Travellers rejoiced at yesterday’s news as the government announced that Sweden is the latest country to be added to the UK travel corridor list.
A number of new tours and experiences have launched for travellers to book for 2020 and beyond. Visitors can experience a new flight route as well as a range of wonderful packages from luxury sabbaticals to seafood safaris, giving the curious traveller an opportunity to discover wonderful cuisine and culture in a mesmerising natural setting. With 97% of the 100 million acres currently uninhabited, there is plenty of it to explore.
Scandinavian Airlines launches Luleå flight this winter
SAS has announced a new nonstop route from Stansted to Luleå launching this winter. From December to March, British travellers can easily visit the north of Sweden, with weekly departures on Fridays and Mondays. Luleå has a number of award-winning hotels and restaurants offering a taste of Swedish Lapland, as well as bars and shopping for visitors to enjoy. For those looking to immerse themselves in nature, there are several spots that offer something beyond the glamour of the city hotels. Just an hour from Luleå is the iconic Treehotel, known over the world for its unique offering with luxurious hotel rooms built high in the trees, in the atmospheric forest of Harads. Luleå itself has a range of outdoor activities including arctic baths, floating saunas, dog sledding, hiking, and camping in the serene natural surroundings. Tour operators Sunvil, Best Served Scandinavia and Artisan Travel have announced new packages for travel to the destination for visitors to book now. www.flysas.com
More new packages to book:
Enjoy a new luxury Scandi 42 day sabbatical with Original Travel
Those looking for a longer trip can enjoy a scenic smorgasbord of outdoor activities from seafood safaris in beautiful archipelagos, to hiking and biking surrounded by majestic fjords on this unforgettable 42-day sabbatical around Sweden and Norway, staying in accommodation from treehouses to converted fishermen’s cabins. Travellers will drive along the iconic Atlantic Road, soak up the stunning views on some of the world’s most beautiful train journeys, and stay in a tree hotel with bird’s-eye forest views. There is also a visit to the charming Gothenburg – filled with tram-rattled streets, buzzing culture and neoclassical architecture. From kayaking in the serene archipelago, fishing, hiking and mountain biking or going on moose safaris and bear watching tours – this is a natural adventure not to be missed. Prices available upon request. www.originaltravel.co.uk/itineraries/luxury-scandinavian-sabbatical
City slickers with Original Travel
A six-night round trip from London to Gothenburg, via Amsterdam-Osnabruck-Hamburg-Copenhagen, costs from £1,960pp, based on two sharing. The price includes all transport, four nights’ accommodation in Gothenburg and overnight stops each way in Copenhagen and Hamburg respectively. From Gothenburg, visitors can easily catch ferries to explore the surrounding archipelago, or hire a bike to explore the city, keeping carbon emissions to an absolute minimum. www.originaltravel.co.uk
Self-Guided Cycling Sweden’s West Coast with KE Adventure Travel
Sweden’s southwest coast is a patchwork of long sandy beaches and rugged granite outcrops punctuated by traditional fisherman’s huts. The deep green forests inland form a peaceful natural curtain between visitors and the rest of the world. This one week self-guided cycling holiday immerses travellers in this idyllic culture, using the Kattegatt cycle way as the route through this landscape from the much fought over town of Helsingborg, to Gothenburg. The route takes cyclists to the sun, sea and sand of Tylosand beach; to the beautiful harbour town of Traslovslage (a seafood lover’s dream), and to the tranquil lake at Fjaras Bracka. Getting closer to Gothenburg, the great city’s sister archipelago fills the view of the North Sea. There is plenty of opportunity to stop off along the way to enjoy a swim in the sea, or explore some local foraging spots. Prices start from £1,085 based on four people including three / four star accommodation with breakfast included and bike hire. www.keadventure.com
The Österlen Way trail with The Natural Adventure
The Österlen Way is a circular trail in south-east Skåne, one of Sweden’s signature trails, starting and ending in Ystad, 56 km from Malmö. This itinerary gives guests the opportunity to walk the southern and eastern part of the trail between Ystad and Alunbruket. Most of the time the walk follows the coast of the Baltic Sea but at some points, the trail goes inland into forests with oak, pine and beech. The undulant hilly landscape culminates at Hammarsbackar and Stenshuvud where there are fantastic views. The walk passes through charming fishing villages and stay at small idyllic B&Bs and family-run hotels. Prices start from £945 per person. This trip includes three/four star accommodation, breakfast, one dinner in Alunbruket, luggage transfers. www.thenaturaladventure.com
Sweden: Palaces, Castles and Canals with Saga Holidays
Explore southern Sweden on board a selection of little boats. On this tour, the journeys are just as important as the destinations. The first three nights are spent in Stockholm. Guests are invited to take a tour of the Vasa Museum, embark on a cruise across to Drottningholm Palace, a 17th-century royal castle located on the visually-impressive Stockholm Archipelago. There’s also the optional excursion to the charming fishing community of Vaxholm – often referred to as the capital of the archipelago. The journey down to Linkoping includes a voyage on board the paddle steamer SS Mariefred, commissioned in 1903 and continuing to delight passengers today. Guests can explore the Gota Canal on board two distinctly different little boats – each with their own curious history to tell – and when on dry land, the Vadstena Castle, a splendid example of early Renaissance architecture, is not to be missed. Combining picturesque locations with delightful modes of water transport, travellers will be hard-pressed to find a better way to explore the waterways of southern Sweden. Prices from £1,249 per person for two passengers for six nights, including nine meals, return flights, excursions and transfers www.travel.saga.co.uk
For more information and trip ideas for Sweden, visit VisitSweden.com