Below are three seven-day routes, each with two bases and one long leg. Every travel time comes from our dated transport guides, and the 2026 disruptions are named with their dates.
When you need this
You have seven days and want more than one city. Maybe you’re choosing between the west coast and Lapland for the second half, or you’ve found a cheap flight to Copenhagen and wonder whether southern Sweden fits. Or you’re about to book trains and want to know where 2026 has broken the timetable.
Why a week means two regions
Sweden is about 1,570 km long. The south, the Stockholm–Gothenburg belt and the north each work as a trip on their own, and an itinerary that tries all three spends two of its seven days in transit. Stockholm to Kiruna alone is about 1,240 km by road.
So each route below has two bases and one long leg:
| Route | Bases | The long leg | Best season |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Cities by train | Stockholm (3–4 nights) + Gothenburg (3 nights) | Train, about 3 h | May–September; works year-round |
| B. Stockholm + Lapland | Stockholm (3 nights) + Kiruna/Abisko (3–4 nights) | Night train, or flight about 90 min | Late May–mid-July (midnight sun) or September–March (aurora) |
| C. The south | Malmö (4 nights) + Gothenburg or Stockholm (2–3 nights) | Train 2 h 18 min to Gothenburg, about 4.5 h to Stockholm | May–September |
The places named below are listed as facts, not as recommendations. For depth, go to the Stockholm, Gothenburg, Swedish Lapland and Skåne guides.
Route A: Stockholm and Gothenburg by train
Day 1 — Stockholm. Arlanda Express reaches Stockholm Central in 18 minutes; our Arlanda to Stockholm guide compares the alternatives. An SL 7-day ticket covers the city for the week.
Day 2 — Djurgården. The Vasa Museum, Skansen and Nordiska museet all stand on Djurgården. Tram 7 (Spårväg City) runs from T-Centralen past Nordiska museet, Gröna Lund and Skansen. The Vasa Museum keeps separate summer hours from June to August.
Day 3 — Gamla stan and the archipelago. Any SL ticket is valid year-round on Waxholmsbolaget boats between Strömkajen and Vaxholm, so the boat to Vaxholm costs nothing extra on a 7-day ticket.
Day 4 — train to Gothenburg. SJ’s fastest trains take about three hours, and VR (the former MTRX) competes on the same line, so compare both. Check the date first. Until summer 2027, track works between Gothenburg and Alingsås bring weekend closures, rerouting via Borås or Vänersborg, and replacement buses (ersättningsbuss). On a closure date, a flight can be faster.
Day 5 — Gothenburg. Tap a contactless card on trams and buses in Zone A (Gothenburg, Mölndal, Partille, Öckerö).
Day 6 — the southern archipelago. Boats to Gothenburg’s southern skärgård (archipelago) charge Västtrafik’s Zone A fares. Buy in the app or on board, or tap on most boats.
Day 7 — departure. The Landvetter airport bus takes 20 minutes from central Gothenburg. Or head south: SJ’s fast trains reach Malmö in 2 h 18 min, and Öresundståg runs Gothenburg–Malmö–Copenhagen.
Route B: Stockholm and Lapland
Days 1–3 — Stockholm, as in Route A.
Day 3, evening — night train north. One SJ night train a day runs Stockholm–Luleå–Boden–Kiruna–Abisko–Narvik, with seats, couchettes (liggvagn) and sleepers (sovvagn). The trip takes a night and a morning. Until 12 December 2026 you change trains at Boden around 6 a.m. SJ expects the cars to run straight through from 13 December. Winter is the most sought-after night-train season, so book early. Details: night train to Lapland.
Day 4 — Kiruna. The station is on the E10, about 6 km from the centre, and has no staff. A free shuttle bus meets every train, all year.
Day 5 — Abisko National Park. The same night train stops at Abisko Turiststation, opposite STF’s mountain station. Bus line 91 links Kiruna and Abisko, but only in its winter (February–May) and summer (June–September) seasons. The park was founded in 1909, and the Kungsleden trail runs through it along the Abisko canyon.
Day 6 — the light, by season. In Kiruna the midnight sun lasts from about 29 May to 14 July. The aurora season runs from September to March. In midwinter, Kiruna has about 27 days without sunrise.
Day 7 — fly home. Kiruna–Stockholm takes about 90 minutes, and SAS and Norwegian fly it daily all year. In summer 2026 a direct Kiruna Airport–Narvik bus also ran twice a day, June–September, taking about 2.5–3 hours.
Route C: the south
Day 1 — arrive via Copenhagen Airport. The train reaches Malmö in about 20 minutes. Keep your passport or ID card handy: trains from Denmark stop at Hyllie for a Swedish ID check. The temporary border control is currently set for 12 May – 11 November 2026, so check whether it has been extended.
Day 2 — Malmö and Lund. Öresundståg’s Lund–Malmö–Copenhagen line links the two cities. Skånetrafiken sells 48-hour tourist tickets, either for Skåne alone or for Skåne plus Denmark.
Day 3 — Ystad and Österlen. Regional trains run from Malmö to Ystad every 30 minutes. The same trains continue to Simrishamn, with no change at Ystad.
Day 4 — a free day in Skåne on the same tourist ticket.
Day 5 — train north. SJ’s fast trains reach Gothenburg in 2 h 18 min, and Öresundståg also runs the coast line. Stockholm is about 4.5 hours on SJ’s fastest services.
