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Siberian Huskies are used on many of our dog sledding tours in Sweden, from the challenging Dog Sledding Across Jämtland expedition through the majestic mountains of the north-west to Northern Lights Dog Sledding in the far north of Swedish Lapland inside the Arctic Circle.
Dog sledding is a close partnership between musher and dog team, and at the end of your adventure you should find you have formed a real bond with the dogs in your team. For many participants, developing this relationship as you work closely with your own teams of sled dogs each day is one of the most enjoyable parts of a dog sledding holiday.
The Siberian Husky is one of the recognised breeds of sled dog, the others being the fast and light Alaskan Husky (used on our Dog Sledding and Winter Bushcraft and Family Husky Sledding Adventure experiences), the Samoyed and the Eskimo dog.
Siberians are beautiful dogs, ranging in colour from pure white to black with eyes of striking blue, brown or amber. Some dogs have dramatic eye colourings, being “parti-eyed”, with eyes half brown and half blue, or with one brown eye and one blue eye – “bi-eyed”.
Where does the Siberian Husky come from?
As the name suggests, these sturdy sled dogs originate from Siberia, where they were used by the Chukchi peoples. Able to move at reasonable speeds over long distances with fairly heavy loads, the Siberians were workdogs by day and companions (and furry heaters!) for humans at night.
During summer, the dogs were allowed to run free, hunting for themselves. Over the centuries this led to Siberians retaining strong pack characteristics while at the same time being very good-natured and affectionate.
In 1909, Siberian Huskies were brought to Alaska by fur traders, where they were used for racing as well as working.
What makes Siberian Huskies good for dog sledding?
Siberian Huskies are powerful and resilient dogs with excellent stamina, ideally suited to the low temperatures of the Lapland winter. They have a dense undercoat and a soft outer coat, which can cope with temperatures down to -50 degrees C or less! (Don’t worry – you are very unlikely to encounter temperatures this low during your dogsled tour!)
With their strong pack attributes, Siberian Huskies work well together in a team and are intelligent and trainable. Given the considerable energy they expend on the trail, Siberian Huskies eat surprisingly little, reducing the need to carry so much heavy and bulky food during a tour.
Travelling through the winter landscape on an extended tour in command of your own dogsled team is an unforgettable experience. You may begin with the expectation that it will be the thrill of dog sledding itself, the deep Arctic winter, perhaps even a spectacular display of the Northern Lights, that stays most in your memory from your dog sledding holiday in Sweden – but you may well find that you come home with equally fond memories of your four-legged companions!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Nature Travels offers a wide range of Sweden dog sledding tours, from child-friendly experiences to challenging winter camping expeditions.
Relaxing with a cold beer or glass or wine after a hard day’s paddling on one of our self-guided canoe tours in Värmland or hiking tours in the mountains of Lapland is one of life’s little pleasures. But you may find it harder than you think! In this series of FAQs, we look at some of the questions most frequently asked by our clients regarding Systembolaget – the Swedish national chain of off-licences.
What is Systembolaget?
Systembolaget is a nationwide, government-owned chain of off-licences in Sweden. Systembolaget stores are the only places in Sweden apart from bars, restaurants and night-clubs where strong alcoholic beverages can be purchased.
When was Systembolaget introduced?
In the second half of the 18th century, following a series of unsuccessful attempts to regulate the consumption of alcohol in Sweden, all restrictions were removed by the king. This led to a rapid increase in the consumption and home production of alcohol. In 1830, the first society for moderation in drinking was started in Stockholm, and in 1850 alcohol first began to be regulated by the state. During and following the First World War, strict rationing was in place with the quantities of alcohol which could be purchased limited. This was abolished in 1955 when Systembolaget stores were introduced. In 1965 private stores were permitted to sell beer up to 4.5% abv, but this was reduced to 3.5% in 1977 following a dramatic rise in beer consumption.
Does Systembolaget have a monopoly?
Yes. In June 2007 an EU panel of judges ruled that Systembolaget’s shop monopoly was justified, though did lift restrictions on the private import of alcohol.
Why is Systembolaget allowed to be only chain of off-licences in Sweden?
A number of regulations govern how Systembolaget stores are operated. One major reason for the monopoly being permitted is to enforce the minimum age law. Also, Systembolaget stores are prohibited from favouring particular brands, which in theory leads to a fairer choice for the consumer. Systembolaget can promote itself, but not individual products. All products are taxed on alcohol content rather than price, and all are sold with the same profit margin. Another advantage sometimes cited is that the enormous bulk buying power of the Systembolaget chain helps to keep prices down – Systembolaget is one of the largest buyers of wines and spirits in the world. Staff are well-trained and often surprisingly knowledgeable about the products on sale.
