First trip to Sweden... Stockholm/Dalarna &?? Need some guidance!

Are you visiting Upsala?

Yes, we plan to visit Uppsala when we are in Stockholm, thanks for checking! We also plan to visit Mariefred while we are there. And maybe it makes sense to make our stay in Stockholm a little bit longer and go out to the archipelago while there instead of a separate visit to the archipelago?? Plus visiting those other places.
Feel free to keep asking questions! 🙂

Are you planning to rent a car for part of your trip?

I have just a few thoughts, based on my time in Sweden this July-August:

After Stockholm, my favorite city was Gothenburg. It isn't a tiny place at all, so it wouldn't fill the "charming village" slot in your itinerary, and you have said you're not much for cities.

I was using public transportation, so I didn't try to see the Dalarna area, but I did go to Mora for one night, to facilitate a trip to the Zorn Museum. I didn't find Mora an especially picturesque town, so I'd suggest choosing a different base for that area. Five nights sounds like a lot for one rural area, given the limited time you have available, but that may fit with your priorities.

Visby is lovely. It is also extraordinarily popular and expensive during high season. I'd recommend nailing down a hotel reservation ASAP. Travel time from Stockholm is considerable, so take into account the likelihood that you won't arrive in Visby early or leave late on your departure day. I didn't approach Visby from Stockholm, so I managed to have about 30 hours there with only one hotel night. In that time I walked every street in the walled historic center, but I had to push hard to do that; that will give you an idea of the size of the place. Some parts of the walled area are very crowded and touristy, but there are some sections where you will not run into very many other people on the streets.

I'd think five nights in the archipelago would be a lot for a foreign visitor making a first trip to Sweden. The country has a lot of very attractive cities and towns. (But I'm more an architecture person than a nature person, and you aren't city people...) I don't know whether there are car ferries out to the archipelago. If you're thinking of taking a car out there, check to be sure the rental agency allows its vehicles to be put on a ferry.

In Stockholm the island of Djurgarden (where a lot of museums are located) has considerable rural area. There's bus service to parts of the island, but you can also walk a lot. In many areas of Djurgarden, you don't feel like you're in a city. Stockholm is spread across a lot of islands, and you can walk from one to another across bridges. I think the layout will make it more attractive to you than you perhaps expect.

Thank you acraven for sharing your own experience! Yes, we plan to have a car for most of our time, although probably not in Stockholm.
Good to know your thoughts on Mora, we plan to stay near Rattvik/Leksand. I'm curious if those are more picturesque and charming? I'm just presuming that area is really charming, I heard it's quintessential Sweden, and also wonderful to spend midsummer there. Would love to hear others thoughts on the area.
I think after getting some feedback, we will not go to the archipelago, maybe just do a day trip from Stockholm. Stockholm. And I'm really liking the sound of Visby. Thank you for sharing your experience there.
I really appreciate all the experiences and suggestions! Thank you!

I definitely read that Dalarna is a great place to spend Midsummer. I hope Badger, our poster from Sweden, spots this thread soon. I'm sure he can help you a great deal.

Thank you, I hope Badger sees this also! Anyway that we can make sure he does? 😉

I've sent him a message; I don't know whether he's traveling himself (or otherwise busy) at the moment, though.

Thanks acraven!

Thanks for the message acraven!

It is a bit tricky to answer this kind of questions, since it usually boils down to a matter of opinion. 5 nights in the archipelago is a bit much, but if that is want you want you should not do it near Stockholm. If you have the time to spend 5 nights, you should travel a bit further than day trip distance in my opinion. Uppsala should be on the list in my opinion.

Regarding the archipelago, there are a few car ferries. But most islands not connected by bridges are car free. But there is a large network of regular ferries (largest in the world if wikipedia is to be trusted) that connects the islands. Also, you should rethink the plan to have a car most of the time.

Dalarna is a good place for midsommar, it is hard to deny. They tend to take it very seriously. Gothenburg is a great city, I agree. But if you don't like cities so much that might not be your cup of tea. Mora has some charming parts, but as the centre of northern Dalarna it has grown a bit too large. The Zorn museum is more or less a must though, as well as his house. Rättvik and Leksand are more charming in my opinion. Five nights is not too much i Dalarna in my opinion and there are a charming towns and villages. Falun in particular should be mentioned, the biggest town in Dalarna but with some well preserved charming areas. Although my definition of charming might not be the same as yours. In addition Dalarna is a great place for nature, not just the area around lake Siljan.