Days 6–7 — Gothenburg or Stockholm, using days 5–7 or 1–3 of Route A.
Tickets for the week
There is no national rail pass or national ticket. Plan each leg door to door in Resrobot, then buy from each operator:
| Where | How to pay | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm (SL) | Contactless card on every mode; single valid 75 minutes | One card per traveler for the whole trip |
| Gothenburg (Västtrafik) | Contactless in Zone A only | Outside Zone A, use the app |
| Skåne (Skånetrafiken) | App or tourist ticket | Activate app tickets before you board |
| Long-distance trains | SJ, VR, Snälltåget — dynamic fares | Interrail doesn’t cover VR’s Stockholm–Gothenburg trains |
Long-distance fares rise as seats sell, and tickets are released in batches. Summer 2026 tickets went on sale on 28 January 2026. Booking for the other side of the December timetable change isn’t open yet either: on 24 September 2026, VR sold Stockholm–Gothenburg trips only up to 11 December. More in buying train tickets in Sweden.
Season by season
- Late May–mid-July: midnight sun in Kiruna, about 29 May–14 July.
- Midsummer Eve (a Friday between 19 and 25 June): ordinary shops and offices shut, but major attractions in tourist areas mostly stay open.
- July (weeks 29–31): Sweden’s own holiday peak. Book trains early.
- Summer: track works on the Gothenburg line are concentrated in summer; in 2026 Göteborg–Alingsås closed completely for eight weeks.
- September–March: aurora season in Kiruna.
- December: about seven hours of daylight in southernmost Sweden and polar night in Kiruna. The city routes still work, but the days are short.
Mistakes to avoid
- Four cities in seven days. Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Kiruna in one week is a week of transit. Pick two bases.
- Driving to Kiruna. It’s about 1,240 km by road. Fly or take the night train.
- Sleeping through Boden. On night trains before 13 December 2026, set an alarm for about 6 a.m.
- Expecting aurora in June. In June the sun barely sets. Aurora season is September to March.
- Missing your flight home. In 2025, 86.9% of Swedish passenger trains arrived within five minutes of schedule. Leave at least an hour between train and flight.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stockholm–Gothenburg | About 3 h on SJ’s fastest trains; closures until summer 2027 (checked 2026-09-25) |
| Gothenburg–Malmö | 2 h 18 min on SJ’s fast trains since 14 December 2025 |
| Stockholm–Malmö | About 4.5 h on SJ’s fastest trains |
| Stockholm–Kiruna | Night train: a night and a morning; flight: about 90 min |
| Copenhagen Airport–Malmö | About 20 min by train |
| Arlanda–Stockholm Central | 18 min by Arlanda Express |
| Landvetter–central Gothenburg | 20 min by airport bus |
| SL 7-day ticket | 470 kr adult / 290 kr reduced (checked 2026-09-24) |
| Skåne tourist ticket | 48 hours; current price at Skånetrafiken |
FAQ
Is one week enough for Sweden?
Enough for two regions, not for the whole country. Sweden is about 1,570 km long, so trying to add Lapland to Stockholm and Gothenburg costs two days in transit. Choose Stockholm and Gothenburg by train, Stockholm and Lapland by night train or flight, or Skåne from Copenhagen with Gothenburg or Stockholm at the end.
How long is the train from Stockholm to Gothenburg?
About three hours on SJ’s fastest trains; VR also runs the route, so compare both. Until summer 2027, track works between Gothenburg and Alingsås bring weekend closures, rerouting via Borås or Vänersborg, and replacement buses. Check the date against Trafikverket’s closure calendar before you book, and allow extra time on closure weekends.
Can I fit Lapland into a week in Sweden?
Yes, if Lapland is one of only two bases. Spend three nights in Stockholm, take the night train north on the third evening, and fly back from Kiruna in about 90 minutes on the last day. Until 12 December 2026 the night train involves a change at Boden around 6 a.m.; SJ expects through cars from 13 December.
Should I fly into Copenhagen for southern Sweden?
For Skåne, it’s often the simplest gateway. Trains run from Copenhagen Airport to Malmö in about 20 minutes, and Öresundståg continues to Lund and up the coast to Gothenburg. Carry your passport or ID card, because trains from Denmark stop for a Swedish ID check at Hyllie while temporary border controls continue.
When is the best time for a week in Sweden?
May to September suits all three variants, but July is Sweden’s own holiday peak, so book early. For Lapland, late May to mid-July brings the midnight sun, and September to March is aurora season. In December the south gets about seven hours of daylight, so city routes work better than touring.
Do I need a rail pass for a week in Sweden?
No, and there is no national one. Tickets are sold per operator and per region: long-distance trains through SJ, VR or Snälltåget, city transport through SL, Västtrafik or Skånetrafiken. Interrail does not cover VR’s Stockholm–Gothenburg trains. Plan each leg in Resrobot and buy long-distance tickets early.
Related guides
- Plan a trip to Sweden — the order to book things in.
- How big is Sweden? — why a week means two regions.
- Night train to Lapland — everything about Route B’s long leg.
- Train travel in Sweden — operators, delays and compensation.
- Best time to visit Sweden — choosing the season for your route.
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Trafikverket, SJ, Öresundståg, SL, Västtrafik, Skånetrafiken, SMHI, Sweden’s national parks (Naturvårdsverket), Trafikanalys, Regeringen, Kiruna Lappland — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.