When are Systembolaget shops open?
Opening hours have been extended in some places in recent years. In larger centres, Systembolaget stores may be open Monday-Saturday, perhaps until 7pm on weekdays and 3pm on Saturdays. In smaller towns, opening hours may be restricted to weekdays and/or office hours only. In remote areas and small villages, the local store often operates as an extension of Systembolaget, where orders can be placed in advance for collection on particular days of the week
How do I buy alchohol in Systembolaget?
In some stores you can choose products off the shelf yourself as you would at the supermarket to pay at the till. In other stores, available example products are displayed behind glass cabinets. You write down the codes of the products you would like to purchase, take your order to the cash point and the assistant will fetch your items from the stores.
What is the legal age to buy alcohol in Sweden?
To buy alcohol at Systembolaget you must be aged 20 years or over. To buy alcohol in a bar or restaurant you must be 18.
Do Swedish supermarkets sell alcohol?
Yes, but only beer up to Klass II or “folköl” (“people’s beer”), max. strength 3.5% abv. Stronger beers and other alcoholic beverages must be bought at Systembolaget.
Is alcohol in Sweden expensive?
Generally yes, but not always. Sweden certainly has a reputation for high prices for alcohol. In general, prices for beer, wine and spirits in Swedish bars and restaurants are likely to be higher than in the UK.
However, Systembolaget has a very wide selection to suit a range of tastes and budgets. Prices for a bottle of wine start from around 60 SEK (about £5). As products are taxed on alcohol content rather than price, some products can be quite competitively priced relative to the international market.
Light beers (up to 3.5% abv) are sold in supermarkets and are usually very affordably priced.
Can I recycle cans and bottles in Sweden?
Yes. The price for all beer and other drinks cans includes “pant” or deposit, which will be refunded if you return the empty cans to a recycling station. Most supermarkets have a station outside the store, where you feed in your cans and then get a receipt which you can take to the till to exchange for cash or use as a discount on purchases. Don’t squash the cans! The machines will only accept them if they are intact. The same system also applies to plastic PET bottles.
The Systembolaget monopoly and restricted opening hours can seem strange to visitors from overseas, but in many ways the system functions very well. Provided you plan ahead and check local opening times, there is no reason why you should not be able to enjoy a glass of wine or cold beer after a day of outdoor activities in Sweden!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
For British people, the term “outside loo” is something strongly associated with a way of life from our parents’ or even grandparents’ generations, conjuring visions of portly housewives in aprons, working men in cloth caps and children with shorts and grubby knees braving biting winds to scurry down to the bottom of the garden and “spend a penny”. It is an anachronism from a time when families gathered around the “wireless” for evening entertainment, prices were reckoned in shillings and baths were taken in a tin tub in the living room on a Friday night.
But in Sweden, a country at the very forefront of modern communications technology and with one of the highest standards of living in the world, the outside toilet or “utedass” is still very much alive and well and an essential part of Swedish outdoor life.
As we discussed in our article on Swedish summer houses, many Swedes have access to a cabin in the country which is regularly used at weekends and during holidays, and while most will have running water for cooking or washing, a great many of these summer houses will have outside toilets. This “old-fashioned” style of living which characterises the typical Swedish summer house is not only often a necessity dictated by the remoteness of the cabins and the physical distance to services such as mains water pipes, but for many Swedes is an integral part of the nature experience, a chance to escape the trappings of the modern life and take pleasure in a simpler way of living.
As a result, the “utedass”, or dry compost toilet, remains a central feature of modern Sweden.
For visitors from overseas, asking for the loo and being directed to a small wooden shack in the forest can bring on a minor attack of culture shock. But there is no need to be concerned – Swedish dry toilets are a much pleasanter experience than you might expect!
When travelling to one of Nature Travels’ holidays in Sweden, you may encounter outside toilets on experiences such as our Romantic Adventure in Forest Log Cabin and Forest Weekend with Elk and Beaver Safari or at one of the mountain cabins on our extended dog sledding tours. Here are some of the questions we are sometimes asked regarding the Swedish outdoor toilet:
Are “utedass” found only in Sweden?
No, but they are particularly characteristic of and strongly associated with summer houses and remote cabins in Sweden.
Are Swedish outdoor toilets comfortable?
Many summer house owners go to great lengths to make the “lilla huset” or “little house” as comfortable and pleasant as possible, decorating the inside of the cabin with flowers and photographs, thoughtfully providing books and magazines and even using polystyrene toilet seats to ensure exposed bottoms do not get cold!