Gotland is amazing in many ways, won't argue with that. Visby has a very well preserved medieval town centre and the rest of the island is also lovely with a lot to offer.

Just remember, there is no place that is "quintessential Sweden".

Thank you so much Badger! What you shared is really helpful, it seems like maybe the plan that we have decided, at least as of today, is a good one! 😄
We will be coming from Norway, from the Lofoten Islands. We were planning to fly from the island (Svolvaer) to Visby, via Stockholm. But then somebody mentioned taking the train from Narvik to Kiruna, and then flying to Visby. This would probably add another day as I don't think we could do all of that in one day. What do you think about that idea? Do you think taking the extra day is worth it, or not?
Thanks so much for your help!

The great thing about night trains is that it doesn't add a day. You leave Narvik in the afternoon and the next morning you're in Stockholm. If you want to know what the trip is like, here is a review of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3kxQveQ23Y (although in the other direction).

And if you try to fly from Svolvær to Visby it will take the better part of a day with at least two changes, in Oslo in Stockholm. And quite probably a third one in either Bodø or Trondheim.

Thanks.. We were actually thinking about driving to Narvik, and then taking the train to Kiruna, and then flying (probably the next day ) to Visby via Stockholm. But maybe taking the train all the way to Stockholm is a good idea? I'm not the best sleeper so I'm not sure how I would do sleeping on the train!
Thanks for your help!

That's the risk with night trains: If you don't sleep much--or at all--you will probably crash as soon as you have access to a hotel room. That happened to me in Italy in 2015. I slept through the afternoon and into the evening. Naturally, it took me more than 24 hours to get back on the local sleeping schedule; it was like having taken an overnight flight in coach. On the other hand, I don't have any trouble sleeping on ferries--but the ride has always been smoother, and the beds are a bit larger.

Was that a couchette or sleeper acraven? That can have an impact.

I've always just had a berth in a couchette. Sleepers are much more expensive. The really miserable Rome-to-Sicily experience seemed due to the condition of the rails. The car jerked back and forth constantly, so it was impossible to fall asleep. I wouldn't think a sleeper car would have been much better under the circumstances, but maybe their construction is very different??

Thanks Badger and acraven. I think we'll skip the night train! So now, deciding whether to fly from Svolvaer (Lofoten's) to Visby, via Stockholm, or drive to Narvik, train to Kiruna, spend the night there, and then fly to Visby via Stockholm.
Does one make more sense to you?
Also, I see there is increased military activity on Gotland...is this not a good idea for us to plan to go there in the near future??
Thanks!

I think we'll skip the night train!

I think your accomodation makes a huge difference. I avoid couchettes nowadays, but have no trouble sleeping in a sleeper car. But that is my opinion and yours might be different.

So now, deciding whether to fly from Svolvaer (Lofoten's) to Visby,
via Stockholm, or drive to Narvik, train to Kiruna, spend the night
there, and then fly to Visby via Stockholm. Does one make more sense
to you?

Flying from Svolvær would be a really bad idea in my opinion. The Narvik-Kiruna train is an attraction in itself, the views are great as the train climbs up in the mountains. So that makes more sense to me. But if you really don't want to do that, flying from Narvik would be a much better option than flying from Svolvær. Anyway, it will be a long day of travel, so breaking it up by staying in e.g. Kiruna is not a bad idea. You could also continue a bit further to e.g. Luleå.

Also, I see there is increased military activity on Gotland...is this
not a good idea for us to plan to go there in the near future??

It should not affect you, unless you are a russian spy. I don't know that the armed forces are doing, they don't tell people. But I was on Gotland in 2014 after Putin invaded Crimea and the armed forces increased their presence on Gotland. I noticed it, but it really didn't bother me. Ok, two figher jets overflying Visby was a bit loud and not very medieval, but they were gone in a few seconds.

Thankyou Badger for your words on going to Gotland now, and also about traveling from Norway. The train ride really does sound nice! Is it also pretty from Kiruna to Lulea? I hadn't realized there was an airport there also! If it's just as pretty or prettier as the first part (Narvik to Kiruna) I think that would be nice. Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!!

My thought is that Lofoten to Gotland is a very long trip to do in one day, and you really should break it up by spending a night somewhere along the way. Kiruna would be a good place, so would Luleå, they both have their advantages and disadvantages. The rail line from Kiruna to Luleå is pretty, but not as scenic as the Narvik-Kiruna part in my opinion.

