The Best of West Sweden Short Break

Tour Type:

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Activity Level & Terrain

This tour is rated easy-moderate. Distances vary from 5 – 17km, and the ascent/descent is generally negligible with the exceptions of some undulating sections on day 3 and 4 (Soteleden trail), which can be more tiring that expected! Generally the terrain underfoot is straight-forward. However, care should be taken on the granite rock paths when wet as they can become slippery. Some parts of the woodland trails can become muddy after lots of rain. Walking shoes or boots with good grip are essential.  

Navigation

All of the walks are way-marked to varying degrees, some walks better than others. We provide you with turn-by-turn instructions for each walk, maps and access to our GPS smartphone navigation app, so you will have no problem finding your way!

• 3 Nights in 3 star hotels and 1 night in a comfortable guesthouse
• 4 breakfasts
• 1 dinner
• 1 packed lunch
• Detailed information pack, route notes, maps and access to our navigation app
• 24/7 support from our UK office

• Travel insurance (required)
• Travel to Gothenburg and from Smögen
• Public transport costs
• Remaining lunches and dinners
• Drinks and snacks
• Personal equipment

• Additional nights before, during or after the walk

When To Go

This trip is available to start any day of the week, from the beginning of May to mid-September, subject to availability. Any time during this period is ideal for walking, mid-July to mid- August is high season and the towns along the way will be busy with local holiday makers. 

Getting to the Start

By Air: Gothenburg Landvetter Airport is the best entry point for this tour. There are several low-cost and international airlines flying here. From here, it’s a 40 minute bus journey to the Nils Ericson Terminalen (Central Bus Station) in Gothenburg. The bus company is called Flygbussarna, and tickets can be purchased from a machine at the arrivals hall of the airport. Departures run as regularly as every 12 minutes during peak times.

You could also fly into Copenhagen Airport, from where there is a direct train to Gothenburg (3.5 hours)

By Rail: Gothenburg can be reached by train from any other Swedish town or city. For example, the train from Stockholm to Gothenburg takes 3.5 hours.  

Getting from the End

Smögen has a bus stop from where you can catch a bus back to Gothenburg. The bus takes approx. 2.5 with 1 change (possibly more depending on your departure time/date). Timetables and itineraries can be found in English at the following website: https://www.vasttrafik.se/en 

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from Norden’s Ark to Bottna and from Bottna to Smögen. Please limit the weight of your bags to 20kg per person. You will take your bag on public transport from Gothenburg to Norden’s Ark, so you may want to keep the weight of your bag as light as possible. We recommend having a suitcase with wheels to make things easier. If you are returning to Gothenburg at the end of the tour, it may be possible to leave any excess belongings at your hotel in Gothenburg, so be sure to have an extra bag with you if you intend to do this (a fold away tote bag would be ideal).

General Information

The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and trousers), sun hat and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel during the trip

This itinerary makes extensive use of the public transport in order to see the best of West Sweden, without the stress of driving! The public transport in Sweden is excellent, so sit back and enjoy the ride. Public transport in west Sweden is run by Vasttrafik. For best value, we recommend purchasing the tickets individually, these can be purchased as you go from the bus driver or at the bus station. You should budget approx. 500 SEK per person for the public transport outlined in the itinerary.

Another option is to purchase 1 x 72 hour Vasttrafik travel card per person, meaning all public transport from day 2 to day 4 (inclusive) will be covered. Simply tap your travel card on the machine by the driver as you get on the bus, no need for additional tickets or reservations! The passes cost approx. 620 SEk per person per travel card. While it’s certainly cheaper to buy individual tickets if following the itinerary as planned, with the passes you get the added convenience of unlimited use and no need to buy individual tickets.