Do Swedish outdoor toilets smell?
In many toilets you will find a bucket of earth or compost and a small cup, which should be used to sprinkle a covering of earth over the waste once you have finished. This not only helps the composting process but also controls odours. As a result, Swedish dry toilets should smell earthy but not unpleasant. In general, modern chemical toilets of the kind found at music festivals or public events are likely to have a much more unpleasant and aggressive odour.
Is it necessary to use the toilet if you just need to urinate?
Swedish outdoor toilets will generally be found in remote areas, and there is likely to be no-one else around when you need to go to the loo. To minimise odours and also to avoid filling up the toilet so quickly, it is best to use the Utedass mainly for solid waste. For liquid waste, a quick trip to the forest (especially for males) is the preferred solution.
Do all Nature Travels experiences have outdoor toilets?
No! Our log cabins in Sweden are fully equipped with kitchens, showers, flush-toilets etc and furnished to a high-standard. Many of our other Sweden holidays, such as wilderness canoeing, timber rafting or sea kayaking feature wild camping, and on these experiences toilet facilities are not available. You will be given full instructions on how to deal with your toilet waste to ensure that you do not pollute the local environment, create a health hazard or leave any trace for travellers who may come after you.
As well as being a central part of Swedish outdoor life, dry composting toilets are a sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative to flush toilets, requiring no power or chemicals for their operation and using no water. If you would like more information on composting toilets, including advice on how to build your own, visit the excellent Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales or download one of their factsheets.
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
In September 2009, 100 years after Sweden’s first national parks, Sarek and Muddus in Lapland, were created, Sweden’s first Marine National Park will be inaugurated in the Koster Islands.
Lying just a short boat ride to the west of the coastal town of Strömstad between Sweden and Norway, the Koster archipelago has two main islands, North and South Koster. Surrounded by a beautiful archipelago of smaller islands, rocks and skerries, the car-free Koster Islands are Sweden’s most westerly populated islands.
Much of the land area of North and South Koster is already protected as a Nature Reserve. The Koster Marine National Park will cover around 45,000 hectares, protecting and conserving the unique natural marine heritage of the area.
The idea behind the Koster Marine National Park is to focus on a sustainable future for the islands, recognising both the economic importance of well-managed tourism and the biodiversity of the area. Koster is one of Sweden’s most popular coastal destinations during the summer but is also home to a number of species found nowhere else in Swedish waters. The waters surrounding the islands are also a vitally important inshore fishery for species such as lobster as well as a haven for wildlife, including a colony of common seals.
With its contrasts of deep and shallow hard-bedded waters, exposed and sheltered shallows and soft seabeds, Koster is in a class of its own as an area of marine biodiversity in Sweden. The Koster Fjord is connected to the Norwegian trench, which is turn connects to the edge of the continental shelf out in the Atlantic towards Norway, creating environmental conditions similar to deep ocean trenches. In time, it is planned that the Koster Marine National Park will connect with a similar protected area around the Hvaler Islands in Norway.
The Koster Marine National Park authorities plan to work in close collaboration with island residents to develop sustainable tourism and a sustainable economy on the islands. A new visitor centre is being constructed to showcase the importance of the area and provide a valuable educational resource for locals and visitors alike.
Koster is a wonderful destination for outdoor activities and offers some of Sweden’s best opportunities for sea kayaking holidays. We offer a range of guided and self-guided sea kayaking tours in the western archipelago, including Kayaking in the Koster Archipelago, a 3-day guided tour with wild camping.
Koster has always been a beautiful area to visit. With increased protection and greater national and international awareness of the value of archipelago’s marine environment, it should remain so for many years to come.
Learn more about Koster Marine National Park: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mHCSVI6biB
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Sweden is a magical place to celebrate Christmas and New Year. The days may be short, but the nights are filled with warmth and candlelight.
Nature Travels offers a wide variety of options for holidays in Sweden around Christmas and New Year time, from cosy log cabins to expedition dog sledding. Whether you are a family with young children looking for a traditional winter family holiday or an adventurous group of friends who would enjoy the challenge of winter camping, we have an experience to suit you.
One important thing to remember if you would like to celebrate Christmas in Sweden – Swedes celebrate on the 24th of December, not the 25th as we do in the UK, so make sure you don’t arrive a day too late!
Listed below are some of the possibilities for a Christmas or New Year break in Sweden. Please follow the links for more information. Please also click on the “Full Details” link on each experience page. Under “Getting There” you can find advice for travel to/from and within Sweden. We are happy to advise on suitable connections.