Luleå has Swedens 5th largest airport if I'm not mistaken, so it should be easy to find a flight to Visby, although a connection in Stockholm will be needed. But it is a long train ride from Narvik, 7-8 hours. Kiruna is much closer, but a smaller airport so finding a flight to Visby might not be quite as easy.

Thanks, that's helpful. I like the sound of the shorter train ride, but I'll look at the flights to Visby (via Stockholm) from both Kiruna and Lulea.
I appreciate your help!

Basically, your option if you want to fly from northern Sweden to Gotland is SAS, www.flysas.com

Thank you Badger... That saves me some time knowing that! 😊

Skyscanner.com is a good resource for checking intra-European flight schedules. You should buy your ticket from the airline's website.

Using a 3rd party site to find schedules is a bit unnecessary when there is one airline that flies the route.

It's looking like from Kiruna there is just a flight on Sunday.. is this correct?
And it looks like Lulea has days during the week also.
I prefer flying from Kiruna, but it doesn't look like it's possible?

I was a bit surprised, but I had a look and it certainly looks like that. On the other days, the flight from Kiruna arrives in Stockholm after the flight to Visby arrives. But I'm very surprised that SAS only has one daily flight scheduled to Visby on your dates. Normally they have 3-5 daily flights. If I was you I'd contact SAS and ask if they plan to add more flights to Visby.

If they add an evening flight, your problems are solved. Otherwise it seems like your option is Luleå, or the overnight train. Or a night in Stockholm.

Thanks Badger. I think I will contact SAS. I'm wondering since it's this far out maybe they haven't added other flights.
We are now looking at taking a night and staying closer to Narvik, so we can catch the train and then take the train to Lulea, staying another night and then flying to Visby via Stockholm. So two extra nights somewhere else, which were not thrilled about. The other option I guess is to just fly from Narvick. But the train ride does sound like a special experience!
I will try to call SAS, and see if I can get through! 😊
Thanks for your help!

I have taken the night train, sleeper car, room to myself, from Umeå, which is just south of Lulea. I loved it, but I love night trains. Slept well and arrived in Stockholm at a reasonably early hour.

Sounds really delightful, unfortunately I just don't think I'd be able to sleep! 😴

No one needs a car when staying in Stockholm or the surrounding area. The public transportation is fabulous. I used a laminated T-bana map which I found handier than pulling out my phone. Occasionally we needed help getting to the correct bus shelter, but it worked out quite well to be car-free. Our Swedish relatives booked an Uber one night, so that is an option.

I wish I had known that there is a high speed train between Stockholm and Gothenburg when we were making our plans. I'd advise checking out different types of public transport when making your itinerary.

And a BIG shout out to all the contributors to the Forum-- your answers (even to others) really helped me plan our trip to Stockholm!

Tack!
anne

Anne, good to know about public transportation being so good!
And, while we are in Stockholm, I don't think we plan on having a car with us. If we don't want to take public transportation to some of the towns nearby, we can always rent a car I guess or take an Uber!
Sounds like you had a wonderful trip!

I'm wondering since it's this far out maybe they haven't added other
flights.

I'm wondering the same thing. It is a bit odd that they only have one daily flight in schedule. But your trip is still far away and there is no need to rush to book things yet.

We are now looking at taking a night and staying closer to Narvik, so
we can catch the train and then take the train to Lulea, staying
another night and then flying to Visby via Stockholm. So two extra
nights somewhere else, which were not thrilled about. The other option
I guess is to just fly from Narvick. But the train ride does sound
like a special experience!

The train is worth it in my opinion. As for your other issues, it is a bit trickier to give advice since we know almost nothing about your plans for Norway…

I will try to call SAS, and see if I can get through! 😊

In general, I don't think calling is the easiest way, in my experience their customer service chat or social media is usually easier. But I guess any option that gives you an answer is great.

Sounds really delightful, unfortunately I just don't think I'd be able
to sleep! 😴

Is that a guess or have you tried it before?

I wish I had known that there is a high speed train between Stockholm
and Gothenburg when we were making our plans.

That's why it is a good idea to ask on the forum before you go…

Anne, good to know about public transportation being so good!

It's not only good, at least the metro is a tourist attraction on its own. https://www.visitstockholm.com/see-do/attractions/art-in-the-subway/

If we don't want to take public transportation to some of the towns
nearby, we can always rent a car I guess or take an Uber!

For the nearby towns you've mentioned, going there by car would be crazy.