I will be in Kalmar in mid-May as part of a three-week journey through the Nordic countries. I'm 56 yo, traveling solo. I'm arriving in Kalmar by train on a Friday evening, and departing on Sunday by train to Stockholm. I've been told that there's not so much to see in Kalmar and it's not worth more than a few hours, but I'm okay with that. For me, it's not about being on the go and seeing something every second; I'm happy to wander around and enjoy a place, sit in a cafe and read or watch the people go by, explore back streets and small shops. That said, would it be worthwhile to go to Öland during my time in Kalmar? And if so, which of these options would you recommend? 1. Rent a car for part of the day Saturday and drive around Öland. 2. Take the bus to Borgholm, spend a few hours there, and bus back.
3. Take the bus, rent a bike, and ride around for a few hours, and bus back.
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
1446 posts
Several years ago, we took the train to Kalmar and then rented a car. I thought the town of Kalmar was quite cute - we toured the castle, enjoyed a music festival that was going on, and had good food. We spent an entire next day in Oland. It's very easy to drive in Oland, and there's much to see there - many ruins and areas with wildlife. We actually went there again the next year when we returned and spent a night on the island. It's so beautiful. I would be very happy to tell you the sites we saw in Oland if you would like more information.
Posted by
OP
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
1930 posts
Thank you so much Sharon! Do you think I can get the flavor of Oland if I take the bus to Borgholm, or do you strongly recommend a rental car? (It's awfully expensive to rent a car for just a day.)
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
1446 posts
We did go to Borgholm, and it was nice but the route did not take us to parts of the island that were more interesting to us. But, we are really into historical sites and ruins and there are a lot of them there in directions away from Borgholm. Given an expensive one day car rental, I would probably spend a bit of time in Kalmar (there was supposed to be a great small historical museum in Kalmar, but we didn't go) and then go to Borgholm. I think this all could be good. As I was growing up, my grandmother always made krubkackers (Swedish) - they are from Oland and I was happy on the island to be able to try them.