Swedish Log Cabins
For a log cabin experience at Christmas or New Year, you may wish to consider our Log Cabin Escape in Värmland. There are three cabins in a small, quiet village in the western side of the county of Värmland, beautifully situated between the lakes of Mangen and Treen, which are renowned for their excellent fishing (perch, pike, trout and salmon). From here the famous Finnskogen, a vast area of forest, lakes and hills, full of wildlife such as elk and beaver, stretches northwards. This lovely area is, apart from fishing, also ideal for walking, canoeing and boating. The traditionally constructed log cabins, which sleep up to six persons (4 + 2), are situated just 75 metres from the lakeside and are fully equipped and tastefully furnished with a wood-burning stove. There is also a sauna available for your use nearby. Activities available in the area around Christmas and New Year depend on the weather conditions. During December/January there should be snow, and the area is wonderful for cross-country skiing, with prepared trails running right outside the door, or you can borrow snowshoes to explore the surrounding forests. The lakes freeze over and it is possible to try your luck at ice fishing, and for those interested in downhill skiing, there is a local slope just 30 minutes away.
Further north in the country of Jämtland you will find the Northern Comfort Lodge, a spacious, comfortable, traditionally-constructed Swedish log cabin located on the shore of Lake Revsund in Jämtland. The lodge has everything you might expect of an idyllic Swedish log cabin – a beautiful lakeside/forest location, spacious, airy living area, private sauna and a wood-burning stove. But the lodge also has a few surprises – including a larger wood-heated outside sauna and hot-tub “bathing barrel” right by the water’s edge! Whatever you are looking for from a log cabin holiday – be it adventure, romance or an active family break, the Northern Comfort Lodge offers an ideal location for couples, families or groups of up to 8 persons. Accommodation at the lodge is divided into four bedrooms, each sleeping two persons, with a large open-plan kitchen and living area, decorated throughout in traditional style. Activities available during winter include cross-country skiing, ice fishing and snowshoeing, and even dog sledding day tours can be arranged from the cabin.
Catered Accommodation
If you would prefer a catered experience, our Country Manor Multi-activity Getaway offers high-standard accommodation and fine cuisine in a comfortable yet intimate and personal atmosphere. Your host, Uta, is a renowned local chef and well-known as a proponent of “slow food”. Food served at the manor is locally-sourced and organically produced wherever possible. The manor offers a special package around New Year which includes fireworks down by the lake. Use of kayaks, bikes, rowing boats and sauna is free for guests (though the lake may be frozen during wintertime, in which case you might like to have a go at ice skating on natural ice!). Accommodation is in the manor’s “Wrought Iron House” in doubles (mini-suites), all with bedroom, living room and bathroom.
For a traditional winter family holiday in Sweden, Winter Wonderland on a Forest Farm is an ideal choice. The farm is situated in the middle of the Hälsingland forest. This is available for one or more nights and is a very special experience, with accommodation on a forest farm with your hosts Lasse and Åsa and a range of activities in the surrounding forest, including ice fishing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and cross-country skiing. If you have a car you can also do day tours to different attractions in the area, such as the Järvzoo, which has a very impressive collection of Swedish native wildlife including wolverines, arctic foxes, wolves, bears, elk and lynx. The accommodation on the farm consists of two rooms which share toilet/shower and TV/recreation room. Although situated just a couple of hours north of Stockholm, the farm is located in an elevated area which means that the snow normally arrives before Christmas.
Adventure Holidays
If you’re looking for an active holiday in Sweden around Christmas and New Year time, how about dog sledding or cross-country skiing?
Our Dog Sledding and Winter Bushcraft is a husky holiday with a difference, combining the excitement and adventure of expedition dog sledding with an opportunity to learn and practise bushcraft skills, including cooking over open fire and identifying tracks of wildlife in the snow. Your experience begins with an evening at the bushcraft camp in Gällö, relaxing with a wood-fired sauna and lakeside hot-tub and looking ahead to your days in the mountains of Jämtland. The following morning you will meet your dog team and be instructed in how to harness the dogs and handle the sled, before heading off into the hills. Each participant will drive their own sled with a dog team of 4-5 Alaskan Huskies. Dog Sledding and Winter Bushcraft is normally bookable on custom dates by arrangement for groups of minimum 4 persons, but there is also a special scheduled New Year tour on which participants are welcome to book as individuals.
