppsala or Sundsvall to see more of the Bottenhavet sea. Explore more of Scandinavia by taking a ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki, Finland, or Tallinn, Estonia.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to take us with you. The Trainline app fits snugly in your pocket and helps you see Europe’s lesser visited countries from the comfort of a train car.
Need more Eurail info? Check out our comprehensive guide to all things Eurail.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, © Marco Bottigelli. Image Location: Stokholm, Sweden