Ask a Swede where to buy a gas bottle, a spare fuse or a cheap tool for the cabin and you’ll be sent to a big discount store on the edge of town. Here is what these stores sell to visitors, the rule behind each purchase, and how the till works.
When you need this
Your motorhome’s gas has run out and the bottle is German. You flew in for a canoe trip and have no stove fuel. The cabin you rented needs a fuse, a torch or an extension lead. Winter is coming and you want snow chains. Or something you bought has broken and you want to know what the store owes you.
What these stores are
Most Swedish towns of any size have one or more large discount stores just outside the center that put car parts and car care, camping and leisure gear, tools, garden and household basics under one roof. For motorhome, cabin and camping visitors they are the practical answer to “where do I buy that?”.
This guide describes the type of store, not the chains. Each product below has a Swedish rule attached, and the rule matters more than which store you choose.
| You need | What to know first | Full guide |
|---|---|---|
| Gas for a motorhome or caravan | Only Swedish bottles are exchanged | LPG and gas bottles |
| Stove fuel after flying in | Gas cartridges can’t fly | Camping stoves during fire bans |
| Winter tires or snow chains | Studless tires need the alpine symbol | Winter tires in Sweden |
| A campsite hook-up cable | Blue CEE connector, not a household cord | Power sockets in Sweden |
| Waste and water for a motorhome | Not a store matter: use a disposal station | Motorhome service stations |
Gas bottles: buy Swedish, then swap
This is why most motorhome visitors walk in. Bottled LPG in Sweden is called gasol, and many car and leisure stores are part of an exchange system. You buy a Swedish bottle once, and after that you pay only for the gas when you swap an empty bottle for a full one.
The catch is that the system is closed. Dealers exchange only the same type and size of Swedish bottle, and bottles bought abroad are not exchanged. A German or Dutch bottle can’t be swapped, so don’t drive to a store expecting it. The usual fix is to buy a Swedish bottle and connect it with the right adapter. Keep the bottle, and on your next trip you only pay for gas.
Some gas vending machines take cards around the clock, which helps when the stores are closed. Valve types, adapters and LPG filling stations are covered in our guide to gas bottles for motorhomes.
Stove fuel for fly-in campers
If you fly in to hike, canoe or camp, you have to buy fuel after you land. Propane and butane are banned in both cabin and checked baggage. The stove itself may fly if it has been cleaned of fuel residue and has no cartridge attached. Don’t pack leftover cartridges for the flight home either. They’ll be confiscated at security.
Choose the stove type with Sweden’s fire bans in mind:
- Gas and liquid-fuel stoves are outside an ordinary fire ban, which covers only solid fuels such as wood and charcoal.
- Under a stringent ban (skärpt eldningsförbud) they stay allowed only when placed so that the risk of ignition and spread is low.
- Wood-burning stoves burn solid fuel and are banned under both tiers.
Fire bans are decided locally, so read the decision for the area you’re in. The detail is in camping stoves during fire bans.
Winter kit: the store sells it, the law decides it
Tires, snow chains and other winter kit fill the shelves each autumn, but what’s on sale is not automatically legal. From 1 December to 31 March, a car, a motorhome and any trailer it tows must have winter tires or equivalent equipment when there is winter road condition. That means snow, ice, slush or frost on the road.
Two points catch visitors out. A studless tire on a car must carry the alpine (3PMSF) symbol, and an “all-season” tire marked only M+S no longer counts. Snow chains are Transportstyrelsen’s own example of equivalent equipment. Studded tires are allowed from 1 October to 15 April. See winter tires in Sweden for tread depth, stud-free streets and fines.
Electrical goods and hook-up cables
Electrical products sold in Swedish shops are made for Swedish sockets. Elsäkerhetsverket, the electrical safety authority, says they must be intended for 230 volts with a plug for Swedish outlets. An extension lead or charger bought here fits the sockets in a Swedish cabin.
Campsite hook-ups increasingly use the blue round CEE connector. The right kit is a proper CEE hook-up cable, and an ordinary household extension cable is not an acceptable substitute. Power sockets in Sweden covers cable specifications and adapters.
Paying: card, kronor, and why cash may not work
Sweden has had no law on shop opening hours since 1972, so each store sets its own hours. Big out-of-town stores often open daily, but check the posted hours, especially around Midsummer Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Opening hours in Sweden has the full picture.
At the till, card is the norm: around 92% of in-store purchases in Sweden are paid by card. A business may refuse cash if it says so before you buy. The 2026 duty to accept cash applies to grocery stores and pharmacies with a staffed checkout, not to retail in general. Carry a Visa or Mastercard and know your PIN.
If the terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in kronor. The conversion comes with the payment provider’s margin built into the rate. Why to pay in kronor explains how it works.
Age-restricted products are sold with an ID check. At least one chain sells them only in the store, not online.