Finally, for a flexible, family-friendly winter holiday in Sweden, our Winter Weeks in the Mountains experience may be the ideal option. Based at an award-winning mountain station in Dalarna, near the border with Norway, you can do your own exploring, go tobogganing, skiing, snowshoeing, etc, or join in the various activities and tours that are arranged or take lessons. Children can join in arranged children’s activities. You can also rent the equipment you would like for the day – skis, sledges, snowshoes, etc – and after a day out in the mountains relax in the station’s mini spa and, if you wish, join in the evening activities arranged. There are over 100km of prepared cross-country tracks beginning right from the door and, for those interested in ski touring, an extensive network of marked trails leading up onto the mountain plains.
Photo: Anders Dahlin Naturfoto
If you are not sure which of our experiences would suit you best, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to make some suitable suggestions to help you find the ideal Christmas or New Year holiday in Sweden for you.
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
It’s a clear blue day, the early morning sunlight reflecting off the water, so bright and clear that were it not for the forested islands breaking up the horizon it would be hard to see where the water ends and the sky begins. The gentle slap of water against the jetty completes the scene. I’m sat on the porch of our little summer cabin in the Stockholm archipelago having breakfast with my wife, looking out across the water to a small uninhabited island about 50 metres away. Uninhabited by humans, that is, but home to a breeding pair of Ospreys who this year have raised two large, healthy and boisterous chicks. They are surprisingly vocal, the chattering cry of the parents carrying loud and clear across the still waters as they circle above the trees, like irate parents berating their lazy children for sleeping in.
Breakfasts are the best part of the day here – a chance to indulge ourselves with all the traditional trappings of a Swedish breakfast that my wife grew up enjoying here and that I too have come to love, and that we both miss terribly in our everyday life in the UK: filmjölk, räkost, tunnbröd, Kalles caviar, the words themselves are enough to make my mouth water.
Mornings are also a great time for wildlife watching on the island, from the hares nibbling quietly on the grass to the roe deer which peer out shyly from the forest. The island is small, but extraordinarily rich in animal life. A couple of years ago, I was sitting quietly on a log in the woods when a pine marten came up almost to my toes. Take care to remain quiet when making an evening trip to the outside loo and you may see a badger snuffling for plums beneath the fruit trees. You may arrive by boat to find an elk standing in the potato patch watching the world go by.
Today was a day for raptors. As the whole family of Ospreys took suddenly to the skies, it was the first time I had had the chance to watch all four Ospreys in flight at the same time – they were heading purposefully straight for us and they passed so close that you could see the outline of every feather.
They seemed agitated, flapping and screeching, and a few seconds later it became clear why. Watching a buzzard at home in the UK being mobbed by crows as they try to defend their nests is a fascinating sight. Seeing an enormous adult White-tailed Sea Eagle being chased off by a squadron of Ospreys in hot pursuit is nothing short of spectacular.
It seems wrong to apply the image to such a graceful and majestic sight, but the first thing I was reminded of as the huge eagle passed overhead was the opening sequence of Star Wars, where an Imperial battle cruiser makes its seemingly neverending progress across the screen. The aerodynamic, sculpted forms of the Ospreys diving and wheeling around it stood in stark contrast to the imposing, solid bulk of the eagle, like rebel X-wing fighters on the attack.
It seemed that the Sea Eagles had also bred successfully this year, as later that day we would watch enthralled as a young eagle landed on the grass just a few metres from the house, looking out across the island with a quiet self-confidence like a young nobleman surveying the lands he would one day inherit.
White-tailed Sea Eagles are Sweden’s largest bird of prey, 70-90cm long with a wingspan of up to three metres. They have a square, “barn door” profile in flight and can live up to 25 years. They form a species pair with the American Bald Eagle.
As alpha predators, White-tailed Sea Eagles suffered severely in the past from accumulation of pollutants from their prey and were also subject to persecution. Between 1800 and 1970, populations declined steeply all over Europe. Numbers in Sweden are recovering well thanks to intensive conservation measures, including legal protection, habitat and breeding site preservation, winter feeding and a sharp reduction in the use of harmful chemicals. While still a rare and thrilling sight, White-tailed Sea Eagles are expanding their territories once more, and their recovery in Sweden and in a number of other European countries is a true conservation success story.
White-tailed Sea Eagles are able to breed from around 4-5 years of age and mate for life. Their mating display is spectacular, ending with both birds locking claws together and cartwheeling towards the ground. They nest in a huge eyrie of sticks on coastal cliffs or in trees, and often reuse the same nest for many generations. Nests may become so large and heavy that the trees collapse under their weight. Mating pairs produce up to three eggs a year between March and April each year.
In the UK, wildlife enthusiasts travel many miles and wait for hours for the sights we were enjoying at our leisure from the breakfast table – yet another reminder of what a special place Sweden is when it comes to nature and the outdoors. The day after tomorrow it will be time to return home to Dorset – but the cries of the Ospreys echoing across the water, the shadow cast by the Sea Eagle as it glided off into the distance, the scent of the birch trees swaying in the breeze, are vivid memories I will take back with me to England and treasure until my next visit.
