West Coast Road Trip: Gothenburg to the Norwegian Border

Short legs, slow roads, free ferries and two islands you can’t drive to. Below is the Bohuslän coast day by day with every leg measured, plus the rules that apply on the road, on the water and at the Norwegian border.

When you need this

• You’re planning a road trip north from Gothenburg along the coast
• You want to know how far apart Tjörn, Orust, Lysekil, Smögen, Fjällbacka and Strömstad really are
• You’re wondering whether the island bridges and ferries cost anything
• You want the Tanum rock carvings or Kosterhavet National Park on the way
• You’re driving on into Norway at Svinesund, or adding the Halland coast

The route at a glance

North of Gothenburg the coast is Bohuslän: granite islands, bridges and fishing towns all the way to the Norwegian border at Svinesund. The E6 motorway runs straight up the inland side and does Gothenburg–Strömstad in 166 km and about two hours. This route takes the slow coast roads north instead and uses the E6 to get back.

We measured every leg with a route planner (OSRM, on OpenStreetMap data). The times are pure driving, with no stops, traffic or ferry queues. No coast leg is longer than 58 km, but country roads are slow: 314 km takes almost six hours, three times the E6. Plan two or three stops a day, not five.

Two stops are car-free islands. You reach Marstrand by passenger ferry from Koön and the Koster Islands by boat from Strömstad, so each needs a parking plan on the mainland side.

Day by day along the Bohuslän coast

Days 1–2: Marstrand, Tjörn, Orust and the Gullmarsfjord

Marstrand first. Marstrandsön is a bilfri ö (car-free island): only utility vehicles go across. Park on Koön and take the passenger ferry, which Kungälv municipality runs. Then drive north to Tjörn over the bridges from Stenungsund, and on to Orust.

Day 2 ends with the route’s longest ferry. Gullmarsleden crosses the Gullmarsfjord between Finnsbo and Skår: 1,850 m, ten minutes and free. Our measured time for the leg includes the crossing but not the queue.

Days 3–4: Smögen, Fjällbacka and the Tanum rock carvings

Smögen’s municipal guest harbor has staff on site every day in weeks 25–33, which is a good marker for the coast’s high season. Near Fjällbacka, a tiny free cable ferry, Hamburgsundsleden, crosses 130 m from Hamburgsund to Hamburgö in three minutes.

The Rock Carvings in Tanum have been a World Heritage site since 1994. There are more than 350 groups of Bronze Age hällristningar (rock carvings), made between 1800 and 500 BC. The rock was at the waterline then; today it sits 25–30 m above the sea. The World Heritage sites are Vitlycke, Aspeberget/Tegneby, Fossum, Litsleby, Gerum and Kalleby.

Days 5–6: Koster and the border

Day 5 is a boat day. The Koster boats, Västtrafik line 899, leave Strömstad all year and take about 45 minutes. Bikes come along if there’s room. Kosterhavet, Sweden’s marine national park since 2009, covers almost 400 km² of Strömstad and Tanum municipalities, and most of it is sea. The main entrance is the naturum (visitor centre) at Ekenäs on South Koster. The park’s other entrances, at Strömstad, Saltö, Resö and Rossö, can be reached by car, and every entrance is accessible to wheelchair users.

Day 6: Strömstad → Svinesund is 20 km, about 20 minutes. Then drive home on the E6, 166 km and about two hours, or carry on into Norway.

The free road ferries

Trafikverket’s yellow vägfärjor (road ferries) are free, except Ekeröleden and Visingsöleden, and neither of those is on the west coast. Every Bohuslän route page we read says avgiftsfri (free of charge).

In summer, Trafikverket warns of queues and waiting times. Its advice is to travel in the morning, share cars, or leave the car and walk on. On board, follow the crew: vehicles board in turn and buses go first. Motorhomes, caravans and cars with trailers go in the middle lanes. Once parked, switch off the engine and lights and pull the handbrake. Timetables and disruptions are on each route’s page, on Trafikverket’s traffic map and in the Trafikinfo Färjerederiet app. The whole ferry system is explained in Sweden’s free yellow road ferries.

Adding the Halland coast

The coast carries on south of Gothenburg, through Halland: Varberg is 75 km away, Halmstad a further 71 km and Helsingborg another 80 km, about three hours in all. We measured these legs for the Germany to Sweden road trip, which covers them in more depth. Halland has the long sandy beaches; in Bohuslän you mostly swim off granite rock (see Swedish beaches). The same coast is Kattegattleden, national cycle route 1.