Returns, complaints and guarantees
This is the rule visitors most often get wrong. A Swedish store doesn’t have to take back something that isn’t faulty. No law requires öppet köp (money back) or bytesrätt (exchange). Where a store offers them, the store sets the conditions. Ask before you pay, check that the terms are on the receipt, and keep it.
| Situation | Your right | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Changed your mind, bought in the store | None, unless the store offers öppet köp | Store’s own policy |
| Changed your mind, bought online or by phone | 14 days from the day after delivery | Law (ångerrätt) |
| Item is faulty | Complain within 3 years, within 2 months of finding the fault | Law (reklamation) |
| Guarantee (garanti) has expired | You can still complain within the 3 years | Law; the guarantee is extra |
Online sellers have had to provide a withdrawal function in their website or app since 19 June 2026. The right to withdraw doesn’t cover things bought from a private seller, such as at a flea market.
The guarantee point is worth knowing. Konsumentverket, the consumer agency, says a guarantee is voluntary and comes on top of the law. Even if a product has no guarantee or it has expired, you can still complain to the seller within three years. Shopping in Sweden covers consumer rights in more depth.
Tax-free for non-EU visitors
If you live outside the EU, you can reclaim Swedish VAT on tools, camping gear and other goods. The store has to offer tax-free, the purchase must be at least 200 kr including VAT, and the goods must leave the EU by the end of the third month after the purchase month. Get the form stamped before you leave the EU.
Not every store takes part, and the refund comes from the store or an approved refund company, not the state. Ask at the till before you pay. Residents of Norway and Åland follow a separate rule, and EU residents can’t shop tax-free. VAT refunds for non-EU visitors explains the stamping step.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Set by each store; no shop-hours law since 1972 |
| Payment | Card is the norm (about 92% of in-store purchases); cash may be refused |
| Gas bottle | First purchase includes the bottle; later exchanges pay for gas only |
| Return in store, not faulty | Only if the store offers öppet köp |
| Online purchase | 14-day right of withdrawal |
| Faulty goods | 3-year complaint right, guarantee or not |
| Standard VAT (included in prices) | 25% |
| Tax-free minimum (non-EU) | 200 kr including VAT per purchase |
| Winter tires | Required 1 Dec–31 Mar in winter road condition |
| Studded tires | Allowed 1 Oct–15 Apr |
We don’t publish prices for gas, tools or tires. They vary by store and bottle size and change often.
FAQ
Where can I buy a gas bottle for my motorhome in Sweden?
At stores and fuel stations in the Swedish gasol exchange network, including many car and leisure discount stores. Swedish dealers exchange only Swedish bottles of the same type and size, so a German or Dutch bottle cannot be swapped. Most visitors buy a Swedish bottle once, connect it with a suitable adapter, and afterwards pay only for the gas.
Can I bring camping gas cartridges on the plane to Sweden?
No. Propane and butane are banned in both cabin and checked baggage, so fly-in hikers and campers buy cartridges or liquid fuel after landing. A camping stove itself may fly if it is cleaned of fuel residue and has no cartridge attached. Outdoor and car-and-leisure stores in Sweden stock the common cartridge types and stove fuel.
Can I return something I bought at a Swedish hardware store?
Only if the store chooses to allow it. No Swedish law requires shops to offer öppet köp (money back) or bytesrätt (exchange), and the store sets its own conditions. Ask before paying and keep the receipt. A faulty item is different: you can complain to the seller for up to three years, whatever the guarantee says.
Is there a right to cancel if I order online from a Swedish store?
Yes. Buying goods from a business online or by phone gives a 14-day right of withdrawal, counted from the day after you receive the goods. Since 19 June 2026 online sellers must provide a withdrawal function in the website or app. The right does not cover purchases made in the store itself or from private sellers.
Do Swedish discount stores take cash?
Many do, but they do not have to. A Swedish business may refuse cash if it says so before the purchase, and the 2026 duty to accept cash covers only grocery stores and pharmacies with a staffed checkout. Around 92% of in-store purchases are paid by card, so a Visa or Mastercard with a known PIN is the safe choice. Always pay in kronor.
Can I get a VAT refund on tools or camping gear?
Yes, if you live outside the EU and the store offers tax-free. The purchase must be at least 200 kr including VAT and the goods must leave the EU by the end of the third month after the purchase month, with the form stamped before you leave. Norway and Åland residents follow a separate rule, and EU residents cannot shop tax-free.
Are the camping stoves sold in Sweden allowed during a fire ban?
Gas and liquid-fuel stoves are, with conditions. Under an ordinary ban only solid fuels are prohibited. Under a stringent ban, cooking equipment running on gas or liquid stays allowed only when it is placed so that the risk of ignition and spread is low. Wood-burning stoves burn solid fuel and are banned under both tiers. Always read the local decision.
Related guides
- LPG and gas bottles for motorhomes: the Swedish valve, adapters and where to fill a tank.
- Camping stoves during fire bans: which stove you can use under each ban tier.
- Winter tires in Sweden: dates, the alpine symbol and stud rules before you buy.
- Shopping in Sweden: payment, returns and consumer rights for all shops.
- VAT refunds for non-EU visitors: how to get the form stamped and the money back.
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Konsumentverket, Sveriges Riksbank, Sveriges riksdag, Skatteverket, Tullverket, Transportstyrelsen, Myndigheten för civilt försvar, Elsäkerhetsverket and gas dealers’ own terms. Full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.