Best regards
Bob, The Nature Travels Team
Life is busy, and not everyone is able to find time to arrange their train tickets in advance and so get the best fares.
As discussed in our recent blog post about public transport in Sweden, Swedish rail operator SJ releases the most affordable tickets 90 days before travel. These fares are then sold on a “first come, first served” basis, meaning fares will tend to increase steadily the closer to your date of travel you book.
If you are able to make your train bookings well in advance, there are some excellent deals available. But for various reasons, this may not always be possible. Perhaps you are booking your holiday in Sweden at the last minute, or perhaps you have been meaning to get around to booking your train tickets for weeks but other things somehow took priority.
Whatever the reason, it’s worth considering the Swedish bus network as both a cost-effective and comfortable alternative. Sweden is a vast country, and its extensive rail network serves many destinations in even the remotest areas. But there are necessarily huge areas of the country where bus is by far the most frequent or convenient option.
Local bus services (on which we are always happy to advise clients travelling with us) are run by regional operators. Swebus – www.swebusexpress.se – operates regular coach services covering much of the country, with very affordable prices.
For example, if you are travelling from Gothenburg to Karlstad for one of our canoeing holidays in Sweden, current fares for one of the regular direct buses with Swebus cost just £15/adult/way and take around 4 hours.
To book your bus tickets with Swebus, go to www.swebusexpress.se. Click “English” in the top left corner and select your departure point and destination. You can then choose from a variety of ticket options (price depending on flexibility required). You can also call them on +46 (0)771 – 218 218.
You should also note that some bus connections, both Swebus services and local bus services, are listed as part of the timetable information when checking train connections on Swedish rail operator SJ’s website www.sj.se. When these services are listed, tickets for travel can also be purchased through the SJ website. This is often a very convenient way to buy a ticket valid for your whole journey right through to your final destination, perhaps combining the main part of a longer journey by train with the last section by bus. You may also find in some cases that Swebus may offer a more convenient service than the train for the outward journey, but that you wish to take a train for your return. Once again, as long as the bus services are listed by SJ you will be able to buy a ticket for both journeys at the SJ website.
Sweden is a wonderful country to travel in by public transport, whether you are taking a night train up north for one of our hiking holidays in Lapland or over to the Norwegian border for one of our dog sledding tours in Sweden, or a bus to the archipelago to go on a sea kayaking tour! And with Swebus, you can even leave it to the last minute to organise your journey and still get affordable fares!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
There are many reasons why booking your Nature Travels holiday in Sweden for 2009 early is a good idea:
1. Flight prices
If you are travelling to Sweden by plane, fares will be almost always be considerably lower if you plan ahead. For example, if you are considering winter dog sledding in Sweden on one of our extended dogsledding holidays in the Jämtland mountains, you can fly with Ryanair from Liverpool to Stockholm Skavsta in March 2009 for £0.00! (£28.41 including taxes, based on information at the time of writing).
2. Train fares
To get the best deals on train travel in Sweden, the trick is to book early, but not too early. Swedish rail operator SJ releases the most affordable tickets for sale 90 days before travel. These discounted tickets are then sold on a “first come, first served” basis.
For example, a seat on the night train from Stockholm to Undersåker (the start point for many of our dog sledding tours in Sweden) 90 days from the time of writing is just £15/person/way.
So wait until 90 days before you travel to book your train tickets in Sweden, but don’t wait too long! Booking in advance within the 90 day period will be considerably more affordable than leaving it until the last minute to arrange your train travel.
3. Availability
Spaces on our most popular outdoor experiences may be filled some way in advance. If you are restricted as to which dates you are able to travel due to work commitments, school holidays, etc, it is a good idea to reserve your spaces as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment. To secure your spaces on your chosen Sweden holiday, we simply require you to complete a booking form and forward deposit of 10% of the total price of your experience, or £100, whichever is greater. The balance is then due 60 days before your experience begins.
4. Custom or private tours
Many of our experiences offer the option for both small and larger groups to book a private tour on dates by arrangement or to have a tailor-made variation of the standard itinerary to suit their particular needs, abilities and schedule. Particularly if you are planning activities in Sweden for a large corporate group or club, it may be essential to ensure that your preferred dates are available. If you are travelling with a particularly large group, then availability for flights, hotels, etc, may also be an issue. Booking your experience well in advance will ensure that you get the dates you want.