Rules on the road and on the water

Kosterhavet has its own regulations. Oyster picking is banned. Fires are only allowed at prepared sites, and you may not stay overnight or anchor in one place for more than two days. On North and South Koster, overnight stays are banned except at the campsite on North Koster. Keep 100 m from seal sanctuaries (15 May – 15 July) and bird sanctuaries (1 March – 31 August). Drones may not take off or land anywhere in the park. The general rules are in free fishing in Sweden and drone rules.

At Svinesund you cross a customs border. Norway’s quotas apply to what you bring in, and goods over the quota are confiscated and fined. Norwegian toll roads bill foreign cars through AutoPASS. Sweden’s border control covers the land border too. Norway’s current notified control is aimed at ports with ferry links to the Schengen area, not the E6. The details are in the Sweden–Norway border guide.

Jellyfish. Red lion’s mane jellyfish turn up on the west coast, mostly in summer and autumn. If you’re stung, rinse with seawater, not tap water.

Seasons and timing

• 15 May – 31 August: 5-knot speed limit for boats around the Koster Islands; seal sanctuaries closed 15 May – 15 July.
• Weeks 25–33: the coast’s high season (Smögen’s harbor is staffed daily).
• July (weeks 29–31): the Swedish holiday peak, with ferry queues and full towns; Gothenburg charges no congestion tax.
• All year: the Koster boats run.
• After 11 November 2026: recheck the border rules.
• 1 December – 31 March: winter tyres are compulsory in winter conditions. This is a summer plan.

Practical information

FAQ

How long does a west coast road trip from Gothenburg to Strömstad take?

Allow five to seven days. The coast route via Marstrand, Tjörn, Orust, Lysekil, Smögen, Fjällbacka and Tanum is about 314 km, almost six hours of pure driving on slow roads, with no leg over 58 km. Add a day for Koster by boat. The E6 motorway back to Gothenburg is 166 km, about two hours.

Are the ferries in Bohuslän free?

Yes. Trafikverket’s yellow road ferries are free except Ekeröleden and Visingsöleden, neither on the west coast. On this route that means Gullmarsleden between Finnsbo and Skår, ten minutes across the fjord, plus short crossings at Hamburgsund, Svanesund and Malö. In summer expect queues; Trafikverket suggests travelling in the morning.

Can I drive to Marstrand or the Koster Islands?

No. Marstrandsön is car-free: park on Koön and take the passenger ferry run by Kungälv municipality, which only carries utility vehicles. The Koster Islands are reached by Västtrafik’s Koster boats from Strömstad, year-round, in about 45 minutes. Bikes travel on the Koster boats if there is room.

Where are the Tanum rock carvings?

In Tanum municipality in northern Bohuslän, between Fjällbacka and Strömstad. They have been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1994: more than 350 groups of Bronze Age carvings, including Vitlycke, Aspeberget/Tegneby, Fossum, Litsleby, Gerum and Kalleby. Fjällbacka to Tanumshede is 17 km, about 20 minutes’ driving.

Is there a toll at Svinesund?

No. The Svinesund bridge on the E6 has been toll-free since 15 March 2021, and there are no state bridge fees anywhere on this route. You are crossing a customs border, though: Norway’s quotas apply, and Norwegian toll roads beyond the border bill foreign cars through AutoPASS.

Can I combine Bohuslän with the Halland coast?

Yes. From Gothenburg the coast continues south through Halland: Varberg is 75 km away, Halmstad another 71 km and Helsingborg a further 80 km, about three hours of driving in total. Halland has the long sandy beaches that granite Bohuslän lacks, and the same coast is Kattegattleden, national cycle route 1.

Related guides

• Bohuslän and the west coast: the region in depth, beyond the driving plan
• Koster Islands: the car-free islands and the marine park
• Sweden’s free yellow road ferries: how the ferry system works across the country
• The Sweden–Norway border: customs quotas and tolls before you cross at Svinesund
• Southern Sweden road trip: the next itinerary south

Facts verified 25 September 2026. Sources: Trafikverket, Transportstyrelsen, Sveriges Riksdag, Riksantikvarieämbetet, Naturvårdsverket, Länsstyrelsen Västra Götaland, Kungälvs kommun, Västtrafik, Tullverket, Tolletaten, Regeringen and the European Commission; distances measured with OSRM. Full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.