5. The price of a Nature Travels outdoor experience in Sweden
Nature Travels cooperates exclusively with small-scale, local partner companies in Sweden, all of whom are committed to the principles of sustainable tourism. We work purely on a commission basis with our providers – the price we charge to our customers is the same as the price available if booking direct (allowing for minor fluctuations up or down in exchange rate between British Pounds and Swedish Kronor). Normally we do not offer late availability rates or special discounts, except on the very rare occasions when one of our partners may decide to discount a particular tour to fill unused spaces. Where prices for next season have not yet been released, we are usually happy to offer our clients the chance to book for the following year at pre-change prices.
If you are planning your holiday in Sweden for 2009, making your booking in advance will ensure that you get the experience you want, when you want it. For inspiration, see our selection of articles about our activities in Sweden and images of our outdoor holidays on our website at www.naturetravels.co.uk.
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Sweden’s reputation for reliable and efficient public transport networks is well-deserved. Despite the vast distances involved and the remote nature of much of Sweden, its web of well-organised public transport links offers regular connections to even the furthest reaches of the country. Where it is necessary to take a combination of train and bus to reach your destination, bus timetables are often thoughtfully coordinated with train arrival and departure times.
As well as being a convenient, comfortable and environmentally-friendly option, travelling by train and bus in Sweden offers a wonderful opportunity to see the landscape of this beautiful country and can really add to your enjoyment of your trip.
How to check train timetables and purchase tickets for public transport in Sweden
On the website of Swedish national rail operator SJ, you can check connections and book your tickets online. You can check times and purchase tickets for the complete route, including any sections where it is necessary to travel by bus.
To see timetables and to book your tickets, go to www.sj.se. Click “In English” in the top right corner. Type in your start point and your destination. If you have difficulties, you can also call them on +46 (0) 771-75 75 75. Wait for the message to say ”For information in English, press…”
Many Swedish place names will use the Swedish characters å, ä and ö. If you do not have these characters on your keyboard, you can replace them with the English characters a and o. The system will usually make a guess as to the place name you require and ask you to confirm your choice. If you have difficulties, you can also copy and paste these characters from the sentence above. If travelling to or from Gothenburg, you should also bear in mind that the Swedish name for Gothenburg is Göteborg. In all place names, “C” signifies the central station (e.g. Stockholm C = Stockholm Central).
It is much cheaper to buy your tickets in advance. You should note that the most affordable tickets are only released 90 days before travel. If you are checking connections many months in advance, timetable information for your chosen dates may not be published yet. In this case, use sample earlier dates to get an idea of likely connections. For group bookings, SJ offers special group rates for groups of 10 or more persons – for a quotation, email gruppresor@sj.se.
One important point when purchasing your tickets online: the English version of the SJ website is still under development (in fact this bug has already been present for some time – we have discussed the matter with SJ but no changes have been made as of the time of writing). When you come to the booking page, the form will ask for your telephone number. This field is not yet set up properly to accept overseas numbers. Instead, use the following number as a “dummy”: 0870 12345678. This number is not important to your booking and will not be used for contact purposes.
Taking a night train in Sweden
If travelling to one of our guided hiking tours in Lapland or our dog sledding holidays in Jämtland, taking a night train is often the most convenient option. Sweden’s long distance rail routes take you through some of the most remote and beautiful parts of the country, and a journey by night train is a real experience, delivering you to your destination refreshed and ready to begin your holiday adventure! There are a choice of sleeping arrangements to suit all tastes and budgets, from couchettes to private en-suite compartments.
Buying the most affordable train tickets in Sweden
As mentioned above, the most affordable tickets are released 90 days before travel, and it is usually possible to get very good prices for your chosen route. If you are willing to wait until less than 48 hours before travel, it is now also possible to bid on SJ train tickets, meaning that you could travel for as little as 1 kr! For details of the bidding system, please see http://www.sj.se/sj/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=224&a=51518&l=en
Local bus services in Sweden
There is also an efficient network of local bus connections. For local services it is usually not possible to purchase your tickets in advance. You should buy your tickets on board. Operators for local bus routes in Sweden will depend on the area in which you are travelling. We are happy to advise on suitable travel connections to any of our holidays in Sweden.
Booking trains from between Norway or Denmark and Sweden
If the majority of your journey is in Sweden, the SJ website will probably show connections and allow you to purchase your tickets (if travelling to/from Copenhagen in Denmark, remember that the Swedish for Copenhagen is “Köpenhamn”). If not, you may find connections listed at www.bokatag.se.
Swedish public transport allows you to reach even the most remote parts of this lovely country quickly, safely and affordably. It is possible to reach all the outdoor holidays in Sweden offered by Nature Travels by public transport, and the great majority of our clients travel to and from our experiences by public transport.
Advice on travel to/from your destination is given in the “Getting There” section of the Full Details file for each of our experiences. Simply click on the “Full Details” link on each experience page. You can browse an interactive map of holidays in Sweden at www.naturetravels.co.uk/holidays-in-sweden.htm. You can also book flight buses from Swedish airports into the city for onward train connections through us at ww.naturetravels.co.uk/add-ons-flygbussarna.htm. We are happy to advise our clients on any aspect of travelling to one of our wildlife, outdoor and adventure holidays in Sweden. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
The word “sommarstuga” in Sweden is not easy to translate: “summer cabin”, “summer house”, “summer cottage”, or “holiday cottage” all come close, but none quite sum up the spirit of the Swedish sommarstuga.
In the UK, it is considered a mark of comparative affluence to have a “holiday home”, a rural retreat, a weekend bolthole from the stress and overcrowding of urban life. In Sweden, there are around 680,000 summer cabins in the country as a whole. There are around 700,000 families in Sweden with an average of 2 children per family. Given that most summer cabins in Sweden are owned collectively by extended families and handed down from generation to generation, this means that the great majority of the Swedish population has access to a summer cabin and the opportunity to spend their weekends and holidays at their own private “holiday home” in the country.
But whereas a holiday cottage in the UK may, in other hands, serve equally well as a full-time dwelling, the vast majority of Swedish summer houses used by Swedish families (rather than available for hire to visitors) are an altogether simpler affair. Most will have modern conveniences such as electricity and cooking facilities, and perhaps running water in the kitchen area, but indoor toilet facilities are uncommon and showers and baths would be considered a real extravagance!
Instead, Swedish summer cabins generally have a dry outdoor toilet, or “utedass”, located in a small separate wooden building some distance from the house. Waste is collected in buckets and covered over with dry earth to prevent odours and aid rapid composting. When the buckets are full, they can be emptied into a composting area secluded in the forest and later used for compost. The Swedes had been doing eco-friendly composting toilets for generations before such ideas became fashionable in the UK!
Many first-time visitors to Sweden are often surprised to find that Swedish summers are, on average (and of course depending on how far north you travel) warmer and drier than in the UK. By the middle of summer, the lakes and archipelago waters are usually a fresh but very pleasant temperature for bathing and swimming. Most Swedish summer cabins will be located next to water, and it is a familiar morning sight to see a towel-clad Swedish family making their way from their summer cabin down to the water for their morning bathe.
These days, Swedish summer houses are often just that, private holiday retreats used during the warmer periods of the year. Most sommarstugor do not have the insulation required for modern standards during winter time, and so come autumn most families will close up their summer cabin for the winter. In earlier times, the cabins would have been lived in year-round, usually by ancestors involved in farming or forestry.
It sometimes seems as if all Swedes are born with an instinctive aptitude for carpentry, plumbing and electrical work. Certainly the vast majority of summer cabin owners in Sweden will do all necessary repairs and renovation themselves. This means that owning a summer house is a real commitment in terms of time and energy. Most Swedish families will pack up the car and drive out to their summer house (often referred to as going “ute på landet” or “out in the country”) almost every available weekend during the season, and will also spend at least a week or two of their annual holiday out at the summer cabin. It is much more common for Swedish families to take their summer holidays within Sweden than to travel abroad.
The Swedish summer cabin occupies a central place in Swedish cultural life – it is a focus of family leisure time, a demonstration of Sweden’s egalitarian principles where a private holiday home is not just the preserve of the wealthy, and an icon of the Swedish rural idyll with its beautiful landscape of deep forests and clear, sparkling lakes.
Rich or poor, old or young, most Swedes will be spending their summer weekends this year “ute på landet” at their summer cabins, painting the wood-clad houses red and white, picking flowers from the meadows to decorate the table at mealtimes and beginning each day with a refreshing dip in the lake. Summer at the family cabin is a Swedish tradition which harks back to a simpler, more innocent past, but which looks set to continue long into the future.
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Nature Travels offers a range of log cabins in Sweden available in both summer and winter. Our simplest log cabin experience in Sweden, Romantic Adventure in Forest Log Cabin, is a unique romantic break available between May and September with simple facilities in a beautiful forest setting. Our other Swedish log cabin experiences, Log Cabin Escape in Värmland and the Northern Comfort Lodge, offer modern facilities and year-round accommodation ideal for families or groups. For an overview of our log cabins in Sweden, see our website at www.naturetravels.co.uk/articles-log-cabin-holidays-in-sweden.htm
